Louisiana governor and the GOP’s “great beige hope” for 2012 Bobby Jindal was on CBS’s 60 Minutes Sunday night. So great is the Republican hope for Jindal that we’ve already begun discussing it less than two months after the inauguration of President Obama.
At 37 years old, Governor Jindal is an impressive young man. By all accounts, I think he’s the kind of Republican that I respect. I don’t agree with most of what he believes, but I respect him.
Educated, ethical (as ethical as a politician from Louisiana can get, anyway) and ambitious, Jindal represents the mirror image to President Obama. A Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker. Or maybe more like a Faith to Buffy. Or a Spike to Angel. Thankfully, I’m just shy of being geeky enough to come up with something clever here.
Many of you probably already know that he declined when asked to submit his name for the McCain vice presidency. Like the good ol’ boy Southern politicians of the 19th and early 20th century, he’s going to have to be asked several times until he offers a reluctant, yet highly calculated, “Well, alrighty, if y’all really, really want me to, I’ll serve ya’.”
(And please don’t let that drawl confuse you, the man is an Ivy League educated Rhodes scholar. This only proves my point that gifted minds can and do use the phrases “alrighty” and “y’all”). I think this act is slowly ingratiating him into the heart of the American people… mind crushingly boring rebuttals to Presidential addresses notwithstanding.
And, now, let us finally get to the point.
In case you haven’t noticed, Bobby Jindal, born “Piyush (prounounced pee-yoosh) Jindal” is of the Indian ethnicity.
He picked up the name “Bobby” while watching “The Brady Bunch.” (Do you even remember Bobby, Governor? He was the youngest one who tattled on all the other Brady kids and was hall monitor at school? My next post on Jindal: What kind of kid looks up to Bobby Brady?!)
Anyway, this name changing business is fine. I have no problem with Indian/Pakistani people who genuinely bear or have intentionally adopted anglicized names. Never mind, that I have stubbornly endured thirty three annoying years of having to say “It’s pronounced Fie-Kah, like the tax.” So, Harrises, Rogers, Sonias, Petes, Robs, Marys, Sophias, Adams, and Saras can just rest easy. This isn’t about that.
I do get a little annoyed when I hear people from the subcontinent or of its origins say one of the following, though:
“Did you know that the governor of Louisiana is Indian?”
“There are lot of South Asians in Americans politics, take Gov. Jindal, for example.”
No. The governor of Louisiana is not Indian.
He. Is. American.
And this is not me that is saying this. It’s him and his lovely red clad Nancy Reagan channeling wife, Supriya, on their shameless promo for the 2012 election. “60 Minutes“.
Asked if their family maintains any of the Indian traditions, Supriya Jindal told Safer, “Not too many.”
“No, they’ve been here for so many years that…,” her husband said.
“Years that we’ve sort of adapted. And we were raised as Americans, you know? We were raised as Louisianans. So, that’s how we live our lives,” Supriya Jindal explained.
He’s a classic example of the American melting pot. This oyster and crawfish-eating Louisianian tends to downplay his ethnic background
…
“He clearly presents himself as true blue American,” Safer remarked.
“And he is the genuine article. He’s deeply, by nature, deeply conservative, deeply patriotic.”
And, you know, that’s fine, too, if they don’t celebrate Indian traditions.
But, you know what I find exasperating?
Aside from the sad masses of Indian expatriates all over the world attempting to appropriate Governor and Mrs. Jindal as Indians when clearly they don’t want anything to do with being Indian?
I find it irritating that there’s an implication that if you do celebrate your heritage that you were somehow not raised as an “American.”
A “classic example of the American melting pot” does not include dismissing one’s heritage. Classic examples of the American melting pot incorporate their heritage, and they assert its value as an integral part of being American. Right?
The Jindal family’s choice not to identify closely with their Indian heritage is fine with me, and I don’t disparage it. It’s not necessarily a classic example of the melting pot, though. It’s an example of the shedding of one identity for another. This is a respectable and legitimate American phenomenon among immigrants concerning ethnic identity. One of many.
It is in no way a proof of inherent patriotism or American-ness, though.
