(This was originally posted three years ago. It’s appropriate to repost it for the holiday.)
This is the full version of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
So what does King have to do with Route 66? Well, there’s this passage:
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” […] We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. […] We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: “For Whites Only.”
I occasionally long to time-travel back a few decades to see Route 66 during its heyday, to see its restaurants, motels and businesses. But I hold no desire to stay in that time of widespread racial discrimination.
Michael Wallis, author of “Route 66: The Mother Road,” alluded to this during a speech in 2003:
… [T]he late great Nat King Cole, the man with the velvet voice who helped immortalize this very highway by singing Bobby Troup’s “Get Your Kicks,” […] for way too long would not be able to check into even a modest tourist court or dine in a greasy spoon on the Mother Road or any other road in this country.
“As a boy, I saw the ‘No colored’ signs at gas stations on my Route 66 just as I did on the roads of the Deep South. I also saw signs in cafe windows declaring, ‘No dogs, No Indians,’ and only yards away a Native American craftsman sold his hand-fashioned art from the sidewalk. Black families traveling American’s byways packed their own food and often slept in their vehicles. They didn’t get their kicks on Route 66, or at least the kind of kicks I was getting as a youngster as a hitchhiking Marine. At highway stops such as the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma, during the ’30s and ’40s and ’50s and into the ’60s, black travelers went to the back door to get their food to go. None of them walked inside.
I’ve noticed that racism along Route 66 nowadays is more subtle and has evolved, targeting Asian-Americans who actually own motels along the road. One of the more snide comments heard is: “If you smell curry, leave in a hurry.”
I’m not the only one who has noticed this unwarranted bias. Wallis saw it, too, and urged Route 66 travelers to “choose the high road” instead.
“… [J]ust look around you. Just look at our highway today. Read the … signs on motels and other businesses proclaiming in great big letters “American Owned.” … Signs that serve no good purpose except to divide us and slap us in the face.
“… Remember the many, many reputable motel owners and operators from Indian, Pakistan, and Asia who are doing their dead-level best to provide service in their adopted homeland. Many of them are American citizens. Most are well-educated and hail from the state of Gujarat in India. Many of these have the surname Patel, as common a name in that state as Martinez is in New Mexico. […]
“So please, I ask you to make your decisions wisely. Mark Twain said, ‘Travel cures prejudice.’ That may be true, but still you have to consider your actions and the daily decisions you make as a traveler.
“You my good friends, my loved ones . . . strive to be all you can be. Take the high road whenever you can. Reject the ignorant and the ill informed. Turn your backs on the purveyors of hatred. Seek out the good in all people. Conform your actions to the good of all others. Release your righteous indignation. Admit when you’re wrong. Embrace your own humanity.
“Choose the high road. It takes strength and discipline to choose that path. Take a step in its direction — one step at a time, one day at a time.
“Make every single day your own masterpiece. Make wise choices but never be afraid of risk. Seek out the crooked paths, the roads of genius. Enjoy the journey.”
I was at the event where Michael gave that speech. It, as well as MLK’s great speech, will live on after all of us are gone.
If you ever find a place or person on the road that openly promotes racism please let us know. This road belongs to all of us no mater what your color, where your from or what languge you speak.
Could the Alliance make the removal of “American Owned” signs a condition of inclusion in publications, Web site recommendation lists, etc.?
Good idea! Lets take that a step further and make Rte 66 store fronts or attractions remove American flags from sight as to not offend foreign born travelers or other sensitive type persons. As we all know, our flag also represents white racism and white bigotry. A committe could be appointed by the Alliance to interogate, question and exclude business owners who are suspected of harbouring hateful or other pro-American sentiments.
WTF! I don’t get it.
Jim
Apparently AAA does get it. That’s because any motel that puts up “American Owned” signs is delisted by AAA.
Those signs are a tacit attempt to use bigotry to drum up business, plain and simple.
Its “plain and simple” to you, but not to me. I don’t see bigotry hiding behind every rock and tree, and I am not blind.
It sounds like AAA already has its “Un-American” activity squads or informants on the prowl judging and condeming small business owners they deem politically incorrect. This is great! Maybe they can set up a 1-800 hot line for citizens to turn in Pro-American businesses for discounts on AAA membership!
