The youngest American generation is 48% non-white. Yes, it matters.
It appears the white majority in America will soon be a relic of the past.
The 2018 midterms ushered in a wave of diversity, with some historic “firsts” making their way to Capitol Hill. The first two Native American women elected to Congress. The first Hispanic women from Texas, where Hispanics make up nearly half of the state's population. The first two Muslim women, one of them a Somali refugee. The youngest woman to ever serve in Congress, who also happens to be Latina.
Even with this diverse group coming in, Congress is still disproportionately white. Some may ask why it matters, and many will decry bringing up that fact as identity politics. (The fact that white men have played identity politics throughout our history by marginalizing literally every other identity both legally and socially is a whole other article. But yeah.) But considering how the demographics of America are changing, the ethnic makeup of our representatives is worth examining.
According to a new report by Pew Research the percentage of Americans who are part of the white majority is shrinking. And for the post-millennial generation, that majority is barely a majority at all.
Almost half of Americans age 6 to 21 are racial or ethnic minorities—a far cry from the Baby Boomers’ 18%.
America’s demographics are changing, and they’re changing fast. My mother’s generation was 18% non-white, and my children’s generation is 48% non-white. That matters, especially when it comes to representation in our government.
It's an indisputable fact that American politics has been dominated by white men throughout our country's entire history. White men have held the power, made the decisions, and determined the direction of this country for centuries. We see that slowly but surely changing; the question is whether it's changing fast enough to keep up the makeup of America.
It seems pretty clear the answer is no. But America's changing demographics raise other questions as well.
Could the rise in hate crimes and surge of white supremacist violence be driven by fear of becoming a minority?
According to the New York Times:
"Data compiled by the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database shows that the number of terror-related incidents has more than tripled in the United States since 2013, and the number of those killed has quadrupled. In 2017, there were 65 incidents totaling 95 deaths. In a recent analysis of the data by the news site Quartz, roughly 60 percent of those incidents were driven by racist, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, antigovernment or other right-wing ideologies. Left-wing ideologies, like radical environmentalism, were responsible for 11 attacks. Muslim extremists committed just seven attacks."
Many Americans like to claim colorblindness as a way to ignore the racial reality of our country, but there are facts that cannot be ignored. White people have been the significant majority for hundreds of years, and white supremacy was both the accepted social norm and the actual law of the land for most of that time. White Americans have automatically had power and privilege afforded to us by our skin tone, and have never experienced what it's like to be part of a historically oppressed racial minority in our own country. Though we have made legal strides to create equality, we have not as a society dealt with that racial reality in any productive, significant way.
Is it possible that some white Americans may worry what will happen when those historically oppressed minorities become the majority? Is it possible that some white Americans—consciously or subconsciously—fear not only a loss of power and privilege, but also a reckoning of sorts? Is it possible that some white Americans can't fathom a world of equality, but assume one group will always try to dominate and oppress another? These are questions worth asking as our ethnic and cultural diversity expands, so we don't remain oblivious to internal threats to our country.
We can celebrate diversity by emphasizing the beauty, richness, and creativity that comes with it.
Ethnic and cultural diversity brings with it some natural challenges, but those are far outweighed by the economy-boosing creativity and innovation, as well as the personal and cultural enrichment, that go along with engaging with diverse people. America's increasing diversity is a strength, especially if we consciously consider it one.
Many of us see these demographic shifts as a welcome change and a natural outcome of a shrinking global neighborhood. If we do it right, America can serve as an example of celebrating differences and working together for a brighter future for all.
Please, America. Let's do this right.
Millennial mom struggles to organize her son's room.Image via Canva/fotostorm
Boomer grandparents have a video call with grandkids.Image via Canva/Tima Miroshnichenko
Information from the NICABM website regarding the "Window of Tolerance."Photo Credit: The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine 
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Gen Xers and Millennials share 17 of the strangest things their Baby Boomer parents do
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
A Baby Boomer couple.
Generational fights have raged since the dawn of time, and a recent spat between Millennials and Baby Boomers is no exception. Baby Boomers, who raised Millennials, accuse the younger generation of being entitled and irresponsible with money. At the same time, Millennials accuse Boomers of having it easier economically while making it harder for those who came after them.
Where is Gen X in the battle? Probably off in the corner somewhere, saying, "Whatever." Aside from the generational sniping, there are some things the older generation does that are just plain baffling to younger people. Whether it's outdated worldviews, a refusal to adapt to modern technology, or a lack of self-awareness, Baby Boomers can do some strange things.
To help the younger folks get over their frustrations with parents from the "Me Generation," a Redditor asked: "What is the most Boomer thing your parents still do?" The stories were pretty funny and relatable, showing that almost everyone with parents over 60 is dealing with the same thing.
Here are 17 of the "strangest" things people's Baby Boomer parents do:
1. Phones on full blast
"Play iPhone slot machine games at full volume in the doctor’s office."
