I believe his book succeeds in raising the important issue of immigration and the many challenges it poses for America. Yet it fails on four fronts. First, he exaggerates the isolation and lack of assimilation of Mexican culture in America. Second, he incorrectly juxtaposes "cosmopolitanism" and "nationalism" as mutually exclusive. Third, he undervalues the integration power of just an American Creed. Finally, he fails the test of realism: he describes many problems but offers no solutions. When the issue is immigration, the train has already left the station, and pragmatism should reign.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Review of Huntington
I posted my paper on Huntington and identity on my personal blog, if anyone is interested. Money graf:
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I would agree with most of your points, except the Mexican immigration issue. I think Mexican immigration can be problematic just as immigration from one large culture to another is problematic. Chapter 7 of Huntington's book discusses this in greater detail, but namely, I think it's very dangerous road towards bilingual culture. History, as I noted on your personal blog, has shown that a powerful nation cannot endure as a bilingual power.
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