pronounced: May Ga-oooh-oh
This is the Chinese word for America. The first word means beautiful and the second means nation/country/kingdom. This is how the Chinese people see, describe and call this country in our own language. We admire and respect this place greatly!
Growing up I was made to feel awful about myself. I thought everybody either hated or was disappointed in me. It was ignorance & hate passed down to their children by the adults at home and in the media coming out of the 1970s and into the 1980s.
I was outcast-ed because of the way I looked, the way I felt and the way I behaved. Kids told me "Why don't you go back to China?" "Get a life!" The media of the day painted us as these pagan, sinful, retarded devils.
I thought this was something we could leave behind in the 90s. But I talk to my students and watch the rhetoric of ignorance & hate against all diverse backgrounds by the Conservative Christian and Republican party.
White America.
You have to understand... when any immigrant comes to America and stays... they have chosen to leave behind family and loyalty to the nations of their birth and childhood. They miss it, and they visit them, they try to help them in their time of need, but their heart is here. Our heart is here.
Persians, Afghans, Indians, Latin Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Jews, Africans, Cubans... even our own Native American and African American citizens which includes the gays, the lesbians, the bis, the non-Christians, etc... we are ALL loyal citizens.
Many of us have, and currently are, willing to live and die for this country. We do our best to be model citizens and give all that we have to make this country greater than it already is... please! Give us this chance!! Please!! Don't hate us, don't fear us, don't attack us. All that we ask from the majority white population, and anyone else who paints other people as beneath them... is to take the time to get to know us... and treat us as one of your own.
Pass this message along if you agree!!
`anmari has been spreading her infectious positivity throughout our community for over 6 years. Throughout this time Ana has been at the core of all things devious, passionately developing an eclectic gallery, helping organise devmeets, participating in chat events and also recently completed dedicating her time as a Community Volunteer. We are absolutely delighted to bestow the Deviousness Award for May 2013 to `anmari, congratulations! Read More
Sta.sh
I will pass the message along every chance I get.
I studied calligraphy and painting while attending Chinese school and a bit through college. I practice it every now and then... I enjoy writing with the brush pen for Chinese as well as Japanese phonetic characters. Its fun. There are books and videos in stores and out on the internet that show you how its done. Best is if you find a Chinese school in your area and take a class. ^_^
But it's weird isn't it? The Japanese meaning is 'Rice Country,' haha... The Japanese chose rice because the reading sounded like the Chinese word for America, 'Meiguo.' Crazy! "Beautiful Country" makes more sense, LOL
I disagree with the whole 'ignorance and hate' thing though. There sure are a lot of crazies out there but the majority of white Christian conservatives like me are not hateful nor ignorant. I for one recognize the necessity for respect for other cultures and nations. In fact, I have an admiration for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people. Yet I retain my belief in Jesus and I believe there is nothing about respect for other cultures that goes against the Bible. I can speak for my fellow Christian conservatives that we're not the haters people commonly make us out to be.