Who Makes America?

A big part of today’s American society is celebrating the country’s diversity and differences. America is often known as the “melting pot” because of the people of many different backgrounds, who have settled in America. Even though we now understand that it is the diversity of people that makes up America, we haven’t always understood this. In history, many people have been oppressed and discriminated simply because they were different than their peers.

One such occasion is portrayed in the book, The Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. This book highlights the disparity in equality between whites and African Americans. During this time, African Americans were isolated from the white society and received harsh treatment. They didn’t enjoy the same rights as white people and were continually harassed and oppressed simply for who they were. Anyone who tried to go against this common idea was also isolated from society. It was expected that everyone should have the same viewpoint on civil rights and African Americans. This expectation left a barrier between African Americans and whites and African Americans often found themselves isolated: “nobody was walking on his side of the street” (Morrison chapter 3). Due to this, America was divided and was not as strong as it could’ve been. Eventually, through wars and movements, we realized that we are stronger when all the citizens of America are united as one. To do this, we must be inclusive of all races, genders, and backgrounds. In other words, we must embrace our differences and consider these as strengths. America is strong today because of all the different people that compose the country.