Shortly after two American boys whose families come from India were declared co-champions of the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 29, racist comments were made on talk radio and on social media, the Times of India reports.
Comments saying only “Americans” should participate in the Spelling Bee were common in the hours after the victory.
But racism aside, Sriram Hathwar, 14, and Ansun Sujoe, 13, made history by winning the most American of academic competitions. Their victory, which came after a final list of 25 words was nearly exhausted, marked the first time in 52 years that two participants have won the contest.
Americans of Indian descent are on a streak at Scripps: Starting with Sameer Mishra, who won in 2008, Indian-American students have successfully reached the pinnacle for seven consecutive years.
Congratulations, Sriram and Ansun! Thanks for another dramatic finish as we showed some of our nation’s most uneducated people on ESPN that some of us do care about education, working hard, and learning.
And just remember: All these people who say you aren’t American, sometime a few years from now, when you need to grab a quick Shamrock shake, they’re going to be asking you if you want fries with that.