I’ve never been to an inauguration, despite my decade in D.C. So, I set out on a special Presidential Inauguration bus route, via my special Presidential Inauguration Metro card, which took me to the security perimeter. From there I walked in frigid temperatures to get to the Presidential Inauguration Metro train which would, it turns out, NOT take me to my intended destination.
Due to crowd control concerns, WMATA quickly shut down two train stations while I was underground, in transit, and packed in so tightly with other would-be attendees, that I felt assaulted every time someone moved an elbow. Everyone was aware of a different station which had been closed earlier; they announced it was unexpectedly reopening just as we pulled away from it. Too late. At this point, they had closed the last three stations at which we could have exited and we were well past the stop we needed. I started to worry about logistics as previously cheery train inhabitants cursed under their breath.
I hastily exited the Metro the moment I was able to, and I still ended up on the wrong side of the Capitol building. I had just over an hour to trudge through brutal, 11 degree weather, while attempting to avoid idling charter buses spewing exhaust, forbidding barricades, chaotic Police checkpoints and of course, thousands of people who were alternately shivering in their Uggs or shouting “Woooo! Obama!”.
The only thing I could think about was how I was thisclose to missing the whole point of the day, the whole point of the last two years, and it was all because of my bad luck with Metro. I tried to be mindful and prepare myself for the worst; if I was too late to get through security or move through the sludge of confused people faster than one mile per hour, I could say that I tried. That I had experienced the cold and the crowds and the optimism which was muffled by scarves, earmuffs and gloves. Que sera, sera…
I barely expected to make it to my rooftop viewing party in time for pomp and circumstance. I certainly did not expect to see a copy of Obama’s speech before he delivered it. And I definitely did not expect to be in tears when our new President recognized a faith which I respect, but don’t practice.
One thing at a time.
Ugly, numbing cold. I don’t remember ever being out in such cold, certainly not in D.C., nor when I lived in New York, and ran out to the bodega in flip-flops while there was snow on the ground. I’m watching the evening news as I type this, and the weatherman just scoffed “Welcome to Chicago”, as he characterized the way the day felt. “This is not D.C. weather,” he added, and I wanted to thank him for stating the obvious.
It was so cold, I almost regretted my infamous, stubborn refusal to wear hosiery. Almost. I am a Californian, after all. There are some things I will not tolerate. Socks with super cute flats are a bullet point among hundreds of others on my “Oh, HELL no…”-list.
I asked someone in camouflage about the address I was trying to find, amid the chaos. He confirmed information with a superior and then pointed to an edifice two blocks away. I almost sprinted to it, after thanking him profusely. I was, after all, sock-less. And late.
Before entering the blessed building, I saw a freshly-printed sign on the glass doors: “NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS”. I had seen similar on most of the chartered buses I passed. In fact, the “restroom”-issue had dominated almost every conversation I had overheard, on my way from the wrong metro stop back to the Capitol. Whether they were discussing the ramifications of breaking in to non-inauguration-related facilities or fuming over the allegedly plush, hardwood-floored, HEATED port-a-potties reserved for politicians and dignitaries, the masses yearned to be free. To pee. Or not to pee. I really don’t want to go there.
Bathroom information was the first thing I saw at my destination. The second thing? People. Everywhere. They were trying to escape the elements. The building had an extensive lobby with a gift shop, a coffee shop, one of those usurious pay-by-the-pound-and-get-a-$14-salad places and another store I could not see. It was almost impossible to walk to the far-end of the corridor I was surveying, which is where I needed to check in with security, because of all the exhausted and cold people curled up on the tile floor.
I suddenly recalled a prominent “no loitering” sign on the front door, just as a young mother who was sitting on blankets in a corner smiled weakly at me, while bouncing an infant. Meanwhile, the line for coffee snaked through these weary, huddled people and I wasn’t surprised. The idea of a hot cup of anything seemed delicious. Maybe I should have broken open one of the hand-warming things I discovered at CVS. Truly, I am a Left-coast-native because I had neither seen nor heard of such magical plastic packets until this week.
After gingerly picking my way through hundreds of Inaugural attendees, I stated my purpose to a security person guarding a bank of elevators and was whisked through. The wistful looks on people’s faces reminded me to be grateful that unlike a million others, I would be warm, near food and drink, and yes, permanent bathrooms while being a witness to history. I’d been VIP at clubs before in my younger, stupider days, but nothing I’ve experienced felt as elite as bypassing all those people. Forget bottle service; getting invited to an event like this was a real luxury, and I mentally asked my deity of choice what I had done to deserve such an opportunity.
