Senin+R's+Op-Ed+Article



media type="file" key="seninr-muckrakers-2012.mp3"

"Don't Judge a book by its Cover." It’s a simple and politeness-implying statement; yet people don't understand what it truly means. People don't know how it’s annoying and how it hurts when someone says “You’re not black? What?" Yes, I have been judged, without anyone understanding who I am.

I'm not an African American or Indian. I'm a proud Sri Lankan. I can understand why some people have never heard of Sri Lanka in their whole lives. It's a small island country just south of India. Yet, this small island country is the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean." People simply just can't tell me apart from an African American or an Indian. I don't care, the differences are in the cultures (and some are stereotypical). No, I'm not good at basketball, or football. No, I wasn't born a math genius. I can't rap. I can't perform a heart surgery. I simply am not an Indian. I am a Sri Lankan.

With all do respect, Obama is good person (and an okay president). Kobe and Lebron are great athletes. Jay-Z and Tyga are excellent rapper. But, I'm not one of them. I understand that I don't have their skills, verbal rhyming brains, or the expertise to lead a Nation. But, I am my own person. People just can't understand that. People simply try to connect the dots. They simply judge on first impressions. Hey, that's how the world goes. People simply can't see the person through the skin color, and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of people wondering if I'm black. I'm sick of people assuming I'm Indian. I don't understand why people always assume that I'm either of those ethnicities. Sure, Indians were the first to migrate and lived along with the first Sri Lankans. That is no reason to think that Sri Lanka is part of India. Sri Lanka is its __own__ country. It is separated by miles of water. Sri Lanka has a different culture than India. Even though, Sri Lanka and India are in the same area; they're both different.

Thus, I rest my case. I don't care if you call me an Indian or an African American. I don't care if you don't know where Sri Lanka is. I just don't care. Most of my life, I've been going through with this whole issue. I'm fed up. I won't judge a book by its cover, and so should you. Before you meet someone new, don't assume what ethnicity they are on the first impression. Get to know who the person really is. I am finished. Good Day.