Like many I have struggled with the mixed feelings of having Donald Trump as the US President-Elect. I live in Canada – why should it matter so much? The deep distress could only be described as grief. I had spent several years in the US. In that time, I was called the N-word frequently by fellow students and felt fear when walking around campus alone. I was never a minority before going to the states. It was a hard to accept that so many would treat you as less based on what you looked like. Your culture and background was wiped out – you were black because there were only two races. White and Black. You were black even if you were East Indian. It did not matter that Africa and Asia were two different continents. It was white-centric to the point that the statistical boxes under race were just two – you were either white or black.
Back then, I held on to the belief that it was just the neighborhood Boston College was in. It was not all Americans. After all, America was the country that fought for democracy around the world, had ideals that glittered in the sun and the American Dream was a reality. It was the home of the boss – “Born in the USA” was everyone’s anthem not just Americans.
I knew America was not perfect but when Trump was elected President, I realised it was not just a small number of America that was willing to violate the rights of those that are visibly different. There are many eager to blame the gay community, minorities, women and refugees for their hardship.
It was in the depths of my despair that I found my ‘inner Barack’. A conviction that we will get through this. We will meet this challenge with Obama’s fearlessness and faith in the human spirit.
In these uncertain times, we should inspire ourselves and others. Here is to finding your inner Barack.
Oh Canada – Value testing for immigrants really?
