In just 34 years, whites will make up less than half of the US population. That’s a good eight years earlier than previously predicted. This Census Bureau finding will mean big changes for our society from schools and language to employment and politics.
I'm sure there are folks (some relatives you know) who are panicked at the very thought that white America will no longer be in the majority. It’s a comfort thing. But whether you like it or not, life is about changes. When it comes to something this big, all we can control is our reaction. Our identity, the way we think of ourselves, is always being forced to work around new circumstances. This is another reason to give our attention to what's permanent and not focus on what's passing away.
It's curious to think that the America our grandkids will grow up in will look different than the one we knew as children. But then, when you think about the world OUR grandparents grew up in - the depression era and such, it shouldn't be a shock to discover that life is taking some unexpected twists. It’s like returning to the home we grew up in and finding everything so much smaller. We shouldn’t be all that surprised.. but we are.
The change requires an adjustment on our part. And if we don't embrace that change, we'll turn out to be one of those elderly people who rail against the way the world is now and reminisce about the good old days (that never were) wasting energy and time trying to shore up our comfort level. When we shouldn't have been leaning in that direction in the first place.
Stephen Goforth