Once upstairs, despite making it in time to see everything, I couldn’t relax. I wanted to continue live-blogging via Twitter, but I suddenly lost service on my wee Centro, which had allowed me to post updates while underground, on the subway but not eight stories up in the air. A million people sending picture mail to friends would derail my mutinous plans. “At least I didn’t announce I would be doing it on SM, so no one will be disappointed”, I muttered to myself. My perceptive host offered me coffee with a liberal amount of Bailey’s in it and I suddenly remembered that none of you really care whether I liveblog. Wheee!
Now I was enjoying myself, but the best part of my morning was minutes away. Mid-sip, I was slipped a copy of the President’s Inaugural address over an hour before he was to present it. I was astonished by what I held in my hands. Remember two paragraphs up, when I talked about the luxury of bypassing waiting in line? Forget that. This was real privilege. I skimmed furiously and then I saw it.
It.
A word.
One word.
One word which changed everything for me, and maybe, you.
“For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers.“
Don’t ask me why I nearly choked on a far more impressive H-bomb, because I don’t quite know how to explain all the things I felt at that moment. I will try to define it and will almost certainly fail, but I must try because even now, just remembering and writing about it causes tears to cover my eyes.
After spending close to three decades either being mistaken for a Hindu by those who were unaware of the existence of Christianity in India or gently reminding my peers that to conflate “Desi” or “Indian” with “Hindu” was wrong, I was shaking because I felt recognized and included– and all because of the thoughtful, enlightened inclusion of a faith of which I am not a member, in one of the most important Inaugural addresses in our entire history.
Upon reflection, I know why I felt that surge of emotion, which I almost felt like I had no right to. I may not be Hindu, but nearly everyone whom I meet assumes that I am, and perception is a powerful thing. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese-Americans were seen as potential saboteurs; other Asians took to wearing buttons which declared “Chinese” or “Not from Nippon”. My point is not to endorse craven yet understandable tactics but to point to how powerful “perception” is.
You are what you look like. And to the vast majority of the world, I look Hindu. I’m not ashamed of that at all. Today, I felt celebrated for it. I felt included, even though my actual faith was mentioned first, in a group which was organized by a man magnanimous, courageous and heedful enough to include “non-believers”.
This was extraordinary.
I had to tell all of you, so you could witness it too, live, and not on YouTube or a later airing of some news program. I grabbed my phone and prayed that it would work as I tweeted an alert to any and all of you who either know the fail whale or follow Facebook (which Twitter can auto-update). Several of you got the message and when I finally reached my warm home this afternoon and checked my GMail, I was gratified by our shared joy over phrasing.
I don’t think it was a spoiler; I’d like to think it was an opportunity for a mutineer to whisper in your ear a precious secret. Though I knew it was coming, it didn’t dull the impact of hearing a resonant voice announce that list. Knowing of such inclusion in advance didn’t dampen my enthusiasm, nor did it prevent the dampening of my face. Even if he hadn’t hit it out of the park with his right religiousness, these remarks would have done me in:
Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.
And at that moment, though I probably wasn’t meant to, I thought of my parents, who came here separately for a common goal: a better life. My Mother packed the only three silk saris she owned and left India. She wore those saris in the snow, in Oklahoma, palloo drawn tightly around her shoulders because she didn’t yet own a winter coat. Forty years ago, my Father quietly fretted over the “eight dollars” he had in his hand and how and when he’d be able to replace them. With no relatives here before them, surely they knew they were destined to struggle initially. But they fearlessly traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For me and for my sister, they toiled, sometimes working two jobs to pay tuition for the best schools they could afford. They did settle in the West, leaving the harsh winters of the Great Plains for Southern California, where I was born. Later, when they proudly purchased their first home, they realized with dismay that the garden they had dreamed of planting would not, could not be, because of the clay in our backyard. So they plowed that hard, messy earth, brought in topsoil, composted before it was virtuous and trendy, and grew curry leaves, bittermelon, okra, tomatoes, long flat beans, taro and vegetables I have never seen again, in order to feed us wholesome food without driving hours away to the nearest farmer’s market to procure it.
Four decades of my family’s history refined, magnified, sanctified. Contained within a few lines, delivered via a few minutes of oratory, it felt like a punch to the gut, and that was before I realized that he wasn’t talking about my parents.
