Identity

This "second wave" of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s has had far-reaching implications not only for the various identity groups involved, but also for the way we, as Americans, think of ourselves. In the debates over multiculturalism and diversity in the 1990s, conservatives maintained that excessive focus on "identity" was corrosive to a unitary America. Where do you stand on this issue? Does focusing on our many "identities" prevent us from realizing a common "American" identity? Why or why not? Feel free to draw on your own unique cluster of identities and your realization of them in your answer if you wish.
I think the basic question is whether it is better to identify as an American or as another identity. I think it's fine if you think of yourself as X, but you should first think of yourself as an American, if you live in the US. The problem with identifying yourself first as another identity is that you are less likely to participate and know about America.
For example, I see myself as an American even though my background is Taiwanese. I was born in the US and I take advantage of the opportunities the US has given to me. So yes I'm Taiwanese but ultimately I'm an American.
Now my parents on the other hand went to college here but do not see themselves as an American. They don't follow American politics, hardly read the American news, but are constantly following what's going on in Taiwan. During the Taiwan elections, my mom even bought a ticket to Taiwan so she could vote. This irritates me to no end. You're living in America you should care about what's going on here not over there. So in my family there is no unity. During the US elections, there is no discussing because they just wouldn't know and probably wouldn't care.
The US is a giant melting pot, as different ethnicity continue to grow, I do fear that there will be less and less interest in what goes on in America and the unity of America will