The Amazing Race

There were lots of interesting points brought up in last week’s class, but one that I found especially striking is the idea that whites will soon become the minority in America. In a 2008 Reuters article, Adriana Garcia explains how in a mere forty years, the Latino population is predicted to overshadow that of “non-Hispanic whites”. The effects of this cultural shift will be gradual; the entire world is not going to turn upside down the second a Latino baby is born that pushes the Latino total higher than the white total. Any major societal changes in the U.S. that are a result of whites being minorities will occur in the long run.

As I typed that last sentence, I had to stop and think to myself, “Can I really call it ‘American’ if whites no longer have the largest numbers?” I am Asian-American and even I think of whiteness the second I hear “America”. The textbook references this idea in the “Invisible Knapsack” feature inserted in the “Characteristics of Whiteness” section. Martin and Nakayama write, “Nonewhites indicated high agreement with the statement…’When people refer to ‘Americans’, it is usually whites they have in mind’” (page 189). Even with the current amount of diversity in people and lifestyles, the United States is still predominantly “white”. When we think about the history of the country, we think of powerful, white men drafting the laws fighting in battles; when we think about the perfect family, we imagine a white husband and wife with white children; when we picture the ultimate American Dream, the image of a white man going from rags to riches is usually conjured. The U.S. is still predominantly Christian and even though many different people practice Christianity, it is most associated with whites.

So what might start happening in 2050? The possibilities range from having more minorities in movies and television shows to a drastic change in immigration policy. Maybe more minorities will enter the higher-end workplaces typically inhabited by whites, earning more income and providing better education for their children. Maybe someone will create “Hispanic History Month”, similar to how February is “Black History Month”. Maybe the world will experience racial harmony and everyone will get along. Whether the changes are subtle or dramatic, I think it is imperative that we be open-minded about living in a future society that has different norms, values, and culture than the one we live in now.

Reuters article: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1110177520080212