I blinked and felt mascara smudge as I realized I didn’t care whom he was talking about, because it felt like he was speaking to me. Me me, the me I’m not sure everyone sees. I had attempted to remain studiously neutral during the election, ostensibly for the sake of this website, but mostly because I didn’t want to be disappointed by one candidate who seemed too good to be true even as another candidate disappointed me with his inability to make sound decisions. “I’m Switzerland,” I often mumbled to myself, recalling the phrase my younger sister and I utilized when we were small and strange.
But when you’re standing there, in brilliantly bright January light, with a clear sight-line of a man who has seen you, really seen you, who has acknowledged not just you, but your entire history, too, it is impossible to be Swiss or neutral. All I could be was American. And humbled. And grateful, to finally be included.
Speaking of perception I, too, heard Obama’s words loud and clear: “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.” However, we, Americans, as a nation and each of us have to actively fight wrong perception of Americans by most foreign Muslims. See as an example a short video “What Americans Like?” on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/InterestMatrix)
47 dharmakirti said
<
blockquote>What about Sikhs? Buddhists? Jains? Taoists? Shintoists? are we just “non-believers”? My Sikh friend and I were watching the inauguration and starting cracking up, because apparently that’s how we’re ranked…
Hindu dharma means accepting all religions. All Hindus
=VHP/Bajrang Dal/Shiv Sena followers. That said, it is tough not to hear other great religions like Buddhism/Sikhism/Jainism/Zoroastrianism/Confuscianism. However, I don’t think he meant any disrespect. To the poster who says that Hindus are jumping up and down because someone in US spoke about them. It is important when the President of a country with 12 Aircraft carriers mentions and acknowledges an important group in another part of the world, which has a sizeable presence in the US. So you cannot dampen my Hindu spirit from rejoicing. Tough luck.53 · ak said
I don’t know nouns, but I know adjectives, as in “I am spiritual” …hm?
I am genuinely sorry for all those who feel let down and excluded by this speech. I mean, what about Modekngei, Gaba, Macumba, Vodou, Koshinto, Bon, Luciferianism, and such? Do they not yelp when pricked? Under these divisive circumstances, I have decided to launch a new Party to address the concerns of the marginalised. Called the All Inclusive Parenthesis Party, we will embrace all humans and acknowledge their individual beliefs. My Party Symbol will be: ( ), [ ], or { }; I haven’t decided on that yet. If elected President, I promise to read out the names of every religion on the Planet during my Inaugural Address. Also, I will not step on my partner’s gown during that first dance.
55 · HD said
@53
They’re called, Independent Theists.
That Obama line is a direct reference to something Thomas Jefferson said in response to those who wanted to put the words “Jesus Christ” in the Virginia Constitution. From the LOC (emphasis mine):
“The bill for establishing religious freedom, the principles of which had, to a certain degree, been enacted before, I had drawn in all the latitude of reason & right. It still met with opposition; but, with some mutilations in the preamble, it was finally past; and a singular proposition proved that it’s protection of opinion was meant to be universal. Where the preamble declares that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the word ‘Jesus Christ,’ so that it should read ‘departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion’ the insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of it’s protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo, and infidel of every denomination.”
From “Thomas Jefferson, July 27, 1821, Autobiography Draft Fragment,” page 538
HD and UberMetro Mallu – Thanks!
Manju – granola, eh? It’s a bit too “out there” for my taste;) Perhaps meusli?
Indiest
I did pack my bags and cross oceans to come here less than a decade ago. It is not the best of times for me now, but I still hope
Anna’Mol,
You see me, I see you!
Anna: I landed in Ahmedabad (Yes, Modi’s kingdom)last Saturday, and let me tell you people here are all crazy about Obama (The new American Prez). They all are wondering what the heck I am doing in Ahmedabad when the whole world wants to be in my Washington, DC. I envy you. Wish I was back at home,not that there is anything wrong with Ahmedabad – my Birthplace. Heavens bless America.
59 · Maitri said
Exactly. By harkening back to the Enlightenment principles of the Founding Fathers in his Inauguration Speech Obama has laid the groundwork for reclaiming America back from the intolerant, exclusivist, anti-science, religious fundamentalists who the Republicans have so cynically empowered. It is important to note how Obama pledged to restore science to its proper place.
Note however that while the black preacher who gave the benediction continued with this enlightened theme of tolerance and inclusiveness the white pastor who gave the invocation did not. He of course had to mention Jesus Christ, not the generic God that all theists believe in.
