[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Gypsy

What proved unsuccessful?

For starters, Douglass's strategy of assimilation failed to secure the abolition of slavery through a political settlement alone. From there, his vision of assimilation as well as competing visions propagated by B.T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois did little to enhance the ability of freedmen and other blacks to exercise their rights as American citizens or to receive respectful treatment in 'mainstream' American culture.* ("Go back to where you came from" is a catcall that echoes back almost two centuries.)

Originally Posted by Gypsy

[Assimilation] worked ok for my families and many of the families I grew up around.

Is there a one-size fits all formula for success in America? To what extent does viewing the past through our own achievements (and shortcomings) help and hinder our ability to understand others in their own terms?

Originally Posted by Gypsy

I didn't say assimilation was easy.

The question for many is not "Is it easy?" For Douglass and countless others, the fact that it was difficult made it worthwhile. Instead, the question raised by the harsh lessons of experience is "Is it possible?" (DuBois despaired that it was not.) And from there, the question "Is it desirable?" (Many radicals believe not.) My answers to those questions work for me but they may not work for others.

You say:

Originally Posted by Gypsy

This is about AZ taking care of their state and constituents.

But also you say:

Originally Posted by Gypsy

However, it's annoying as hell when people come to this country and demand their customs trump all and I have to press 1 for English. Or they cry foul when asked to prove they belong here.

And

Originally Posted by Gypsy

Social programs for illegals are draining our taxes and I'm sick of paying for people who are here and shouldn't be. Hell, your state is bankrupt thanks to that in part, no doubt.

and

Originally Posted by Gypsy

If someone is here illegally I have no sympathy for their "trials and tribulations".

My friend, these statements eloquently testify to the notion that immigration reform is a complicated issue that strikes at how we as Americans view the present in the context of our collective history and individual experiences. As we live in a nation in which the rule of law is critically important, it is nothing less than outrageous to see those laws being flouted.

From this complex interplay comes a core question: To what extent does the sense of outrage help or hinder America's ability to find solutions to this problem that are sustainable strategically, politically, economically, psychologically, and culturally?

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* To clarify, this 'top down' summary deliberately privileges rhetorical clarity over a nuanced thumbnail of the complexities of African American political, intellectual, cultural, religious, and social history.