Perceptions of Life in America

One of the first heroes that I loved as a child was Superman. I was so desperate to have a superman toy, I would bend the wriggly end of one of my mom's hair pins back making that bent part represent a cape and the straight part represent the body and that was my Superman.

 I watched as he flashed across the blue sky through the lens of my television. I was so moved by his heroic feats of strength and his out of this world heroic persona that I deeply desired to be like him. Perhaps my experience of watching superman is where I got this yearning to fly through the skies like he did.

Though I noticed that superman and other heroes that I watched on television were of the “lighter complexion,” I was young and did not quite understand or care for the fact that they did not look like me. However, has I grew older, I began to be bothered by this difference between my heroes and me. Though I still enjoyed watching them, I became painfully aware of this difference.

It’s interesting to see that though superman was an alien on earth, he was tall, handsome, blue-eyed and white; this made it easy for him be accepted into society as the news reporter Clark Kent. I knew I could not have their powers, but I said to myself, “At least I could look like my heroes.” I dressed up like my them and tried to emulate them, but I still felt different and like an alien in their company.

When I first saw Hotwing (yes….they called this dude HOTWING) from the Silverhawks  cartoon and Panthro ( sidenote: They made this panther guy BLUE...when have you ever seen a BLUE Panther?!? Anyway I still accepted him) from the Thundercats, I was immediately drawn to them. They were cool and I saw something in them that made me feel like I related to them more than the other heroic characters around them. I remember seeking these two characters out as toys; they were the first to heroes of color that I desperately wanted. The main heroes of these cartoon franchises such as Lion and Quick Silver were easy to find, but I was unable to find the Panthro or Hotwing toys; they were simply not available. This reality pains me to this very day.

 Seeing these heroes of color did something for me as a kid, though I did not quite comprehend it at the time, I saw myself in these characters and felt a sense of belonging. However, these characters and heroes were very few. During my teenage years and growing into an adult, I became very aware of this disparity. I still watched these TV shows with white heroes, but as an artist, I now feel that it was my responsibility to create heroes of other ethnic origins. I wanted to depict stories and create heroes from the actual people that I see around me.

It is very important for people to see themselves portrayed in a POSITIVE AND TRUE TO LIFE manner in the media and magazines. Seeing yourself portrayed as a hero, as handsome, as beautiful, as intelligent and valuable is of great importance to a person's self-worth.

 It is important that we have a healthy sense of our personal value; I believe this because God revealed to us that we were made in his image. Understanding one's value is so important because it is connected to our survival and purpose of being. People who have a negative or low sense of self-worth tend not to care about whether they live or die, some become suicidal or seek to harm others.

Though I lament about the portrayal of black people in the media, there are many others that are also neglected. There are those who are seen as geeks, as queer, as ugly, as stupid and not physically appealing that are still being poorly portrayed and villainized in the media. This has to change. 

It is still an issue in schools and even in College that people who are perceived as different are isolated and marginalized. I think it first comes from an idea of not being able to relate to someone who is different because we don’t quite understand their cultural makeup. If a person who is viewed to be different by others is seen by the dominant group to be strong, they may be marginalized and isolated, but they will be feared and respected. However, if that person is perceived as weak, not only will they be marginalized and isolated, they will be ridiculed and preyed upon.

I think that there are many programs in schools and in media that are working to promote and educate people about diversity. However, there is still a lot of work to be done.

I remember in school that we had “Pen Pals,” where we would write people in other countries from different cultures and start a relationship with them. With the event of social media, I think the concept of “Pen Pals” can be very effective and important in getting kids to understand persons from others cultures and to realize that they do not have to fear, hate or ridicule each other's differences.

In concerns with media, I think there is a need for more programs to be developed that portray diverse cultures in a positive light. Quite often I see programs such as the history channel portray other world cultures as unusual and as exotic. This is because we often are seeing these cultures through the lens of the foreigner instead of through the eyes of the persons who lives there.

Changing one's name to fit within a culture all depends on the situation. I find it quite interesting (and admittedly it saddens me a bit) that my Korean brethren adopt Western Names to fit into Western culture. Recently I met a young Korean lady who told me her name was Angela, but upon further inquiry, I found out that her Korean name (and what I consider to be her true name) to be Hyerim.

