I woke up this morning to my alarm clock, which is the strumming sounds of a guitar. My first words were somewhere along the lines of "that's the Obama's a winner song," or "that's Obama waking me up." I have never felt so blessed, fortunate, safe, and energized about the world around me.
My neighbor, a 10 year girl, saw me tear up this morning on the steps of our apartment as David and the dog drove to work. She told me that she new Obama would win because the other guy didn't look happy. I smiled and told her that it wasn't about that other guy anymore, it is about the fact that Obama's presidency symbolizes possibility. She looked at me, paused, and said, "ya, that too."
As an immigrant, I have not always celebrated it. In fact, a great deal of my life has been spent in fear of what I am not and in fear of government policies determined by people who have never felt oppression running through their veins. As an immigrant child I was instilled to believe that I was less than and that no matter how hard I worked there would be that glass ceiling and that that was okay, because that's reality.
Obama's presidency puts all of that to the wayside. Obama's presidency just made anything possible, in the most beautiful way, for every person, including me. YES WE CAN! YES WE WILL.
I am an immigrant. I migrated to the U.S. from the Philippines. Although it wasn't always the case, today I am learning to peel the shame I used to feel about being an immigrant. Some cringe at the word "immigrant"; some take and use it as an insult. Many believe that it's an F-word; a word that's a curse, a taboo, something dirty, a word people aren't suppose to use, it's thrown around like a weapon of hate.
The history of the word, from my understanding, is that it was used to place an identifier on a group that was seen as an 'other.' It has been posed to me that perhaps the word "immigrant" should not be used in the first place. But I disagree; eradicating the word isn't a protest of disregard of the power of the ruling class. but rather it's an admittance of their power.
Instead of using "immigrant" as an F-word, I'm suggesting that people remember that language is ours; We determine its meaning and its development, not the other way around. I am an immigrant; I migrated from one place to another. There is nothing wrong with that.
(My particular interest is in the undocumented immigrant experience, particularly undocumented immigrant youth. This blog seeks to journey into learning about the lives of immigrants, documented and undocumented alike, and the politics surrounding the subject.)
The history of the word, from my understanding, is that it was used to place an identifier on a group that was seen as an 'other.' It has been posed to me that perhaps the word "immigrant" should not be used in the first place. But I disagree; eradicating the word isn't a protest of disregard of the power of the ruling class. but rather it's an admittance of their power.
Instead of using "immigrant" as an F-word, I'm suggesting that people remember that language is ours; We determine its meaning and its development, not the other way around. I am an immigrant; I migrated from one place to another. There is nothing wrong with that.
(My particular interest is in the undocumented immigrant experience, particularly undocumented immigrant youth. This blog seeks to journey into learning about the lives of immigrants, documented and undocumented alike, and the politics surrounding the subject.)
"google that!"
Immigrant Rights are Human Rights; If a group of people can be oppressed, who decides who's next?
Inform yourself and others, go to google.com and youtube.com and check out things like:
I.C.E. Detention Center / Hutto Dention Center / DREAM Act
Inform yourself and others, go to google.com and youtube.com and check out things like:
I.C.E. Detention Center / Hutto Dention Center / DREAM Act
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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