I saw the Puerto Rican Day Parade today. It's sort of become the Latino Day Parade.
I like the parade. I like the Columbus Day Parade too, and St. Patrick's Day one as well.
No, I'm not angling for a Martin Luther King Day parade. I'm just noticing a touch of cultural nationalism seems, I dunno...normal.
I think part of it is an opportunity to claim ownership of culture. Part of me would love to be part of a big club that puts on Shakespeare plays in public spaces. My wife actually is a professional employee of such a club (hers sings). My wife and I do not sing, but the members of the organization do, and they work hard to get into the "club." These people are prodigiously talented, and yet they are obligated to pay a hell of a lot of money in order to supplement grants and ticket sales.
I know, it's pretty scandalous to realize those incredibly gifted performers on stage singing Brahms' Requiem are paying for the privilege of doing so.