UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: DEDICIATED CALENDAR TIME?

It is the beginning of a new year and once again the cycle of holidays and dedicated months that are keen to ethnic races begins. And the question is: Is it necessary to have dedicated time for any one ethnic group?

We as a nation, The United States of America, have decided that in order to rectify our past ills that we have to demonstrate to the world that we need provide calendar time to those that we have “wronged” in our own “homeland.”

So, the nation has provided time but to only one ethnic group an entire month to celebrate its heritage; African-Americans. What is disturbing is that we don’t acknowledge any significant time to the Native American Indians (including Alaskan and Hawaiian natives) and Mexican descendants; whom we given but a single day: Cinco de Mayo which is more of a “Hallmark” holiday. The Native American Indian is indigenous to North America as are Mexicans of the Southern United States, Hawaiian Samoans and the Eskimos of Alaska.

We have provided the entire month of February to “African-Americans” for recognition and contributions to this country but why is it that we don’t do the same for those “ethnic groups” that were here long before the colonization from Europe which we have forced to take refuge in places “we” have designated.

In conclusion; with roughly about 200+ ethnic groups in the United States of America we have had some type of interaction with their native homeland at one time or another. So, we would have to dedicate more calendar time than there is time in a calendar to recognize all of the contributions to this great nation. And like children we need to treat all “ethnic” backgrounds the same “regardless.”