Becoming American
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Pedro C. Moreno’s evangelical plea (Commentary, Sept. 1) that immigrants should become just Americans, with no other signifiers or adjectives attached, offers nothing new on the topic of American identity. He still believes in old Cold War definitions of assimilation. We are a much more complex nation than that.
Any psychologist will tell you that having a self-identity based on “what you are not” or being “not good enough” ruins self-esteem and could lead to other problems (drugs, divorce, crime). It is important to remember the economic privileges of Moreno, who is not the average Latino immigrant. He is the international coordinator for the Rutherford Institute. If I were an elite Latin American life would be just peachy, too!
ALEXANDRO JOSE GRADILLA
Berkeley
* Moreno is a refreshing breath of fresh air. His commentary should be mandatory reading in every school and at every border entry point.
ARTHUR S. BRUCKMAN
Palm Desert
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