Mim Datta on Randolph Bourne's Trans-National America

According to Bourne, there are two distinguishing types of freedom: one that allows complete liberty with absence of interference, the other that enables democratic cooperation and judgment. Although they are given the right to do as they wish, immigrants cannot be considered free in the terrains of a democratic political and social institution. They are in fact excluded institutionally from this type of freedom. Rather than having a say in the inner workings and quality of life produced by the Americanized or “Anglo-Saxonized” systems in place, cultural minorities are limited, whereas the British are free. They are overshadowed by the dominant culture of Great Britain, though they have resisted imposition. As Bourne says, “the degree to which that purpose of ‘Americanizing’... the immigrant has failed.” I presume the efforts of imposition have failed since the immigrants have retained their distinguishing qualities. They are not allowed to contribute as much as the “dominant race.” As far as contemporary America goes, I believe the claim that immigrants have found one of the two freedoms in the US does not completely hold up, since although I can recognize the remnants of our mother country integrated within our countries practices and systems of power, I do not see the colonist “imposition” that is expressed in the paragraph. However, I do see a different form of imposition, one that resonates with me more, which is the presence of elitism. Though we are in a democratic nation, we are governed by a minority of elites. This reminds me of the elitist theory of democracy, in which the elitists are unified by a common objective, whereas the masses (cultural minorities in this case) are separated and powerless because of their diverse objectives. These diverse objectives often compete with each other and render movements powerless, whereas those in solidarity get further in their progress. As every day goes, members of the elite consistently wield great influence over corporate and governmental decisions. We can see this in “industrial institutions” such as through corporate life, for example. Following the company’s protocols and further serving the company’s objectives will get you up the corporate ladder, a fact many elitists abuse. Although it is true that we now have a great number of access points and positions in which cultural minorities can engage in the government, the same influence elitists have access to is untouchable because it is only reserved for them and exercised within their circle.