I saw a bunch of videos of talking heads complaining about the Super Bowl half-time show, which by the way was watched by over 120 million people. They took issue with a performer who put on a joyful show that was entirely in Spanish. Megyn Kelly had a particularly vile take on it saying how it shouldn't have been "just for the Latinos" (with offensive accent), and that the Super Bowl is a "quintessentially American" event.
I don't think it's just me, that she doesn't know what "quintessentially American means."
First, the non-subtle subtext. The implication is that anything that isn't white people in English is "un-American." Does anyone really have to point out that we've been a nation of immigrants literally from the start? Does she really mean to say that if ain't straight, white, self-labeled "Christians" that it isn't American? What a dumb way to look at our nation, especially when you consider that white people are getting close to being a minority-majority (57%-ish, at last count). White nationalism is not a good look.
The funny thing is that, our founding leaders were mostly white men, but their general m.o. was to not allow a government that discriminated against people. Well, unless they were slaves, but by the Civil War, we can generally say that they came around, even if we still haven't gotten over that. A lot of what they espoused was equality, even if they didn't always follow through. But they did codify it in many ways, and we've slowly augmented that ethos since then.
Here's what I don't get... why is this subculture of white people so afraid to be exposed to culture and ideas that don't fit in their little box of what they think America should be? Why should they even get to decide? It wasn't that long ago that they railed against "liberal snowflakes" that needed "safe spaces" or whatever, to avoid things that made them uncomfortable. Now they're the snowflakes who can't be bothered with scary people of color that like different things and that have various cultures different from their own. And you know, there is no official "culture" in the United States. We can identify with whomever we want, believe in whomever we want, or believe in nothing, if that's your thing. You don't get to choose that for others.
My kid and I were seeing his therapist, who is of Cuban descent, about the opportunities he's had to know various kids born here, but who were one generation removed from any number of places. Latinos of course are the dominant group here in Florida, but also South-Asians, East-Asians, Arabs, Eastern Europeans, and even a few Africans. On vacation, he's met cruise staff from dozens of countries. He indicated that he finds them interesting, for their differences. I point that out because he doesn't feel threatened by those differences.
Grown-ups could learn a lot from kids.
No comments yet.