Book: Nathan Glazer (1997) We Are All Multiculturalists Now

This is primarily a conjectural and doctrinal piece. How nice it must be to be at the point in your career when you can produce books in which the validity of your statements are derived from the fact that it is you making them!

Glazer is mostly critical of the multicultural push, particularly in primary and secondary education. He suggests that multiculturalism is a necessary evil, if you will, a result of the failure of civil rights era reforms to assimilate African Americans. Glazer believes African American assimilation will occur eventually but, the fact that African Americans are alone (he cites evidence that suggests Hispanics and Asians will assimilate in much the same way that earlier immigrant groups did) in failing to assimilate has undercut support for the belief in an eventual race-less American identity. Glazer laments the loss of attention to core American values and mourns the passing of the relative truth of the old "western civilization" perspective on history. He asks if the "center will hold" given erosion of belief in the possibility of americanization, etc.

Gut reaction: Thank you, Mr. Glazer, for your service. Your contributions will not be forgotten. But with all due respect, sir, you have taken us as far as you are able.