Posted by STUDENT LOAN TRUONG – I am not American so, of course, I don’t vote. But I am so proud of the new U.S. president, and I look forward to the moment when Barack Obama moves into the White House in January. As excited as a lot of people all over the world, Vietnamese people are thrilled to watch updates on the election.
My friends celebrated for Obama last night. I am wondering why. Why are so many foreigners and I happy to know that Barack Obama is the new president of the United States of America? The only answer I can figure out is “change.” The world wants to see another America, an America that acts responsibly both with healthy economic growth and peacemaking.
In a farewell party I had with a group of people I worked with during my summer internship in Cameroon, a woman held my hand in hers and said, “My hands are black, your hands are white, but we are all human beings, we are equal, we should live in peace. I want you to tell that to your friends in America.”
Some Cameroonians asked me if black people were equally treated in America. To be honest, it was one of the toughest questions I was asked, and I didn’t have a fair answer. But I think I have an excellent one now.
I’d also like to take this moment to remember my hero, Hillary Clinton for whom I have so much admiration. I watched her speech at the Democratic Convention in Denver again on YouTube and was so inspired. In America, there is a president that is not white, and I hope in the future there will be a president that is not a man. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are two of brilliant Americans who break convention.
It’s not just an American dream, it’s a human dream. We, humans, work hard and need equal opportunity to have a better life. My life is better than my parents’, my parents’ is better than my grandparents’. Barack Obama’s winning is not only his victory and America’s but also demonstrates a universal belief that humans would like to embrace: working hard, keeping faith in your heart, you’ll get where you dream.
Congratulations America!
Loan Truong is a Clinton School student from Nha Tran City, Vietnam. She is currently in Vietnam completing her final Clinton School Capstone project.