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Dah lama tak menulis. Busy sebenarnya tapi ramai yang tak percaya aku busy. Struggle takut lemas di kalangan mat saleh nih. Aku akhirnya mendapat pengakuan yang sama dari Abu Anas. Sampai demam demam study.

Nak kata kelas aku banyak takdelah sangat. kelas formal cuma 6 jam jer tak termasuk kelas online. yang menjadi masalah ialah assignments. banyak betul. masalah yang lain ialah cuaca sejuk ke sumsum tulang. patutlah mat saleh ni bila datang ke malaysia atau musim summer jer bukak sana bukak sini. revolusi namanya tuh, hehehehe.

tahun ni puasa dengan family. happy ye ye ye.. tapi raya jauh dari rumah. tak merasa dodol, atau nasi kapit mak. dulu aku juek, kacang dan kolestrol, skarang itu yang aku rindu. prof tak nak bawak ikan kering yang mak aku pos pun aku rasa bengang, dah lama tak jumpa dan rindu. naik muak aku makan salmon. sekala sekali aku memancing, dapat la white bass, menggantikan ikan puyu. tapi sekarang bulan puasa, class dah start mana ada masa.

tak bersyukur dengan apa yang ada aku ni hehehe

Name:Rahsia

ID: rahsia

Subject: EDCI 755 (Multicultural Issues in Teaching)

What is An American? Defined American?

I have to define what is an American for my multicultural studies. In order to get a brief idea what is an American, I have to interview any one (selected) around me (regardless of his/her nationalities) and tell his/her opinions. I grab Melissa and her husband, Michael. Both mention the same thing “people having freedom, independent, being able to make their own choices, and have an entrepreneurial spirit, people can make their life better”. I am perplexed by this answer, because of so many reasons.

After our Friday congregational prayer, I managed to ask my American Muslim friend, his name is Omar, Irish descendant living in Chapman. He gave me definition from legal point of view, “being born and naturalized in United States”. However, his additional view somehow perplexed me again because usually people in United States will prefer to ask who is not American rather than who is an American, accusing others of not being patriotic enough. For example, Republican will accuse the Democrat of not being patriotic.

If taken both of opinions above, indeed it is very difficult to identify who is an American and who is not. There is not solid parameter to do that. Only we can tell who we are. Determining who the person is needs us to go back of his/her background, looking at what/who’s made him. I can not measure the level of freedom a person has or life is better or being able to naturalize here because those are very relative in nature and it is circumstantial.

I believe as a Malaysian, we have freedom to express our point of views, I am very much independent guy and not afraid of anything as long as I do not do something that is against the law and I believe life is good and better (in Malaysia) compared to other places in this world. It means I have those qualities defined and being mentioned by my American friends. Am I now an American?

I tend to analyze more my American friends’ definitions of being an American. I suspected this idea might be from the Declaration of Independence 1776. I choose this thinking that this was the beginning of United States of America, my friends’ background schemata are developed from their history lessons of this Declaration. Again, the essence of it convinces me that we are in fact basically the same; “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”¹ How does it differ with the Islamic principles of freedom as clearly mentioned by our predecessors when he wanted to liberate Persian²? The situation might be different but the context will always be the same. American vs. British Hegemony and Narrowness of this world vs. Spaciousness of Hereafter. It is about the basic element of human, having freedom based on our own conscience compared to animals.

In conclusion, my American friends defined American based on the essence of human principality so it goes the same to me because we are all the same. As a teacher, it is a must for us to prepare educational equity regardless of who our students are.

Reference:

1. The Unanimous Declaration of Thirteen United States of America, (July 4, 1776)

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm (Sept 1st 2008)

2. Ali Nadvi A.H, The Responsibilities of Muslims in The West

http://www.albalagh.net/food_for_thought/responsibilities_muslims_west.shtml (Sept 1st 2008)