Chinatowns, Little Italys, Cinqo de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day and countless other ethnic celebrations are American entities, now. They may have originated elsewhere, but these celebrations exist as pieces of American heritage because a few citizens refused to downplay their ethnic identity in attempts to be perceived as more American.
These infusions are, in my eyes, a gift to the American people. Something that enriches all of our lives.
These inclusions are the classic examples of the “melting pot.” More so than say, the choices that seek to “downplay” identity.
I respect the Jindal’s choices to not celebrate their heritage, but the underlying assumption that this makes them more American or more patriotic is just… a little sad.
And infuriating.
For those of you who missed it, you can watch Jindal’s interview on “60 Minutes” right here.
UPDATE: Gov. Jindal didn’t actually decline the nomination. He did not submit his name when asked to for the “vetting” process by the McCain campaign.
Posted by Faiqa on March 2, 2009 9:22 pm • 'Let Them Eat Cake': Liberal Elite Narrowly Avoids Beheading,Call Me an ABCD then Duck For Cover • 56 comments
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Kailyn Said,
March 2, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
You’re right. It is kind of sad. Why do some see it as that you have to completely give up who you were before to be considered American? Just doesn’t make sense to me.
[Reply]
Poppy Said,
March 2, 2009 @ 9:50 pm
I never started, so it will be very easy for me to stop!
I had a theory on him yesterday, but a night of sleep has made it evaporate. Age is not being kind to my memory.
[Reply]
Slyde Said,
March 2, 2009 @ 10:20 pm
i had no idea he declined the nomination… interesting..
[Reply]
Kimberly Said,
March 2, 2009 @ 11:42 pm
Well said! I particulary agree with this statement…
“I find it irritating that there’s an implication that if you do celebrate your heritage that you were somehow not raised as an ‘American’.” I have always wondered why people, especially politicians, use that argument when it’s against everything that being an American is supposed to be.
I have many second language students in my classroom and I can’t tell you how many of them and their families begin to reject their own culture in order to fit in. It kills me when parents tell me that they tell their kids to speak only English. I tell them how lucky they are to have such a rich culture and know two langugages. I think it’s so important to hold onto who they are.
[Reply]
B.E. Earl Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 1:48 am
My opinion of Bobby Jindal isn’t shaped at all by where his family came from.
Like all Republicans, I judge Jindal on how easy it will be for SNL and Keith Olbermann to make fun of him.
[Reply]
Robin Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 3:13 am
See, I do have an issue with Jindal not embracing his heritage. To me, it makes him look like a total poseur, and an insult to Indian expatriates everywhere.
I can understand if his parents did not instill his culture in him as he was growing up…unfortunately, that happens sometimes in our parent’s efforts to shield us from the ugliness that can be racism and/or prejudice. I totally get that. But now that he’s a grown man? Puleeze….it’s who he is to the core – he should own it and be proud of it…and I really don’t get that vibe from him. And judging by his 60 Minutes interview and the way he answered the ethnicity questions, it was almost like he was proud of not embracing who he was in favor of being what a Republican “should be….” I guess that is what really really bothered me.
I have always had an issue when people equate embracing your culture with being un-patriotic….just because I love learning about and having experiences with my heritage doesn’t make me any less proud of where I was born and the basic principles that the constitution stands for (when our government abides by them, that is….). Both are beautiful things that should be celebrated.
[Reply]
hello haha narf Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 7:27 am
i am such a mutt (irish, polish, english, welsh, czechoslovakian, german, etc.) that i don’t really have strong ethnic traditions to identify with. sure, i joke that st. patrick’s day is my high holy day, but that is simply because there are parades and plenty of free flowing booze. i celebrate cinco de mayo just as hard and i have zero mexican blood in my veins.
anyhow, i guess i am saying that i don’t think shunning or embracing traditions of our heritage makes us more or less of a good person. the problem i have is when people promote or deny for political good.
[Reply]
kapgar Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 7:51 am
Maybe him declining to submit his name is a sign that he’s a good Republican. He didn’t agree with McCain or what he was doing and, therefore, didn’t want to be associated. Hmmmm…
As for his ethicality… just be happy he’s not from Chicago.
