Steven Pou
Professor Malloy
American Civilization 2
Term Paper
4/21/15

The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society

Arthur M. Schlesinger, whose original name is Arthur Bancroft Schlesinger was born on October 17th in Columbus, Ohio, and died February 28th, 2007, in New York. He had graduated from Harvard University in 1938, and in 1940, Schlesinger was appointed a three fellowship at Harvard. This is derived from the society of fellows at Harvard University which gave Schlesinger the opportunity in the early stages of his scholarly career to pursue studies in any department, free from any formal requirement. This opportunity was only given to individuals who display exceptional ability, originality, resourcefulness, and academic achievement of the highest caliber. Unfortunately for Arthur, this opportunity was interrupted once the United States had made its entry into World War 2. When he failed his physical military examination he was appointed to the Office of War Information department, in which he served as an intelligence analyst from 1943 to 1945. In 1952 and 1956 he became a presidential speech writer to democratic presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson the second. He had also served as an assistant and Court historian to President Kennedy from 1961 to 1963. He had also supported the presidential campaign for Kennedy which had ended when he was assassinated in Los Angeles. Arthur eventually returned to his teaching career in 1996 as a professor of humanities of the City University of New York. He later retired in 1994 while still remaining an active member of the Graduate center community as a retired professor until his death in 2007.
After reading Schlesinger’s Book, “The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society,” I found most of his views about a multicultural society and multicultural education in the U.S to be very interesting, and happen to agree with it as well. It discusses the movement that had transpired in America to separate our nation into ethnic and gender subgroups. I will give a brief summary of each chapter and discuss his views with you.
In the first chapter, “A new Race,” Schlesinger explains of a time that immigrants from different parts of the world came to United States, and initiated the beginning of a new society which brought turmoil between different ethnic groups. Arthur explains that in the youth of this country, the mixing of different ethnic individuals brought forth one of the most major conflicts of the century. He viewed the United States of America as a new world because of the large amount of immigrants with different ethnic backgrounds and distinct traditions living in the same nation. He gives us various amounts of examples of what people had to do and believe in to become "Americans." One example is the, “American Creed.” ““the most explicitly expressed system of general ideals,” of any country in the West: the ideals of the essential dignity and equality of all human beings, of inalienable rights to freedom, justice, and opportunity.” Pg 33 Immigrants from southern and eastern Europe claimed the idea of the melting pot as their own. Most ethnics, whites and non whites, saw themselves primarily as Americans. “The impression grew with the purpose of the melting pot used as a device to impose Anglocentric images and values upon immigrants.” Pg 41. At that time the society was formed by The White Anglo Saxon Protestant, WASP. The language, laws, education and political ideas were based on their ideals and beliefs. He explained how the new immigrants needed to assimilate to their society and how they were positioned against the immigrants in retaining their language, traditions, and costumes. Schlesinger later on says in U.S. history the civil rights revolution provokes new declaration of ethnic identity. World War two and the racism brought with it created a desperate necessity of national cohesion within the frame of shared national ideals. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “is that Americanism is a matter of the mind and heart: American is not a matter of race and ancestry. A good American is one who is loyal to this country and to our creed of liberty and democracy.”Pg47. Multiculturalism arose as a reaction of Anglocentrism.
In the second chapter, “History the Weapon,” Arthur wanted to explain to us how our history could be used as a weapon and change a society drastically. “The invocation of History is indispensable for nations and groups in the process of making themselves.” Pg 54. It is the roots of their personalities and traditions. Schlesinger criticized the history manipulation by the historians, which unrecognized minority groups’ existence and contributions. “History is a weapon... “The first step in liquidating a people,” a historian observes in Milan Kundera’s The Book of Laughter and forgetting, “is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history. Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was.”” Pg 55-56. As you can see history can affect a society for the better or worse. Schlesinger says that history can be using as a weapon, because historian manipulation can serve as a tool to change the reality and change people views and feelings. The late recognition of the pluralistic of American society has had a bracing impact on the teachings and writing of history.

American history was long written in the interest of the white Anglo -Saxon Protestant (WASP). Our history was shaped more than anything else by British traditions and culture.pg 59. The author emphasized the importance of the history by saying, “History is the substance of mirror of people’s humanity in others’ eyes as well as in their own eyes...not only what they have done, but also a reflection of who they are and what they can do, and equally important what they can become.” p.66
In the third chapter, “The Battle of the Schools,” Schlesinger states his opinion on how he doesn’t believe that Afrocentrism contributes to American education, and the future of minorities. “I am constrained to feel that the cult of ethnicity in general and the Afrocentric campaign in particular do not bode well either for American education or for the future of minorities.” Pg 80. He also states problems that a new curriculum would bring. Afro-centric curriculum does not really contribute to the guilt of Black identity education rather than that it does more for whites. According to Schlesinger, he says there is no problem with the implementation of other culture education; the only problem is that it creates conflict with ethnocentric history. This can contribute to the alteration of the teaching content with the reality of the history. “Cultural pluralism is not the issue. Nor is the teaching of Afro-American or African history the issue; of course they are legitimate subjects. Nor is Multiculturalism, properly construed, the issue. The issue is the ethnocentric history that the New York task force, the Portland baseline essayists, and other Aftrocentric ideologues propose for American Children. The issue is the teaching of bad history under whatever ethnic banner.” Pg81. Sometimes the information that educators would provide based off Afrocentric beliefs would come off as misleading or half truths. They would make it seem that Africa is basically the birthplace of modern technology, mathematics, science, religion, medicine, and basically all of the achievements ascribed to western Civilization. Pg 81-82. Now although there might be small truths to this belief, it is argued that the majority of this information is based off false information. “Yurco’s verdict on John Hendrik Clarke’s Baseline Essay exposition of the Afrocentric case is comprehensive, “a mélange of misinformation, inconsistence, outright fallacious information, half truths, and outdated information...” Pg 83.
I happen to agree with Schlesinger on this matter. It is necessity to teach our youth the importance of our history whether it is about Africa, America, Europe, etc. But it is also a necessity to teach our students the correct history that is based on up to date facts. Knowledge is power, and the history that we as a world have created will benefit future generations to come.

