On Being a Black Man
I&#x27;m glad to have read this. There&#x27;s one point I want to address:<p><i>It’s equally crazy how much more comfortable I feel around other Black people, or in other countries. I took a trip to Cuba for 2 weeks, and everyone there actually thought I was Cuban — which was surprising, but kind of awesome at the same time. I’ve never felt so accepted in my life.</i><p>I&#x27;m American and Jewish, though hardly religious. Judaism is a part of my identity, though not readily apparent unless I tell someone. I&#x27;ve been to Israel three times. I feel more comfortable there as a Jew, while at the same time less comfortable as a non-Israeli. It&#x27;s a hard feeling to explain.<p>I wonder if this feeling of fitting-in is just a fact of life when you&#x27;re a minority.<p>Please don&#x27;t get me wrong: I&#x27;m not at all saying that being Jewish in America is the same as being Black in America. I&#x27;m just saying, in some ways, I feel that the Jewish part of my identity gives me some insight into what it&#x27;s like to be a minority.<p>To add some levity to my comment: I&#x27;m surprised to learn that anyone could <i>hate</i> watermelon. It&#x27;s just not a strong enough flavor to be that offensive. Funnily enough, I used to not like it so much myself, but I kept giving it a try and now I think that cold watermelon on a hot summer day is hard to beat for a refreshing snack. I&#x27;m not sure why I ever disliked it. (I&#x27;ve similarly taught myself to like bananas, olives, and various other foods I used to dislike.)