Race In America in 2008 – Out with the old, in with the new
January 4, 2008 by daranee
Over Christmas, my mom gave me an interesting argument as to why she couldn’t support Barack Obama. She said that as a black he had no possibility of actually winning the presidential race and that when it came time to vote in November the majority of Americans could not bring themselves to vote for a black man. Let’s first of all cast aside the ridiculous self-fulfilling quality of her prediction; she is absolutely flat out wrong.
Let me give you some background on me and my family. Both of my parents are republicans. While growing up I remember at least two times when the issue of interracial marriage came up in reference to black people marrying white people. My parents said that they did not believe in interracial marriage because of “the children.” Think of how difficult it would be for those children to be raised in a society where they neither belonged to black or white, they said. Pointing out to my parents that mom was Thai and dad was white oddly didn’t seem to affect their opinion. White and black are “too different” they said.
Now my parents’ sentiments were quite common at the time and perhaps there are still many out there who ascribe to this belief. But guess what? Tons of mixed race children, including mixed black and white children, were born and seem to be just as successful as their seemingly single-race counterparts. From my own experience, the most annoying thing about being of mixed race is having to fill out forms where I am only allowed to fill in one bubble for my race. I usually leave those blank.
Society grew with these children. If the people who had these children had listened to my mother, hell if my mother had listened to my mother, then yes, it would be very difficult for the isolated mixed race children out there. But that didn’t happen.
I believe that this country is capable of electing a black president. I believe this country is capable of electing a mixed race president. I believe that the fuddy duddies who say that it can’t be done and so we shouldn’t even try are a shrinking population grasping to the days when the world made sense to them. I believe the world is what we make of it, and if I want to vote for a black president then I can do it. I don’t have a responsibility to vote for who I think is electable by trying to strategize the foibles and prejudices of millions of voting Americans. I don’t have the inclination or time. I can and will vote for who I want to be the next president.
With Barack Obama’s win in Iowa last night, I see a new age of race in this country and it’s not your parents’ America.
Weird to think that his parents marriage (and him) would have been considered illegitimate in much of the country 50 years ago, and know he’s a front runner for the most powerful office in the country.
Thanks for this thoughtful and interesting post.
Although Obama’s dealings with large corporate donors make me somewhat trepidatious, I found his speech after winning in Iowa very moving, because he is such an eloquent speaker and because he looks and sounds (and dresses) like the heroes of my childhood, particularly the heroes of the civil rights era. Truly inspiring and exciting.
I still like Edwards’ politics better, but, like so many Democrats, I would be thrilled if Obama became our next president.
The country is ready for a president of color, and mixed race children are better accepted. But they also are put in the middle, forced to make choices, precisely because you may be welcomed by white and Other–but if you are trusted into the others, who wear many faces and guard their talk in public, then you hear how poorly others think, how awful they feel toward whites, unedited and unplugged. And that that part of you . . . well, it’s not your fault but certainly not anything to be celebrated.
I also think your view about diversity is a little too sunny. As one of my mentors points out in his writing on disability and as a disabled person, America loves diverse people–good looking diverse people, but not the other way around, diversely good looking. America will accept a young, handsome black or hispanic or Asian contender; but he’s got to be attractive. White male contenders can be ugly as sin–doesn’t matter: we elect them. White women contenders–that’s up for debate. But persons of color–you need beauty to partially screen out your race.
I think America loves attractive people, period. I don’t think race comes into it. I would argue that Oprah, when she began in television was not what most of the public deemed “attractive” yet she became popular. It’s hard to say for politicians since there are not as many minority examples, but I don’t think Richardson is so hot.
Bravo! I agree. And as an aside, I believe that this country is ready.
Interracial marriages produce children who are bridges across the abyss of prejudice that has separated us. They are not to be pitied. They are to be taught that they represent the harmony of the human family that God intended. Prejudices of all types are the bain of human existence. It is healing, and I am optimistic and encouraged by the love that overdomes prejudiece. I spoke once with a concerned grand- parent as he spoke of the “obstacles” facing his interracial grandchildren in a racist society. I asked him if he loved them, and he said he loved them and he loved his child. I told him he could arm them against an unjust society by letting them feel the power of his love and acceptance.
Obstacles have been faced by every group in the world. Nobody is loved by everybody. But every evidence of love that is wholesome should be encouraged.
Praise God! We are one family, not many, and our children of every background (an arbitrary distinction at best) are precious in the sight of God, and in our hearts.