The fourth chapter, “The Decomposition of America," Arthur explains how the fragmentation of campuses into a multitude of ethnic organizations is disconcerting. He mentions that you can find black dormitories, black student unions, black business societies, black fraternities and sororities etc. In the book, Schlesinger included a black student at Central Michigan University who comments that, “Certain activities are labeled white and black.” Pg 108. Schlesinger believed that a Multicultural curriculum would separate the country rather than unifying it. He wants us to question if this is the kind of approach that would make a more satisfied country, which would be more equitable and peaceful? Or will it hold our selves apart from the rest of the world in the name of diversity. Schlesinger believed that whenever we create segregation, we are creating potential conflict. This is described as the cult of ethnicity. “The cult of ethnicity exaggerates differences, intensifies resentments and antagonisms, and drives ever deeper the awful wedges between races and nationalities.” Pg 106.
I agree with Schlesinger’s view on the cult of ethnicity. If we keep segregating each other based off of ethnicity and culture, we will end up causing more problems than solving them. We need to see each other for who we really are, which is American. If we put aside our cultural differences and work together, our country will prosper into something even greater than what it is now.
In chapter 5, “E Pluribus Unum,” Schlesinger discusses the way in which the United States stands today. He explains to us how we cannot change the fact that Europe was the country that had mainly built the U.S. “Europe was the birthplace of the United States of America, that European ideas and culture formed the republic, that the United States is an extension of European civilization, and that nearly 80 percent of Americans are of European decent.” Pg 128. He also mentioned how the U.S has fought past crimes to become one of the today's least racist societies in the world. “Whatever the particular crimes of Europe, that continent is also the source- the unique source- of those liberating ideas of individual liberty, political democracy, equality before law, freedom of worship, human rights, and cultural freedom that constitute our most precious legacy and to which most of the world today aspires.” Pg 133. We should celebrate of who we are as a nation and our differences in cultures. Changes in the population have always brought changes in the nation and will continue to do so, but we are all hopeful that it is not at the expenses of national integration.
The way to solve this cultural issue is by answering the questions of how does a society with political power distributed between wide numbers of groups vindicate cherished cultures and traditions without breaking common ideals, common languages, common fate and common culture which are thing that hold our nation together.
Schlesinger affirms that Multiculturalism is a big problem in America today. As an historian he suggests that trends in education and history fragment society. He also suggests an on shared experience and common values to hold our nation together.

In my opinion I also believe that Multiculturalism is a big issue in our education and society today. It’s almost as if it creates a loss of identity for us as Americans, and concentrates more on how different our ethnic backgrounds and cultures are. I have seen many instances in my personal life along with global incidents, where multiculturalism has had negative effects and bad outcomes. Although I see Multiculturalism as a problem, I do believe that any individual is allowed to live their life style in what of matter they choose to in relevance to culture and ideals. The only thing that we need to work on as Americans, and as human beings, is to be more socially acceptable of people’s backgrounds and heritages. We need to start seeing the bigger picture, rather than pointing out the differences we all share. We need to see the one in important thing that matters, which is the fact that we are all American and the future of our country rests on our shoulders.

Citation

"Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr." Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 Jan. 2014. Web. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/527608/Arthur-M-Schlesinger-Jr>.
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr." Wikipedia,. 1 Jan. 2015. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_M._Schlesinger,_Jr.>.
"Harvard." Society of Fellows. 10 Jan. 2004. Web. <http://www.socfell.fas.harvard.edu/about.html>.

Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "A New Race." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 33. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "A New Race." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 41. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "A New Race." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 47. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "History the Weapon." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 54. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "History the Weapon." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 55-56. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "History the Weapon." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 59. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "History the Weapon." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 66. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "The Battle of the Schools." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 80. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "The Battle of the Schools." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 81-82. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "The Battle of the Schools." The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 83. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "The Decomposition of America." The Disuiting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Sciety. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 108. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "The Decomposition of America." The Disuiting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Sciety. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 106. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "E Pluribus Unum,." The Disuiting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Sciety. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 128. Print.
Schlesinger JR., Arthur M. "E Pluribus Unum,." The Disuiting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Sciety. Revised ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger, JR., 1991. 128. Print.