Stereotyping in the Melting Pot

Smug, happy, and quite oblivious as to what is going on in the rest of the world, Americans enjoy the American dream. Many from around the world seek to enjoy the same American dream. The immigration of Europeans has been acceptable, but a different attitude has developed when it comes to people of color. The "melting pot" is in fact quite unreal. From its onset, it has been struggling with the idea of keeping America white. It is a fact that humans are, and no matter how hard they try not to, still hold prejudices. A majority of Americans, with all good intentions are in denial that racism is alive and kicking. Last weekend, the melting pot simmered violently after the crowning of the Miss America, who happened, to not only be of color, but also of Indian decent. Although born and brought up in America, and being a part of the so called melting pot, her crowning was unacceptable to many white Americans. The tweets proved an unspoken sentiment that a large percentage of predominately white Americans are fearful of losing the privilege that they are reluctant to admit they possess. Even the world notices the behavior of the many in the melting pot. "In a flaming demonstration that an egalitarian, non-discriminatory United States,...bigotry and bias kept popping up on a social media for hours after the event," the Times fumed. "Mindless racist stereotyping raced ahead of the ideals professed by many Americans."

While reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven, my mind, inadvertently popped back to this recent event. While Alexie comically fights prejudice in his novel, Miss America was subjected to an on slaughter of vicious remarks and comments on her race. Alexie explored the relationship between racial categorization and explained why people think they way they do about Native Americans. Prejudices exist everywhere; from a small 7-11 business to the stage set for Miss America.

Prejudices can lead to hurtful and derogatory allegations. Over and over again Americans prove that they have prejudices against non-white races. Once one factors in the fear of becoming a white minority and the ongoing struggle of whites to keep America white, the term "melting pot" is most definitely a myth.