🚀 go-pugleaf

     Fleet,

     Couldn't we consider "institutional descrimination" and statements
like "Yes I'm a citizen; but I'm still a Mexican and Viva la patria!) two
different sides to an intercultural conflict--different sides in a struggle
for power (political/economic)?  Although these struggles still aren't as
violent as in Russia, they can be.  How should we interpret the black
american struggles of the 60's--discrimination or cultural confrontation?
And what do we call the results--national cultural absorbtion, assimilation,
mainstreaming, or new cultural production?  International relations
usually don't threaten whole national identities, unless they envolve a war.
However, each day our intercultural relations do.  I believe they can go as
deep as shaking the very foundations of our constitution--for this reason
I don't advocate an English Only version of the constitution.

     I guess my way of asking you to "go lift that elephant" is in a sense
my attempt at reasuring you that there are various levels to this thing
called "cultural absorbtion".  Although I claim to be no expert, I am
aware that the dynamics of this phenomena range from "diglossia" to
"war"--whichever scale we prefer.
    But I will agree with you in the sense that cultural mixture can
be very rewarding--from food to the most elaborate abstractions.

Just me again,

     Bill.

.......................
..   B Keeth 1993    ..
.......................                       (aswpk@inre.asu.edu)