He attempts to shock his reader into believing that America is falling apart by comparing the various cultures active there today. At one point in his essay, Buchanan writes: “Our population has fallen to 67 percent European, and it is falling; 14.5 percent Hispanic and rising rapidly, 13 percent black and working, and 4.5 percent Asian and rising” (599). Using “Our” in the sense of speaking about Americans is a view that excludes anyone who is not white from being a true American. Furthermore, Buchanan separates the population according to the color of their skin and creates an ethnic hierarchy. By including only white people in the definition of an American, Buchanan shows an ethnocentric trait that Fredrickson analyzed in his own essay. Fredrickson describes this shift in views in American society when he examines the acceptance of all white people and the differences among people of color becoming "more striking and salient than ever" (567). In general, Buchanan does not acknowledge differences among whites, focusing primarily on the differences between whites and non-whites. The correlation between the statistics he presents and the color of people's skin proves beyond doubt Buchanan's view of skin color and their ability to be American. This character trait in Buchanan's writings, coupled with the non-acceptance of people of color, is strongly present throughout his essay, ultimately weakening his opinion.