| Migration theory reveals shared roots, inspires new ties (4/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Glennis Markison | |
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Songs like “Peace Train” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” have been trying to unite people of different races for years. Lyrics like “people all over the world, join hands” aim to bring people together whose only difference may be the color of their skin.
However, it seems to be human nature to place labels on one another based on race. As tempting as it is to call someone’s lunch of a tuna fish sandwich on white bread “hella white” or of steaming noodles in a cup “hella Asian,” this sort of labeling can sometimes pull people apart. When in reality we are all the same: African at heart. It turns out that a small group of brave migrants left Africa 100,000 years ago and headed for the Middle East, ultimately branching out to Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. This “Out of Africa” theory has been proposed in the past, but new research from the Human Genome Project involving extensive DNA comparisons from people around the world confirms the theory. While the theory doesn’t suggest that people living far from Africa today will have many genetic markers of Sub-Saharan origin, it reveals that we share the common thread of having come from the same place. This news should make people realize, no matter where they live, that even though our modern-day cultures may have taken very different paths, we are more connected than we think. As Barack Obama said in his speech on racism, “We cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together…we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren.” I’ve felt this sense of global connectedness in many ways throughout my life. One of the earliest examples is of a perfect stranger on the bus reaching out to my mom. I was almost five years old, and my two older sisters and I were sitting on a MUNI bus with our mom, talking excitedly about our days at school. My mom smiled and listened to each one of us with equal attention. Suddenly, an older African-American woman sitting across from us on the bus said to my mom, “I can see that you’re giving them the sweet love, and I can tell the difference!” I never forgot this exchange, because the woman’s compliment revealed how women of all races feel connected through their roles as mothers. Practicing this kind of open-mindedness and connection is something my sister Louise does with her half-Vietnamese, half-Chinese boyfriend Jason and his family. Jason’s mom introduces Louise to some of her culture’s favorite foods, such as the exotic fruit, durian. And although Louise has confided to me that durian “smells like armpit,” she makes sure not to let her face reveal her gut reaction when she tries it. In fact, she’s so honored that the family shares their cultural secrets with her that she uses her cooking skills to make Asian-inspired dishes, such as her now famous lychee tart. Foreign films can sometimes showcase such unexpected interactions between people from seemingly unconnected backgrounds. Director Eran Kolirin’s The Band’s Visit tells the story of an Egyptian police band that gets stuck in a small town in Israel on their way to perform at a local Arab Cultural center. As the members of the band and the Israelis who take them in sit through an awkward birthday dinner, go to a roller derby, talk about their mutual passion for music and even use pickup lines such as “Do you like Chet Baker?”, everyone realizes how similar their lives and concerns are, despite their countries’ less-than-perfect relations. I’m not suggesting that positive interactions on MUNI buses, a good helping of exotic fruit and an inspiring foreign film are going to bring about world peace, but I do think that when people feel connected to one another, they’re less likely to fight with each other. The “Out of Africa” theory leaves ample room for embracing one’s current culture without forgetting common roots. I love having friends of all different races and ethnic groups, because there’s always something new to talk about. While one day’s lunchtime conversation might involve a discussion of Ryan Gosling’s beauty, another might be centered not only on Barack Obama’s good looks, but also on how his half-black, half-white heritage could change America’s race relations for the better. When it comes down to it, people all over the world do need to join hands, and if they’re really lucky, they might find themselves standing between a handsome actor and a fine-looking politician. At least that’s where I want to be. |
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to listen.