However, I think to myself, “who am I to say what is her real name and what name she is to decide to choose?” A large part of me feels that if a certain name makes a person feel comfortable to be called by, then let them have it. I think the only thing that a person is to consider in changing their name is the complications they may face in having to alter their legal documents. I think that a name change should be taken seriously and dealt with competently as I truly believe that what you are named impacts the person that you are in life.

Chris Rock once said, “A Black Man has to Fly to where a White man only has to tip toe to.” White privilege is an ugly subject, but unfortunately, it exists in our world.

My wife once told me that while she was in Rwanda doing missionary work, she was traveling to the inner city with the other missionary workers that she was with. She was the only black person in the missionary company made up of mostly white people. She told me that as they were headed into the inner city, some of the Rwandan civilians were waving in excitement at her white peers trying to get their attention and shake their hands. She noticed one man who was not getting the attention of her peers and so she waved to him. The man then gave my wife a scornful look. Pulling back from her he said something in the native language that caused the other civilians to laugh. My wife felt disrespected and degraded as this action by the man seem to show that she was not worthy of his attentions like her white peers. However, she felt pity towards him for having such a mindset.

I have a friend in the seminary who grew out his hair and beard because he wanted to try a new look. He is tall, blue-eyed, white and quite a handsome fellow. I recall as we walked to class a classmate from Jamaica made the comment to him saying, “Hey man! You look like Jesus! Look at Jesus coming!” I saw the look on my friend's face, he was very uncomfortable and a little embarrassed and politely asked the gentlemen not to say what he was saying, to which the Jamaican gentleman refrained from doing. I also have another friend who was rebuked by a black lady at a crusade he put on (back home in the Caribbean) for making Jesus into a black man with locks.      

To me, the highest form of white privilege is to make the image of Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in your image. This exclusivity on the very image of God has made a serious impact on other cultures. White Jesus sends the subtle message that only white people are made in the image of God.

In explaining life in America to a Bahamian who has never left the country, I would say this. America can be beautiful and ugly all at once. Only in America will you see a hungry, homeless man searching for something to eat in a dumpster outside a five-star restaurant that has a beautiful ambiance. America is huge and very diverse, you can either live in the country parts that have open green fields and quiet communities or you can choose the city life whose landscape is liters with very tall steel buildings, busy streets and a lot of entertainment and activity.

As a person of color, you must be conscious of where you are, what you are doing and why you are in that country. There is racism in America but it is not always in your face as it may be portrayed in TV shows that show life in America. You will experience racism there, but maintain your composure in handling such situations and always remember your self-worth and where you are from.

There are places in America like New York where people may be in your face and very aggressive with you. In such environments, you need to be very aware of your surroundings and keep a level head in dealing with such people. Try not to take their words and gestures as a personal attack, but hold your ground as an individual, demand respect from others and also give it in equal measure. We in the Bahamas may be used to acknowledging people with a nod or a hello or wishing them a good day, but there are some places in America where people will not acknowledge you at all when passing you in the street. Again try not to take this personally and understand that America is a place with a variety of cultures operating in it.

 Also be aware of scammers! It's okay to tell people “no” who are trying to sell you something and who are trying to get you to go to a place that you find questionable. Be confident and comfortable in your decisions.  

There are places in America where the people are very kind and open and will welcome you into their homes. Again, be aware of your surroundings and show people gratitude for their kindness.

Not all white people are racist; please step into the environment of America with this point of view. A lot of people of color go into the environment of America with the idea that all white people are racist until proven otherwise, but this is a negative stance to take, as it will impact you and your relationships for the worst. If given the chance, people will show you who they are, act according to what is best for you and them in your relationships. In this regard, it may call for you to disassociate yourself from that person.

Enjoy yourself! America has so many opportunities and places to explore and wonderful people to meet. Take advantage of your education and work opportunities there. Go to Disney world, enjoy the benefits of Wal-Mart, Go see a Broadway play, take a road trip with friends traveling from state to state one of these summers, visit an art gallery and museum.

America is a challenge. You are in some ways at the “bottom of the totem pole” as an immigrant. However, that’s okay. Meet and connect with people; grow in your talents, knowledge, and self-awareness. America is a place where you are able to find the tools and people to empower yourself; for all its faults it is still a place of opportunity.

Keep your finances in check; keep one credit card and do not live beyond your means. Learn the tax system! Whenever you find yourself having a tough time in America, remember your purpose in being there. Always keep in mind that you are from a great place, and if you get tired of America, when the opportunity presents itself, take a vacation and come home.