I got an email from my little sister today, it read:
HI JESSE!!!!
daddy wants you to write more blogs like about the 2008 Hillary/Obama/Republican New Hampshire thing......
....
I mmiss you Jesse...
Well, that's about it....
For all of you who don't know, my father actually founded and runs a "Blogger/Facebook" like website for Chinese people. You can find it here, at www.mentor100.com. (Note: I know there are sometimes a lot of feelings attached to reading/understanding a Chinese website, especially if you're Chinese. If you are Chinese, and still can't read the website, don't feel too bad. Neither can I.) My father usually takes my posts from this blog and posts it on his website, where I get (not) a lot of traffic and am quite (not) famous. So I want you to know, Dad, that this post, this is one meant for you to read.
Hillary won New Hampshire. I was angry. Like, I was really really angry. Irrationally angry, you know? Because Obama didn't lose by that much, and Clinton isn't a horrible person who never deserves to win. But I was really angry. I want Obama to win. I want Obama to sweep the primaries. I want Obama to kill the general election. I want Obama to win so bad that people, all people, will be crying in the streets in amazement by how much he won by.
Because if Obama wins, I can see my future. If Obama wins, I can say, I can do it too. And you know, maybe they'll burn effigies of him in the South. Maybe he'll just barely win. Maybe his election will be as controversial and fake as Bush's 2000 election. But if Obama wins, I could win. You know? And that's big. That's really big. To say that one of us made it.
I remember a long time ago, and my mom and I were in the car, and my mom was listening to talk radio trying to learn English, and I remember I said something, something like "I want to be the President when I grow up", and I remember there was a red light and my mother turned around to me and barely whispered, "I'm sorry."
If Obama wins, my mother won't have to apologize for the color of my skin.
And so I was really angry when Hillary won. And I forgot. I forgot that Hillary grew up in a time when women going to college was still kind of a novelty. I forgot that Hillary went to law school when the percentage of women going to law school was not 50%. I forgot that Hillary became senator when women senators are not popular, and I forgot that Hillary Clinton is running a campaign to become President and while she was running that campaign, two men went up to her and screamed "Iron My Shirt!!" I forgot that ABC News still thinks "Can A Woman Really Be President" is a legitimate question.
I know if Obama wins, I can say, I can too. But I forgot that if Obama wins, my little sister probably can't. And if Hillary wins, maybe she'll have a better chance. So I'm not angry anymore.
HI JESSE!!!!
daddy wants you to write more blogs like about the 2008 Hillary/Obama/Republican New Hampshire thing......
....
I mmiss you Jesse...
Well, that's about it....
For all of you who don't know, my father actually founded and runs a "Blogger/Facebook" like website for Chinese people. You can find it here, at www.mentor100.com. (Note: I know there are sometimes a lot of feelings attached to reading/understanding a Chinese website, especially if you're Chinese. If you are Chinese, and still can't read the website, don't feel too bad. Neither can I.) My father usually takes my posts from this blog and posts it on his website, where I get (not) a lot of traffic and am quite (not) famous. So I want you to know, Dad, that this post, this is one meant for you to read.
Hillary won New Hampshire. I was angry. Like, I was really really angry. Irrationally angry, you know? Because Obama didn't lose by that much, and Clinton isn't a horrible person who never deserves to win. But I was really angry. I want Obama to win. I want Obama to sweep the primaries. I want Obama to kill the general election. I want Obama to win so bad that people, all people, will be crying in the streets in amazement by how much he won by.
Because if Obama wins, I can see my future. If Obama wins, I can say, I can do it too. And you know, maybe they'll burn effigies of him in the South. Maybe he'll just barely win. Maybe his election will be as controversial and fake as Bush's 2000 election. But if Obama wins, I could win. You know? And that's big. That's really big. To say that one of us made it.
I remember a long time ago, and my mom and I were in the car, and my mom was listening to talk radio trying to learn English, and I remember I said something, something like "I want to be the President when I grow up", and I remember there was a red light and my mother turned around to me and barely whispered, "I'm sorry."
If Obama wins, my mother won't have to apologize for the color of my skin.
And so I was really angry when Hillary won. And I forgot. I forgot that Hillary grew up in a time when women going to college was still kind of a novelty. I forgot that Hillary went to law school when the percentage of women going to law school was not 50%. I forgot that Hillary became senator when women senators are not popular, and I forgot that Hillary Clinton is running a campaign to become President and while she was running that campaign, two men went up to her and screamed "Iron My Shirt!!" I forgot that ABC News still thinks "Can A Woman Really Be President" is a legitimate question.
I know if Obama wins, I can say, I can too. But I forgot that if Obama wins, my little sister probably can't. And if Hillary wins, maybe she'll have a better chance. So I'm not angry anymore.
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3 comments:
Like cousin, like cousin - your favorite girl cousin from the east coast (ok, only girl cousin from the east coast) has one of these too. I just started out though so cut me some slack; not ready to jump into the nitty gritty just yet.
I too once said that I wanted to be president of the United States when I was in second grade. My teachers found it very endearing, I think. I'm working on it.
Man, I too really want Obama to win for that very same reason. Well, not me per say, but for everyone one of us persons of color to actually be able to have it in reach. And then, everything you said about Hillary is completely true.
PS, I didn't know your dad does that kind of website stuff. I usually only hear you speak of your mother. That's pretty cool.
That's so cool that you dad FOUNDED an online social network. Man, he's like Tom (myspace) or Mark (facebook)! And they're gazillionaires. Are you the son of a gazillionaire and you never told me?! Why don't you tell me anything? Just kidding. Have you ever read/heard of "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson"? It's the great children's novel I read in 3rd grade. I had such fond memories of it that I read it again in 6th grade for the hell of it. And I haven't read it since, but I think I'll pick it up again. Anyway, the main character's this Chinese girl who immigrates to San Francisco. Being the only Chinese girl in a class of Latinos in 3rd grade, I felt pretty special that we were reading a book about my people. Even though she was Mandarin, I didn't let anyone know there was a difference though. Hehe. You should read it. She meets Jackie Robinson, this great icon of color, and she tells him that she can never be President of the United States. And Jackie Robinson said to her something to the effect of "Why not? You can do anything you want, look at me." So your entry reminded me of this book. About how your mom barely said "I'm sorry." Man, that makes me cry. And how Obama is your inspiration to still be President. Oh by the way, the little Chinese girl answers him, "Well, I can't because I wasn't born in America, but my brother can because he was born here." So her little Chinese brother can become President because we have people like Jackie Robinson. It's super short, and it's 3rd grade level reading. Check it out!
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