Treating bilingualism as “anti-American” is such a backwards take when you look at the evidence.
Speaking more than one language isn’t a threat to national identity; it’s a cognitive upgrade. Bilingual people tend to show stronger executive function, better problem-solving, improved memory, and greater empathy because they’re constantly navigating multiple ways of thinking. That’s not un-American, but highly adaptive.
And the multicultural piece matters just as much. Multiculturalism and multilingualism aren’t distractions from education; they are education. They teach flexibility, curiosity, historical awareness, and how to coexist in a complex world. That’s a lesson plan you can’t get from a single textbook.
I also love the melting pot vs. as well as the mixed salad idea. The melting pot implies erasure, blend until difference disappears. A mixed salad says: we keep our flavor, texture, and color, and together we make something better. That framing feels way more honest about what America has always been.
If anything, embracing linguistic and cultural diversity is one of the most American things we can do. The country was built by people who carried languages, traditions, and perspectives across borders, and we’re stronger when we stop pretending otherwise.
This isn’t about lowering a flag. It’s about widening and increasing the seats at our tables.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfVrpafcELI&list=RDSfVrpafcELI&start_ra…