58 · Maitri said
The Mohammedan, if he were to come among us, would have the privilege guaranteed to him by the constitution to worship according to the Koran; and the East Indian might erect a shrine to Brahma if it so pleased him. Such is the spirit of toleration inculcated by our political institutions. The fruits are visible in the universal contentment which everywhere prevails. Christians are broken up into various sects, but we have no persecution, no stake or rack – no compulsion or force, no furious or bigoted zeal; but each and all move on in their selected sphere, and worship the Great Creator according to their own forms and ceremonies. The Hebrew persecuted and down trodden in other regions takes up his abode among us with none to make him afraid.
43 · ROMEO 86 said
It’s one thing for a reporter to share a pet peeve about other journalists getting sloppy. Quite another for a blogger to write an account of how she felt at the Inauguration.
In this post, the author was speaking only for herself, and unpacking why she felt the way she did. In the post you are referring to, Sugi was speaking for South Asian people who are not of Indian descent. See the difference?
Swiss Theist?
(Be wary of lisp jokes, though.)
While the mention of non-believers was heartening, it was tempered by the excess of Godiana, at least from my perspective through the entire ceremony, although it was alleviated some by Rick Warren enunciating Malia and Sasha like he was announcing the contestants at a WWF game. Personally, the word I loved most in the entire address, for its unexpectedness and its connotations, was “curiosity”, which in the positive sense, is a far more interesting, admirable, and lovable trait than the much bandied “tolerance” (which he used too – after all, it was an inaugural address).
And I wish the camera had focused on Dubya more, through the speech. First Colbert, now Obama – twice he’s had to sit through speeches that eviscerate everything his presidency has stood for. And it is a sad statement of his legacy that the exhortations for science and legality, which would have seemed almost normal in any other speech in the modern era, were actually gut blows to the Bush wreckage. On the one hand, I hope the door of the Oval Office hit him on the way out, but on the other, I realize he is the one person most responsible for Obama’s presidency becoming a reality, so we do owe him some gratitude for that.
AWWWWWWWWWW, THANK YOU, ANNA FOR POSTING THIS!! :] As i heard the speech i was a shocked as i didn’t recall any other presidential speech that had the word “Hindus” in it. I was hoping/expecting that SM would cover this but i didn’t expect you to write the post! I’m truely touched that you feel that kind of connection with us. And it makes sense, because im pretty sure that when “Christians” were mentioned in previous presidential speeches, they were hardly ever referring to the desi ones.
I would have been lot more thrilled and proud if he had mentioned India. Saying the “H” word didn’t really do anything for me.
I am a very proud Indian. Regardless of what my religion is, I’m glad he acknowledged Hindus because its shows that he’s inclusive. Yes, it doesn’t cover ALL religion – but it shows that he acknowledges and is a very inclusive president.
ANNA – I have been reading your blog since I was 16! I must say, as an Indian Malayalee Christian woman, I felt the same way you did when I heard Obama speak and use the term Hindu. I felt extremely proud – because in some odd way, I felt included. And your description on the power of perception really nailed how I felt.
You’re an excellent writer and quiet thought-provoking in your ideas of identity and such. You should consider writing a book!
All the best! I look forward to soo much more from you and Sepia folks!
I would have been more proud if he had mentioned Wiccan. Saying the word “Hindu” didnt do a thing for me.
71 · torontogal said
According to V. Savarkar, all it takes to be considered “Hindu” is to regard India as your “spiritual homeland.”
I am not sure why many here seem to be so tickled by Obama’s use of the word Hindu. It was meant to show his inclusiveness and perhaps he knew that token symbolism is enough to flatter a billion people around the world,and a subset of whom were probably very generous in their fund-raising for him. Maybe it is time to reclaim the word Hindu by everyone of sub-continental origin regardless of the nature of their faith or beliefs, instead of confining it to it’s narrow present day meaning? For, wasn’t it that uber Muslim poet Iqbal who sang ‘Saare Jahaan Se Achchaa Hindu-staan Hamaara’. Let us all say it out loud, ‘Hindoo is the new Desi‘!
He has the luxury of setting numerous firsts with regard to the language of inclusivity. When President Hillary arrives, so some of us will think we have been seen and heard for the first time.
Perception can be substance and he is no dummy.
23 · browncommentor said
That day is long gone. John Quincy Adams refused to take oath by the Bible and God. He used the constitution to demonstrate separation of church and government. We have more well informed uneducated people now.
You wrote it very well Anna.
The word was probably included by this guy, in a Starbucks.
Still elated?
78 · Um said
Actually, I am. Thanks for asking. What’s your fucking point? Did you read the article you thought you were shroom-slapping us with? Because Obama is the one with final say on his own Inaugural Address and Obama is the one who chose to say it, knowing full well what it would mean.
