America is a combination of cultures

Re: Proudly preserve our shared values

I read this well meaning but misguided letter with sadness.

The author notes the diversity in their own family but ignores the history of those groups. They point to Little Mogadishu as their most "vivid example" but fail to recognize that many other groups of immigrants including their own ethnic background have followed exactly the same convention of collecting near people of like background.

Most large cities today still have a Chinatown. Chicago still has Greek town and is proud of it. German, Irish and Mexican centric communities have existed in the USA in the none-too-distant past or still exist. Major cities have festivals celebrating their ethnic groups.

There is no American uniform culture. The United States is and always has been a conglomeration of the cultures of the countries that its population originated from.

This is as true today as it was when my direct ancestors came to North America in 1642. The new Somali immigrants will meld with our culture over time, just as the British melded with the Dutch in New Amsterdam changing it to New York and the waves of other immigrants over the centuries have changed our culture.

Perhaps we all need to remember that melting takes time.

Bill Vroman

Ingleside