A Letter from Ben Franklin to Thomas Jefferson

Dearest Thomas:

Send an emissary to Philadelphia at once; our beloved colonies are in peril. Between the bumbling Negroes, the savage Indians and these pesky immigrants – especially the Germans – everything – all that we dreamed and fought for -- is at grave risk of undoing.

These Germans, Thomas, are utterly impossible. Any attempts to Anglify them are absolutely futile. Were you aware that we must now use translators in Parliament? These Germans clamor for German street signs and some even suggested making German the official language of the colonies. One is left to wonder what will become of us if we surrender to these bold moves to Germanize our gallant colonies. And on our own land Thomas! On our own shore, they dare to menace and intimidate us! Woe to our white brethren!

Let me be clear -- everything is at stake Thomas. I implore you to heed my message and come at once.

Immigration will tear the colonies at the seams and they are much too fragile for such needless strife. There will be no unification, no camaraderie, no common understanding, no UNION as long as we are relentlessly besieged by outsiders. Miraculously, the colonies have managed to cope with the distressing numbers of Indians and slaves, but there is no ready solution to these willful outsiders. Homogeneity is best for our community. These outsiders threaten to ruin our fledgling nation and all that is pure and white and good.

I know that you worry about these matters as do I. You must return to Philadelphia at once.

Yours in citizenship,

Benjamin Franklin

Questions:

What narrative describes the origin of the word “Celtic” to describe Boston’s NBA franchise? What about the Notre Dame Irish? Is this objectification as troubling and inappropriate as the use of Native American images?

The parallels between Whiteness and citizenship are fascinating and brazenly persist today. Are there any other heterogeneous nations that manage cultural and ethnic variance better than the US? Or is our historical legacy of racial conflict too crippling to ever effectively overcome?