Mike Pompeo goes out in utterly embarrassing fashion
From the time I was a small child growing up in Houston, I knew I lived in a world that was filled with different cultures. At that time, the cultures in Houston were few… mostly white, but also Hispanic, Black, a small but burgeoning Asian community, and a vibrant Jewish community. I grew up in a predominantly Jewish suburb of Houston… we called it Haifa-on-the-Bayou… don’t judge, now! My Mom used to use the term “stew” for what American Culture was… a beautiful stew of identifiable cultures that came together to make a most delicious conglomeration of community.
In my elementary school one year each student was charged with telling a bit about their cultural background. I remember not only “white” cultures like German and Irish being presented but students presented information about India and Japan, Italy and Mexico, and Kenya. Kids brought food and photos and posters. The girl from India? Her Mom worked for an Indian airline… we got some great flare from them.
For Mike Pompeo’s parting shot, that multiculturalism is not “who America is”, well, that is just plainly ugly and borders on hate speech.
Our healing must start by remembering that we all came from somewhere else, save for Native Americans. And in the United States I want, there’s space at the table for multiple cultures.
Multicultural is “who America is” Mr. Pompeo. And as a current Kansas citizen, Kansas the little state that wants to be Texas when it grows up, don’t come back here, we don’t want that attitude. We don’t want you.
