Is a Mixed Ethnic Identity a Bad Thing?

Kevin Starr, writing in the Los Angeles Times, says that according to the projections of Census 2000, the future population of California will be predominantly Latino and Asian. He also argues that for the "Millennial Generation," ethnic identity will be much more complex, with many individuals defining themselves as having mixed or multiple ethnic identifications. He predicts that "since there will be a less powerful white culture to assimilate to, as was the case when whiteness dominated the mainstream, Millennial Generation California will not feel the pressure to assimilate that second-generation Irish, German, Slavic, Italian, Greek and Jewish young Americans experienced in an earlier era. . . . Nearly everyone–and this includes a growing number of whites–will be bi- or even tri-lingual." Starr asks, "Will California have a common culture?"

In a well-organized essay, answer the following question:

Starr argues that in the future, more and more people in California will have mixed or multiple ethnic identities, and that more and more people will be bi- or tri-lingual. In your view, do mixed ethnic identities lead to personal or social problems? Write an essay in which you explore the concept of ethnic identity, and discuss whether a mixed identity is a good or a bad thing.

In answering this question you may want to discuss how you, and other people you know, think about your own ethnicity.