Yeah, he's talking to me.

If you haven't seen Barack Obama's recent speech on race in America, watch it now.



This speech literally brought me to tears and I have a feeling this is going to be one of those moments in life when you always remember what you were doing, where you were, etc., when you heard that speech (in my case, rather unceremoniously with a towel on my head drying my hair... maybe not a story for the grandkids). Anyway, the tears that welled in my eyes, rolled down my cheeks, and wet my arm were the best kind - tears of pride.

I am so proud that America has finally gotten to the place to produce this person. Other countries have had female presidents, presidents from minority groups, etc. But, just as Obama says in his speech, no other country could have produced him, specifically, with his background and his experience. FINALLY, I am hearing from the mixed race, internationally-traveled Obama that I've been waiting for to come out of the shadows of politics as usual and share the experience and views that only someone who can walk in two different racial groups can share. As a half-Asian, half-white Japanese-American I have been in a room full of white people as the only non-white and I have been in a room full of Asians as the only non-Asian. In each group, in each situation, I am taken as a "special exception" and, at least to an extent, treated as one of their own, in that I get to be privy to the kinds of comments they'd only say around their own kind. I have heard both sides say racist things about the other, not to mention other race groups. I have a white cousin who lamented about the "Chinks" she worked for at a Chinese restaurant and I have Asian friends who talk about the "White bitches" who think they're so perfect. I can guarantee my cousin would never have said that if other, more obviously Asian people were around. And I'd be willing to bet that if other white girls had been around, my Asian friends would've just complained about those "bitches," omitting the race-specific word choice.

Obama is only able to give that moving and insightful and accurate speech because of where he's walked. Also, as many of my fellow ex-pats can attest to, living abroad has served not only to expand my perspective of the world and human behavior, but, in a surprising but welcome twist, has made me more patriotic and proud of my America than I ever thought I'd be. Having lived abroad, and so seen the news and America's portrayal through others eyes or heard from people outside the nation, I look on, back, at my home country with such pride for what it is and what it could be as well as with such sadness and sometimes shame for what it is and what it has been. When Obama talks about all the different kinds of Americans - and, truly, once you've naturalized American, you're one of us, no matter where your life started - fighting in foreign wars, but all under the same flag, I know that he has also found himself walking through a neighborhood in some foreign country and come upon that flag, flying brightly in the middle of, in my case, Paris, and felt relief and a touch of home, telling me, "You're not alone; we're always here." I always joke and say if I'm ever on a plane that's hijacked, I'll flash my Japanese passport so the hijackers won't take me prisoner. But if I'm ever taken hostage, I'm American, 100%, because I know America will come get me - I'm one of theirs.

Obama's message is one that reconnects to that sense of we're all in this together. At first, it was a bond against England. Then it was a bond against all odds but with everything going for us in developing the continent. Now, we're at arms with ourself - America is America's own worst enemy. No other country or group can hurt us like we can hurt ourselves, and probably take everyone else around down with us too. I don't want America to go out like that, especially when we are a country that is truly unique in its history and makeup and future.

Of course, if Hillary wins the nomination, I'll vote for her, because I think she can do a good job too. But I'm not a middle-aged white woman from a WASP background. I'm a young, half-white, half-asian chick from SoCal who's lived abroad for as much of her adult life as she's lived in the States. Hillary isn't talking to me. Obama is.