Question

What does the author mean by the following statement: “This is a nation founded on a conundrum, what Mario Cuomo has characterized as 'community added to individualism.' These two are our defining ideals; they are also in constant conflict.”
a) Each person is valued for who they are as an individual first; this is a problem because no matter what culture a person is from, they should identify themselves as Americans first.

b) America forces its people to join together, no matter their culture or background; this is an issue because a person’s individual values are viewed as not as unimportant when compared to the values of American culture as a whole.

c) America is one nation made up of so many diverse cultures, each with their own sense of identity. While this freedom is what America is based on, it could prevent Americans from joining together.

Answer 1

I believe c is correct.....

Answer 2

Answer:

b) America forces its people to join together, no matter their culture or background; this is an issue because a person’s individual values are viewed as not as unimportant when compared to the values of American culture as a whole.

Explanation:

The conundrum the speech refers to makes  it clear that living in a country peopled by extremely diverse groups of people makes it difficult , as if this were a puzzle to be solved, to define unity. However, the speaker values these cultural differences ; he thinks they are as important as the values a united nation may have. Community can be defined as the integration of all those individual differences for the good of a whole nation.