jmcgready’s misc universe

Penn Indy Online - An Open Letter to Aileen Kyung Kim

Written by Peter Ostrovski

Thursday, 30 March 2006

My Dearest Aileen…

I have a confession to make, and I’m sorry that this is the way I have to go about it;
I know the news will be highly disheartening to you, but I feel that it must be done.
My heart just won’t let me hold back the truth from you any longer.

I’m white, Aileen.
Not like Jason Kidd or Mariah Carey. I’m actually, legitimately white.

I imagine this revelation has caused some palpable distress to come over your angelic face. You could never have imagined this possibility to manifest itself, but sadly, it has. You should have noticed the hints, Aileen.
Everyone else saw it coming; why couldn’t you?

You invited me to the Wharton Latino Career Conference, but I didn’t come.
You invited me to the Minority Internship Panel
and the Minority Internship Fair, but I didn’t come.
You invited me to an Info Session for students of color,
but still I did not come.
You even told me of an internship opportunity for Iranian-Americans.
I didn’t even know those existed! The point remains though: I did not come.

I have to ask, Aileen: what amalgamation of races did you think I was all this time?
Might it have crossed your mind that I was just white,
like the vast majority (65 percent) of last year’s incoming class?