My research question is :How does multiculturalism affect the American identity? This topic interests me because I am both Dominican and American. I also find that knowing what it means to be American is hard to define. Another reason why this topic interests me is because there is this presumption of the United States having this American identity while America itself is so diverse. I find this interesting because everyday I ask myself, “What does it truly mean to be American?” I already know that the United States is one of the most diverse countries in the world . I also know that there are numerous people living in the U.S ,who are multi-cultural, that still identify themselves as American. Another thing that I know is since America is multi-cultural, being American isn’t just a singular identity. Some points that I plan to explore and find out more about are what exactly is the American identity and how does that fall into just one identity rather than just saying that it’s a multi-identity. I also want to know how America has reacted to the ongoing spread of multiculturalism . One final thing that I want to explore is how these differences impact the youth.
Nunez, Ezequiel, director. Ezequiel Nunez: What It Means to Be an American | TED Talk, May 2019, https://www.ted.com/talks/ezequiel_nunez_what_it_means_to_be_an_american. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Brooks, David. “Opinion | The Age of the Creative Minority.” The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2021. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/opinion/creative-minority-multiculturalism.html.
Stavans, Ilan. “Opinion | ‘Don’t Lose Your Accent!’” The New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/opinion/english-immigrants-language.html.
Morning, the staff of The. “A Changing Country.” The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2021. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/briefing/census-2020-diversity-united-states.html.
“How Americans View Their Country and Identity.” PBS NewsHour, 3 July 2022, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-americans-view-their-country-and-identify.
Hannon, Kerry. “Bringing a New Vibe to the Classroom.” The New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/education/learning/teachers-classroom-cultural-differences.html.
Some articles I found while thinking about your topic:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/opinion/creative-minority-multiculturalism.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/us/harvard-diversity-affirmative-action.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/14/magazine/choose-your-own-identity.html — more about choosing your own way to define your identity.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/us/census-multiracial-identity.html
This is a dated article, but it might be good for background information: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/30mixed.html
I think your topic is something in the area of multiculture and diversity and the American identity.
But your RQ is much too broad. You need refine this question? WHAT do you really want to focus on. Think about subtopics. Can you pick one group who is multicultural or pick college students and identity.
ALSO your possible source leads are too dated. I believe this conversation has moved further in the past few years. Can you find a more current aspect of the American identity to discuss?
Perhaps reading this student essay could pinpoint you in a more specific direction:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/learning/black-white-and-somewhere-in-between.html
Yes I think this essay written in 2022 by a high school student who won the NYT contest could help you come up with a more specific RQ. Please read and think.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/learning/black-white-and-somewhere-in-between.html
Are you thinking about race and assiimlation in America?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/magazine/what-does-it-take-to-assimilate-in-america.html
What you have written in your proposal does not FOCUS on a specific point but opens up a wide avenue of topics. You need to focus more clearly on what exactly you want to research.
Part o f the problem is that you have not explained why you are PERSONALLY interested in this topic? If you can do that, then maybe you can refine your question more specifically.