July 4th, 2018: Making America even greater

An Ellis Island  display showing the immigrants to America.

THERE'S A LINE uttered by the Hillary Clinton character in Henry David Hwang's new production, Soft Power. She says, "Democracy will break your heart."

I love America, but some days -- especially during the Donald Trump reign -- she makes it damn hard.

My love for my country doesn't make me blind to its imperfections and its dark chapters. Too often, history textbooks pass over those historical events that show the warts and talk only about the good things America has done. As a result, students are fed the myth of American greatness and the false narrative that everything great about our country was because it was white.

It is this myth that drives the white supremacist movement and resulted in the election of Donald Trump.

Wearers of the MAGA hat have to ask themselves the question: When was America \great?

Was it when the Europeans came in and took the land from the native peoples?

Was it when the government forcibly took Indian children from their families tin an attempt to  them into "good" Americans?

Was it when the native peoples' lands were forcibly taken from them?

Was when entire tribes were forced to move from their homelands to parched wastelands in the Trail of Tears?

Was it when the California native hunters and gatherers were forced to leave their traditional homes and relocated to the Spanish missions to become household servants, laborers and Christians?

Was it when the Founding Fathers couldn't bring themselves to count their African slaves as a whole person, depriving them of the "undeniable" rights "endowed" to white people (but, not women)?

Was it when those who tried to destroy the United States and lost the Civil War were allowed to erect statues to traitors and let them create a parallel myth of the genteel South that would have allowed slavery?

Was it completing Manifest Destiny, the westward expansion of the U.S. by stealing more land  breaking treaty after treaty with the native peoples and to almost complete the genocide of an entire people and their culture?

Was it when child labor was expected and children were forced to work in the mines and factories at low wages and long hours?

Was it when white men created the Chinese Exclusion Act to cut off immigration from China and limit people coming from other Asian countries to "keep America white?"

Was it when interracial marriage was against the law?

Was it when nonwhites were forbidden to own land?

Was it during the Great Depression when the stock market crashed and thousands of banks failed making it harder for ordinary folk to make purchases to stimulate the marketplace. (Warning: A tax of imports made foreign goods too expensive for the everyday American public.)

Was it when America segregated African Americans and didn't allow them to drink from "white" fountains, use "white" bathrooms or attend "white" schools?"

Was it when greedy American businessmen overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and claimed the islands for their "America?"

Was it when the U.S.went behind the back of their Filipino allies andd made a secret deal with the Spaniards to take over the colonial Philippines so that Spain wouldn't have cede the islands to the revolutionaries?

Was it when the U.S. Congress and President Franklin Roosevelt broke their promise to Filipino soldiers who fought for the U.S. against Japanese invaders and denied the Filipino veterans citizenship and other benefits?

Was it when 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent were imprisoned during World War II?

Was it when African Americans and other people of color were denied the right to vote through made-up Jim Crow laws?

Was it during the period when immigration from countries other than Europe were severely limited?

Was it when greedy investors and banks caused the housing market to crash with illegal  lending practices at the expense of first-time homeowners and causing the Great Recession?

Was it when Vincent Chin was killed because auto workers thought he was Japanese?

I could go on ... but I don't want to just post a negative screed against America. Ignoring those historical events in school creates blind patriotism a my-country-right-or-wrong patriotism.

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But just concentrating on those negative aspects of our history would negate the greatness that is America. Without a doubt, our country has made great strides since its founding. For every one of those incidents listed above, there is another one that shows the good side of America. Many of the blemishes and flaws have been corrected -- but, not without resistance, I might add.

That's why I have faith in the U.S.A. The current administration and its attempts to turn back the clock is not "normal." That doesn't mean we should accept the assault on our civil rights, our human rights, without pointing out the injustice and threats to the  Constitution.

What makes a hypocrite angriest is when his or her hypocrisy is pointed out to them. Their view becomes meaningless.

America is a process as much as it is a dream. We continue to correct the course when we veer too far from our values. 

The recent demonstrations against Trump immigration policies, the renewed activism, the new unending energy of young highschoolers challenging the mighty NRA,  the revived civic engagement, all the first-time AAPI candidates who haven't given up hope and have chosen to run for office are all part of that process, the individuals who aided the victims of natural calamities when the government wasn't there. They give me hope. For every marcher, for every protest sign, there are thousands more who were not able to participate but nevertheless, believe in the same dreams.

Being an American requires you to be an optimist because America is not and has never been perfect. I believe the good people of America who continue to strive for that "more perfect Union" -- the American Dream (if you will) -- will overcome the current aberration from democracy and triumph in the end. 