[Reply]
Sybil Law Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:22 am
“These infusions are, in my eyes, a gift to the American people. Something that enriches all of our lives.”
– I agree – completely.
But I will not watch that video. It was painful the first time!
[Reply]
NYCWD Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:37 am
Chinatowns, Little Italys, Cinqo de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day and countless other ethnic celebrations are American entities, now. They may have originated elsewhere, but these celebrations exist as pieces of American heritage because a few citizens refused to downplay their ethnic identity in attempts to be perceived as more American.
Wow. Talk about inflammatory. None of those things are American. President’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving are American. The examples you cite above are ethnic celebrations that are celebrated by their respective ethnicities. While those ethnicities are welcoming (in most cases) in their celebrations, those events are not American and should not be confused as such.
To do so is an insult to those celebrations and their people.
[Reply]
Avitable Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 9:20 am
I see it more as a decision to choose American traditions in place of traditions that are from India. And yes, that makes them more American.
The families that live 14 to a house and never assimilate with their neighbors or people of other ethnicities and pretty much pretend that they’re still in their home country? They’re less American.
[Reply]
Miss Britt Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 10:06 am
I’m sorry. I had a comment but just read Adam’s and am kind of too floored to think or speak clearly right now.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 10:55 am
@Kailyn: Right.
@Poppy: I’m waiting with bated breath for you to regain your ost memories
@Slyde: Yeah, he said something to the effect of “I already have a job.”
@Kimberly: And equally strange are the parents who refuse to let their children speak English at home. But, that’s another topic all together…
@B.E. Earl: Well, in that case he’s going to be awesome. Plus, hopefully, they’ll finally cast an Indian person. Maybe Aasi Mandhvi? Nah, he’s too good for them.
@Robin: Right. There’s a difference between embracing one’s heritage and showing loyalty to another nation.
@hello haha narf: “when people promote or deny for political good.” Exactly.
@kapgar: He is a good Republican. I have a lot of respect for him and most of that was due to his refusal to accept the nomination.
@Sybil Law: Heh, yeah, it was rough.
@NYCWD: I completely disagree. Inflammatory? Hardly. It is more inflammatory to assert that Chinatown in San Francisco is not American despite the fact that it has been on American soil for over 120 years. Or that St. Patrick’s day *as it has been celebrated in the United States for almost 100 years* is not an American holiday. Just because the post office isn’t closed on that day doesn’t mean it’s not American.
If I’m an American and I celebrate Diwali, that makes it an American holiday. As the child of immigrants, I can safely say that I am not offended AT ALL by that statement. In fact, I find it inclusionary. IMO, the people that would be offended by the label “American holiday” are those that seek to insualate America from the “infiltration” of foreign elements into a pure pseudo-culture.
@Avitable: I hope you were kidding. Because that? Was a seriously fucked up thing to say. Embracing an Indian heritage means living 14 people to a house? Is that how you think all those dirty Indians live? That was the most ethnocentric, prejudicial and knuckleheaded comment I’ve ever read of yours.
I’m not implying that people who insulate themselves from being American should even be considered in this discussion. I’m talking about people like me, and there are hundreds of thousands of them in the American population, who take their citizenship very seriously, are very patriotic, yet maintain a pride in their heritage. Implying that we’re less American than Bobby Jindal is insulting.
@Miss Britt:Are you at work? Do you mind wacking him on the back of his head for me?
[Reply]
Avitable Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:05 am
I didn’t say that 14 people to a house was Indian. I didn’t mention India anywhere, or any particular heritage at all. So don’t put words in my mouth!
I was merely setting an example of people who are so steeped in their heritage that they refuse to assimilate in any way with American culture. Those people are less American.
You are a perfect example of assimilation while also keep true to the traditions of your family and culture.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:08 am
Oh. OK. Since you called me perfect, we can still be friends.
[Reply]
Finn Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:09 am
I can’t believe they actually asked him if they maintained any Indian traditions. If he was a first-generation Italian-American would they have asked if kept Italian traditions? Probably not.
When are we all going learn than America isn’t America without immigrants? America without immigrants is really just a bunch of animals milling around. Because even the “Native” Americans wandered over here from Asia at some point in human history.
