What is America?
Better question: What does it mean to be American? I’ve asked before so perhaps it is a purely
academic question like, “What is love” or, “What is the meaning of life?”
Recently, with the increased vocalization of the Tea-Party and
ultra-conservative movements, the question became a little more than academic. Not only did it become the desired “goal” of
the far right – not unlike a game of capture the flag attempting to seize “America”
back from the evil clutches of Barack the Barracuda – but it is also at the heart
of the immigration debate. So yeah, we’ve
written on this subject before; it isn’t a new issue.
The only reason I bring it up today is because of what happened
to the new Miss America, Nina Davuluri, over the weekend. The reaction to her win makes it hard for me
to remove racial prejudices from the cries of “real American!”
Miss America 2014 |
But none of that matters.
She isn’t blond. She doesn’t have
blue eyes. She doesn’t have fair
skin. Nope, she has jet black hair, and
olive skin, and she performed a Bollywood dance during the competition. So regardless of her American upbringing, in
some eyes, she will NEVER be “American.” Instead of celebrating what makes this great, the same principle is what brings a shadow over parts of our country.
The far right can act like this isn’t real or confined to a
small corner of America’s underbelly. To
me, not only is it front and center in today’s society, it’s ran for office and
won and has cemented itself at the center of many of the more controversial issues
going on today (see North Carolina).
It is also why I’m not a libertarian. One (or more) of those extremely ignorant
responders is in a position or will be in a position to hire or fire
someone. They may be the person who allows
or denies someone school admission. For
NO other reason than what she looks like. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call PROFILING! I know, I know. During the Trayvon Martian flare up you were told "profiling" doesn't exist. But it does.
Look, it’s one thing to say that people should only be hired based on their
merit along – a common argument against Affirmative Action. I agree.
They should. But in THIS country –
that exists in the real world – that shit doesn’t matter. Natural born citizen be damn! It doesn’t matter. You are who THEY (whomever “they” are) see
you to be. Period!
Seriously, this woman is like the poster child for “American
success story.” Ironically, she
represents everything right and wrong in America. She was born and raised here. She went to school here. She earned her own way against the odds based
her gender and race. If “pulling
yourself up by your bootstraps” had a step-by-step user guide, it appears as
though she followed it perfectly. Yet,
beyond all her efforts and regardless of her success, she’s still seen as a “Muslim,”
“Arab,” “foreigner,” “bitch.” This is
part of the reason I don’t agree with the “Cosby(s)” of the world when it comes
to race relations (most recently with Trayvon Martin). There’s only so much minorities can do. Sure, “taking responsibility” is a good way
to deflect and accept a hard truth that their response too many situations are
based in racial animosity. But responses
like we’ve seen over the past 24 hours prove that “taking responsibility” isn’t
the magic elixir. It's part, but not all. Isn’t admitting there’s
a problem the first step to addressing the problem? And we wonder why progress has slowed. HA!
Oh, some folks blamed Obama for this atrocity! Classic!!!
Here are some twitter responses to Davuluri’s win (I guess she played the race card. That's the only reason people respond like this, right?):
— Dallas Robinson
(@DallasRobinson8) September 16, 2013
How the fuck does a foreigner
win miss America? She is a Arab! #idiots
— Jake Amick (@jakeamick5) September 16, 2013
And the Arab wins Miss
America. Classic.
— POOKIE. (@Granvil_Colt) September 16, 2013
Miss America? You mean Miss
7-11.
— CHEEZ-IT (@JPLman95) September 16, 2013
Sand nigger is up #missamerica
— Chris Black (@ChrisBlack57) September 16, 2013
If a Muslim wins this pageant.
Lord help me.
— Emily (@emi_adkins) September 16, 2013
How can a muslim win Miss
AMERICA? #sorrynotsorry
— Max Orr (@max_orr3) September 16, 2013
9/11 was 4 days ago and she
gets miss America?
— Luke Brasili (@LukeBrasili) September 16, 2013
It's called Miss America. Get
outta here New York you look like a terrorist. #bye#americanforamerica
— Emily (@emi_adkins) September 16, 2013
Don't you have to be American
to win Miss AMERICA this bitch is some type of Indian
— BIG GLUTE CURL (@pow_pow65) September 16, 2013
(This was my personal
favorite)
I am not okay with this..
Thanks Obama, Thanks a lot!
We have a black president and
an Asian Miss America. This ain't Merica no more guys.
Well we all know Obama bought
that pageant! — ♔♚TyAnn♚♔ (@tyann_m) September 16, 2013
The liberal Miss America
judges won't say this - but Miss Kansas lost because she actually represented
American values. #missamerica
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) September 16, 2013