Story 14: Lessons Learned

Mr. Guinness addresses the seventh graders before they make their presentations.

Guinness: Today we're finishing with the section on the Great American Melting Pot.  Your assignment was to bring us your family's personal stories that relate to the topic.  My own story is a fairly simple one - I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, moved here because I had a splendid scholarship from an American university, and met my wife there.  

Wendy: My mom says we're good old American mutts.  Most of my heritage is European, but it's all mixed up.  The best way I can think of to explain the Melting Pot is to just look around.  Even just here in Barbieville, we've got so many different kinds of people.  My house is a Swiss chalet, our car is Italian, and my favorite food is Chinese.

Ricky:  I like that term, American Mutt.  That's what my dad is, but my mom's family came here in the 1940s because of Hitler.  Technically, I guess we're Romany or Rom, but most people know us as Gypsies.  My grandparents travel and take manual labor jobs, like the old days, but they do it in a camper instead of the little wagons we see in movies.  

Claudia: My grandparents on Mom's side are super traditional.  They got mad at my parents for not giving us Japanese names, even. But they're first generation Americans.  Dad's side of the family was in one of FDR's camps during World War 2, even though two of the sons were in the service.  I'd call that a Melting Pot Fail!  

Courtney:  A lot of people think we're Hispanic because our name is Montez.  We aren't.  Dad is a Navajo and Mom's a white girl of mostly Irish heritage.  Dad's not real traditional, though.  His family left the Southwest back in the 1950s as part of a government program.  I think that was one of the last-ditch efforts to do away with tribal governments.  

Claudia: Another Melting Pot Fail.

Courtney: The Melting Pot is an ideal and people fall short of ideals all the time.  Dad says we should work for a better future instead of dwelling on the past. 

Nikki: Speaking of Melting Pot Fails...  my ancestors were slaves.  My father's people were part of a famous slave uprising in Haiti, even.  My house is a kind of melting pot, though.  My step family are white and the new twins are biracial.  

Skipper:  Wow.  I just realized that me and Wendy are way outnumbered.  People talk like most Americans are white, but look at us.  Us pure white girls aren't even half the class!  (Stops for a moment)  I didn't mean that the way it sounded.  I just never realized how melted our pot is, if you know what I mean.  Even me and Wendy are a mix of different European groups.

Guinness: You just summed up the lesson for me, Miss Roberts.  This nation was never meant to be anything but a cultural stew.  

While the presentations are being made in her daughter's class, Rose-Grace meets with Pocahontas.

Pocahontas: If you look at old maps of the town, the area of the park was called Witch's Cove.  Mom didn't want people to think it was only open in October, so she called the park Nedakh's Amusement Park.  

Rose-Grace: She was a simple woman.  You're thinking of changing it to Witch's Cove?  What about backlash from people who find that offensive? 

Pocahontas:  Believe me, I've thought of that. (laughs) I've seen the fuss over sports teams called Redskins.  I've got people working on that, playing up the historical aspect and even my own paganism.  I'm aiming for minimal backlash. 

Rose-Grace's reply is interrupted by a knock at the door.

Marcus:  Sorry to barge in on you like this, but my wife has been up to some shenanigans.  You need to hear about this. 

Pocahontas: Sounds urgent.  I'll go now and file the paperwork we were discussing.

Esmeralda: No, you want to hear this, too.  

Two hours and several phone calls later: 

PJ: Do you have any idea what this is all about? 

John: Judging by who is here, my guess is Keep Barbieville Virtuous.  But the mayor's office wasn't acting on that, so I'm as confused as you are.  Who are the girls talking to Esmeralda?

Rose-Grace gets every one's attention and introduces Clara and Becky.

Clara: I'm a political science major and Becky is a journalism major.  We recently conducted a project you might recognize as Keep Barbieville Virtuous.  It was meant to show how easily public opinion can be swayed, usually by things unrelated to the issue at hand. 

Becky:  We didn't realize we were hurting anyone.  Stupid, I know, considering the entire point of the project.  Of course people were going to be hurt.  We speculated about things that we should not have, things that cost some of you professionally.  And maybe personally.

Clara: We've sent a statement to the local media outlets, refuting all the allegations and apologizing for any harm done.  We're hoping this sets things straight. We did not expect the campaign to be as successful as it was.

Becky and Clara hang their heads, ashamed of themselves, as the group grumbles its way out.  They wait a few minutes for the halls to clear before leaving.

Rose-Grace: So you were Brent's contact, Esmeralda?  You tracked them down using questionable methods and bullied them into confession? 

Esmeralda: Damn straight.  

Rose-Grace:  Marcus, did you know anything about this?

Marcus (laughs):  No, I didn't, but I'm not really surprised.  Esmeralda sees something that needs dealt with, she deals with it. 

Esmeralda: Violet can press charges against me for snooping in her files.  I honestly don't care.  

Rose-Grace:  You'll care if your boys have to visit you in jail. 

Esmeralda: They'd be proud to visit me in jail.  (To Marcus) Wouldn't they? 

Marcus: Despite my best efforts to make them follow the rules, yes, they would.