unOne

I hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas break. I spent Christmas Eve the way I normally do, at church with my family. Something struck me about the service at my church in Miami, how cultural pluralism within faiths can translate into cultural pluralism beyond the church doors. Granada Presbyterian has only recently become a bilingual church, and while I don't get to see a lot of the work it does as I don't actually live in Miami anymore, I think the power of its newly created identity means a lot for the entire country.

The "illegal immigrant" debate has created a sense of paranoia about Hispanics coming into our country. We hear, "They're coming to take our jobs!" Comedians like Carlos Mencia encourage a negative stereotype of Hispanics, as low class objects that are to be laughed at. There is little discussion of the rich culture of Hispanics in America; their music, their language, their literature. But, if it is possible for people to pray to the same God along with ethnic minorities, then a lot is possible within American dialogue and rhetoric.