America is not a picket fence around a single-family home with a chicken in every pot. Nor is America a particular era from our past. It is not even a place. 

America is an ideal. It is the future. America is in the hearts of men and women everywhere who want justice, who want equality, who believe in peace, who accepts that which is different, who welcome the strangers to our shores.

What makes America great is the continuing pursuit of that ideal -- a greater future and the belief that we shall overcome any obstacles thrown in our path and the darkness over our land will give way to a new dawn.

New American citizens celebrate their choice of country.
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July 4th: America can be as beautiful as we want it to be

One of the singers in Coke's "America, the Beautiful" commercial.

OPINION

I'm a sentimental sap. Despite 28 years as a journalist - having to deal with tragedies, liars, bigots, criminals, despots, PR spinmeisters and countless examples of people's inhumanity towards man and woman - I never let the "bad" news turn me into a grouchy, old cynic, an unfortunate occupational hazard.

I still get a lump in my throat when the "Star Spangled Banner" is played as the TV camera focuses on the faces of our Olympic athletes; I stand a little straighter when veterans get honored; I struggle to compose myself when I talk about the struggles our AAPI pioneers had to endure, and I get teary-eyed when I see and hear this multi-lingual version of "America, the Beautiful." Among the languages used in the commercial to sing "America, the Beautiful" are Tagalog, Mandarin, Hindi and Farsi.

Mrs. Dolores Baso

One of the images in this long version of the Coke commercial,which includes scenes and interviews with everyone involved in its making, there's a brief image of a former neighbor of mine, the late Dolores Basco, an immigrant from the Philippines. If you don't look for it you'll likely miss it. I was surprised to see it and had to go back and freeze the frame with her image. There she was!

Mrs. Basco - that's what I called her - always had a smile for me. Her wisecracks about other people in our Filipino/American community are part of my fond memories of her. She always pitched in when my parents hosted an event at our house, using her kitchen as an auxiliary when the food prepping got too big or the four burners on our kitchen range was not enough. Her kids babysat our daughters.

Mrs. Basco is also the grandmother of Dante Basco, the very same actor who played the groundbreaking role of Rufio, leader of the Lost Boys, in the movie Hook. The Basco family's fourth generation are also shown in the clip's swimming pool sequences.

RELATED: America's challenge is learning to live with itself.

When the 30-second commercial was first shown during the 2014 Superbowl, the bigots and faux patriots came out in droves, especially on the Internet "How dare Coke! 'America, the Beautiful' should only be sung in English!" was the gist of their outrage.

To its credit, Coca-Cola resisted the xenophobes, defended the concept, doubled down and aired a 90-second version of the commercial during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics a couple of months later.

Behind the scenes of the Coke commercial: America, the Beautiful.

I wish they would air the commercial again during the Republican Convention this summer just to tweak the white supremacists who have flocked to their candidate. During this presidential campaign when so much hate and fear is being stirred up, it's easy for people of color to become despondent, disappointed and cynical.  Our country has a lot of flaws - (a lot!) - but the biggest flaw it suffers, is not living up to its lofty self-image. 

RELATED: The GOP's new Southern Strategy based on racism

I know, it's a Coke commercial and it's hard to justify the amount of sugar in one serving of the soft-drink - but what better way to celebrate America's birthday than by mixing capitalism with patriotism? To many people around the world, Coke is as iconic a symbol for America as the Red, White & Blue or Statue of Liberty. Try to think of the message, not the soft-drink. The real product the commercial is selling is what America can be; what American should be. 

RELATED: Dear White America ...

The message of the "America, the Beautiful" commercial needs to be heard again. Forget the soft-drink and focus on the message: America is a country of diverse peoples; you don't have to be an English-speaker to love America; you don't have to be white to be an American. It is not a nostalgic longing for the past, but a reach towards the future of our country.

I can almost see Mrs. Basco sipping coffee in our kitchen, saying, in her wisecracking manner, "Let America, be America!"

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Some frank talk on Independence Day

Like two prize fighters at the weigh-in prior to a championship fight hot-dog eating champ Matt Stonie, right,
 sizes up Joey Chestnut, who wants to win back his crown.

IF IT'S JULY FOURTH, that means it's time for fireworks and hot dogs. Lots and lots of hot dogs!

