****So there was something interesting said in the discussion on Wednesday: The idea that initially German and Irish and Italian immigrants to America were seen as some kind of ‘other’ but in time after generations and decades, they became part of the larger ‘white’ society. Why haven’t African-Americans grown to be considered white? How long will it take for Hispanics, Asians, or Muslims to be considered white? First, let’s assume that being considered white is a good thing after all being white gives you privilege, it gives you acceptance.

This might seem like a dumb question but consider looking into what ‘white’ really means in America. It means privilege. It means acceptance. Being white is still very much tied to the idea of being American. Yet if the term was stretched a little in the 19th century to include those groups of Germans and Irish, who were at the time seen as undesirable, why hasn’t that happened with other immigrant groups?

I don’t think this is a race issue. I mean it is to an extent but I feel like the privileged in America need people to be superior to. In the old wave of immigration, the scapegoats were Jewish and Irish immigrants. They were seen as dirty, job-stealing, pagans. In the newer wave of immigration, the scapegoats were Chinese, Puerto Rican, and other Hispanic immigrants. They were seen as dirty, job-stealing, pagans. And today our scapegoats are Muslims, in particular, Syrian refugees. They are seen as dirty, job-stealing, pagans. I have hope that progress will be made in America in the next few decades or so that one day Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans will be given the same privilege and acceptance as white Americans. However, the scapegoats of the next decades, as we are seeing today with our president, will probably be the Muslim-American population. I have faith that America is moving towards being a more accepting country as shown by history despite whoever is in the White House.

****Note: Sorry I thought I posted this on Friday but I accidentally saved it as a draft. I’m posting it now.