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A few days ago I skipped a headline that for the first time in a long time an American has won the NYC marathon! yay! It took me back to Honolulu where the marathon winners were always some former Olympic runners who happened to be African! So, I just thought, yay! for the change and moved on with life. I never looked into to see who the winner was or anything. I just admire people who run and finish marathons whether they come in first or last is least of importance to me.
Earlier today Cottontimer made a post on her facebook, linking to the following article - To Some, Winner Is Not American Enough. I liked her post she made. Maybe she will post it up on her blog too!
But I have seen this so much even in other countries. How Malaysia idolised the Australian Idol winner, because the Australian who won the show was of Malaysian origin. I don't think the Malaysian Idol winner got as much attention (although I am not sure if Malaysia Idol had started then!)! How the American astronaut was revelled in India because of her Indian roots.
My in-laws do it too. Whenever we run into anyone who looks Indian, they are Indians, even if they have grown up in the US and even say they are Americans, that part is never acknowledged. They see Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN, or the Louisiana Governor, or the Indian doctor at the clinic, they are all Indians for them, even though the Doctor informs us that he never lived in India and was born and raised here by parents who are from India. And yet, when they read such articles they jump and say how can you say there is such a thing as "true-American" when it's a land of immigrants. ummmm....
Even with me, my FIL constantly emphasises that I am Indian, I should represent the country well. I can never tell him that I don't really feel 100% Indian. I guess we relate with things we are familiar with in this crazy unknown world.
I myself remember feeling thrown off being in Hawaii, when locals who looked Asian acted so very much American. I was surprised at myself even after living in a multicultural atmosphere for a lot of my life. It took me a long while to reconcile those prejudices I had deep in me. Of course, by the time I got that adjusted, I moved to Malaysia, where I had to again readjust that they are Asian Asians!! (It was mostly the accents that used to throw me off!)
What I also see missing in the article is what does the runner think? What does he identify himself as? Or is he one like some of us, who dread the question of, "where are you from?"
Earlier today Cottontimer made a post on her facebook, linking to the following article - To Some, Winner Is Not American Enough. I liked her post she made. Maybe she will post it up on her blog too!
But I have seen this so much even in other countries. How Malaysia idolised the Australian Idol winner, because the Australian who won the show was of Malaysian origin. I don't think the Malaysian Idol winner got as much attention (although I am not sure if Malaysia Idol had started then!)! How the American astronaut was revelled in India because of her Indian roots.
My in-laws do it too. Whenever we run into anyone who looks Indian, they are Indians, even if they have grown up in the US and even say they are Americans, that part is never acknowledged. They see Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN, or the Louisiana Governor, or the Indian doctor at the clinic, they are all Indians for them, even though the Doctor informs us that he never lived in India and was born and raised here by parents who are from India. And yet, when they read such articles they jump and say how can you say there is such a thing as "true-American" when it's a land of immigrants. ummmm....
Even with me, my FIL constantly emphasises that I am Indian, I should represent the country well. I can never tell him that I don't really feel 100% Indian. I guess we relate with things we are familiar with in this crazy unknown world.
I myself remember feeling thrown off being in Hawaii, when locals who looked Asian acted so very much American. I was surprised at myself even after living in a multicultural atmosphere for a lot of my life. It took me a long while to reconcile those prejudices I had deep in me. Of course, by the time I got that adjusted, I moved to Malaysia, where I had to again readjust that they are Asian Asians!! (It was mostly the accents that used to throw me off!)
What I also see missing in the article is what does the runner think? What does he identify himself as? Or is he one like some of us, who dread the question of, "where are you from?"