On the Fourth of July, the world’s top competitive eaters will gather at Coney Island for a chance to become a legend. Two all-American Asians will defend their titles of eating the most hot dogs in 10 minutes. Matt Stonie of San Jose, California will meet nine other challengers, including former champion Joey Chestnut, who seeks to regain the crown and still retains the world record of swallowing 69 hot dogs.

On the women's side, Las Vegas' Miki Sudo, who gobbled down 32 hotdogs to take the title last year, will again be challenged by runner-up Sonya Thomas, also an Asian/American. will take on challengers

Will current champions Matt Stonie and Miki Sudo continue in their recently won reigns? Or will the dethroned Joey Chestnut and Sonya Thomas retake their places as best in the world? Cast your vote below for your favorites to take the title of Nathan’s Famous World Champion.

RELATED: Frankly speaking -- Asian Americans excel at eating hot dogs

Miki Sudo at last year's contest.

Monday marks the 44th anniversary of Nathan’s Famous annual hot dog eating championship in Coney Island. The event draws thousands of curious onlookers to the flagship restaurant at the corner of Stillwell and Surf avenues in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Although he upset Chestnut last year, Stonie is the underdog in this year's contest. Odds makers give him a 37 percent chance of retaining the title as top dog. Chestnut, on the other hand, is favored to win this year's contest by 59 percent.

RELATED: Stonie beats Chestnut in eating ribs

If you’re planning to head out to Coney Island to celebrate with some extreme wiener eaters this July 4, here’s a full schedule of the day’s events:

10:00 a.m. – Live from Coney Island
10:45 a.m. – Introduction of Female Contestants
11:00 a.m. – Women’s Contest
12 noon – Main Event
12:30 p.m. – Introduction of Male Contestants
12:40 p.m. – Men’s Contest Begins
12:55 p.m. – Trophy Presentation

America's challenge is learning to live with itself

This post was written a year before the 2016 Presidential elections. The thoughts and issues it presents are as relevant now -- even more so -- than when it was first written.

ON JULY FOURTH, 2015, the 239th birthday of the United States, it's an appropriate time to take a few moments to ponder the question raised by immigration reform activist Jose Antonio Vargas: What is an American?

My immigrant parents and their friends, who grew up in the Philippines, referred to white people in this country as "the Americans." Never mind that my father and his military peers fought under the Star Bangled Banner during World War II and the Korean War, never mind that they led active civic lives, involving themselves in their community affairs, voted every election day, they always considered themselves as outsiders, not really what they thought of as "Americans."

To this day, when most of the world think of Americans, they think of the white folks of our country.

When I toured China a few years back, my tour group consisted of African/Americans, Asian/Americans and European/Americans. We were seen as oddities in that land. Chinese would ask to take pictures with us. Some of us bridled at being stared and pointed at. At one photo taking session, I told the person who posed with us, "We are America. All of us."

(Just so you know, in my other travels, Italian and Germans reacted the same way as the Chinese towards us Americans of color. Curiosity and preconceptions of America is universal.)

I'm not sure what I was trying to do but I thought at the moment that it was important for them to know that Americans are a diverse lot. We may be of different pigmentation, our ancestors arrived on these shores in different times, some of us may speak with accents, but in our hearts and minds, we are all Americans.

A new Census Bureau report shows that my generation of baby-boomers fading further into the what demographers like to describe as the silver tsunami, and giving way to Millennials in a country whose younger generations are also becoming more diverse - and more tolerant, despite the Dylan Roots of the world.

The white population in the United States reached an all-time high median age of 43, while those younger than 5 were outnumbered by minority children.

“That’s a reflection of how the U.S. is aging,” said Mark Hugo Lopez, director of Hispanic research at the Pew Research Center. 

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I live in a small community that has seen its minority population surpass the white population, which has reduced since 1995. The 2000 Census confirmed the trend. Taken together, Latinos, Asians and blacks make up the majority. (As we look at ourselves, we have to be careful not to lump those three groupings into one monolithic bloc.) In other words, my neighborhood is not the "Leave It To Beaver" neighborhood of the 50s and 60s.

This city, this state of California, is a harbinger of what this country is going to be. The next few decades, will be rocky ones as people of color learn to ease their way into the mainstream, not fully accepting of the fact that they ARE the mainstream in many communities. 

Equally critical is the way white Americans become accustomed to just being one of many, instead of the retaining their position of dominance and power to which they are accustomed.

The "privilege" and entitlement many of Euro/Americans believe is the natural order of our society is going to - needs - to change.

Go to any elementary school today, and you will see the diverse future of America.

As this demographic shift occurs, it is being bolstered by the newcomers coming to this country for the same reason my parents chose to become Americans.

