Not many people know this, but the 1790 Naturalization Act limited immigration to “a free white person.” It is from this first document that the categorization of the many races of our world first entered American policy.
Were the founding fathers wrong to exclude non-whites (practically meaning non-Europeans) from moving to “The Land of Opportunity?” Modern sensibilities must certainly say “Yes,” and open up our great nation to more people, instead of attacking others based on race. The effect of this act as well as common knowledge of the time still remains. It has since become a dominant narrative that African-Americans, Hispanics and immigrants are less productive, less committed to the ideals of America and less worthy of the rights we enjoy today in our liberal democracy.
Why? It is a simple question, with only three letters, but why do we continue to stigmatize others based on race and ethnicity in 21st century America? Do people choose their race or place of birth? Does it inherently affect them? Do we, white natural-born Americans, have some innate quality that makes us better people? Throughout the last several decades, the sciences have resoundingly said, “No,” that it is only society’s biases that cause any perceived differences.
This brings us to the issue of today, in 2011, 150 years after a war fought over the right of one race to enslave another race began. Like all other Spartan students, I received an ever-so-lovely email from MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon detailing three separate incidents of racist activities on campus. To those who perpetrated these heinous incidents of harassment: FOR SHAME. Racism is the concept that you are worth more than somebody else because you are born with a certain skin tone; it is ironic you believe that, but cannot prove it by any means other than a cowardly act of graffiti in the night. Your attitudes are thousands of years behind the Spartan standard.
I mean the claim above quite literally. The following quote is Alexander the Great speaking to diplomats in 324 BC:
“I do not separate people as many narrow minded others do, into Greeks and Barbarians. I am not interested in the origin or race of citizens. I only distinguish them on the basis of their virtue. For me each good foreigner is a Greek and each bad Greek is a barbarian.”
Translation: Your racist views are more than 2,000 years behind many of the first philosophers. Get with the program, or get sued for hate crimes, because the choice is truly yours.
I leave you with one final thought: What moral superiority can you personally claim when, to prove your point, you must act so rudely and in secrecy? If you are right, claim it loudly and demonstrate it with actions. (Hint: it does not involve defacing the property of others or defaming others based on race.) Grow up and accept it: Just because you were born a certain way, it does not mean you are better.
Alexander Chemey, James Madison and biochemistry freshman
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