Dealing With Hate Crimes

To bestow titles such as African-American, Latino, Arab-American and others creates a separateness. Americans are Americans--period. Am I an English-American because my ancestors came from England? Is my husband a Portuguese-American because his ancestors came from Portugal? No, we are Americans.

Is there money to be made here by creating and labeling special categories of Americans? Does this make us more unified as a people (nation) or create and foster separateness?

BARRIE COOKE FOLSOM

Long Beach