Why race matters... and why it shouldn't.

The Obama victory demonstrates that race should not be a barrier. Voters chose him for his steady hand during the electoral process, his measured and intelligent response to important issues, and his brilliant tactical mind in this Presidential race. The Obama win demonstrates that race is not a relevant factor to base important issues on.

Still, race can be symbolic of so much. In areas of power, the racial topography does not reflect the diversity that makes North America so strong. When a man of colour can reach the highest post in the world, it sends out a message that the glass is not half-empty, but it is half-full and waiting to be further filled.

In a city as diverse as Toronto, it can seem odd to be struck by Obama's victory. However, in the back of my mind, there was always a glass ceiling that could not be broken. Maybe it was a pessimism from what I remember: school yard taunts of Chink and squinty eyes and pained smiles at being asked where I was born when my white friends wouldn't be and the automatic assumption that your English may not be as strong because of your skin colour. These are the fears I have. Maybe it's why I've spent my years building a sense of humour--so I can laugh with people instead of being laughed at--and travelling the world--so I can be less defined by my race, but instead as a man of the world--and working so hard to be as literate as possible--so my English is never questioned. These are the fears that I have.

I recently had someone say to me that until I had mentioned it, he didn't even realize that I was Asian. I was taken aback, because every day I look in the mirror and I see it. There was a subtle pleasure at having transcended a specific race; I also felt ashamed. As another great man of colour noted: We have to be the change we want to see. My first step will be to let go of the fear that I have clung to. I was stuck, trying too hard to guard a line in the sand, afraid it would get moved back. Instead, I should have realized that true progress can only happen when you believe that line can't be moved back--and then you forge forward. Obama's victory is a victory for everyone.

The Obama victory was one of inclusion and acceptance, not division and ostracism. It is a momentous step that will lead to more. There's no guarantee that the path will become easy. There are still battles, big and small, to be waged daily. Still, we have seen with our very eyes how change can happen and how deeply it can touch people when it does. We can tell our chidren that they can all excel as far as they can see and believe that race should matter only because it demonstrates our ability to join together, to work past differences, to learn from each other.

Yes, we can.