As an Asian Republicans, the first American icon that I remember learning about from my parents wasn't George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy.
It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By high school, I was reading more and more about King, his life, the speeches that punctuate his legacy and the way he went about organizing, even amidst fierce opposition.
I began to realize that even though I wasn’t black, I was still a person of color. Even though I wouldn’t face the same amount of discrimination that many African-Americans would experience, I understood how it felt to be considered an "other."
In 1922, Asians were grouped alongside African Americans as people of color and were victims of segregation under a Supreme Court ruling. Until post-WW2, it was assumed that Asians were simply unqualified for U.S. citizenship. By the 1960s, countless riots and lynchings all across the country destroyed not only African American lives, but also Asian Americans lives.
We Chinese Republicans will never stop fighting, we 'll spare no effort in building a color-blind society, that's the best way to honor Dr. King.
“Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beyond Vietnam,” 1967
To remove first post, remove entire topic.
As an Asian Republicans, the first American icon that I remember learning about from my parents wasn't George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy.
It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By high school, I was reading more and more about King, his life, the speeches that punctuate his legacy and the way he went about organizing, even amidst fierce opposition.
I began to realize that even though I wasn’t black, I was still a person of color. Even though I wouldn’t face the same amount of discrimination that many African-Americans would experience, I understood how it felt to be considered an "other."
In 1922, Asians were grouped alongside African Americans as people of color and were victims of segregation under a Supreme Court ruling. Until post-WW2, it was assumed that Asians were simply unqualified for U.S. citizenship. By the 1960s, countless riots and lynchings all across the country destroyed not only African American lives, but also Asian Americans lives.
We Chinese Republicans will never stop fighting, we 'll spare no effort in building a color-blind society, that's the best way to honor Dr. King.
“Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beyond Vietnam,” 1967
Joshua814: I certainly see your point and can appreciate your view. My ancestors were from Ireland, arriving during the great famine. The Chinese and Irish immigrants of the era of course supplied the bulk of the labor (at starvation wages) to build the first cross country railroad. The Chinese from the west, the Irish from the east. Both have since have gone on to American prosperity, for which we can both rejoice.
The situation has been radically different for African-Americans. Starting from slavery, with a far darker complexion, has been an enormous handicap. The problem they don’t face is that as barriers are continually broken down they continue to push for freebies, instead of pushing their own communities to mature and act like members of society, instead of an entirely separate faction “entitled” to ever greater benefits.
I am also disappointed that African Americans on such occurrences as MLK Day, never express any thankfulness for the hundreds of thousands of white Americans that helped them get as far as they have. Beyond the thousands that died in the Civil War, there has been whites like FDR, Harry Truman, Hubert Humphrey, Mike Mansfield, JFK, RFK, and even Lyndon Johnson, plus thousands more that did everything possible to advance black Americans when they had absolutely no power to do so for themselves.
To hate an American for reasons of race is wrong, and hating a white guy for being white is every bit as wrong as hating a black guy for being black. Race makes no difference, character does. Today’s black American has never been a slave, nor were my ancestors or myself ever slave owners.
MY MLK Day message to black Americans would be simple. Grow up, mature, join society instead of hating it. Opportunities have never been better and are increasing daily. DJT and his minions here want to take credit for black unemployment being at it’s lowest level ever. None of them had anything to do with it. Discrimination is at an all time low and that is why black Americans are employed at an all time high. The barriers are falling. Grow up and get with the program. Clean up your neighborhoods and make it safe for people of ANY color to walk in them. Cooperate with the police instead of fighting for the drug suspect on the corner they are trying to arrest.
Thanks for your opinion and your post
Now and then even a BLIND squirrel can find an acorn
Joshua814: I certainly see your point and can appreciate your view. My ancestors were from Ireland, arriving during the great famine. The Chinese and Irish immigrants of the era of course supplied the bulk of the labor (at starvation wages) to build the first cross country railroad. The Chinese from the west, the Irish from the east. Both have since have gone on to American prosperity, for which we can both rejoice.
The situation has been radically different for African-Americans. Starting from slavery, with a far darker complexion, has been an enormous handicap. The problem they don’t face is that as barriers are continually broken down they continue to push for freebies, instead of pushing their own communities to mature and act like members of society, instead of an entirely separate faction “entitled” to ever greater benefits.
I am also disappointed that African Americans on such occurrences as MLK Day, never express any thankfulness for the hundreds of thousands of white Americans that helped them get as far as they have. Beyond the thousands that died in the Civil War, there has been whites like FDR, Harry Truman, Hubert Humphrey, Mike Mansfield, JFK, RFK, and even Lyndon Johnson, plus thousands more that did everything possible to advance black Americans when they had absolutely no power to do so for themselves.
To hate an American for reasons of race is wrong, and hating a white guy for being white is every bit as wrong as hating a black guy for being black. Race makes no difference, character does. Today’s black American has never been a slave, nor were my ancestors or myself ever slave owners.
MY MLK Day message to black Americans would be simple. Grow up, mature, join society instead of hating it. Opportunities have never been better and are increasing daily. DJT and his minions here want to take credit for black unemployment being at it’s lowest level ever. None of them had anything to do with it. Discrimination is at an all time low and that is why black Americans are employed at an all time high. The barriers are falling. Grow up and get with the program. Clean up your neighborhoods and make it safe for people of ANY color to walk in them. Cooperate with the police instead of fighting for the drug suspect on the corner they are trying to arrest.
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