Am I a Racist?
Iâve been pondering this story for a long time. Istiak, a stoic Bangledeshi, piqued my interest. I viewed his demeanor with humor as he practically grunted through purchases I made at a local convenience store. More than anything, I wanted to see him smile. He has such a beautiful faceâŠ
His coworker is Guatemalan. Hmmmâthereâs a pattern here.
I tend to ask people from what country they come. Itâs as if I have no concept ofâtheyâre American. My people came over during the time of the Mayflower. Even though my ancestors wrested control from its indigenous peoples, I feel a sense of possession. But I am the descendant of immigrants. How dare my mind capture a sense of belonging when, in a sense, I donât belong here.
So do I generalize that notion to those that embrace this country as their home? I find myself sitting alone here at this keyboard muttering,
âI do.âÂ
This morning, during my usual foray, I encountered another young man at another convenience store. His dark eyes and golden skin screamed âforeignerâ to me. His shock of black hair topped off a beautiful face.
âWhat country are you from?â I asked.
âMexico,â he said.
I knew immediately he was not from there. He must have seen the confusion on my face because he clarified his home of origin, Pakistan.
So why did he say he was from Mexico, I wonder? Was he parrying my thrust of curiosity with a response that said, None of your damned business?
We Americans often call ourselves the melting pot of the world. Embracing that can be hard. I grew up in a White Ago-Saxon neighborhood. It was with a sense of pride that I acknowledge the two black families on our streets. How dare I. My Jungian memories lie deeply entrenched in my Puritan roots.
Supposedly the Puritans came over here to experience religious freedom. What is not often contemplated is that the Puritans did all they could to eradicate the beliefs of those already entrenched here. Religious freedom? Weâve changed our history books to extoll us, but in viewing history books of old, I found references to Indians being viewed as a lost tribe of Israel. Hence the connotation of âtribesâ for Indians. And hellâthey arenât even Indians! Columbus just got his GPS screwed up when he set his directionals. He thought he was in India.
So we have bastardization of historical fact in the term, "Indian Tribes."
As indigenous peoples sought to hold on to their homes, Puritans eradicated them in the name of religion. AgainâReligious Freedom?
So what is it Iâm seeking when I ask where people about their home countries? Am I a racist? Perhapsâor is it that I seek to embrace the world by experiencing other cultures through the faces I encounter?
I experienced Bangladesh through Istiakâs Facebook page. I never realized Bangladesh was so beautiful. I found smiling pictures of him that I see now every time he grunts through my purchases. I no longer see the pictures I assume were from his homeland. Â It's as if he wants people to know, "I am American."
My Pakistani friend told me I should travel to India, etc. I would love to do so, but the truth is that I can flip through lives far quicker on my computer. Those I meet walk me through the splendor of their countries rather than the dismal references we often get through the news. I am an innocuous figure, so I am often able to wrestle a few details from folks that sets my mind to wandering.
Thank you, Friends, for sharing your roots. Youâve taken root here now, and enriched us all.
UPDATE:
https://www.bebee.com/producer/@joyce-bowen/istiak-needs-a-kidney
Copyright 2017 Joyce Bowen
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyce-bowen/
https://twitter.com/crwriter1
https://joycebowen.wordpress.com/author/joycebowen/
https://medium.com/@joycebowen
Sobre el autor: Joyce Bowen es un escritor independiente y orador pĂșblico. Las consultas pueden hacerse en crwriter@comcast.net
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Comments
Lisa Vanderburg
6 years ago #12
Joyce đ Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee
6 years ago #11
Ali Anani
6 years ago #10
The Arab poet says what closely means "X claimed he shall kill y, then I assure you y that you shall live for long". If you would kill me then I am honored to be killed by the beautiful Nicole Chardenet. Love your sense dear.
Jan đ Barbosa
6 years ago #9
Ali Anani
6 years ago #8
to belong to two countries- the country of origin and the immigration country is difficult because it is like having two hearts in one body. That is why the concepy of pot melting helps. If not truly practiced the issue of two hearts shall intensify. Variety means openess to different cultures and this leads t more crestive societies. If people resent asking this question it is due to feeling that their original country is less respected than others. I wonder if a USA citizen would mind to say that he migrated from UK, for example. Joyce \ud83d\udc1d Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee_ I agree that we may learn from asking and exploring. It needs confidence by the other side thst you are asking for this reason. Trusr is a key factor here.
Joyce đ Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee
6 years ago #7
Jerry Fletcher
6 years ago #6
Funmi Ade
6 years ago #5
Joyce đ Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee
6 years ago #4
#2 #3 #4 Sometimes it is necessary to explore what is within to understand what is without. I have an infinite curiosity about people. From the first moment I met Istiak, I knew there were things grumbling in my mind. Thank you for all your comments, and thank you, Debasish Majumder for the shares.
Debasish Majumder
6 years ago #3
Pascal Derrien
6 years ago #2
Devesh đ Bhatt
6 years ago #1