Lucia

de Vernai

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June 23, 2008

Change Your Race! Hey, It Might Help

Ninety percent of white Americans say they have no problem with a black president. A significant part of the other 10 percent state that they have no problem with African-Americans, but worry that the how others – especially abroad – will react if Barack Obama becomes president.

Meanwhile, the people around the world are crossing their fingers for anything but another white guy with military ambitions. When it comes to identifying traits, forget race. A three-digit IQ will be considered a victory from Tehran, Iran to Lima, Peru.

Luckily for the 10 percent, race is negotiable. For example, last week the South African High Court redefined it when it ruled that South African Chinese ought to be classified as black people. Since government policies give blacks, Indians and other minorities’ economic protection and benefits, the Chinese population of the country argued that they too struggled against the oppression of apartheid. Since in recent years, the Chinese have been regarded as whites, they still experience discrimination in business from the black community.      

U.S. history is full of cultural, ethnic and genetic combinations that make us a proud “melting pot.” If a country that ended apartheid 14 years ago can dismiss race, what is it for us? Well, tracing our historical heritage would be nearly impossible, so we rely on whatever part of our identity is advantageous. No one is better at this than American politicians. Usually for less than noble reasons, they change their stripes and chose identities based on what the situation calls for.

Sometimes Michelle Obama is black, sometimes she is a woman. Sometimes she is the fierce career woman with Ivy League degrees and sometimes she is mother hen, holding her daughters’ hands, looking up at Obama as if he were the second coming. The Obama campaign promotes Michelle as her husband’s “rock,” pushing her into the spotlight. Then Obama has the audacity to repeatedly carp about how the media and critics won’t leave his family alone.

If you don’t want the public to take interest in your family, how about you get your Easter dress-clad pre-pubescent daughters off national television and give us some international relations answers, rock star?

Much like the court in South Africa, the American court of public opinion happily obliges to changes in identity. Then come January we wonder why our president can’t represent Latinos, union workers, small business owners and single mothers when making decisions. Why do people always change after you make a commitment?

John McCain has been keeping his wife Cindy on the down low. And by down low I mean repeatedly posing for Vogue. Between that and plagiarizing Rachel Ray’s recipes, who has time to talk heath care reform? So Cindy lounging among embroidered pillows in a photo spread for a glossy vanity magazine is not a problem. Michelle Obama wearing sleeveless dresses when addressing the public apparently is. That’s because Michelle made the ultimate mistake in the race for being the First Lady: She tried to be stylish and smart.

Even with our great tolerance for changing identities, this kind of flip-flopping cannot be tolerated. I mean really, what would the rest of the world think of us?

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