Where white people hide
9:28PM on January 30, 2008
I was walking around the local mall, trying to figure what I needed to waste my money on for the holiday. It was not until the 3rd person passed me with a cell phone to their ear, talking a non English language, that I realized I was almost the only white person in the mall. I did not feel uncomfortable until a white teen passed me, looking oddly nervous and uncomfortable. I wondered where the teens were that at one time infested the malls. Once again I could not see any white people.
I stepped in to a Hallmark card shop. There were 7 people in the store. All were white, customers and employees. I though this must be where the white people hide. How did I miss the memo?
Race is such an odd thing. In America the race that stands out constantly changes. When my grandparent were young The Germans were the odd race. To my parents the Italians were the odd race not to be trusted. When I was a youth It was the Blacks we feared. My kid feared the Latinos, Now we fear the People from the Mid East( Arabs not people from Kansas.) Now the Mexicans are sweeping over the boarder to take over our roads and jobs. The only similar thread is we always think that the "bad" race of the year fights to much and eats odd food. We often fear that they will take over and change what we think normal is. We fear that people will fight more, that our grandkids will be of a different color or that some how our stuff will not be safe from them.
Truth is that the race we fear changes when we get accustomed to the new ways of the old race to fear. Truth is that the new race to fear will always change unless we as a people get of the boat ourself and admit that the only constant in our country is change. Truth is that my favorite place to eat right now is run by two small dark skinned women. They do not speak English to good and I do not speak what they speak. I usually order the same thing and always get something different. I am always served by a proud smiling woman. I am not sure which tastes better her pride or the food.
America is all about leaving some place that rots, and moving to a place where you hope your kids can grow up strong, safe, healthy and well fed. They are not so different then us are they?
|
