Un-American Coca-Cola Comercial? I think not.

While watching the super bowl on sunday (mainly to see Renee Fleming sing the national anthem) I saw the most beautiful commercial that coca-cola put out. The one where they sing America the Beautiful in so many different languages and it shows the different cultures that are found in America. I began to tear up thinking about some of my students who speak English as a second language and how beautiful America is not only because of the vast landscape but also because of the multiple cultures that make us the melting pot that we are today.

The game went on and I didn't think anything else of that commercial until a few days ago when I saw my friends posting about how upset they were that people were upset about that commercial. I started asking around and it turns out there were actually people who thought that commercial was "Un-American"! I WAS FLOORED! I guess, I did think that there would be people out there that are afraid to hear other languages but I didn't think they would think it was "Un-American".

So, this blog post is for you, people who think that commercial was Un-American.

I began traveling out of the country at a very young age, and this taught me some very valuable lessons early on. One of those realizations that I came to more recently is that if you go to Mexico, you are typically going to see Mexicans (dark skin, dark hair, etc). If you go to Germany you are going to see Germans (Caucasions, light skin, etc.). If you go to Zambia, Africa you are going to typically see Africans (black, black hair, strong, etc). That is because that is the country they are in, most people that live in Zambia are native born Zambians so they look like Zambians. End of story. When I went to Zambia, I looked INCREDIBLY out of place with my pale skin and blonde hair. Same thing with Mexico and Spain. Those countries are not melting pots.

America is a melting pot. Melting pot, let's think about that for a minute. Does that mean we all come out into cookie-cutter people who think the same, talk the same, and look the same. NO. It means we are from different cultures and that is what makes it so beautiful. The fact that people can move to America from any country (after going through immigration and all that stuff) and become a citizen is wonderful! That is what our country is founded upon. We wouldn't be what we are today if we weren't made up of multiple cultures and ethnicities. That is why when you walk down the street you don't just see all caucasian people or all hispanic people. You see a mix! Because we are a melting pot.

I know that some of you only see a small part of America, that part might be all English speaking, mid-western people who all look, dress, and act pretty similar. But that is not the case throughout America. If you go to New Mexico you will see a completely different America, one that does not necessarily have English as a first language and one that looks, acts, and dresses very different from the mid-west. And though you may find it hard to believe, they are just as American as you are. Because we are a melting pot.

How often do those "out of the box" Americans feel left out when they see a patriotic commercial that only has white, english speaking people in it? Why not show the TRUE America that is culturally diverse and does not always speak English as it's first language.

Now, before you jump to conclusions, I must add that I do believe that you should be able to speak English if you want to live in America (it is just common sense to speak the language of which you live). But I don't think anything is wrong with somebody not being AMAZING at English and having it as their best language. ESL people probably think, sing, and feel in their native tongues more than English.

Also, there is so much more to America than the fact that we speak English. So why do we say that to speak English is to be an American? Let other countries that do use their language to define them have that. I would rather stand on our constitution, our people, and our way of life to define us as a country.
That is why I believe that commercial was the most patriotic commercial that I saw. It represented what America truly is. A melting pot. A land full of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and races that stands united.

If you want to watch the full commercial, click here. I highly recommend it.