Can diversity be ‘too much of a good thing’? More Americans wonder.

Jonette and Ken Christian have become a bit uneasy with the emphasis people place on the idea of diversity.

It’s a fraught subject to criticize, they say. As liberal Democrats living in Holden, Maine, they’ve sometimes been frustrated that even raising concerns about the scope of immigration policy, say, is often met with charges of xenophobia or, even worse, racism. 

“It seems that we’ve been so pummeled with the ‘inclusivity’ narrative, we can’t set any limits on diversity, or defend our own values,” says Mrs. Christian, who last month retired after decades as a child and family therapist. “Of course we have the values of America as an open, generous, inclusive, and diverse nation. But anyone questioning how diverse, or how open, or how generous, is looked at with suspicion — or as a heretic.”

It’s exasperating, she feels, especially since their family has a decidedly international flavor. She chatters in Spanish with her sisters-in-law, one from Honduras and

“E pluribus unum”Dual impulses: altruism versus otheringQuestion of foundational principles