America:The Multinational Society Ishmael Reed At the annual Lower East Side Jewish Festival yesterday,a Chinese woman ate a pizza slice in front of Ty Thuan Duc's Vietnamese grocery store.Beside her a Spanish-speaking family patronized a cart with two signs:“Italian Ices”and“Kosher by Rabbi Alper.” And after the pastrami ran out,everybody ate knishes.-New York Times 23 June 1983 On the day before Memorial Day,1983,a poet called me to describe a city he had just visited. He said that one section included mosques,built by the Islamic people who dwelled there. Attending his reading,he said,were large numbers of Hispanic people,forty thousand of whom lived in the same city.He was not talking about a fabled city located in some mysterious region of the world.The city he'd visited was Detroit. A few months before,I was leaving Houston,Texas,I heard it announced on the radio that Texas's largest minority was Mexican-American,and though a foundation recently issued a report critical of bilingual education,the taped voice used to guide the passengers on the air trams connecting terminals in Dallas Airport is in both Spanish and English.If the trend continues,a day will come when it will be difficult to travel through some sections of the country without hearing commands in both English and Spanish;after all,for some western states,Spanish was the first written language and the Spanish style lives on in the western way of life. Shortly after my Texas trip,I sat in an auditorium located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee as a Yale professor-whose original work on the influence of African cultures upon those of the Americas has led to his ostracism from some monocultural intellectual circles-walked up and down the aisle,like an old-time southern evangelist,dancing and drumming the top of the lectern,illustrating his points before some serious Afro-American intellectuals and artists who cheered and applauded his performance and his mastery of information.The professor was"white."After his lecture,he joined a group of Milwaukeeans in a conversation.All of the participants spoke Yoruban,though only the professor had ever traveled to Africa. One of the artists told me that his paintings,which included African and Afro-American mythological symbols and imagery,were hanging in the local McDonald's restaurant.The next day I went to McDonald's and snapped pictures of smiling youngsters eating hamburgers below paintings that could grace the walls of any of the country's leading museums.The manager of the local McDonald's said,"I don't know what you boys are doing,but I like it,"as he commissioned the local painters to exhibit in his restaurant. Such blurring of cultural styles occurs in everyday life in the United States to a greater extent than anyone can imagine and is probably more prevalent than the sensational conflict between people of different backgrounds that is played up and often encouraged by the media.The result is what the Yale professor,Robert Thompson,referred to as a cultural bouillabaisse,yet members of the nation's present educational and cultural Elect still cling to the notion that the United States belongs to some vaguely defined entity they refer to as "Western civilization,"by which they mean,presumably,a civilization created by the people of Europe,as if Europe can be viewed in 1
1 America: The Multinational Society Ishmael Reed At the annual Lower East Side Jewish Festival yesterday, a Chinese woman ate a pizza slice in front of Ty Thuan Duc’s Vietnamese grocery store. Beside her a Spanish-speaking family patronized a cart with two signs: “Italian Ices” and “Kosher by Rabbi Alper.” And after the pastrami ran out, everybody ate knishes.—New York Times 23 June 1983 On the day before Memorial Day, 1983, a poet called me to describe a city he had just visited. He said that one section included mosques, built by the Islamic people who dwelled there. Attending his reading, he said, were large numbers of Hispanic people, forty thousand of whom lived in the same city. He was not talking about a fabled city located in some mysterious region of the world. The city he’d visited was Detroit. A few months before, I was leaving Houston, Texas, I heard it announced on the radio that Texas’s largest minority was Mexican-American, and though a foundation recently issued a report critical of bilingual education, the taped voice used to guide the passengers on the air trams connecting terminals in Dallas Airport is in both Spanish and English. If the trend continues, a day will come when it will be difficult to travel through some sections of the country without hearing commands in both English and Spanish; after all, for some western states, Spanish was the first written language and the Spanish style lives on in the western way of life. Shortly after my Texas trip, I sat in an auditorium located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee as a Yale professor—whose original work on the influence of African cultures upon those of the Americas has led to his