I live in Miami where it seems that almost everyone is from somewhere else and still claim their native country as their own even if they are citizens of the USA. It's somewhat strange and Tom Tancredo raised the ire of many when he called Miami a third-world country not too long ago. Hmmmm….let's not go there.

Miami is really a great place when folks are not claiming allegiance to some ethnic group or country other than America, to the detriment of others. Miami is like a vacation to any foreign country of your choosing without actually leaving the area. You can taste the foods, dance to music or hear the native tongue of folks from countries around the world.

All this is enjoyed by those open to all that Miami has to offer. Far too often though, folks are too much into their own culture and unwilling to truly appreciate others. Children can grow up in their neighborhood and never venture far from its boundaries. That's a shame.

For Black American children it's more of a shame because many grow up in a monolingual household with little or no opportunity to prepare them for a multilingual world. Rather than stand around waving the American flag as if speaking a foreign language is an assault on democracy, make sure you and your children can communicate in another language.

In Miami, blacks can get caught up in the issue of speaking Spanish. I say, don't be so short-sighted, the real concern is not Spanish, it's whatever language that's being spoken in India; that's were a significant percentage of American jobs are being outsourced to.

In case you need a wake-up call, read The World is Flat. It's all about globalization and how we'll survive in the future. Don't trip out and get angry, just do something progressive. Our American education system must change---No Child Left Behind does not work--- and our consciousness must change if we are to adequately prepare Americans to survive, thrive and prosper.