"America" is such a multifaceted place. The word is a complex label for an expansive piece of land; one comprised of a plethora of peoples and cultures. And it's so interesting how, even when we think of one particular cultural or ethnic segment of the population, the reality is that that those individual groups often have roots in other cultures/ethnic origins. The reading mentions the Philippines for example, with its Spanish background that peppers not only Filipino culture but America's culture as well. A similar example could be drawn from the Polynesian influence present in Hawaii. In these ways, America's seemingly distinct cultural/ethnic groups can be dual in nature, blurring definitive lines of demarcation, adding yet another layer of complexity. Perhaps we could say that America is multi-multicultural.
I also find it interesting (and sometimes contradictory, illogical) how America can be defined and which parts are conveniently included or excluded. Typically it seems like many of us think of the United States as the true "America", however this isn't actually the case. The reading discusses how history books usually define America by the north and south hemispheres or continents. Keeping with that definition, Canada would be a part of North America. And Canada certainly shares many similarities with the United States (culturally, economically, etc.) yet we do not classify it as "America" in everyday life. Just as we (those of us from the United States) don't consider Canada part of "us", neither do they--do we ever hear Canadians refer to themselves as Americans? This same sort of thinking could be applied to, as the reading states, Mexico, which is also part of North America, but rarely classified as America--the two are viewed as being two separate entities. So here's a question: should our history books change the definition of what constitutes America or do we need to change our misleading perceptions of what America is? It is confusing. Imagine trying to teach a youngster about these concepts...they don't make sense.
Part of the discrepancy in America's definition, in my opinion, stems from the United States' ego. It seems like the U.S. would rather not affiliate itself too closely with neighboring others out of a fear of downgrading itself. The United States has a long reputation (whether self-inflicted or otherwise) for being "superior" to other nations. Hence, this self-righteous attitude has contributed to the notion that they (or we) are the true essence of America. We wouldn't want to be categorized under the less economically advanced Mexico for example.
