Thursday, November 6, 2008

Racism or Cultural Divide?

"I never thought this would happen in my lifetime."

This is a sentiment I have heard echoed time and again from various representatives of the African American community. By the intensity of the emotional response to Obama's election, I think it's fair to say that this historic event has been a cathartic experience for many Americans.

This election season, I was a little miffed at being called a racist because I didn't intend to vote for Barack Obama. After all, I have fundamental differences of opinion with him. It is possible to disagree regardless of the hue of one's skin.... I am a Caucasian married to a brown man. My children from my own womb are not rosy colored as I am, but I love them for who they are, not what they look like. The suggestion that those of us who weren't voting for him were racists just irritated me.

In the past 48 hours, however, it seems to me there has been a sweeping away of the collective demons of racial divide in our society. I'm glad for this, despite the fact that I wish it were Condi Rice taking up residence in the Oval Office next year.

The thought occurred to me, however, that perhaps the separation African Americans have felt in our country in recent history has been, in part, a cultural separation. Before anyone derides me for this, please realize I am not minimizing racial attacks. Nor am I minimizing the blood, sweat and fears suffered by those who fought long and heard to gain equal rights since slavery began in our country in 1619. Our family has been in the uncomfortable position of having racial slurs yelled at us, and I have felt fear for my children and husband as a result. I am not trying to say that this doesn't exist. All I am saying is that if an entire nation elects—by majority—a man of color, we have to recognize that our differences are no longer primarily racial.

My melanin-enriched husband tells me he doesn't sense any day-to-day discrimination, nor is he treated as if he is rejected on the basis of race. He does, however, feel as if he lives on the outside of most social circles. He was not born in the USA, and didn't grow up in the context of our culture. We had numerous cultural barriers to cross within our marriage as a result. He has said repeatedly he feels like a man of the world, belonging neither here nor there.

It just makes me wonder how much of the "racial" divide is not as racial as it is cultural nowadays. Echoes of Africa and African culture still persist within the African American community. Could it be that what has been traditionally attributed to racism could partly be a natural, normal, and very real tension between two cultures?

What do you think?

7 comments:

Rosetta said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
So Cal Mom said...

So glad you are writing again, Sue! You may just inspire me eventually to follow suit. I love the blog and seeing your (not-so little) munchkins.

Miss you guys!
Sarah Robertson

Susan said...

Sarah! I'm glad you stopped by! I have been doing very little writing, but have an assignment coming up this month for the AoG, I think.

At any rate, I am now following your blog so you have to start posting. :-)

Love to your crew,
Sue

The Animator's Wife said...

I long ago abandoned that blog idea. But you have put some wind in my sails... try stopping here:
http://theanimatorswife.blogspot.com/

:) Sarah

Peter Sean said...

Where does your husband hail from?

I thought he was Dutch, so maybe "Dutch Indonesia"????

Also, AoG? I thought you were Lutheran. What are doing for the AoG?

Susan said...

Hey, Peter,

Thanks for stopping by.
I responded to your queries via email.

Susan

Unknown said...

I can understand that your dh feels as though he lives on the outside of most social circles. We are immigrants, lily white, english speaking, yet we are outsiders. People here have their own set of cultural expressions. Unusual way of speaking, here you each "understand" each other, but I don't understand , and feel as though others couldn't possibly understand me.
This is not the fault of anyone American. We have immigrant friends in Australia, UK, Holland and Austria. They are all going through the same thing.