‘Quasi-Liberal Twaddle’ on Ethnicity

“Outside the Ethnic Box” (by Marlene Adler Marks, Feb. 20) epitomizes the current trend of quasi-liberal twaddle with which the print and broadcast media seem to be awash.

These reactionary tracts are often, though not exclusively, written by white people essentially asking people of color “why can’t we all just get along?” while simultaneously slamming them for having some degree of difficulty adapting. The writers conveniently ignore that most of the people, from the indigenous to the recent immigrants, are almost constantly foiled in their attempts to assimilate by an intractable and belligerent white majority that tends to control most business, media and government and is loath to give up or even share its immense power.

As long as this is the case, minority populations will be inclined to create insular communities to protect themselves from the hate and distrust to which they are exposed in almost every aspect of their lives. It is not they who need to open up and assimilate. It’s the other way around.

Roger Bowers

Los Angeles

*

Marks’ piece could not be more timely. When L.A. schoolchildren know more about Cinco de Mayo than they do about D-day or, for that matter, the 4th of July, something is terribly wrong.

Jose Thometz

Sylmar