[Reply]
Miss Britt Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:10 am
Um, excuse me, when did I miss the memo that living with X amount of people in a house is more or less American?
And who the hell gets to decide WHICH American values have to be put into place in order to consider making a good faith effort?
That is the most bigoted fucking thing I have ever heard. And for the record? *I* didn’t assume you were talking about Indians. I’m pretty sure that’s a stereotype more commonly associated with, say, Mexican immigrants.
[Reply]
Avitable Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:11 am
@Faiqa, I’m implying this means that I’m right?
[Reply]
Miss Britt Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:12 am
ARgh – and for the record? This whole “melting pot” that Americans seem to be so damn proud of? It’s bullshit.
Dammit. Crap like this makes me so damned ashamed of this country sometimes.
Yeah. I said it.
jsdf;klasdjfdjfakj
[Reply]
hello haha narf Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:14 am
oh no…my (mostly of irish decent) grandparents raised nine kids in one (fairly small) house. 11 people under one roof is close to 14. my parents raised six kids under one roof, although we usually took in a stray family member or three. does this mean that my family is unamerican?
[Reply]
Finn Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:15 am
@Avitable – You’re not implying anything, you’re inferring. Unless you’re asking if Faiqa is implying, which she could be, but I doubt it.
I wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight if I didn’t point that out. Seriously.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:17 am
@Finn: Heeeeey, that’s a really good point. I didn’t even THINK of the appropriateness of the question…
@Miss Britt: These are very good points. What exactly are the checkpoints for “appropriately assimilated”?
@Avitable: No. It does not. It means I’m not going to hire someont to rob you of your manhood, now. In an honor killing. Because that’s how my people roll.
@Miss Britt: How is it bullshit?
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:21 am
@hello haha narf: Dude. If you’re not American, I’m going to have to move to Pakistan. And I’m thinking that’s not going to happen, so YEAH, she’s American, ADAM.
@Finn: Dear God, Please let Finn be right, nothing would make my day more right now than to see Adam’s grammar corrected in this public forum. Thank you & love your work, Faiqa
[Reply]
NYCWD Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 11:51 am
Newsflash To Faiqa: Chinese New Year is NOT an American holiday.
By your logic, if an ethnic group comes to America they have to offer their heritage up, losing its original identity, so it can now be identified as American… which is VERY inflammatory. So is Saint Nicholas Day or Oktoberfest now American and no longer German traditions or celebrations? Or are they not your vision of “American” either because there isn’t a huge German population where you live?
You’re worse than the Borg with your assimilation concept and your “Resistance is futile. You will be American mentality. You should never forget where you come from, or where your parents came from, or their parents before them. That’s forgetting who you are, how you came to where you are, and more importantly how you should strive to be which is inclusionary since the origination of the MAJORITY of these holidays was because the ethnicity at the time was being PERSECUTED for being different and this was their way of maintaining identity. Gangs of New York anyone? Not everyone was Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day back then. I came to be here because half of me tried to push the other half into an oven.
Go figure.
[Reply]
Avitable Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
Yeah, I was talking to Britt at the same time and didn’t think about that. I am inferring that she was implying.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
@NYCWD: Umm, yeah. When did I say that they have to offer up their heritage and forfeit its original identity? I didn’t say that. You’re putting that on me, I do not subscribe to assimilation in that context. My point is only that if my grandchildren who will most likely be born in America celebrate, say, Eid, then as third gen Americans, they have the right to say, “This is now an American tradition AS WELL.” Why do you assume that there is some sort of theft being initiated here? Does that mean that people in Pakistan and India can no longer claim Eid? OF COURSE NOT. That’s just ridiculous.
By your argument, there is a suggestion that one cannot be both. That a celebration MUST be Chinese or it MUST be American. This also lends itself to the thinking that a person must be of American heritage or they must be of Pakistani heritage. Sorry, but I can be both. A child belongs to both their mother AND their father. The fact that I can belong to both and that both belong to me is the essence of what has been referred to as the great American experiment. (Additionally, pls note that I am referring to heritage here, and not the legal obligations of citizenship — one can only claim one “parent” in that case).
