Friend,
As I contemplate the significance of Hispanic Heritage Month, which began September 15, I can’t help but recall Fredrick Douglass' seminal 1869 speech, “Composite Nation.” In this speech, delivered four years after the Civil War, Douglass outlined a bold vision of a pluralistic America that remains profoundly prescient:
“If we would reach a degree of civilization higher and grander than any yet attained, we should welcome to our ample continent all nations, kindreds and tongues and peoples; and as fast as they learn our language and comprehend the duties of citizenship, we should incorporate them into the American body politic.”
Douglass’ words are just as poignant today as they were nearly 160 years ago. When we talk about patriotism, we often equate it to a blind faith in exceptionalism. Yet the unique nature of our democracy is due in large part to the rich multiculturalism we’ve fostered over a complex history.
Hispanics, who make up over 18% of the U.S. population, are very much an integral part of the American body. What’s more, there’s a rich diversity to the Hispanic-American experience, a broad representation of cultures and ethnicities, of beliefs and backgrounds, that encompasses the entire Spanish-speaking world. Some Hispanic-Americans are new immigrants who traveled from afar to build the life of their dreams here. Some are descendants of Hispanic families that have been living in this country for generations. All of them affirm the power of the multi-ethnic, multi-racial democracy about which Fredrick Douglass spoke so eloquently.
The United States is the greatest nation the world has ever known- but we should try to engage in a more honest and reflective patriotism. Ours is an immigrant nation, one that encompasses cultures that span the globe. We have made phenomenal strides through centuries of struggle and yet there is still so much more we must do to reach the ideal put forth by Frederick Dougless. Whether Hispanic, Asian, Black, white, or indigenous, we are American, and we will use both what makes us unique and what makes us alike to push our country forward to win the 21st century.
Onward,
Ro
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