One Fact You Should Know About American History (Pt. 3 of 15)
In a series of provocative video discussions, Ronald Takaki (author, scholar, and professor of ethnic studies at the University of California, Berkeley) will discuss important issues regarding the 2008 presidential election from a multicultural perspective. Check out this AsianWeek exclusive!
As a former student of Ronald Takaki, I am glad to see his vigor and insight remain as sharp as ever. To those who are immigrants and especially Asian American ones, we owe this man much for his scholarship and trailblazing. Also he has a generous soul. Too often we associate liberal scholars with anger or bitterness. Besides the thorough scholarship., I believe his greatest strength was his deep sense of humanity.
As to his point, we should know and acknowledge that our legacy and freedom were the result of the sacrifice of so many and of so many cultures, ethnicities and races. Basically, even recent Asian American immigrants owe a duty to African Americans and other groups. We are truly interconnected.