Identity In America Is Complicated

Six Decades Ago, As Mao's Communists Seized Power, The Question In Washington Was, 'who Lost China?' Now, As His Capitalist Descendants Stand Astride The World Stage And Washington Worries About Decline, It Seems To Be, 'who Lost America?'

There Have Been, In Recent Years, Many Asian American Pioneers In The Public Eye Who've Defied The Condescendingly Complimentary 'model Minority' Stereotype: Actors Like Lucy Liu, Artists Like Maya Lin, Moguls Like Zappos Ceo Tony Hsieh. They Are Known, Often Admired.

To Be Sure, The United States Has Profound Problems, Not Least Our Faltering Educational And Physical Infrastructure.

True Patriots Measure Themselves Not By Personal Wealth Or Power But By The Degree To Which They Contribute To The Community.

Like The 'little Emperors' Of One-child China, Too Many Boomers Were Taught Early That The World Was Made (or Saved) For Their Comfort And Enjoyment. They Behaved Accordingly, With A Self-indulgence That Was Wholly Rational, Given Their Situation.