And, DUDE, did you read the WHOLE post? I am so not the Borg. (Though, resistance to me IS generally futile.) Of course, I believe that people should acknowledge their diverse backgrounds. My argument is that this choice to celebrate their heritage should not give them less credibility as Americans. You can be a “true blue American” and “a patriot” AND celebrate Chinese New Year, that’s all I’m trying to say.
[Reply]
ADRealty Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 2:08 pm
I would be ashamed to forget where my ancestors came from. I still listen to my Hispanic Music and still talk the Spanish. One thing Mama doesn’t have to worry about, me being a sell out just so my peers can like me or vote for me. What you see is what you get. But, I personally think that’s what a politician is, a sellout, so this Indian guy fits in with his peers.
[Reply]
Princess of the Universe Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 3:17 pm
Coming from a different country, I have to say that I always interpreted the melting pot as exactly what you’re saying it isn’t Faiqa- the dismissing of whatever you “were” to now become “American.” You are no longer Chinese, or Indian or African- you are all one “American.”
It was actually what I was taught in school:
Americans were a melting pot – i.e. you all became one culture
Canadians were a mosaic – i.e. we took pieces of different cultures and embraced them to make one whole.
Of course we made our way sound all beautiful, but the idea is still there. The very term “melting pot” implies that everything all “melts” together and becomes one culture. Nothing distinct.
Therefore, the idea that one can still integrate their heritage into that pot doesn’t really make sense to me.
Please don’t take this as argumentative or inflammatory, I’m just confused by your description of what you’re saying the melting pot means.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 4:10 pm
@ADRealty: Hmm. Maybe the word sell out is appropriate. Nonetheless, I respect his choice. Just because *my* priorities might lay in a preservation of my heritage doesn’t make me superior. Nor does his effort to completely dismiss his heritage make him more American.
@Princess of the Universe: Argumentative or Inflammatory? Hardly. Thanks for taking the time to voice your disagreement or confusion. Let me see if I can clear up what I think…
Maybe my experience has affected my definition of the melting pot? First of all, I’m not a seventh generation American who has Native American, French, British, German, Spanish and Italian heritage. I have *one* heritage. And my parents immigrated here. I, and the great number of Americans like me, have a very defined heritage. Holding on to it is not as problematic as it may be for those who have been here for generations.
There are a lot of people in this country who are Americans that still speak different languages at home, maintain ethnic customs and even dress differently that are for all legal purposes “Americans.” I was born and brought up here, yet I speak my parent’s native language, dress in Pakistani clothes a lot of times, practice Islam and cook only Pakistani/Indian food. And, I consider myself very, very American.
Because to me, America is not a culture. It is an ideology. Our religion is democracy, our scripture the Constitution and our culture is politics. These attributes allow people from different nations to bring their cultural practice to the table and fully retain them without compromising the term “American.” This is really what America is supposed to be in the most ideal sense. I mean, not everyone agrees with my beliefs on this (dare I say, Governor Jindal’s campaign managers?), but they’re obviously wrong (Haha).
The melting pot, as I see it, relies on abandonment of ways of thinking that are contrary to our *political system* and the spirit of democracy… No commie-fascists should be allowed to be Americans. Unless they form the majority, I guess…
And what is American culture, exactly? Baseball? Hot Dogs? Apple Pie? I’ve never seen my mom eat a hot dog, nor has she ever cooked an apple pie and my dad has never watched a baseball game. Yet they’ve been Americans for over 30 years. If what you say is true, that America is all one culture, how do people like my parents fit in to this definition? Are they not Americans, now?
I also don’t agree with the “nothing distinct”, either. I, as an American, am very distinct. I have friends who are of different ethnicity who are American but who are also very distinct. Plus, I’ve been to Toronto and, hello, MAJOR distinctions there, too, right?
Is it possible that the assumption that America (or Canada) engulfs and erases all the cultures of all of its immigrants is a geographical based one and only takes into account one type of Canadian (i.e., the one whose great-great-great parents came over here on a boat)? Perhaps, a person living in a smaller rural area might have different assumptions about American/Canadian culture? Whereas, if someone lived in, say, NYC, they might find that the “one whole culture” theory doesn’t really apply, at all?
