kids are born on vacation they will be too.Dennis: You’re a second generation kid.Dan: Yeah, but my father sees himself as an American. I mean, he grew up in Brooklyn. Dennis: What about your brothers and your sister? Do they identify with your Puerto Rican heritage?Dan: No way dude. No gold chains there.Dennis: Have you ever been to Puerto Rico? Dan: Nah. If I start saving money now, maybe when I’m a senior I’ll be able to go for spring break. I want to try the Puerto Rican ganga (laughs). You can’t put that in can you? Dennis: Do you want to be stereotyped as a pothead Latino?Dan: Dude, I don’t *censored*in’ care what people think. Dennis A YoungReflection PaperProfessor Stevens89101 02Is Melting Pot a Good Thing? Had it not been for a random comment made by Dan about a year ago, I wouldhave never known he was Puerto Rican. We work together, but we aren’t particularlyclose, so I was curious as to how proud of his heritage he was. Although he wouldn’toutwardly admit it, he seemed almost ashamed of his family’s origins. I asked him aquick follow up question the next day, because I had never asked him about hisgrandparents. It turns out he never knew his grandfather and his grandmother died whenhe was seven. I thought it was funny that his father didn’t do very much to pass down hisPuerto Rican heritage and like a true son, he plans to follow in his father’s footsteps. Since the interview I’ve spent a significant amount of time trying to figure outhow this made me feel. On the one hand, it looked like his father wanted to fullyintegrate his family into American culture, and he succeeded. On the other hand, hischildren have only the slightest clue of where their roots begin. I’ve always thought thateventually everyone in America would be so ethnically mixed that all people would beviewed equally. An ethnica...
