Pilot - Assimilation Nation: Tossing the American Salad

From coast to coast America seems to be a wonderland of cultural diversity. With Blacks, White, Latinos, Asians, Homosexuals, and everyone in between littering this fantastic country, it appears as a utopia of tolerance and ethnic integration. Unfortunately the so-called "melting pot" of America is boiling over. I, for one, like to think of America as a green salad where each of its sections sit segregated but noticeable in a bread bowl of borders. I feel that a dressing needs to be made to drizzle enlightenment over all of us, uniting us and making us an American entity. The melting pot needs to be over turned and the salad needs to be tossed.

This experiment will hopefully provide the oil base for that vinaigrette of connectivity.

First, perhaps I should introduce myself? I am Dr. Bruno Sharpei, Esq. I have studied human and animal behaviors for more than five years and I feel in that time I have accrued enough knowledge to begin bridging the cultural divide. As the homosexual son of an Afro-latina mother, and an Asio-Italian father, I've had a great deal of difficulty trying to find my natural niche. There are times when I feel more connected to the Afro-American side, and times when the call of the Orient settles heavily on my heart.

I've ran with several groups and each time I've been tested to see how loyal I am to any given cause. If I am black can I rap or write poetry? If I am Italian can I make a pasta sauce that is to die for? If I'm Latino can I dance the Rumba with the best of them and where is my accent?

America is rampant with created culture. Due to slavery and forced integration many people of color, and gays were forced to define for themselves what their culture represents in this country, and many have had their culture defined for them. Stereotypes can be damaging but many times they are also telling and definitive of a group of peoples. When drawing the lines in the sand of what is and what isn't, how do we begin to interpret the characteristics of each group and in turn how do these designations affect those who are a part of that group, but don't necessarily ascribe to these predetermined traits?

In the next few weeks we will take a look at situations where minorities are forced to fall to the polar extremities of their culture's perceived behaviors. We will study how these actions affect not only the minorities themselves, but also the social majority (read: white people) in their situations. Topics ranging from hairstyles to seductive behaviors, flamboyancy to intense pride will cause us to truly observe how our actions speak louder than our words and will hopefully guide us into a better understanding of how to top the American salad with the grated Parmesan of acceptance and understanding.

On the first segment of "Assimilation Nation: Tossing the American Salad" we will look at the issue of hair in the African American culture and how its various styles can cause a great number of things to happen when people assume the cameras are off. Come along with us next Thursday with a thirst for knowledge, and a hunger for the garden.