Strangers From a Different Shore

Note: Edited for grammar, I'm sure there are still mistakes. >_>

I just finished our first reading assignment in Strangers in a Strange Land by Ronald Takaki (For those readers who might not actually be from W&M). My initial reaction was nonchalant, its what I've heard before. By the end though, it dawned on me that I still hold the same multiculturalism beliefs spoken against in Takaki's first chapter. Its almost disheartening to think about because now that I understand how deeply ingrained the "Other" is inside of us the scarier it is to think that somethings may never change.

Studying Asian American history is supposed to bring about appreciation for their achievements and to associate Asian American as American. Its so easy to think of them, them, as the other, just as easily as it is to type that pronoun. As I continued reading, though, Takaki also makes it clear that our pluralism as a nation is the reason why we are what we are. Our focus on creating a Caucasian centered society, he argues, in the long run is detrimental to our nation because that facilitates the lose of pluralism, our nations strength.

Accepting my predisposition to "Otherize" persons and peoples is the first step in the right direction. The next step is to understand my own history. Takaki points out that even Thomas Jefferson wanted our nation to be a land strictly for Europeans, hence Caucasians. So in retrospect, the United States was created so that every man could be free, every European man. Ethnicity was never written into the constitution, some would argue otherwise, it is only the laws created after the ratifying of the constitution, such as our immigration laws, that are based on ethnocentric beliefs. So what we have now is a nation built on principles that are colorblind, but run by those who are obviously not colorblind. That has changed.

The previous century has seen leaps and bounds in growth towards equal rights for all peoples of the United States. The problem though resides in our attitudes and opinions; equal protection under the law doesn't create equal protection of assumption. No answer or solution exists to fix any rift decisively. The only treatment is equal understanding. It is this assimilation of all of our histories and ancestries into one American consciousness that we strive for in courses such as this. There is no cathartic experience nor rapture, it is just by baby steps we hope to someday walk together.





I'd like to make a special point. When speaking of people it is so easy to generalize traits and create stereotypes. But, what I have found is that in interacting with people of said "group" these generalizations and stereotypes don't come into play. I've always judged a person by their actions and character, not by what I expect them to be or do. Its unsettling to realize that the closer you come to understanding something, such as another person's culture, that the farther you come from appreciating the big picture. I know that sounds a little loopy, but the point I'm trying to make is, we have ingrained feelings and thoughts that can't be overridden. People will argue otherwise, but our past experience is all we have to go on.

I would be lying if I said that I've been racially prosecuted and humiliated because of my skin color, but I would not be lying if I told you that I've had people be openly racist towards me. I guess in the end we all have to grow thicker skins. Some of us might say that certain groups of people have it worse than others in the United States, and thats obviously a true statement, but in the state the world is in now, we all have it worse outside of our borders. Understanding our differences and assuming that we all hold the same American ideals could go a long way in fueling our repair as a nation of many peoples.