Citizen Khan
May 31, 2016 3:48 AM Subscribe
absolutely fascinating.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:33 AM on May 31, 2016
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:33 AM on May 31, 2016
Amazing - I hope the "Stop Islam" idiot actually reads the article.
posted by jkaczor at 5:47 AM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jkaczor at 5:47 AM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
I hope the "Stop Islam" idiot actually reads the article.
I'm fairly certain that if he did, his takeaway would be that Muslims kill each other, so they'll clearly want to kill non-Muslims as well once they organize.
posted by Etrigan at 6:22 AM on May 31, 2016
I'm fairly certain that if he did, his takeaway would be that Muslims kill each other, so they'll clearly want to kill non-Muslims as well once they organize.
posted by Etrigan at 6:22 AM on May 31, 2016
“I’m one of those people that just does stuff, O.K.?” he said. “I went down there and beat on the door and asked them who the hell they were and where they came from and what they were doing. They said, ‘We’re the Khan family.’ I said, ‘Well, that doesn’t mean anything to me.’ ”
What idiots like this don't get is that they don't "do stuff." Zarif Khan "did stuff," by crossing over to the United States, working his ass off, giving back to his community, fitting in, gaining citizenship (TWICE! that story about having his citizenship revoked for his ethnicity....god) and giving back to his family and community here and back home.
Being a general shithead and destroying things isn't "getting stuff done," but it sadly passes for it more and more these days.
posted by xingcat at 7:38 AM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
What idiots like this don't get is that they don't "do stuff." Zarif Khan "did stuff," by crossing over to the United States, working his ass off, giving back to his community, fitting in, gaining citizenship (TWICE! that story about having his citizenship revoked for his ethnicity....god) and giving back to his family and community here and back home.
Being a general shithead and destroying things isn't "getting stuff done," but it sadly passes for it more and more these days.
posted by xingcat at 7:38 AM on May 31, 2016 [3 favorites]
Great story! Though I was bothered by the consistent use of "vender" and went looking online for some guidance. I found my question answered with surprising specificity.
From english.stackexchange.com: "The spelling vendor is the standard spelling. The New Yorker, as part of its bizarre house style, uses the spelling vender. No one else does, besides those trying to emulate The New Yorker’s style."
posted by Naberius at 8:12 AM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
From english.stackexchange.com: "The spelling vendor is the standard spelling. The New Yorker, as part of its bizarre house style, uses the spelling vender. No one else does, besides those trying to emulate The New Yorker’s style."
posted by Naberius at 8:12 AM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
As a New Yorker article should be - stone stock interesting. It was a little short, mind you, but no matter. A great story.
The racist twit at the end is a sad coda. Guys like that, boy they rankle.
posted by From Bklyn at 8:24 AM on May 31, 2016
The racist twit at the end is a sad coda. Guys like that, boy they rankle.
posted by From Bklyn at 8:24 AM on May 31, 2016
Fascinating article! She described the immigration issues and summarized the various court rulings brilliantly.
Who knew tamales were so popular among so many so long ago. I was born in the 1950s never heard of them until I was a teenager and had a boyfriend from southern California who taught me about Mexican food.
Check out the wikipedia entry on tamales.
Now who's got the best tamale recipe to share here?
posted by mareli at 9:20 AM on May 31, 2016
Who knew tamales were so popular among so many so long ago. I was born in the 1950s never heard of them until I was a teenager and had a boyfriend from southern California who taught me about Mexican food.
Check out the wikipedia entry on tamales.
Now who's got the best tamale recipe to share here?
posted by mareli at 9:20 AM on May 31, 2016
This is terrific article, and also a terrifically detailed example of how racism goes deeper than any sort of logic.
posted by desuetude at 10:28 AM on May 31, 2016
posted by desuetude at 10:28 AM on May 31, 2016
For anyone who was most strongly interested in the seemingly bizarre intercultural food systems on display in the article (beyond just the intense personal drive and flabbergastingly overt xenophobia) i present this excellent account of the tradition of the Missippi Delta Hot Tamale (no Afghan refugees involved) for your further reading pleasure.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 1:30 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 1:30 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
(Several former repeat customers, now in their seventies and eighties, pointed an imaginary knife at me and said, “You wan’ onions, keed?”)
I only want to read things like this, forever. More anecdotes, less shitty racists.
posted by redsparkler at 4:57 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I only want to read things like this, forever. More anecdotes, less shitty racists.
posted by redsparkler at 4:57 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
What a wonderfully dense piece. There are little asides that could be the basis for entire articles in themselves, like the fact that the father of the founder of the Joffrey Ballet got his start as an Afghan pushcart vendor in Seattle.
And yeah, the last bit -- it's the same old story. Someone with a basically worthless life who decides to make himself feel better by attacking worthwhile people. "I may be a useless asshole, but at least I'm not Muslim/brown!" Same game's been played for centuries in the US.
posted by tavella at 5:15 PM on May 31, 2016
And yeah, the last bit -- it's the same old story. Someone with a basically worthless life who decides to make himself feel better by attacking worthwhile people. "I may be a useless asshole, but at least I'm not Muslim/brown!" Same game's been played for centuries in the US.
posted by tavella at 5:15 PM on May 31, 2016
Excellent. Riveting. The racist tool at the end was a letdown, but philosophically I'm glad he's in the article as sobering counterpoint to this inspiring and poetic ode to endurance, intelligence, and hard work. The bits about court rulings re: race are astounding and absurd.
posted by Bob Regular at 5:50 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Bob Regular at 5:50 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]
I finally got around to this, and just wanted to add my voice praising the article and the post. I kept reading bits to my wife and finally said "Just read the article, it's full of juicy stuff."
Also, since nobody has mentioned it, the author, Kathryn Schulz (mention the author's name, posters!), also wrote "The Really Big One," which won a Pulitzer and was a big hit around here.
posted by languagehat at 2:49 PM on June 15, 2016
Also, since nobody has mentioned it, the author, Kathryn Schulz (mention the author's name, posters!), also wrote "The Really Big One," which won a Pulitzer and was a big hit around here.
posted by languagehat at 2:49 PM on June 15, 2016
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posted by humanfont at 5:13 AM on May 31, 2016