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Quote by Michael Emerson

“We do not have an American culture. We have a white American culture and a black American culture. So when those two groups try to get together, [it's] very difficult because they each feel like they have the right to their culture.”

Quote by Michael Emerson

Author

Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson is an American film actor born on September 7, 1954. He is known for his outstanding performances in various film and television projects, renowned for his exceptional acting skills and unique character portrayals. more

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“If you move here from somewhere else, I often think if I move to Germany, for example, or if I move China and I go worship there I will understand and I'll be willing to give up a lot of my culture because I'm in somebody else's homeland. So I'm going to have to act German or Chinese, whatever that might mean.”

Ifs Thinking Giving Mean Might Moving Culture Example Willing Giving Up Worship China Chinese Germany Somewhere Else Homeland

Author:Michael Emerson

“But in the US, when you have two separate cultures, each with its right, each of which has come to exist in this political entity in the last couple hundred years, each feeling like, "I have the right to hold onto my culture," and that's what makes it difficult.”

Years Two Feelings Lasts Political Culture Difficult Couple Hundred Entity

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“I think it's easier, I really do, because of not having that similar history, so that's why I think two-thirds of these mixed congregations are either white with Asian and Hispanic, or black with Asian and Hispanic.”

Thinking Two Black White Easier Thirds Asian Congregation Hispanic

Author:Michael Emerson

“What happens is sometimes these congregations will still have the white style of worship, even though they're mixed, because folks are willing to give up whatever they may have come with. So it's still quite a stretch for African Americans, yeah.”

Giving May Stills Sometimes Happens White Style Willing Giving Up Worship Yeah Folks African American Congregation

Author:Michael Emerson

“Absolutely, although every congregation will say, you know, every worship leader will say it's vital. It's very important, but again these are, you know, these are different cultural styles.”

Knows Important Different Leader Style Worship Congregation

Author:Michael Emerson

“So the tradition from Europe is that you're supposed to emphasize the mind over the body, so you sing from a very kind of staid perspective. Again, there are charismatic white congregations all over, and they don't sing that way. But, you know, on the average.”

Knows Way Mind Kind Body White Perspective Europe Tradition Average Congregation Charismatic

Author:Michael Emerson

“I see this in the way that sermons are preached. How would you give a Black Nationalist speech or campaign for the Republicans when you're an integrated congregation? It doesn't happen.”

Way Giving Happens Black Republican Speech Campaigns Sermons Integrated Congregation

Author:Michael Emerson

“I see it happen in uniracial congregations all the time. But people - when they're in mixed company, we speak differently.”

People Happens Speak Company Congregation

Author:Michael Emerson

“So one of the profound things we found when studying these congregations, the mixed ones, is just how much overlap and interracial ties that develop not only with the people in the congregation, but they start meeting each other's families, and their friends, and they go to each other's neighborhoods if they live in different neighborhoods, and at work they meet people they wouldn't otherwise met, and so it creates a whole new definition of what the group is.”

People Ifs Different Whole Found Study Groups Mets Meetings Profound Definitions Ties Neighborhood Congregation

Author:Michael Emerson

“It was an all-white church. It was starting to decline. They had to hire a new pastor, and they hired him. But he came under the condition that "I want and I'm called to make this a multiethnic church." So they knew. He's interesting because he's part-Asian, part-white. He's married to a Hispanic woman, so that's their family and that's their vision.”

Want Church White Interesting Vision Conditions Married Starting Decline Pastor Asian Hispanic

Author:Michael Emerson