"My dad pretty much exclusively has his phone on speaker, and just walks around in public talking with it at max volume (and talking really loud himself). I’m like 'Dad, the entire supermarket doesn’t want to listen to you, and Uncle Jim complains about how often you have to pee.'"
2. Still using checkbooks
"My mom balances her checkbook every week. They still have a landline."
"And she probably has way more money than you will until she dies!"
3. Email issues
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
"Like the email is just the virtual envelope for the digital letter."
4. Restaurant jokes
"All those little restaurant comments.
'Wow, they'll let anyone in here!' when seeing a friend at said restaurant.
'Thanks for having us, not everyone will' to the waiter at the end of the meal.
'As you can see, it was terrible' when the staff takes away the clearly entirely eaten plate.
'You're going to have me floating away in a minute' when more water is put into their glass"
5. Always have to mention race
"Constantly mentioning the race or ethnicity of everyone she mentions. Never with any negative connotation or comment, but usually, there is no reason for it to be relevant to the conversation."
"My Jewish mother will always whisper the word 'black' in case anyone hears her: 'So the nice black man at the hardware store helped me find the right garden hose.'"
6. Googling their Google
"Typing Google on Google before they Google the thing they’re looking for."
"In the Google search bar, they type Google? Lol."
7. Getting a job is a cinch
"Believing you can walk into a business and hand in a resume. If you have a college degree in any field, they'll hire you."
"Just physically hand over your resume to HR or the hiring manager. You'll make a mark and get hired!! Call the office and ask to speak to HR/Hiring Manager."
Any Millennial who argued with their Boomer parents about how hard it is to land a good job should feel vindicated by a 2022 study, which found that most older Millennials didn't secure good jobs until their early 30s, while most Boomers did so in their 20s. "To secure a good job, young adults need to acquire more education and high-quality work experience than was necessary for previous generations," the researchers wrote.
8. Why are they together?
"Stay married forever while they behave like neither one of them can stand each other."
"I'm on the other side of that. After my mom passed, my dad now acts like their marriage was picture perfect and they were the love of each other's lives, even though they couldn't stand each other for at the very least 40 of the 54 years they were married."
9. Collectables or hoarding?
"Think their 'collectibles' are truly valuable."
"My mom insists her Hummels are going to put my kids through college!"
"Mine are the Thomas Kincade paintings. She has a Victorian glass piece that might actually be worth something, but those damn paintings are the real investment."
10. Can you grab the mail?
"Ask me to bring in the mail when they go away for more than 24 hours."
"My parents think everybody is standing at the door waiting for the mailman every day, and don’t believe me when I tell them that some people go days without checking their mail. They think everybody is waiting for the mailman every day because 'somebody might send them a check.' Like, really?"
11. Zero responsibility
"'Well, I guess I was just a bad father.' Yeah. That attitude of anti-responsibility is exactly why 3 out of 4 of your children don't talk to you."
"Ha! Have the same dad, do we?"
12. Comment on people's appearance
"Comment on EVERYBODY’s body/appearance/weight. The first thing my dad does after not seeing me for a year is poke me in the gut and tell me how fat I am."
13. Boomer panic is real
"Literally throwing their hands up in a panic when they don't understand something. Where did they learn that?"
"Or just saying 'well, I don't know', especially when that comes right after you explaining it and showing them how to do something, with them nodding along and asking relevant questions all the way through."
In a video by YourTango, editor Brian Sundholm tried to explain Boomer panic in an empathetic way: "Most of us nowadays know the importance of recognizing and feeling our emotions." Sundholm then quoted therapist Mitzi Bachman, who explained that when people struggle to express their emotions, it can result in an "unhinged" reaction.
14. Annoying Facebook posts
"Post nonsensical rants on Facebook for other boomers to like, share, and comment. Often these rants are political, but not always. Basically cringe-fest."
"Most people won't do it, but share this post if you believe in god and freedom."
"I do NOT give Facebook permission to use my photos and personal information!"
15. Dinner pushers
"While we're eating breakfast. What do you want to do for supper?"
"Can't we enjoy this meal without worrying about the next?"
16. They print everything
"My boomer in-laws print EVERYTHING! The number of times I have said, 'quit wasting ink, email it to me, or text me the link. Or just text me the schedule, don't print it out.' GPS on their phones? Nope...print a map."
"Boomers and their paper man. My dad has finally started using the internet, but he still prints everything he likes. Like he'll see a boat listing on Craigslist and print the entire page, including a massive color photo of it, and he's definitely not going to be buying it either. He's got a stack of papers that is the internet that sits by his recliner. He just sits there with Fox News on (though it's usually muted for some reason, that's a plus) and looks at his papers."
17. Flirting with servers
"My dad is 77 still flirts with the young waitresses. It's f**king weird for everyone."
"He thinks he is in cute old man territory, but he is not."