i had hoped that by electing our first black president we were finally moving forward and past race dividing and defining us in some eyes. what should've been a victory and celebration of equality is soured by the whiners described in this article.
it frustrates me to hear that is even being made an issue. why should michelle obama have to wear a black designer's dress just because she herself is black? i truly appreciate that she chose AMERICAN designers NOT based on race, but on their talent and what she felt would best flatter her body and match her confidence on that momentous occasion just last week. it shows she's not hung up on race and didn't feel obligated to represent what some might consider her people. i'd like to think she was celebrating americana at its finest that night and that it gave her husband the right to be elected president and that we as a nation embraced that. i'd like to think they were celebrating that more than the fact that her husband is our nation's first non-white president.
as a naturalized citizen in this melting pot of a country, all i ever hope is to be accepted and treated like any other american -- no better, no worse -- for what i look like. when i applied to colleges and jobs in the past, i debated whether to use my true full name which includes a second middle name (a throwback to my south korean heritage) or check my ethnicity (asian american/pacific islander) just because i didn't want my race to be a factor in whether or not i got into a school or got called in for a job interview. i'm sure barack (yes, we're on first name basis now) wouldn't have wanted people to vote for him just because he's black and they want to make a statement nominating him. i'm hopeful he won because we believe he'll do a better job than mccain.