Seriously though Ron, as another person who enjoys traveling off the beaten path, don’t you look for local flavor or locally owned business? Would you go to a Smoothie KIng instead of Ted Drewes in STL? I mean if you were traveling in, let’s say France, would a sign advertising “French Owned” by offensive? Are store fronts in the US with no English on the sign offensive?
Most all Paki/Indian people I know have cook top vents routed to the outside in their own homes because of the strong odor of spices/curry used for cooking. The are aware that this is a somewhat unpleasant odor to many Americans.
I know this is a bit off Rte 66 topics and probably not the place for this rant.
Good job on this site,
Jim
These aren’t just assumptions behind AAA’s — and my — stance. The overwhelming number of these motels using “American Owned” signs were not doing it at all for patriotic reasons. They were using subtle racism to disparage their Asian-American competitors. In short, the users of “American Owned” signs were not appealing to the better angels of our nature.
And, as we’ve said in other Route 66 forums, we have no objection to any motel displaying an American flag on its premises.
And if you surmise that I don’t enjoy traveling off the beaten path, then you don’t know me or this blog very well.
Thanks for compliment.
The “American Owned” signs are not patriotic statements. Flying a flag is patriotic. Offering a discount to veterans is patriotic. Posting a sign that says “God bless America,” “Support our troops,” etc. is patriotic.
Advertising one’s pedigree in a thinly veiled attempt to reinforce a negative stereotype about the other guy is bigotry. Period.
Want to convince me that your rooms are clean? Put up a sign that says, “Room inspections invited.” Want to convince me that you’re patriotic? Fly a flag. A clean one, in good repair, with a light on it at night — not some tattered, filthy rag you ran up a pole in 2001 and promptly forgot about for the next eight and a half years. Better yet, offer me a discount on my room if I buy a poppy or make a donation to the Blue Star Mothers.
Want to convince me that you’re a bigot who panders to racist stereotypes? Put up a meaningless country-of-origin label on your business.
Last time I checked, “locally owned” meant that the people who own the business live in the community — not that they have never lived anywhere else. Living on the actual premises is about as local as it gets.
Surely no one would insinuate that the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino lacks “local flavor” simply because its owners were born in India. And surely no one would insinuate that Mr. and Mrs. Patel — who rescued the motel from the brink of oblivion, drove out the prostitutes and drug dealers, restored the rooms, restored the pool, and improved the whole neighborhood in the process — are somehow less worthy of our support than a natural-born American citizen operating a motel of equal or lesser quality.
Without Indian-born motel owners, Route 66 would have a lot less “local flavor” and a lot more Walgreens. More often than not, it’s the Indians who have kept us from paving paradise and putting up parking lots as fast as we can go. We ought to be thanking them. Instead, we’re going out of our way to demonize them — and we’re wrapping ourselves in the flag to do it.
If the Alliance wants my support, it will have to take a meaningful stand on this issue. It absolutely turns my stomach to hear people question my patriotism every time I suggest that xenophobia isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Emily,
My somewhat sarcastic reply to your post above was never intended to question yours or anyone elses patriotism. I don’t know you or Ron other than from reading this blog.
My concern and frustration is comes from how and who makes the judgement about when “American Owned” is displayed on a store front or motel is used to promote division and hatred. I have never seen this before, ( I have yet to make a trip on 66) but I have seen store fronts and signage that use no english or use foriegn flags as an advertisement. Being a free conutry, the owner has a right to do this and I have a right not to spend money in that business. I guess they don’t need me or my money.
To what standard is a small businesses on 66 going to be held to prove that they are not bigots? Is there a questionaire for they have to fill out? Do they have to sit through personal interviews by someone “who knows bigtory when they see it?” Suppose a foreign born business owner falsely accuses or complains to an Allinace to make a competitor look bad. Think it would not happen? If there is a store or motel that you all think are owned by bad people, then don’t go there. Bigotry may not be the same thing to different people.
Emily and Ron, small business/self employed get killed by gov regs and taxes as it is now (believe me, I know). We should make our voices heard by supporting business we like, not by pressuring orgs. Suppose they boycott/or label an American who is innocent? Yikes!
As far as people wrapping themselves in the flag, I’m with you there. Imagine, contractors (obviously native born) in my area with flag magnets plastered all over their trucks, and their whole crew is foreign born with US unemployment is in double digits. Ouch.
