a strange new feeling called 'pride'

Last week I was alone in the staff room when I saw that Barack Obama was to become the 44th President of the United States. I was not alone here in experiencing the overwhelming emotions that came along with seeing a multiracial president (with the middle name Hussein!) personify the opportunities of such a unique country and it was a bit difficult not to be back home to see it firsthand. With people's ideas about the possibilities for the future (both in the U.S. and abroad) seemingly pivoting within a few hours on election day, I'd like to believe that America can become more like the concept of a country that truly recognizes the multiculturalism that it contains. This is the 'America' that I grew to know through six years of living, studying, and working in Pittsburgh with people of very different pasts, some of whom have directly influenced me to be doing what I am today. I could say a LOT about the other side of the American coin that's in the process of flipping after eight years of personally feeling so absolutely disengaged with those who had significant control of my country's perception. Having 'grown up' within these years, I feel that as Bush's seclusion and ignorance to the sensitivity of other ways of thinking, while filtering down to some parts of America that I am familiar with, had strengthened my reactionary feelings against what seemed to be a culture of illegitimate consumption and extreme replication of corporate goods. But, that's not America. That's part of it, but you simply cannot pigeon-hole such a diverse country. I only realized this after moving here and, for me, my current living experience also sheds light on the mobility of the American (such as myself) who has the potential to experience such vast diversity in his or her own country as well as abroad. I'm hopeful that Obama can serve as a beacon for the acceptance of cultural diversity that Americans, whether some know it or not, host within the Land of the Free.

I think that this email from an older Japanese friend sums up this revived hope of the American image quite well:

Theo and Brad,
Congratulation!!
Finally your dreams and dreams of many people of the world come true. The stance of Obama, New president of US appealed and attracted many people of the world. I understand that his stance grown by his international experiences, is to accept the diversity of races, cultures, religions and so on. Up until that moment of election, White, Christian and republican ideology of small government except big military dominated the world. Different category from them was considered to be wrong or inferior to them. That is why they confront harshly withe others rather than going together, accept others, and compromise.

From now as he said in his speech, it is time for him to work hard with a lot of cooperation to fill the gaps which have separated American people and the world. Military itself can not solve the problems. It rather brings hatred. People of Iraq and Afghanistan need help to build hospitals, schools, irrigation for farming.and so on. Sometimes new president needs to compromise to bring peace to there with so called enemies. There are no body who is totally evil. They have hatred against those who oppress and segregate and exploit to make money. As Obama is smart and has wisdom, he including many people can change enemy's to friends. There are places for Japan to cooperate with that area.

I should say God bless you, United people of wisdom.
Let's meet again sometime at Cosmos forum or lunch.

Toshi Okamoto