ostracism from some monocultural intellectual circles—walked up and down the aisle, like an old-time southern evangelist, dancing and drumming the top of the lectern, illustrating his points before some serious Afro-American intellectuals and artists who cheered and applauded his performance and his mastery of information. The professor was “white.” After his lecture, he joined a group of Milwaukeeans in a conversation. All of the participants spoke Yoruban, though only the professor had ever traveled to Africa. One of the artists told me that his paintings, which included African and Afro-American mythological symbols and imagery, were hanging in the local McDonald’s restaurant. The next day I went to McDonald’s and snapped pictures of smiling youngsters eating hamburgers below paintings that could grace the walls of any of the country’s leading museums. The manager of the local McDonald’s said, “I don’t know what you boys are doing, but I like it,” as he commissioned the local painters to exhibit in his restaurant. Such blurring of cultural styles occurs in everyday life in the United States to a greater extent than anyone can imagine and is probably more prevalent than the sensational conflict between people of different backgrounds that is played up and often encouraged by the media. The result is what the Yale professor, Robert Thompson, referred to as a cultural bouillabaisse, yet members of the nation’s present educational and cultural Elect still cling to the notion that the United States belongs to some vaguely defined entity they refer to as “Western civilization,” by which they mean, presumably, a civilization created by the people of Europe, as if Europe can be viewed in
monolithic terms.Is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony,which includes Turkish marches,a part of Western civilization,or the late nineteenth-and twentieth-century French paintings,whose creators were influenced by Japanese art?And what of the cubists,through whom the influence of African art changed modern painting,or the surrealists,who were so impressed with the art of the Pacific Northwest Indians that,in their map of North America,Alaska dwarfs the lower forty-eight in size? Are the Russians,who are often criticized for their adoption of "Western"ways by Tsarist dissidents in exile,members of Western civilization?And what of the millions of Europeans who have black African and Asian ancestry,black Africans having occupied several countries for hundreds of years?Are these"Europeans"members of Western civilization,or the Hungarians, who originated across the Urals in a place called Greater Hungary,or the Irish,who came from the Iberian Peninsula? Even the notion that North America is part of Western civilization because our "system of government"is derived from Europe is being challenged by native American historians who say that the founding fathers,Benjamin Franklin especially,were actually influenced by the system of government that had been adopted by the Iroquois hundreds of years prior to the arrival of large numbers of Europeans. Western civilization,then,becomes another confusing category like Third World,or Judeo-Christian culture,as man attempts to impose his small-screen view of political and cultural reality upon a complex world.Our most publicized novelist recently said that Western civilization was the greatest achievement of mankind,an attitude that flourishes on the street level as scribbles in public restrooms:“White Power,”Niggers and Spics Suck,”or“Hitler was a prophet,.”the latter being the most telling,for wasn't'Adolph Hitler the archetypal monoculturalist who,in his pigheaded arrogance,believed that one way and one blood was so pure that it had to be protected from alien strains at all costs?Where did such an attitude,which has caused so much misery and depression in our national life,which has tainted even our noblest achievements,begin?An attitude that caused the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens during World War II,the persecution of Chicanos and Chinese-Americans,the near-extermination of the Indians,and the murder and lynchings of thousands of Afro-Americans. Virtuous,hardworking,pious,even though they occasionally would wander off after some fancy clothes,or rendezvous in the woods with the town prostitute,the Puritans are idealized in our schoolbooks as"a hardy band"of no-nonsense patriarchs whose discipline razed the forest and brought order to the New World(a term that annoys Native American historians).Industrious, responsible,it was their "Yankee ingenuity"and practicality that created the work ethic.They were simple folk who produced a number of good poets,and they set the tone for the American writing style,of lean and spare lines,long before Hemingway.They worshipped in churches whose colors blended in with the New England snow,churches with simple structures and ornate lecterns. The Puritans were a daring lot,but they had a mean streak.They hated the theater and banned Christmas.They punished people in a cruel and inhuman manner.They killed children who disobeyed their parents.When they came in contact with those whom they considered heathens or aliens,they behaved in such a bizarre and irrational manner that this chapter in the American history comes down to us as a late-movie horror film.They exterminated the Indians,who taught them how to survive in a world unknown to them,and their encounter with the calypso culture of
