Creating the Great American Fondue Pot While Counting and Measuring the Ingredients.

  

        Several days ago, I posted the above meme on my Facebook author page. By posting it, I wanted to see how many people were triggered by the words Arabic or forced. Just I as anticipated, I got some very interesting responses from some very appalled readers.

 

    Please, allow me to let you in on a little something I learned DECADES ago: Arabic numerals. They are the basic numbers that all of us used, learning how to count and do mathematics, beginning in pre-school and grade school. They are what we all used when counting for teams in gym class.  I for one felt forced to use them as a small child. For that matter, I felt like school was a prison until I reached seventh grade. I am grateful for Arabic numerals over the Roman numeral system.

 

     Until 1968 I was raised with Lebanese-American and Arab-American neighbors and friends - Christians- not Muslims as some of the neighbors I lived close to in later years assumed all people of Arabic descent must be. Thereafter, at least once a month, we'd visit an Arabic - American woman that prepared the most scrumptious lamb served in pita bread. Once a week, as a toddler, I faithfully watched a Lebanese - American woman as she graced the screen of my television: Marlo Thomas in That Girl on Detroit’s own ABC channel 7. (I wanted to be her and yes, I remember the sixties.) Her father, Danny Thomas, produced among other programs, a very iconic, very All-American classic: The Andy Griffith Show.

 

     I have Japanese-American sisters, a German born mother who obtained her citizenship before I was born, and had Mexican-American neighbors. My dad told me the history of traditionally African-American foods and although I am not African-American, those are my favorite foods. I can cook hot-wings and ribs and banana pudding - oh my!!! (In Detroit those dishes were called "soul food" but my family just called it Southern cooking.) I also enjoy making traditionally Mexican-American recipes such as tacos and fajitas. I make a great pico degallo also known as salsa fresca.

 

     Back to math, what is the common denominator in the nationalities I just mentioned above? "AMERICAN". When my family enjoyed all these wonderful friends, neighbors, relatives and their food, and by extension their cultures, we were not appropriating. We were appreciating. Somehow we all got along. Then about fifteen years ago, so-called do-gooders "doing good" came along and accused we-the-neighbors (AMERICANS) of culture appropriation. I guess divide and conquer is the mantra of their wrinkled souls. Please, for the sake of all that is Holy - DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!

 

     I choose to love, eat, pray and visit. If you do as well, ignore those that spew hate and divisiveness and just choose LOVE. Let's share a park bench, and a bagel sometime.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_numerals