The latest census data shows that China has replaced Mexico as the chief source of U.S. immigrants. Immigration from Latin America has slowed overall even as Asian migration continues to grow.

The impact of the Asian/American community goes beyond their mere numbers. 

The Center for American Progress stated in a recent article:

"Asian immigrants play an important role in helping the U.S. economy thrive. The most recent Census Bureau Survey of Business Owners found that Asian immigrants owned 1.5 million businesses, which had total sales and receipts of $506 billion and employed 208 million people in 2007. The number of Asian immigrant-owned businesses increased 40 percent from 2002 to 2007, compared to the average increase of 18 percent for all U.S. businesses.

"Asian immigrants also play an important role in the consumer market. They hold the fastest-growing buying power share—also known as spendable income after taxes—of any racial or ethnic group in the country. The Selig Center at the University of Georgia’s Terry School of Business estimates that the cumulative buying power of Asian immigrants grew from $274 billion in 2000 to more than $700 billion in 2013."

According to a 2012 study, The Rise of Asian Americans, from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, Asian/Americans are projected to make up 1 in 10 residents by midcentury, Asian/Americans as a whole tend to be more satisfied than the general public with their lives and the direction of the country. They lean Democratic and want a government that provides more services.

Besides immigrants, another dynamic is taking place as U.S. universities and colleges seek foreign students to address some of their funding shortcomings.

International students studying at U.S. colleges and universities also are now most likely to come from Asian countries, roughly 6 in 10, and some of them are able to live and work in the U.S. after graduation. Asian students, both foreign born and U.S. born, earned a plurality (45 percent) of all engineering Ph.D.s in 2010, as well as 38 percent of doctorates in math and computer sciences and 33 percent of doctorates in the physical sciences.

In addition, the new immigrants - Latino and Asian - tend to be younger and more prolific than their Euro/American counterparts. “This year is the first time the 0 to 4 population is minority-majority,” said Ben Bolender, chief of the Census Bureau's population estimates branch. It was a shift long expected: In 2013, the rate was close enough — about 50-50 — that young minority children were on the cusp of outnumbering white children, but now the number has decisively moved into the majority, Bolender said.

The University of California released its admittance information for incoming freshmen last week and the data shows that Asians and Latino freshmen outnumbered the white freshmen. The 2015 admission numbers for California students show slight changes in UC's diversity, with Asian-Americans making up 36 percent, Latinos 30 percent, whites 25 percent and African-Americans 4 percent.

Among international students, 15,317, or 62.2 percent of those applicants, were admitted, compared with 13,575, or 60.1 percent, last year, the data showed. Asian students - primarily from China, Korea and India - made up the largest foreign group, according to UC.

New Americans at a citizenship ceremony. 

So what does all of thisl mean?

Rodney King was prophetic when he asked, "Can't we all just get along?" The key to America's future is going to be how, and if, we can answer that simple question.

I'll go one step further and be blunt, the key will be how white Americans learn to live, work and play with the new majority in the coming decades. Will they fight it as those who want to "take back America," or "Make America great again," or return to the "good, old days" when white was right and everyone else knew their place; or will they accept the new Americans' myriad contributions to the American way of life - in all aspects: economically, politically and culturally?

America is changing once again. And for most of us, change is hard. 

The xenophobic fear of balkanization is understandable, but groundless. Over and over again, we have seen that by the second and third generation, English becomes the primary language spoken at home and the "Americanization" process continues. It is already happening with the Latinos who came in the 1990s and 2000s.  "Americanization" will happen with the new Asians.

One possible hopeful sign is the growing multiracial population of America, especially amongst Millennials. 

More and more Americans are identifying themselves as multi-racial, according to a Pew Research Center report released on June 11. "Multiracial Americans are at the cutting edge of social and demographic change in the U.S.—young, proud, tolerant and growing at a rate three times as fast as the population as a whole," says the report.

Although still a small part of America right now, their numbers are expanding exponentially as love does - apparently, indeed - conquers all. 

America is a never-ending work in progress (interpret that any way you like). Each wave of immigrants has changed our country for the better. The latest wave of immigrants and the growing American-born Latino and Asian communities will also have an impact as we all seek our version of the American Dream. America will be slightly different. But, America has always been different. We revel in our individuality and exceptionality, That's who we are, have been and will continue to be.

My apologies to civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., but to borrow his metaphor of reaching the mountain top. What we find when we reach that mountain top ... is the view of ... another mountain.

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