Cynthia Cheng

History was made on November 4, with the election of Barack Obama as the President of the United States.  Being the first US President of African descent, this was something that was not even in anyone’s imagination even ten years ago, let alone during the Civil Rights era of the 1960s.  But the question remains: How will this change America’s perspective of race?

Likely, change wouldn’t be that drastic – things can’t change overnight, just because the President is of a certain ethnicity.  Of course, another question could also be why one has different perceptions of people of various backgrounds.  During the earlier phases of the campaign, many have indicated that Obama is “culturally white.”  What does that mean?  And what’s “culturally black?”  Why even bother to label someone “culturally” anything?

This year’s election was not only about race, but age.  Had John McCain won, he would be the oldest first-term president elected. And his age very much affected the outcome.  For instance, Obama’s campaign was about change.  Even his political rallies, which were filled with people of a variety of cultures, reflected the changing face of America.  These rallies were the complete opposite of John McCain’s, which were not at all diverse. He still had his feet firmly planted in the twentieth century, very much “old order.” His view of the United States and of the world is not what a typical 20-something or 30-something sees.  Since McCain is older than the previous two presidents, a McCain Presidency could very well bring the United States further backwords, despite having a young VP.  After all, just because someone is younger, doesn’t mean that he or she is innovative.

What many people are discussing now is whether Obama’s campaign and eventual victory has changed opportunities for minorities.  Will this mean that more minorities will run for office in the US?  How about other parts of the world?  What ethnicity would the first non-white Prime Minister of Canada be (my personal guess would be a South Asian man)? Of course, we’ll just have to wait and see.