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- Nov 19, 2010
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I always hear that the US is a "Melting pot" because there are all these different cultures within it.
But I always liked what my sociology and history profs said--that there are enclaves and that nothing really gets to "melt" in the United States. So what you really have is a stew.
I took that a step further and I would say that the United States is a White Chicken Stew. (I like it because it covers racism too)
I'll break it down, and see if you agree or disagree.
The White Chicken would be your WASPs. The ones that auto-get in. (You can further say that the breast meat would be the Straight ones... because there are other kinds of white chicken meat.)
The Dark Chicken meat would be your Italians, Irish, Jews, and people who can "almost pass" from Europe. (See Little Italy)
Then you get the shunned enclaves, say, your carrots, potatoes, peas, etc "other" would be your "herbs."
For the most part the credit goes to the white chicken, doesn't it? Second, people might notice the "Dark Chicken" "less desirable" but still passes. And then you get the uncredited "vegetables" and "herbs". No one is going to call it a Chicken and Vegetable and herb stew. Because afterall "Stew" is supposed to cover the "Vegetables" and "herbs" anyway. Forget the butter too.
The carrots contribute to the taste, but stay intact as do the other vegetables. This would be your cultural enclaves "Little Tokyo" "Little Osaka" "China Town." You don't get a "Wasp town" named within the cities (though one can argue for it--Melrose in LA, or Long Island, but those "don't count" and aren't "named because, voila--they are the default.)
The herbs? added flavor--but everyone ignores those and no one wants to you know, actually bite into say, a bay leaf.
So, say you give a "White Chicken Stew" to someone--they hate the vegetables--and "I thought you said it was "white" chicken".
I've pointed out to foreigners that the US is made up of a lot of ethnicities within it, but they still say things such as "Where are the "real" Americans..." (i.e. where is the White Chicken?)
Whatcha think? Or do you have a better analogy? Or did that make you hungry?
But I always liked what my sociology and history profs said--that there are enclaves and that nothing really gets to "melt" in the United States. So what you really have is a stew.
I took that a step further and I would say that the United States is a White Chicken Stew. (I like it because it covers racism too)
I'll break it down, and see if you agree or disagree.
The White Chicken would be your WASPs. The ones that auto-get in. (You can further say that the breast meat would be the Straight ones... because there are other kinds of white chicken meat.)
The Dark Chicken meat would be your Italians, Irish, Jews, and people who can "almost pass" from Europe. (See Little Italy)
Then you get the shunned enclaves, say, your carrots, potatoes, peas, etc "other" would be your "herbs."
For the most part the credit goes to the white chicken, doesn't it? Second, people might notice the "Dark Chicken" "less desirable" but still passes. And then you get the uncredited "vegetables" and "herbs". No one is going to call it a Chicken and Vegetable and herb stew. Because afterall "Stew" is supposed to cover the "Vegetables" and "herbs" anyway. Forget the butter too.
The carrots contribute to the taste, but stay intact as do the other vegetables. This would be your cultural enclaves "Little Tokyo" "Little Osaka" "China Town." You don't get a "Wasp town" named within the cities (though one can argue for it--Melrose in LA, or Long Island, but those "don't count" and aren't "named because, voila--they are the default.)
The herbs? added flavor--but everyone ignores those and no one wants to you know, actually bite into say, a bay leaf.
So, say you give a "White Chicken Stew" to someone--they hate the vegetables--and "I thought you said it was "white" chicken".
I've pointed out to foreigners that the US is made up of a lot of ethnicities within it, but they still say things such as "Where are the "real" Americans..." (i.e. where is the White Chicken?)
Whatcha think? Or do you have a better analogy? Or did that make you hungry?