Dear Editor,
Barack Obama deserves applause on winning the US presidency for a well-run campaign. The Obama win is of historic significance marking the first time a non-white has won the White House, transcending the barrier of race. It shows that the presidency is no longer for white folks exclusively as had happened since 1789. The Obama victory shows that anyone can win the presidency if one is intelligent, articulate, bright and smart.
It is not certain his victory has broken the back of racial politics in America but his victory has opened the political environment for anyone aspiring to higher office, regardless of ethnicity and economic status. Hopefully, it marks the beginning of a process where the ethnic or religious identity of the individual will no longer be relevant criteria for the presidency.
The Obama victory also has implications for immigrants like those who come from Guyana and the Caribbean. Obama is the son of a Kenyan immigrant and his winning the US presidency shows that the children of immigrants can have big dreams and can successfully run for high office. In a commentary in Newsweek, Fareed Zakaria, himself an immigrant and the magazine’s editor, said an Obama victory would open opportunities for his son, Omar to aspire to become President. It is the central reason why most immigrant communities supported Obama.
In sum, the Obama victory will make minorities believe that the highest public offices are open to them. Already, people are talking about an Indian-American President, Bobby Jindal, although I think this is a very long shot. The victory is a huge step in transcending the tragic history of the oppression of minorities through segregation and Jim Crow laws. It is hoped that it will encourage greater participation by minorities at all levels of the American political process and maybe even the rest of the world.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
