On Air: 'The Sheik'

I found this piece very interesting and such a sound commentary on much ingrained racism. The Sheik had to turn out to be adopted for the outcome of his love for a white womyn, or more importantly, her love for him, to be acceptable.

I was also struck by by Shaheen's comment about it taking decades for it to be okay for a middle eastern man to love an american womyn. I so often hear criticism of people of color who say that they can't identify 'only' as american because that is a term that isn't really about them. That 'american' means white american and Shaheen's comment reflected this. There was no doubt when he talked about a middle eastern man loving an american that he meant european-american womyn -- a white womyn.

So, if everyone was clear on that, then it speaks so loudly as to why people of color know that they are not included in 'american' and feel that their identity as asian-american, african-american, latina/latino, etc. makes them much more visible.

Sent by Dr. Patricia E. Robertson | 9:32 AM | 2-4-2008

Great story! What a wonderful glimpse of the past. Though we as westerners were about as culturally incorrect as you could get at the time, The Sheik was a great humanizing story of adventure, lust, love and coming to understandings with other cultures. It could never be made today. Luckily, it doesn't have to be. We should count our selves fortunate and go rent it tonight.

Sent by Matt Barnes | 10:29 AM | 2-4-2008

With all due respect, I must disagree with Dr. Robertson. Women or man, black or white, red or yellow, it is divisive to those who choose to make it so. I am always a saddened when an individual is singled out by ethnicity or gender, for plaudits or for ill. We are all just people.

There was a time when just about every ethnicity was the low man on the totem pole, but I like to think that we can move beyond that. I think that even though The Sheik had to bow to the "Oh! He's really a European!" line at the end, and had the heroine in the movie soften to her captor, it was still a major step forward for the time. To make it stand next to the ideals of today isn't really fair at all.

As for "belonging" as an American, that's a choice that every individual need to make for them selves. Life isn't fair and some have it much harder than others. Many will fail, but not all and by their achievement they bring their ethnicity into the mainstream, and to the benefit of us all. I am not an Abenakii-Sicilian-BlackFoot-French-Irish-American. I'm an American of diverse heritage who is proud of all his ancestors. We can all be that. Just be proud of where you are now as well let the anger go.

Sent by Matt Barnes | 11:34 AM | 2-4-2008

It's also interesting to note that the novel, first published in Britain, provided a romantic and sexual image to a generation of women who would know neither relationship since World War I decimated the men who would have been lovers and husbands.

Sent by Sue Rice | 3:26 PM | 2-4-2008

I must say, this brought back memories. While I've only seen the Valentino movie in bits and pieces, I did have the questionable fortune to find the novel in the Berkeley, CA library stacks when I was about 15. It was the first time I actually "tingled", and that's something no female ever forgets!
Thanks Rudolph!

Sent by Vicki Chism | 11:42 PM | 2-4-2008

The dialogue between Dr. Robertson and Mr. Barnes demonstrates why race remains such a powerful political force in America ...

"White" simply means majority, and the definition of "white" has expanded to include those formerly excluded, including Southern Europeans, Eastern Europeans and Jews. None of these people would have been considered "white" one-hundred years ago but have been gradually welcomed into the favored majority as a reaction against more foreign and foreign-looking immigrants.

The inertia of racism and xenophobia continues with the offensive and infantile notion of "white" and the categories distinct from white, collectively known as "people of color" -- all nothing more than euphemisms for "other".

Sent by John Brown | 7:06 PM | 2-6-2008