[Reply]
Kiefer and Emo Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
It’s not a melting pot. It’s a salad bowl. No, it’s more like a stew. Or a soup. Or like wallpaper paste that has bugs in it. Yeah that’s it.
There ya go.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 5:29 pm
Keifer and Emo: Heh. Who’s the bugs?
[Reply]
Kiefer and Emo Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
I think their names are Bruce and Desmond.
[Reply]
Kiefer and Emo Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
Don’t forget Muriel.
Oh yah… Muriel.
And Tom.
[Reply]
B.E. Earl Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
Faiqa – For some, American culture IS baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. For others it’s soccer, gyros and Hershey Kisses. For others still it has nothing to do with sports or comfort foods.
The defining characteristic of American culture is its’ diversity. Like a crazy mosaic made by millions of ideas and beliefs.
That’s how I see it, anyway.
[Reply]
NYCWD Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 6:12 pm
First you should know that I understand the point of your post. Whether Bobby Jindal does or does not practice ethnic Indian customs at home makes him no more or less an American. I agree with that. No problem there.
I have really tried to understand this whole concept you have about things suddenly becoming “American”. Normally its a pretty easy thing for me to do, but to be honest I can’t see it. I’m pretty much ready to chalk it up to hormones acting up… but I think you really might actually believe that it is okay to erase someone’s cultural identity and replace it with a diluted mixture whether or not they want that.
In reference to Eid… that is a religious holiday. It is not Pakistani, Indian, American, Somalian, or Guyanese. It is a Muslim holiday. While I would gladly take the opportunity to lash into our Founding Fathers for declaring a separation between church and state… and then being hypocritical by allowing Christmas to be a national holiday… we are not talking about religious holidays.
Yet religion seems to be thematic in your responses today:
America is not a culture. It is an ideology. Our religion is democracy, our scripture the Constitution and our culture is politics. These attributes allow people from different nations to bring their cultural practice to the table and fully retain them without compromising the term “American.”
Stop. The. Madness.
Democracy is about power to the people, and change when the people decide. Religion is not, nor has ever been democratic. Do you even know the last major religion to make a major philosophical change? It was the Mormons who renounced polygamy in 1890. Yet we have the opportunity to make major philosophical changes every 4 years.
To treat the Constitution as Scripture is a far reach too. It was written by mortal men who attempted to set a framework based on what they knew then. Over the years we have found this to be unacceptable and have amended and changed the laws regarding things like slavery and a women’s right to take part in the Democratic process. When was the last time the Torah or Qur’an received amendments? It was the Torah in 354 AD… and the amendment was called The New Testament. Interesting amendment really… it’s got this guy Josh and his homies handing out fish, raising the dead, and he even walks on water like Criss Angel!!!
Politics as culture. Really? Just how exactly would we get anything done? If politics were really the culture here… then Jindal’s tale about the bureaucrat demanding insurance papers from boaters before rescuing people off rooves is not only true… but he should be swiftly removed from office for violating the law because ultimately politics revolves around law which is not always equitable to everyone… as I just mentioned.
This whole melting pot you speak of… it dilutes the uniqueness in which you come here with. There are those, like Jindal, who are okay with that. There are those who aren’t. The ideological American response would be to accept BOTH and not try to steal away an identity of an ethnic group for itself by declaring that it is now an “American” day as well. Assimilation of cultural practices dilutes them, leading to the forgoing of tradition, and that is something that somewhere, someone’s ancestors valued highly and ultimately died for. That’s something you need to be respectful of, whether it’s your ethnicity or not… because it is someone’s.
IMHO Kiefer and Emo actually got it right… it should be more like a bowl of salad. Every piece an individual, respected as such, brought together for the betterment of the whole, and equally enjoyable.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
@Kiefer and Emo:Muriel and Tom… they always were a little buggy.
@B.E. Earl: Well, yeah, that was my point. I love hot dogs and baseball, btw.
