THE 20TH CENTURY IS ENDING WITH HARBINGERS OF A FUTURE ROOTED DEEPLY, EVEN terrifyingly, in the past. Rather than the triumph of a rational and universal world order, we are witnessing a resurgence of popular interest in ethnic identities, religious roots and ancient affiliations that is shaking societies from the remnants of the former Soviet Empire to the streets of Los Angeles. In the words of sociologist Harold Isaacs: "Science advanced, knowledge grew, nature was mastered, but Reason did not conquer and tribalism did not go away." * This resurgence contrasts with widespread hopes, sparked by the end of the Cold War, of the dawn of a new age liberated from national, religious and tribal constraints. Indeed, in much of Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe, this renewal of ethnic and religious sentiments has been devastating, breaking apart many long-established nation states and triggering hideous outbreaks of intolerance and barbarity. * At the same time, and less noticed, we have seen the continued flowering of transnational ethnic groups--or global tribes--that increasingly play important roles in the fostering of both commerce and technological progress. Wherever they have settled, these global tribes have succeeded by combining a strong sense of a common origin and shared values, quintessential tribal characteristics, with two critical factors for success: geographic dispersion and a belief in scientific progress. Whether the Jews or British of the past, or today's ascendant Asian global tribes, these groups do not surrender their ethnic identity but use their values and beliefs to cope successfully with change.
BRAVE NEW WORLD : FAMILY TIES IN THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY : Ethnic Tribes--From the Jews to the Japanese, Chinese and Indians--Are Reshaping International Commerce
The continued resurgence of tribalism suggests as well the failure of the ideologies of modernity--whether socialist or capitalist--to answer many of the age-old, fundamental questions about human origins, values and spirituality. Even in a technologically advanced region such as North America, conflicting ethnic tension is escalating, with a concomitant rise in racially based politics and religious intolerance. This intolerance is evidenced by both the large vote for David Duke's gubernatorial bid in Louisiana as well as the notoriety of such openly anti-Semitic and anti-white figures as professor Leonard Jeffries and minister Louis Farrakhan.
Yet there has been a general, and arguably far more positive, revival of spirituality among Americans. Once seen as doomed by the progress of modernity, religious faith and community seem to be enjoying a new vogue in the post-yuppie '90s, with one survey revealing that more than two-thirds of the population sees religion as the answer to many contemporary problems.
This revival of spirituality has been even more dramatic in the former Soviet Union. As the Communist facade fell after 1989, ethnic and religious sentiment blossomed. Mosques, churches, synagogues, Buddhist temples, even pagan shrines swelled with new adherents despite decades of state effort to smash these institutions and identities. For example, the Jewish spirit has revived both among emigrants and those who remained behind in the new Russia.
Shoshana Dworkina, the 19-year-old granddaughter of an old Bolshevik and who once dreamed of teaching Russian literature at a Soviet university, recalls how she was lured back to her roots. "When I was 10, I came home crying, saying, 'I don't want to be a Jew'--because other kids yelled at me--'I don't want to be a Jew,' " the soft-spoken student said during a break at a makeshift Jewish school in a Moscow apartment. "But when I entered the university, my Jewish friends took me to the synagogue with other young Jews--they knew only (the song) 'Avenu Sholem Aleichem' but that's enough."
Similarly, China's ventures into capitalism have rekindled the strong ethnic ties between Chinese everywhere. After the 1989 Tian An Men massacre, many Chinese, including some second- and third-generation Californians, rallied to the support of the beleaguered students, offering financial and legal assistance. Others were involved in boosting the technical and economic potential of their ancestral homeland.
For some Chinese, such as L.A realtor Lillie Lee, this renewed connection recalls the commitment of ancestors to earlier struggles. Lee's grandfather, who owned a herbal shop in Los Angeles' Chinatown, actively supported Dr. Sun Yat-sen's efforts in 1911 to overthrow the Manchu dynasty. "It is natural for Chinese to help other Chinese," she says. "Even if we live in California."
THERE IS NO HINT OF GRANDEUR, NO SHINING CORPORATE LOGO, NO STATUE of modern art outside the imposing 19th-Century mansion on Faubourg Saint Honore. The stuffy, carpeted interior, with antique clocks and pictures, exudes more the hushed, reverently preserved atmosphere of a museum than the manic bustle of a worldwide financial empire.
