Question

America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. "Of all the nations in the world, the United States was built in nobody's image," the historian Daniel Boorstin wrote. That's because it was built of bits and pieces that seem discordant, like the crazy quilts that have been one of its great folk-art forms, velvet and calico and checks and brocades. Out of many, one. That is the ideal.

–"A Quilt of a Country,"
Anna Quindlen

Which statement best summarizes the central idea of this paragraph?

America claims to be equal, but it is not.
The ideal America embraces its diverse heritage.
Daniel Boorstin thinks that America has a negative image.
America is like a colorful quilt.

Answer 1

The ideal America embraces its diverse heritage.

Explanation: The paragraph emphasizes that the United States is made of disparate parts and peoples ("out of many, one") and that its strength/ideal lies in uniting that diversity.