@NYCWD: GAH! I should have used another holiday besides Eid. I think the argument would hold fir a secular holiday, I distracted form the main point with that choice… AND when I used the Constitution and Democracy in that context, it wasn’t necessarily to infuse it with religion, but with ideology. I don’t take the Constitution as scripture, but I do take it as a binding document that represents American. My point is that we unite around the concept of America.
I still don’t see how calling a celebration “American” denigrates the culture it originated from… I think you and I are going to have to continue this discussion in October. You dress like the Pope and I’ll dress like the Statue of Liberty. We can sell tickets.
And, HEY, the last guy who blamed my opinion on hormones got CUT. So, watch it.
Now. Who’s up for ice cream? I’m buying. Chocolate or Vanilla? Ahh, Neapolitan. That’s what I thought.
[Reply]
hello haha narf Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
dammit, i hate neapolitan ice cream. bring on the mint chocolate chip.
(love you guys. this was a wonderful post & conversation.)
[Reply]
Poppy Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
Faiqa, I tried my best in my drunk state to warn him about what happens when you insult pregnant women, but he’s very stubborn. And that’s exactly why I love him.
[Reply]
Poppy Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
HIM = DAWG. duh.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
@hello haha narf: For you, anything.
@Poppy: Oh, you know I wasn’t really insulted… and I can see why you love “HIM”, he’s a great guy. But tell him he used his “free pass” with the hormone comment.
[Reply]
NYCWD Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
Blahblahblah Secular holidays matter too blahblahblah ideology is just ideas real men take action blahblahblah I like to bleed blahblahblah free passes are a dime a dozen blahblahblah…
Can I have rainbow sprinkles on my Neapolitan?
And nuts. I need nuts.
Every mighty oak was once a nut who stood its ground.
So I need nuts.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:21 pm
@A Nut Who Stands His Ground: Hee hee, yes, yes you can.
[Reply]
Greg Brady Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:24 pm
By history, “Bobby” Jindal was an ambitious man who wanted to succeed in American politics. It would be foolish to think that he could succeed nationally and locally (in LA) without being a conservative christian. It is already too much that he is colored.
On that note, Barack Obama could NEVER win if he was muslim….NEVER. It is quite a coincidence that he got his political start in an inner city church after embracing christianity.
He would never have won if he was not a christian.
Bobby Jindal and Barack Obama need to prove they are more American than caucasians.
In equation form,
How does a colored man (x) become president (z)?
The first start is to subtract (a) and then add (b) or..
[X-a]+ b = z
where a: (c) ethnic religion and (d)tradition
where b: Christianity
My cynicism lies in a transition from (c) to (b)…
why?
Those who are exposed to both (c) and (b) will usually stay with c, but would have to be high on LSD to get all the way from c (with its own “unique” stories—-> through religious questioning—-> to d (with its virgin birth and trinity, and what not), unless…
the reaction becomes alot quicker with the right catalyst (political ambition)….
In biological terms, think of it of as an enzyme based reaction. Where the substrates are coloerd dude (x) and Christianity (b), the product is president (z), and the enzyme is political ambition.
With no enzyme (political ambition), probabilities say you end somewhere around here:
“Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong.”
-Thomas Jefferson (Notes on Virginia, 1782)
[Reply]
Greg Brady Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
4th of july is an american holiday…diwali is not
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:30 pm
@Greg Brady: WHO THE HELL SAYS “COLORED” ANYMORE?
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Kiefer and Emo Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
Brady – and being on LSD is a problem because….?
[Reply]
Greg Brady Said,
March 3, 2009 @ 9:19 pm
Kiefer: Hey, no judgement of drug users involved…just that LSD would have to be the catalyst for religious conversion if it wasn’t political ambition…
Faiqa- I recognize that the above comment is offensive, cynical, and prejudicial…honestly, I just watched “Religulous” and I’m on a dogmatic agnosticism kick. It’ll pass soon.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 4, 2009 @ 10:23 am
@Greg Brady: Pleeease. You just know your wife reads this blog and she’s going to beat your ass when she figures out it was you that used the word “colored” even if WAS in cynical terms. I. Can’t. Wait. Send $1 Million dollars to me or your identity is compromised. You know the address.
