dianavan...I am not 'un-educated' ..I agree with what you say and point out about 'diversity'...up to a point. Basic needs are indeed the same, and I am well aware that Canada has done quite well integrating certain aspects of diversity....but let me answer Mc Grath's question, and you'll see why I say what I do....(and while you are reading, imagine the French language issue in Quebec spreading to almost every province, and adding in Vietnamese, Chinese, African-American, Native groups..(Inuit?)..etc....in quite large numbers in many metropolitan areas)

Kevin...of course we would still be a multi-ethnic country if Latinos..etc...outnumbered English speakers, and we would have a situation where the infrastructure, from major business to the news media to school systems..etc were still largely controlled by Caucasians, mostly of W.A.S.P persuasion...(and fueled by current Republican arrogance and intransigence).

We are not talking about people who come here seeking a 'better life' and want to be *Americans* and learn English and integrate into the community, becoming average citizens with different features and skin color ...we are having LARGE groups who want to remain Latino, Oriental, etc. and simply live in America. We add this to the already large communities of African-Americans who retain a VERY different culture and value system, and we have problems NOW.

This weekend I was at an Octoberfest fair in Maryland, where various German/Bavarian/Swiss traditions were celebrated ...food, costumes, music..etc...and it was delightful....but on Monday, those people will not be in costume, and their language will be English, with very few showing much trace of ethnic accent.

We have also here, various Latino festivals which are also delightful and happy...but on Monday, most of THOSE participants will be back in narrowly defined areas, speaking mostly Spanish, watching mostly 3 Spanish TV channels with 'limited' programming options, going to 'mostly' menial jobs ..etc...etc...etc... and THEY are the lucky ones. At least some signs and closed-circuit TV programs have Spanish captions. Most of the Oriental groups do NOT get this help, nor do the Nigerians, Ethiopians...etc..etc...etc...

Well, dianavan.. you see where this is going as a description, but I'm guessing you do not see my point yet. We have two situations here. One is a matter of 'fairness' and 'openness' that the USA is supposed to modeled on, with equal opportuniy for all. The other is a practical matter of how to educate, communicate, integrate, etc. when some of these groups do not like each other, as well as not liking to adapt to the Anglo value system that still clings to power.

No one can agree on how to spend tight budgets to operate school systems with large, ethnicly diverse populations who require special classes....and no one can agree how many police, etc, should be trained to deal with crime that is ethnicly based...and simple problems like understanding the cab driver or the counter help at McDonalds is not a minor issue...though it is NOT PC to complain, or even notice.

We are, simply, becoming ethnicly diverse faster that we can adjust the system, and although this, as I said, is not yet a big issue in N. Dakota, it IS already in many large cities.....and the question out on the horizon is "Just how much adustment can the system take before it is a totally different system?"

I state simply that the practical problems ARE beginning to overshadow the nice theories about the wonderful values of Ethnic Diversity, and as one who has FOUGHT for fairness and equality all my life, I am worried..........