Multiculturalism in America?

"Multiculturalism" is both the ying and the yang of America's socioeconomic fabric. On one hand, multiculturalism is responsible for country's cultural superiority, as it's renowned for being a "melting pot" of various cultures, races, and religions alike. Multiculturalism, despite some questionable means (i.e. slavery etc.), is also responsible for much the country's economic advancement throughout the years. On the other hand, multiculturalism is accountable for the social divide, and the cultural conflict among and within the races that compose nation as well. It's slightly unfathomable, but multiculturalism, a concept that exudes a gay, blitheful, "We Are the World" kind of persona that resembles the "It's a Small World" ride at Disney World also has its dark side. Ishmail Reed, distinguished novelist and essayist, gave in an essay of his about multiculturalism in America an example of its extent in the form of a scenario: a Chinese woman at the annual Lower East Side Jewish Festival eating a slice of pizza in front of Ty Thuan Duc's Vietnamese grocery store. One may say that, that scenario is a tribute to America's tremendous diversity, but think for a second of the whether or not that diversity is an element of benefit or detriment to culture. On the one hand, the mixng of cultures creates new culture; the cultures from which America's future leaders will come. However, on the other hand, many who assimilate to the new cultures founded in America tend to lose their own.