[Reply]
Ren Said,
March 4, 2009 @ 12:22 pm
Wow. Very interesting discussions here. Maybe there’s a Cleary You’re Retarded topic hiding in here somewhere? There certainly seems to be enough disagreement between Adam and Britt for it.
I think there is a difference between being an American and embracing American Culture. Of course, American Culture does change over time, and varies by region for that matter. I would certainly consider St. Patrick’s Day to have become an American celebration at this point, which is not to say it is not fundamentally an Irish holiday, just that it is observed in at least small ways by many non-Irish Americans. I do think, however, that that does take something away from the holiday. It’s observance by the American masses, via pinching those that do not wear green and drinking green beer, is certainly not “preserving heritage” and could even be seen as disrespectful, I would think.
Just because someone is an American and has a culture does not automatically make that culture American. It is only when American’s that do not share the heritage of that culture also begin observing it that it starts to become part of the American Culture. Likewise, just because someone does not participate in American Culture does not make them any less American. In fact, I would say that the freedom to do so or not as you like is a core American value.
Note that “culture” could be interpreted to include things like “trial by jury”, “free press”, “innocent until proven guilty” and many other government-related things. I do not think those are the type of culture that we are discussing here.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 4, 2009 @ 1:40 pm
@Ren: Well said, as always. I did mention the political aspects of our culture somewhere up there in the comments… your point regarding diversity, choice and its integral role in the American culture are also good ones. As far as I know, tonight’s episode of CYR has to do with this topic.
[Reply]
Twinkie Said,
March 4, 2009 @ 7:39 pm
I consider myself Mexican because I was born in Mexico and I’m not a US citizen (although I am a Permanent Resident) but I live very “American-ish” life. heheeh.. yes I just made that word up.
So does this make me an American? If I talk with a twang and don’t celebrate Mexican holidays and buy my salsa instead of making it and eat cheesy potatos as a staple food instead of refried beans?
Sorta kidding but mostly just curious.
NOW.. as a Mexican, I can say pretty openly that Cinco De Mayo is soooooo an “American tradition” because it’s not even celebrated in Mexico. LOL They celebrate Indepence Day but it’s not on the fifth of May. I’m convinced it’s something some American made up one day as he was drinking a Tecate or something. hehehe
I can’t participate in the Talkshoe thingy because my computer is super slow but after reading some of the comments here I’m really curious to read the recap of the discussion.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 5, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
@Twinkie: I would categorize your description of yourself as “Americanized” or “American influenced”. My husband, also a permanent resident, has lived here for number of years and has adopted some “American” traits, but is legally still a citizen of India. Until he relinquishes that citizenship, he can’t be an American, right? I think legal documentation of citizenship is a requirement for being American. There’s definitely a legal parameter that has to be met.
[Reply]
Dawn Said,
March 6, 2009 @ 12:42 am
Very interesting discussion. I am an American, born and bred, married to a Pakistani, born and bred… now American. We have a good mix of culture in our home. I don’t think anyone should feel that to be a “true American” they need to shun all that they knew and held dear growing up. That isn’t what America is about. There is no doubt that my children are American, but thank God they have been exposed to so much of their father’s culture as well. This world would not be as nice of a place without a big fat omelette paratha on a lazy Sunday morning.
[Reply]
Faiqa Said,
March 6, 2009 @ 1:01 am
@Dawn: Gasp. Taunting a pregnant woman with a paratha at 1a.m. You should be ashamed of yourself!!
[Reply]
Junko Whittaker Said,
December 24, 2009 @ 2:42 pm
Hi, what blog platform is this? Can I download it for free or..? I would really like it if you could answer this question! Thanks in advance!
[Reply]
Allan Fabio Said,
January 17, 2010 @ 5:48 pm
America , is not the name of a country , but of a gigantic continent ,and americans are the indigenous people of these lands from the top of Canada to the tip of Tierra del fuego , there are no other americans . The white europeans , the black africans ,the asians and other races , sound utterly ridiculous, ignorants , when they call themselves so. Example: Bill O’Reilly,and hannity, two irishmen ,first or second generation U.S. born; and Obama , black african ,also first generation U.S. born . All this written here, is true,in the front of THE LORD ALMIGHTY .
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