You know, Obama does have a rather big part of the things he writes, being um, a pretty good writer.. wtf’s your point?
Anna: Please post your commentary about tonight’s Top Chef episode!
67 · Rahul said
Rahul: You have long annoyed me with your insufficient awe of The One. I suspect at home you may even may call him “That One.” Please take a moment to make a pledge. If you choose ashton and demi’s (at 3:54): “I pledge to be a servant to our president and all mankind” then you’ll oficially be back in my good graces.
Just that approving a category is not the same as thinking up the category.
All the elation, the way I understand it, is about Ohbama thinking of Hindus when he was writing his most important speech. If it was included by someone else, and then approved by him, the Hindu category is not as relevant to him, as it would be if he himself thought of including it.
(Maybe he did think of them and included the word, but chances are he did not.)
Imagine you getting an unexpected present from your boss, and then learning that the idea of giving you a present was not his, but came from one of his lackeys. Sure, he approved it, and thinks you deserve it, but he still didn’t think of it.
82 · Manju said
is that what the kids are calling it these days?
in any case, manju, i hear that that back of yours is quite graceful (shake it, shake it baby x2).
I was heartened to see that the inclusion of the word “Hindu” wasn’t just limited to the inaugural address. In yesterday’s first morning prayer service at the Washington Cathedral, our new Prez also walked his talk.
See full article here.
73 · NV said
Who made Savarkar the authority on Hinduness?
Thanks for pointing that out. I guess he does think of Hindus.
I also agree with many comments here that this was a very good post by Anna. And I was not immune from the “included” feeling generated by the word.
But, knowing how governments work, and after thinking a little more about that feeling, I consider it to be rather similar to that of folks who see Jesus in cheese sandwiches. If we keep looking for external validation, we will find it somewhere.
84 · portmanteau said
well then i glad i didn’t ask him to come together and be one.
“If we keep looking for external validation, we will find it somewhere.”
Who cares? As long as it helps us, and as long as we don´t crash when we don´t find it.
Hey SM, my new Mac doesn´t display the menu options for commenting…
Who cares? As long as it helps us, and as long as we don´t crash when we don´t find it.
Sure, I guess finding Jesus in cheese sandwiches helps some people. I prefer, and try, not be one of those people, though.
But you are right, it is just a preference, nothing much to care about.
86 · Rattan said
An authority doesn’t necessarily make him the authority. But the point remains, it is not without precedent for a Christian or a Muslim to identify themselves with the word “Hindu” given that the word “Hindu” was imposed to refer to the religious practices and beliefs of India in the first place.
From the same report on the service…The Rev.Watkins made a bow to this land too and how!
Great piece.
As an Indo-Caribbean Canadian who is also Protestant, I was nontheless thrilled to hear President Obama say “Hindu.”
93 · jyotsana said
lovely 🙂
Am from India and have never been a part of such a moment(never been to US 🙂 ). But, your entry actually made me experience it. And, yes, Obama’s recognition of Hindus was also a pleasant surprise.
74 · Naattaan said
73 · NV said
Im assuming most people here dont know where the word HINDU came from or what it really means. The religion we all call Hinduism today, has an original name “Sanatana Dharma”. The word “Hindu” is a word Persians cooked up a long long time ago referring to the peoples who lived in the LAND SOUTH of THE INDUS RIVER (pronounced /Indoos/ ) A.K.A. India. That is why India is also called Hindustan, and Indians are called Hindustanis. And that is why the mountain range in Afghanistan where a portion of the Indus tributaries start is called the “Hindu Kush”. At that time pretty much everyone in India was a follower of Sanatana Dharma. So the word “Hindu” eventually became the word that goes with the religion. By Hindustaan, Iqbal meant India, not JUST the land of pooja-doers.
For, wasn’t it that uber Muslim poet Iqbal who sang ‘Saare Jahaan Se Achchaa Hindu-staan Hamaara’. Let us all say it out loud, ‘Hindoo is the new Desi’!<1/i>
Yes. And Iqbal would have (at that time, but not later) considered himself a Hindustani, but not a Hindu. Many self-identified Hindustanis are not Hindu, the same way (but very differently) many Pakistanis are not Pak!
Obama’s inclusion of all the major faiths and non-believers that makes up contemporary America is a commendable move and this underscores the new political reality that it is not a white country anymore. After all, all these different faith groups and the non-believers from the liberal base worked tirelessly to get to this point.
jhumki sez
that is very informative and logical too. the term in mandarin and spanish for indians is a variant of ‘indu. thank you.