By Dr. Sawraj Singh
The November 6 election for the President is likely to deepen the racial divisions in America. Even though, almost in every Presidential election, the majority of whites vote for the Republican Candidate and the majority of the minority voters vote for the Democrat, yet this division is going to increase this time. The Republican right and the forces like T party have widened the racial divisions by inciting white chauvinism and anti minority feelings. Obama, on the other hand, is trying to get more minority votes by measures such as granting legal status to the illegal immigrants. The rightists have tried to scare the minority voters to keep them away from the voting. They have put posters in the minority areas threatening them that by providing wrong information for obtaining citizenship, they have become liable for adverse legal action. The immigrants some time use marriage to obtain a legal status in America and the other countries.
The Rightists are hoping to repeat their performance of the 2004 election when President Bush’s brother who was the Governor of Florida helped him to win the election by preventing the minority voters, particularly the blacks, from voting in their full strength. It is even alleged that the police cordoned off some black areas to physically prevent the blacks from voting. I recall making the comment that I feel at home in America because I hear same things happening in America which I used to hear in India.
The Republican right did not do any favor to America by getting Bush elected the President. I feel President Bush did more harm to America than any other individual in the recent times. Not only, he widened the racial divisions in America and pushed America to the worst economic crisis, he also became an object of ridicule in the European countries. They projected him as a cow boy and a buffoon. President Bush also acted as a catalyst in the process of pushing the minority voters away from the Republican Party. For example, the Hispanic voters have gradually started to move toward the Democratic Party from the Republican Party. A solid majority of the Hispanics now votes for the Democrats. The racist Arizona immigration Act and the general Anti immigrant feeling incited by the T party and the Republican right have also helped to push more Hispanics from the Republican Party to the Democrat Party.
The Asians, particularly the Indians, are facing a dilemma. Their social and economic status is different from the other minorities. For example, the Indians lead the country in the per-capita income, house ownership and college graduation. Traditionally, the Indian Community evolved as a working class and intellectual (petty bourgeoisie) class. However a significant capitalist element has emerged in the Indian Community. Whereas, the traditional Indian Community was leaning toward the progressive stands and the Democratic Party, the newly emerged capitalist elements subscribe to more conservative views and toward the Republican Party. Still, a vast majority of the Indians are likely to vote for Obama’
Another tragedy faced by the Indian Community is that the Capitalist elements stress more the absorption and integration with the main stream capitalist class rather than maintaining their distinct cultural identity. This falls in line with the anti diversity feelings of the Republican right. The two glaring examples of this tragedy are the Republican Governors of the Indian descent. Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley. Both of the Governors had to lose their cultural identity to climb the ladder of success in the Republican Party. Bobby Jindal gave up the Hindu Religion and became a Christian and Nikki Haley had to give up the Sikh Religion and embrace Christianity. I feel this is the greatest disgrace for the Republican Party. It sends a very wrong message that you have to lose your cultural identity to rise in the Republican Party. The Republican right sees the cultural diversity of America as its greatest liability rather than an asset. It completely denies the multicultural nature of the American society. This wrong and arrogant attitude is going to divide America further.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
