Our First Multicultural President?
Posted January 16th, 2009by Ilan Stavans
Unquestionably, the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009 marks a watershed moment in American history—Obama will become the first “mulatto” president (his mother was a white woman from Kansas, his father a black man from Kenya). After eight years of disastrous domestic and foreign policies under George W. Bush, Obama’s arrival comes not a moment too soon. The November election was a rare moment in which the nation’s diverse population did not allow itself to be easily manipulated by fear of the unknown or by a gullible media whose mission often seems not to inform but to disorient.
Latinos, like other minorities, united behind Obama to spur on his unprecedented electoral success. But while this new beginning imparts a welcome measure of hope to a dispirited United States shaken by two unfinished wars, scandals surrounding military abuse and political corruption, and an economic recession the likes of which has not been seen since the 1930s, it is important not to be carried away by the collective hoopla. Obama might have been embraced by Hispanics, but I’m skeptical about his understanding of the role the minority will play nationwide in the 21st century. Tension between blacks and Latinos has been emphasized in recent years, mainly as a result of the immigration debate. U.S.-Latin American relations, put on hold after 9/11 by the Bush administration, are a crucial stepping-stone to a new American foreign policy. In putting together his cabinet, Obama has repeatedly said that he has sought only the most qualified individuals in various fields, regardless of their ethnic background. Yet the number of Latinos is low. Is it that we are not up to standard? Might it be that the Obama team does not have its eyes fully open? Are old biases out and new biases in? Obviously, the disenfranchisement of other groups remains a test for the incoming administration.
A non-white president being sworn in signifies that the black-and-white divide is less abysmal. But it doesn’t mean that the country has magically erased its Balkanizing differences. It remains to be seen if Barack Obama will not only be the first black president but also the first multicultural president.
