Hero of the Day: The Word from "Macaca"

11.11.06 - Posted by AsiansVote

Thanks to Sepia Mutiny for digging up a Washington Post column by S.R. Sidarth, our Hero of the Day and the Virginia college student whom Republican Senator George Allen infamously dubbed "Macaca." Sidarth makes the excellent point that's often forgotten -- Allen didn't just call Sidarth a monkey; with his "welcome to America" quip, Allen appeared to question Sidarth's citizenship on the basis of race:

The larger question that this experience brings up is: How far has society progressed on the issues of race and openness? By 2050, according to most projections, the United States will be a minority-majority nation. But the fact that Allen believed I was an immigrant, when in fact I am a native Virginian, underlines the problems our society still faces.

To be even more specific, it's a problem our society forces upon Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Latinos, and many other people of color. George Allen apparently represents those who look at our faces and see only aliens, foreigners, and strangers. So thank you, Sidarth, for putting yourself on the line to force George Allen, Virginia, and the entire country to recognize that we are indeed American.

And we love to vote.

Here's Sidarth's kicker:

The politics of division just don't work anymore. Nothing made me happier on election night than finding out the results from Dickenson County, where Allen and I had our encounter. Webb won there, in what I can only hope was a vote to deal the race card out of American politics once and for all.

Click here for the whole column.

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11.11.06 | Candidates & Leaders , Hero of the Day , Issues , Race & Racism