Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving Day

I lived my first 20 years in small island called Java or Jawa (yes, your coffee and programming language based on that island name). I'm a US citizen and so thankful to God that this country adopt me as one of his own. Adoption is a perfect word in my case.

If you born in US. You're American Citizen period. Constitution gives you that right.

If you born in Indonesia with Chinese Ancestry you have to wait until you're 18 years before you can become a citizen. The beraucratic and corrupted officials will make it so hard for you to want to pursue that goal. I'm totally fine if everyone else have to go to the same ordeal but why only us. Why not my malay race neighbour ?

Reflecting this discrimination, I'm equating people like us being ignored by our birth parent (Republic of Indonesia) and accepted by my Adopted parent (United States of America).

People like us is "Indonesian with Chinese Ancestry" - yes they put that on our paper (Top and Bold) just to be sure every Indonesian officials know who we are. Yes, I feel the Indonesian constitution give the official right to discriminate and make us a victim of corruption.

I'm thankful for this country. A country with a constitution that protect all of its citizens (not just with European ancestry, but all of us).
I owe so much for those people and soldiers who died to defend that constitution. I'll do the same.

No comments: