Mahanth is Editor

Another election season is upon us, and American politics and social media are brimming with controversy around who is American and who isn’t.

Chances are, being American means something vastly different to me than most of you.

I was recently alarmed and offended by a talking head who popped up on my YouTube feed, spouting batshit conspiracy theories about why so many “unqualified” Indian-Americans are Silicon Valley CEOs without earning their positions.

Alarmed, because this fool has a massive following and a long list of humans or bots agreeing with his pseudo-intellectual viral vitriol video in the comments section. Offended, because he kept calling the CEOs “Indians” even though they are U.S. citizens by law. So much for those who believe in “law and order” when it isn’t convenient for their ideology.

Yes. Some of us are Americans by choice and we had to say it out loud to make it legally binding. Few of us actually had no citizenship at all before becoming naturalized. The only thing I’ve ever been is American- or nothing.

All or nothing. I proudly swore an oath of allegiance to the United States of America in a judge’s private chambers, at age 10, with my arm raised. I took it very seriously, like a sacred vow. Including the parts about “defending the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and “bearing arms on behalf of the United States.” Honestly at that age, these things sounded so cool. Today they still very much do, as my understanding of the meaning and depth of the words has only grown. It’s why I’m writing this today.

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.“

Due to a string of strange events I was an alien with no allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty to renounce and abjure when I took the oath.

It was the 1980s, and in my limited experience mostly in the Midwest, my Indian-American heritage was something largely admired and mysterious to curious classmates, teachers, or neighbors. I can only speak for myself; I’d read in Indian-American magazines about other kids my age growing up in places like Virginia who were treated badly in school because of the way they looked. I found this puzzling and sad.

I don’t feel puzzled anymore, but am much sadder than back then to see the current discourse in America decades later. What do Indian-Americans, whether techies, cab drivers, or politicians have left to prove? Work harder for America? Win more spelling bees? More Indian-American Marines, or more law-abiding behavior? Sure, my ancestry doesn’t trace back to the Mayflower. There’s the irony. Those pioneering pilgrims were foreign-born immigrants searching for new frontiers, starting an unbroken string of immigrants ever since, like the ones today being judged as “less American” than anyone else because of ethnicity, religion, or looks. This actually violates the law, but that’s not the point.

I’ll leave you with a much better and more interesting must-watch video than the one we started with, about a South Indian Muslim dynasty that ruled over my own ancestors in Karnataka and had a major impact on the US independence movement itself 250 years ago.

Now we know what being American means- at least to me.

Courtesy PBS Origins