American diversity can be as good as 15 bean soup

I always wonder why people in our American culture are afraid or find “weird” the customs and habits of our foreign friends. I remember reading in high school American History textbooks the stories of migration and the lines at Ellis Island. The phrase melting pot was a popular one with authors and teachers.

I like that — the melting pot. Like a bowl of soup made by mom, it gives me a sense of comfort. I see all kinds of ingredients mixed together and somehow producing something that tastes so good. What’s really good about most soups is that most of the ingredients don’t fully melt.

You can point them out and see them floating around. Scoop up just a potato with your spoon and it will taste like a potato even if you pick up the other flavors that have come together. You still want to taste the potato and know it’s there.

So why are we afraid to taste a little of everything that has come together into the big bowl of soup we call America today? I still think America has a great flavor to it.

I think most people around the world feel that way they too, and many are going to great lengths to get a taste. Some people, in their attempts at just one bite, give their lives…