After reading the Bicentennial Man, I was taken back at the racism presented in the story towards Andrew. While he doesn’t have the same biological make-up that humans do, he still possesses intellect, creative skill, and emotion. He even was a well respected inventor and honored scientist for his work in robobiology. Yet, besides the support from George, Paul and Little Miss, Andrew struggles to reach his goal of becoming a human in the eyes of the law, a process that takes 200 years to complete. It’s only when Andrew receives surgery to his positronic brain that forces him to die on his 200th birthday does the court and society agree to grant him citizenship and being deemed a human. Simply because he wasn’t made of cells like we humans are, Andrew was considered a lesser members of society by the government and the people. This novelette resonates currently with the social issues of today, particularly with the election of Donald Trump to the presidential office. After banning citizens from 7 countries and constantly bringing up the idea of building a wall, he has created a distinction in our social hierarchy, deeming some individuals and groups of individual unfit to enter our country simply because of differences in skin tones and culture. Just as Andrew was thought of us lesser than humans, minority groups in the US and around the world are being shunned and discriminated against for cultural practices and the destructive work of a few bad apples. The protest this morning, February 17, as well as the walk out a few weeks ago, makes me very proud of our campus and community. It’s inspiring to see students, professors, and faculty alike coming together to protest the events that have taken place in the past months as well try to think of solutions to make our school and nation a more welcoming place. It’s frightening to think that many international students from the 7 banned countries fear going home and not being allowed to return and receive an education. Students from this school probably are in a similar position, and I couldn’t imagine the stress and fear I’d being feeling in these times.
These events and the Bicentennial Man remind me of a short story I read in an English literature class last semester titled “The Appropriation of Cultures.” In the story set in the late1900s, an African American man named Daniel buys a truck with a confederate flag on the rear window. Initially, his town and community members—white and black alike—were shocked at his display of the flag, often questioning his intentions. However, Daniel sees the flag as a symbol of African American pride, and soon, the entire African American community adopts his use of the flag, displaying it on cars, at universities, and at their homes. And eventually, the symbol loses its hate, racist connotation and becomes a symbol for African Americans to rally behind, a transition that promotes the South Carolina government to finally lower the Confederate flag from their capital building. In the Bicentennial Man, Andrew embraces his role as a robot, reading literature and inventing in order to become a member of society. His desire to be human was driven by a goal of being included in society, just as the confederate flag dissipated some racial tensions and caused a more equal balance in society in “The Appropriation of Cultures.” In today’s hectic world, we need to rally together and symbolize our disgust and anger at the actions that have occurred in our country. The protest have brought us together to find solutions to make society equal for all and to have the interest of each and every human at mind when making decisions.