2 monolithic terms. Is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which includes Turkish marches, a part of Western civilization, or the late nineteenth- and twentieth-century French paintings, whose creators were influenced by Japanese art? And what of the cubists, through whom the influence of African art changed modern painting, or the surrealists, who were so impressed with the art of the Pacific Northwest Indians that, in their map of North America, Alaska dwarfs the lower forty-eight in size? Are the Russians, who are often criticized for their adoption of “Western” ways by Tsarist dissidents in exile, members of Western civilization? And what of the millions of Europeans who have black African and Asian ancestry, black Africans having occupied several countries for hundreds of years? Are these “Europeans” members of Western civilization, or the Hungarians, who originated across the Urals in a place called Greater Hungary, or the Irish, who came from the Iberian Peninsula? Even the notion that North America is part of Western civilization because our “system of government” is derived from Europe is being challenged by native American historians who say that the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin especially, were actually influenced by the system of government that had been adopted by the Iroquois hundreds of years prior to the arrival of large numbers of Europeans. Western civilization, then, becomes another confusing category like Third World, or Judeo-Christian culture, as man attempts to impose his small-screen view of political and cultural reality upon a complex world. Our most publicized novelist recently said that Western civilization was the greatest achievement of mankind, an attitude that flourishes on the street level as scribbles in public restrooms: “White Power,” “Niggers and Spics Suck,” or “Hitler was a prophet,” the latter being the most telling, for wasn’t’ Adolph Hitler the archetypal monoculturalist who, in his pigheaded arrogance, believed that one way and one blood was so pure that it had to be protected from alien strains at all costs? Where did such an attitude, which has caused so much misery and depression in our national life, which has tainted even our noblest achievements, begin? An attitude that caused the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens during World War II, the persecution of Chicanos and Chinese-Americans, the near-extermination of the Indians, and the murder and lynchings of thousands of Afro-Americans. Virtuous, hardworking, pious, even though they occasionally would wander off after some fancy clothes, or rendezvous in the woods with the town prostitute, the Puritans are idealized in our schoolbooks as “a hardy band” of no-nonsense patriarchs whose discipline razed the forest and brought order to the New World (a term that annoys Native American historians). Industrious, responsible, it was their “Yankee ingenuity” and practicality that created the work ethic. They were simple folk who produced a number of good poets, and they set the tone for the American writing style, of lean and spare lines, long before Hemingway. They worshipped in churches whose colors blended in with the New England snow, churches with simple structures and ornate lecterns. The Puritans were a daring lot, but they had a mean streak. They hated the theater and banned Christmas. They punished people in a cruel and inhuman manner. They killed children who disobeyed their parents. When they came in contact with those whom they considered heathens or aliens, they behaved in such a bizarre and irrational manner that this chapter in the American history comes down to us as a late-movie horror film. They exterminated the Indians, who taught them how to survive in a world unknown to them, and their encounter with the calypso culture of
Barbados resulted in what the tourist guide in Salem's Witches'house refers to as the Witch-craft Hysteria. The Puritan legacy of hard work and meticulous accounting led to the establishment of a great industrial society;it is no wonder that the American industrial revolution began in Lowell. Massachusetts,but there was the other side,the strange and paranoid attitudes toward those different from the Elect. The cultural attitudes of that early Elect continue to be voiced in everyday life in the United States:the president of a distinguished university,writing a letter to the Times,belittling the study of African civilizations;the television network that promoted its show on the Vatican art with the boast that this art represent "the finest achievements of the human spirit."A