Jim
I’ve seen the American Owned label on motels across the country. Every time I’ve questioned the reason behind it, I’ve gotten a response that indicated the owner was trying to make it clear that s/he was not Indian.
It would not be difficult at all to determine whether a business was advertising itself in this manner. The Alliance would simply have to require the complainant to submit a photograph of the offending signage. If the board of directors (a highly intelligent group of individuals, BTW) suspected the image was forged, they would simply send a trustworthy roadie to check it out.
Organizations are under no obligation to give anybody free publicity. They do so out of a desire to promote the road. Stipulating that motel owners simply refrain from advertising in a racist manner does not seem unreasonable to me. Business owners make decisions about advertising methods every day. This would simply require them to make a value judgment: “Will I gain more customers with an American Owned sign, or with inclusion in this guide/Web site/etc. produced by the Alliance?”
They would then make their decision based on which approach they felt would draw the most customers.
Thanks Emily,
The way you explain that sounds very reasonable and makes sense. It’s the people who would be passing judgement on business owners that concern me. Highly intelligent people do not always make highly intelligent decisions and often have their own bias against the less educated, lower income, conservative/liberal, whatever… It’s human nature.
But consider this, if a business owner who feels wronged or wants to make an issue out of this, he/she could likely do great damage to any Alliance passing a judgement on their business. Imagine a media outlet picking up a story on a traveling org that bans business that advertise as “American Owned.” Could be a PR nightmare and make bad people look like heros or victims. I can see this as a lawsuit in the making. IMO, if certain people along 66 are really rotten, just ignore them.
Anyway, thanks for yours and Ron’s responses. I enjoyed the discussion with you both.
Thanks,
Jim
Such a lawsuit would be thrown out of court in a heartbeat. The National Historic Route 66 Federation has published its biennial Dining and Lodging Guide for over a decade. Businesses are listed more or less at the whim of the volunteers who collect the information. We are asked to go into restaurants and motels (no set number — just as many as we have time to do) and inspect the rooms, sample the food, etc. We collect basic directory information and then give the business a rating from “fair” to “exceptional.” If a business is not even considered “fair,” it is left off the list. If a volunteer doesn’t have time to inspect a business, it is left off the list. If a volunteer feels the business should not be recommended to travelers for whatever reason, it is left off the list. An organization is under no obligation to recommend a business it deems unworthy. (Indeed, such a requirement would render a guidebook worthless to travelers.)
The notion of “fair comment and criticism” protects organizations and individuals from frivolous lawsuits of the type you describe. How do reviewers get away with eviscerating movies, music, or even businesses every day? Fair comment and criticism. When you open a business, you are putting yourself out there for the public to judge.
If the Alliance discriminated against motel owners for *being* American, someone might have a case. But refusing to list motels with a certain type of *signage*? Allowing a lawsuit against the Alliance for having such a policy would open up a nasty can of worms, as it would allow a notorious polluter to sue an environmental organization for excluding him from a green directory or an atheist to sue whoever publishes those “Shepherd’s Directory” listings of Christian-owned businesses. Mobil and AAA would be sued over their rating systems, PETA would be sued over its “Compassionate Shopper” guides (which list companies that refrain from testing their products on animals), and I would be sued over Route66motels.com, which for eight years has excluded businesses with “American Owned” signs — a policy I state very clearly on the site.
Requiring organizations to recommend businesses they deem unworthy — regardless of the reason — defeats the purpose of recommendations.
News articles are expected to be objective. Reviews and editorials are not.
Trust me: The Alliance would be in no danger of litigation if it took a stand on this issue. A few people might get mad and refuse to support it, but I’m sure it could get along fine without them.
If you will reread my original comment, you will see that I am advocating that the Alliance do exactly as you suggest: “Just ignore” the businesses that wrap racism in a shroud of false patriotism. Don’t list them in guidebooks or on Web sites. Just treat them as if they don’t exist. If they want the free publicity, they’ll conform to the requirements for getting the free publicity. If they don’t, they can continue to be ignored for as long as they like.
This doesn’t require the ability to make an extremely nuanced value judgment. We’re talking about asking a representative of the organization to read a sign and tell us whether it says “American Owned” or not.