This may be news; some report worthy of attention. Or not. But let’s take note, anyway.
The news at hand: Hansen Hashem CLarke, the son of a Sylheti man and African American woman has been elected from the 13th Congressional District in Michigan. An accomplished politico, he served as Chief of Staff to noted Michigan Congressman John Conyers and served in his own capacity as a House memnber and Senator in the Michigan State Legislature.
Along with Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP from the East London constituency of Bethnal and Green, this marks the second time a person of noted Bengali descent has been directly elected to the most important legislature in Great Britain and the United States, respectively. But in Congressman-elect Clarke’s case, this may prove small victory: his father died when he was young and his mother raised him.
The import of the news: No major media American media outlet has reported on this election. However the Daily Star put up a front page piece announcing the victory in a manner that telegraphs pride, national, cultural. Perhaps it is significant that the American media have not taken note of Mr. Clarke’s victory or his heritage. Perhaps, quite apart from Mr. Clarke’s own identity as a American and only that, national and cultural bearings have little currency outside of in-migration states like New York and New Jersey and border states like Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Perhaps to the American media Mr. Hansen Clarke is not quite Hansem Hashem Clarke.
But to the Bangladeshi media, he is Hashem Clarke. Interesting distinction-would you not say?
