nwasianweekly.com
Oct. 21, 2006

No such thing as “average American”

Born in 1967, Chinese American Bobby Woo was immediately identified as the 200 millionth American, based on Census predictions. The media followed him around during his boyhood, tracking the growth and development of the so-called “average American.”

Woo, now an attorney in Atlanta, today dismisses the notion that he, or anyone else, could be called the “typical American.” In a recent interview with The Associated Press, which took place in advance of the birth or immigration of the 300 millionth American, Woo said, “There’s no typical American. You’ve got to see us for all our diversity.”

The 200 millionth man makes a good point.

In this nation of immigrants, there is no such thing as a typical American. The neighbor to the left of us could hail from the Middle East, while the neighbor to the right can trace his family history to West Africa. Immigrants from south of the border, China, Southeast Asia and East Africa are literally changing the face of America.

Interracial marriages are producing children who can legally check multiple boxes in the race category, causing some to wonder if race will be relevant years from now. Children today grow up with classmates from all races and cultures; for them, diversity is the norm, not the exception.

A couple of generations ago, most people would say the typical American was a Caucasian, middle-class, suburban dweller with two children and a spouse. These days, that image is more stereotype than reality.

Diversity will help, not hinder, this country. Economically speaking, this nation has thrived in large part because of immigrants. It’s not just cheap labor; many immigrants open small businesses, whose economic impact cannot be underestimated. Small businesses make up 99 percent of all companies in the United States and are rightly called the backbone of the American economy. The entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants has plenty to do with this.

This nation is not so much a melting pot as it is a patchwork quilt. Americans are a tremendously varied people; our experiences, talents, interests, cultural heritages — even languages — are not the same. We may be bound together as Americans, but no one person can step legitimately forward to represent the culture and experiences of everyone in this country.

That kind of diversity is something to be proud of.

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