DEI debates in the 19C

Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Dinner

Drawn in 1869 by Thomas Nast, the work feels so much ahead of its time, given the year it was created. It was post-Civil War, but discrimination against minorities was still rooted deeply throughout political systems and daily lives in the US. 

It’s hard to believe that the cartoon is from the 19th century. More than 150 years have passed and we are still arguing over the idea of DEI. (Diversity, equity, and inclusion) I am not saying that our civilization has devolved by all measures. They had to wait almost a century until the Voting Rights Act, the registration that prohibited racial discrimination in voting, was signed. And what about the Chinese Exclusion Act? In 1882, the US passed a law to block Chinese immigration to the US for 10 years.

Western philosophy views history as a highway of evolution toward a better future. On the other hand, Eastern philosophy describes history as a cycle of repeated events. In that view, mankind is on an endless journey, stumbling between greatness and madness just like our lives pass through seasons repeatedly.

In the late 19th century, the US had an inclusive vision that supported the value of diversity. That vision is well illustrated in this photo that people from different races and nationalities are peacefully having dinner together – with drawings of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on the wall. You can see African Americans, Germans, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and Native Americans having a good time in harmony.

Here's another cartoon, which is also titled “Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Dinner.” G.F. Keller drew this in 1877, which was 8 years since the birth of Nast’s work. 

The work portrays international cultures from very different perspectives. There are international guests at the table but they don’t seem to be happy or getting along with each other in harmony. The praise for globalization faded out as cultural frictions and job competition increased 

:"I see in the Free-trade principle that which shall act on the moral world as the principle of gravitation in the universe – drawing men together, thrusting the antagonism of race and creed, and language, and uniting us in the bonds of eternal peace.” 

Richard Cobden, a UK politician made this quote in 1846. Although he is more than a century apart, he sounds so much like the free-trade supporters during the late 20th century. 

Technology has been evolving at a rapid pace but human nature hasn’t changed much since the dawn of civilization. In substance, most of today’s topics aren’t much different from the ones our ancestors had to deal with. In short, history keeps repeating itself. 

Are we going to just ride history as our destiny leads us? Why don't we pick up a lesson or two from the past so we can make tomorrow better than yesterday?