modern up-tempo state of complex rhythms that depends upon contacts with an international community can no longer behave as if it dwelled in a"Zion Wilderness"surrounded by beasts and pagans. When I heard a schoolteacher warn the other night about the invasion of the American educational system by foreign curriculums,I wanted to yell at the television set,"Lady,they're already here."It has already begun because the world is here.The world has been arriving at these shores for at least ten thousand years from Europe,Africa,and Asia.In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,large numbers of Europeans arrived,adding their cultures to those of the European,African,and Asian settlers who were already here,and recently millions have been entering the country from South America and the Caribbean,making Yale Professor Bob Thompson's bouillabaisse richer and thicker. One of our most visionary politicians said that he envisioned a time when the United States could become the brain of the world,by which he meant the repository of all of the latest advanced information systems.I thought of that remark when an enterprising poet friend of mine called to say that he had just sold a poem to a computer magazine and that the editors were delighted to get it because they didn't carry fiction or poetry.Is that the kind of world we desire? A humdrum homogeneous world of all brains and no heart,no fiction,no poetry;a world of robots with human attendants bereft of imagination,of culture?Or does North America deserve a more exciting destiny?To become a place where the cultures of the world crisscross.This is possible because the United States is unique in the world:The world is here. 1988 Discussion Questions: 1.Examine Reed's opening paragraph.How does he set it up to be a surprise?What does it reinforce the main theme of his essay?Were you surprised? 2.Reed ends his essay by saying that"The world is here."What does he mean by this assertion? To what extent do you think he has proved it?If what he says is true,then how would you define the specific problem his essay appears to be addressing?
3 Barbados resulted in what the tourist guide in Salem’s Witches’ house refers to as the Witch-craft Hysteria. The Puritan legacy of hard work and meticulous accounting led to the establishment of a great industrial society; it is no wonder that the American industrial revolution began in Lowell, Massachusetts, but there was the other side, the strange and paranoid attitudes toward those different from the Elect. The cultural attitudes of that early Elect continue to be voiced in everyday life in the United States: the president of a distinguished university, writing a letter to the Times, belittling the study of African civilizations; the television network that promoted its show on the Vatican art with the boast that this art represent “the finest achievements of the human spirit.” A modern up-tempo state of complex rhythms that depends upon contacts with an international community can no longer behave as if it dwelled in a “Zion Wilderness” surrounded by beasts and pagans. When I heard a schoolteacher warn the other night about the invasion of the American educational system by foreign curriculums, I wanted to yell at the television set, “Lady, they’re already here.” It has already begun because the world is here. The world has been arriving at these shores for at least ten thousand years from Europe, Africa, and Asia. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, large numbers of Europeans arrived, adding their cultures to those of the European, African, and Asian settlers who were already here, and recently millions have been entering the country from South America and the Caribbean, making Yale Professor Bob Thompson’s bouillabaisse richer and thicker. One of our most visionary politicians said that he envisioned a time when the United States could become the brain of the world, by which he meant the repository of all of the latest advanced information systems. I thought of that remark when an enterprising poet friend of mine called to say that he had just sold a poem to a computer magazine and that the editors were delighted to get it because they didn’t carry fiction or poetry. Is that the kind of world we desire? A humdrum homogeneous world of all brains and no heart, no fiction, no poetry; a world of robots with human attendants bereft of imagination, of culture? Or does North America deserve a more exciting destiny? To become a place where the cultures of the world crisscross. This is possible because the United States is unique in the world: The world is here. 1988 Discussion Questions: 1. Examine Reed’s opening paragraph. How does he set it up to be a surprise? What does it reinforce the main theme of his essay? Were you surprised? 2. Reed ends his essay by saying that “The world is here.” What does he mean by this assertion? To what extent do you think he has proved it? If what he says is true, then how would you define the specific problem his essay appears to be addressing?