Ethnic Relations of the Future

One of the significant developments of recent years in American life is the birth, or re-birth, of interest in ethnicity. Although the melting pot model of ethnic relations never really implied the disappearance of all traces of ethnic identity, the interests of ethnicity were expected to remain subordinated to those of the community, represented by the nation. Under the stimulus of the Negro revolution of the 1960s, with its accompanying emphasis on racial identity— the black pride and Black Power thrust—other ethnic group ings in America have shown signs of increasing discontent with what they regard as the submergence of their ethnic interests. These developments have not only paralleled those in the black community, they are intricately related to them in a complex of inter-ethnic competition for recognition, public attention and social and economic benefits. The existence of the new ethnicity in the context thus delineated, obviously means that serious sources of social tension exist. If they are to be handled without damage to the social fabric, both good will and ingenuity will be required.