We are Created Equal [转帖]

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[B] We are Created Equal

     

    In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

     

    Guan, Sunny X-Y

     

    1/20/2003

     

    Martin Luther King''s voice was tragically silenced about 35 years ago. However, Martin Luther King''s image, as a peaceful leader of the American disfranchised, lives on; Martin Luther King''s voice of dream of achieving equality and tolerance lives on; Martin Luther King''s ideal and spirit that one day people from around the world would be able to walk together as brothers and sisters---lives on.

    We Chinese Americans commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. We will hold the torch of Martin Luther King''s spirit, jointly creating an American society where Caucasian-Americans, Hispanics - Americans, Afro-Americans and Asian Americans will peacefully sit together, freely breathing American air of freedom.

    Although the Immigration Act of 1965 abolished the national quota system, which had been enacted since 1882, and Chinese immigrants to the United States saw a significant change both in number and in social status, the political positions which are directly related to the construction of the Chinese image has not been consequentially changed. Chinese Americans still come across difficulties in obtaining green cards and in applying for citizenship admittance. Employment in certain areas still bar Chinese Americans as their loyalty to American system has always been in doubt. Chinese Americans are still conceived as an ethic group of restaurants and small businesses. American biased image of how a Chinese look like is still something between Kongfu and Lao Mien. Chinese Americans’ voice still can hardly be heard in the main stream society. Chinese Americans, many a time, are still suspected of "endangering the good order of certain localities" with projected orientalism in combination of the post-cold-war side-effect.

    This new century witnesses an emerging mega-trend of globalization and democratization. Irresistibly and inevitably, the United States of America, and the World, has to stipulate a down-to-earth, sitting-together policy. Everybody''s destiny is tied up, inextricably with the destiny of the whole human race. Everybody''s freedom is inextricably bound to that of the entire planet. Caucasian-Americans, Afro-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Chinese Americans are brothers and sisters that were born equal. “We cannot walk alone.”

    Chinese Americans have an excellent tradition, a tradition of pursuance of excellence in education. No matter in what social ambience, what economic conditions and what political situations, Chinese Americans will always endeavor, persistently and tenaciously, to pursue the best education that history may offer. Chinese Americans believe that an enrichment of soul is the prerequisite of an enrichment of wealth, enlightening of spirit is the prerequisite of heightening of the social positions. Chinese Americans will continue to develop their image of diligence, intelligence and perseverance in all fields of life in this society. “We cannot walk alone.”

    We have a dream. Chinese Americans will not be just good cooks, good fishers, and good laborers; we are good politicians, economists, scientists, novelists and poets, programmers and engineers, linguists and journalists, sportsmen and artists. We are as versatile as anybody in this society. We are equal.

    We have a dream. Chinese Americans will not be just small, mal-nutritional, or dangerous species, we are Northerners, Shanghaiese, Cantonese, of different body figures, as diversified as Europeans: Finnish, Norwegian, Russian or Germen, or French, Greeks and Serbians, and Italians or Spanish. We are equal.

    The United States of America is a land of democracy, not a land of suppression, where a fair ground should be laid for competition. The United States of America is a land of freedom, not a land of persecution, where each ethnic group has its right to survive and thrive, persist and prosper. The United States of American is a land of justice not a land of conspiracy, where everyone, regardless of race, nationality, ethic origin, color, religious believes, should be treated equally as the social creed that affords. We are equal.

    Martin Luther King, Jr. passed away, but his spirit, together with the song that he citied in “I have a Dream” echoes forever in the American air:

    "My country, ''tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim''s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

    We are created equal[/B]