I tried to voice my opinions on the Black Lives Matter movement. I was rightfully shut down by a white friend. For since I am a white Turkish male, how could I understand the ever-present racism in United States? Racism, like anything else, was founded in America.
I tried to voice my opinions on the upcoming elections. I was rightfully shut down. For since I am a Turk, how could I understand the politics of the United States? Politics, like anything else, was founded in America.
I tried to voice my opinions on economic inequality. I was rightfully shut down. For since I am an international student, how could I not be rich? Poverty, like anything else, was founded in America.
Basically all important issues, except rich Turkish Jewish ones, are out of bounds for me. The rest are only allowed to be discussed by people within the immediate effect circle, which does not include me.
Forty million Turks don’t brush their teeth on a regular basis while nearly seven Americans out of 10 brush twice a day. One in 29 French people don’t shower once a week while only one in 200 Americans don’t shower once a week. One never uses her hands to eat in Chile, not even for fries, while American fast-food culture is based on eating with hands. Greek people, on average, have dinner around 9 p.m. while the average is 6:30 p.m. for Americans. The number 13 is a lucky number in Italy, while “Friday the 13th” is a cult horror movie in America.
Yet I have never seen a Turkish Brown student leaving his dorm without brushing his teeth. I have never seen a French student not shower for a week. I have never seen a Greek student waiting until 9 p.m. every night to have dinner. The conventions of American culture close the cafeteria at 7:30 p.m. How could they?
Yes, we chose to come to America. We worked day and night to come here. We know that we are guests here. We appreciate and embrace this dearly and try to integrate as much as we can without losing our identity, without becoming American.
We watch Hollywood. We wear Kanye shirts. We listen to Drake. We eat popcorn with butter. We freeze in Fahrenheit. We drink beer from red cups. We celebrate Thanksgiving, eating Turk-ey. We let you call us the way that suits your accent. We can never become Americans, but we can suffer trying. But the question is, why do we try so hard?
Because when we buy foreign alcohol, we become spoiled. Because when we hug you, we become the touchy creep. Because when we don’t celebrate with you, we become the snobbish international. They call us exclusive. Unapproachable. But when we organize Cupid’s Market, an entertaining event open for the whole school to join, only international students show up. Are we the exclusive ones?
The story goes: A man once had to stay in an acquaintance’s house for two weeks. He washed his clothes, went to bed when everyone else did and ate everything he was given. On Saturday nights, he was told that the family played games. He played games. Yet he didn’t speak much. He spent much of his time in his room. Therefore no one spoke to him either. When he left, the wife said: “How rude! He used us as a hotel!” And as he left, the man thought to himself, “It’s good that I had a room of my own. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what to do in that huge house!”
We are guests here. We are not exclusive — we are just new to this vast environment. Approach us; let’s work to break these prejudices and start learning from each other. The cookies in the jar are not always good. But they are always worth trying.
In case you criticize this piece for not talking about anything “Turkish, Jewish or white,” I want to make sure that you won’t do so rightfully:
Milliyetçilik (turkish): nationalism, n. — the strong belief that the interests of a particular nation-state are of primary importance. The ideology that caused the Ottoman Empire, where many cultures and nationalities lived together in harmony, to split and close its chapter in history.
But why am I talking about this: Nationalism, like anything else, was founded in America, right?
David Kebudi ’19 can be reached at david_kebudi@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
