A wasp nest no more

I ditched engineering in order to understand the world through the humanities and the social sciences.  Plus, I was in a new country/culture.  There was a lot that I had to grasp, and quickly.  It is no wonder that there is always a nagging feeling that I am an impostor, which then triggers panic attacks!

WASP was one of the new usages that I had to quickly decode and understand.  The expansion of WASP was one thing.  The significance, the baggage, the history, was quite something to understand.

Understanding all those was why it made sense to me when a student said that she was a Christian and not a Catholic.  Head-spinning for somebody like me who had learnt back in school in the old country that Christians referred to the followers of Christ, whatever be the denomination.

WASP also put in place anybody who was non-WASP.  Blacks. Jews. Catholics. Muslims. Chinese. Japanese. Native Americans. Hell, a long list!

Is it any wonder then that JFK had to convince the WASP voters and leaders that he was an American as much as they were, but merely happened to be a Catholic.  JFK said:

For contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president, who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me. 

Whatever issue may come before me as president — on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject — I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates.

Now in 2021, let's recap where we are.

President Biden--Catholic.

Vice President Harris--need I say anything!

Speaker Pelosi--Catholic

Senate Majority Leader Schumer--Jewish.

Let that sink in.

And then think of the news today that Merrick Garland was confirmed by the Senate as the country's Attorney General.  Garland is Jewish, whose grandparents fled Antisemitism and found refuge in the US.

Think about the openly gay and happily married Mayor Pete serving in Biden's cabinet.  Or about the first African-American Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin.

If you are like me, and I hope you are, all these provide immense hope for my country and the world.