Observations on race and Barack Obama

I've long - maybe since 2004? - had a soft spot in my heart for Barack Obama.

Not that I'm a card-carrying member of his cult. Yeah, I voted for him. Doesn't mean I want him to do anything for me other than be president. In fact, I've tended to agree with Krugman about Obama's health care plan, and am not convinced entirely by the argument about reducing costs first. But I've long had a soft spot in my heart for Obama.

See, I'm married to a wonderful Chinese woman. I'm of European ancestry.  Our son, as a dear friend explained to us, is a "mix." Of (traditionally) European and Asian features.  Of Chinese and American cultures. Of lots of other stuff I won't go into now.  And, like all parents, we see  ourselves smushed up with a bit of the infinite when we look at him, and are humbled.

When I heard that Hillary Clinton decried some of Barack Obama wins because "well those people are African-American" or when I'd heard earlier stories (put about by whom?) that Obama wasn't "black enough" I thought, or even when I hear the media refer to Obama as African-American I think "Geez, they really don't know."

Of course Obama's life isn't the same as those who've lived the reality of the inner city. My son, and thousands of other children of non-mixed Chinese ancestry are thought of by Chinese nationals as "ABCs" - American Born Chinese.  It's not meant as a slur, but rather as pointing to the true disconnect between being an American Born Chinese and dealing with the situation Over There.

Of course Obama's of mixed African and European ancestry, and that gives him a perspective that is quite rare.  Maybe not as rare as Tiger Woods' ancestry (do you know Woods has iconic rock-star status in Asia?) but it's rare.

It's a good thing too.

It's the future of the world if we don't blow ourselves up, I think. After all, isn't the guy who runs this site a mix of Latino and Greek ancestry?

And of our party.
This is what the Vancouver, WA Chinese Association's New Year celebration's audience looked like Sunday night.

Those White Guys at the Front Table? One is Tim Probst (in the sweater). He's running for State Senator, hoping to defeat the corpulent Jim Dunn.  The other two are aides to Maria Cantwell.

While the other guys are bashing immigrants, our side is getting in good with all of them. The other guys recently achieved national prominence perpetrating the "Madrassa Story" about Obama. Brilliant move, Other guys; I had e-mail from several immigrants about that.

One more note before I go: at the caucuses there were questions on the ballot about "race" or something like that.  A couple of newbies asked "Why's that there? Can't we just get along?"  I explained the purpose of that is for party-building efforts - so they could build a party that addresses all people's needs.

Those questioning folks?  Those newbies of European ancestry?

They liked listing their race when they heard that explanation.