America, like many countries, was founded upon false pretense. Englishmen who had tired of persecution wanted a place to practice their religious and political beliefs as they saw fit. Since it's infancy, the people of America have been hypocritical in everything they sought to stand for. Equality for all actually meant equality for all white men of some social standing.

Many hundreds of years later, we the children of a severely diminished Native population and so many immigrants are still lacking in being a true melting pot. Perhaps a day will come when diversity is truly celebrated, but that day will not come without going back to the root, being critically honest, and then educating ourselves and our children.

We have to rewrite history books now. We have to get beyond the sugar coated story of how America was born and tell the truth. We must take it upon ourselves to understand our own cultures, to learn about our ancestors ways, even if we choose not to practice them. It must be popularly accepted that there are few, if any, purely "white" or "black" people in this society.

There are both beautiful and horrifying elements to nearly any culture. We as a society must be brave and honest enough to acknowledge these things. We must find the ability to look beyond the lightness or darkness of one's skin and realize that there are rich traditions and histories lying below the surface that will pass out of existence without the strength and integrity to do some serious investigation.

The "Check One" ethnicity boxes should be done away with on forms. This only encourages people to generalize themselves. Being Siberian, Blackfoot, Creole and European there is absolutely no way I can simple put an X in a box and be done with it. My children, who are even more diverse than I, have been raised to respect all cultures and to never assume a person's cultural identity based upon the tone of their flesh. I hope that they remember these lessons as well as pass them on. I highly doubt that I will live to see a content multiracial society, but if we do not try, our progeny will never see it either.

Learn more about this author, Tonya TenFeathers.
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