With 11 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and a sold-out theater until 2017, it is undeniable Hamilton has taken the nation by storm. If you haven’t heard much about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, you’re probably wondering, “What’s so great about "Hamilton"?”
Well, let me tell you...
"Hamilton" follows the life of an orphaned immigrant — Alexander Hamilton — as he moves to New York City, joins the Revolution, and becomes the first Treasurer of the United States of America.
Still sound like a bland history lesson?
What if I told you the entire story expressed through modern hip-hop and rap, “cabinet meetings” transform into “rap battles,” and Miranda merges 18th century history with 21st century issues like racial discrimination and immigration?
From the very beginning, Miranda knew if he wanted to make "Hamilton" a hit, he would need to make it relatable to all Americans. So he decided he didn’t want to cast the founding fathers traditionally (as the white men with gray wigs we see every time we open our wallets); instead, he chose casting them as people of color, in order to better fully representing "America Now".
In 2016, the minority-majority is a very real concept in America. In fact, according to NPR, minorities will make up the majority of U.S children by 2020. However, almost all of these minority groups remain under-represented in the media. Needless to say, it was a refreshing change of speed to see "Hamilton's" racially diverse cast in a time when white-washing is such a prominent issue in Hollywood and on Broadway.
People all across America praise "Hamilton" for it's colorblind casting and its emphasis on the idea that history belongs to everyone — regardless of skin color or country of origin. In fact, very little serious criticism of "Hamilton" exists. As a whole, Americans agree that all people deserve representation in society, and no one should be excluded from the history books (at least in theory).
In reality, however, our actions do not support this idea.
Perhaps the best example of this hypocrisy is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. How can we so adamantly support a musical highlighting racial diversity, while simultaneously supporting a presidential candidate who proved himself a racist, xenophobic bigot? Donald Trump has conflated the word 'terrorist' with the entire Islamic religion and has made claims suggesting that Muslims should not be permitted to live in the United States. Donald Trump has called Mexican immigrants "rapists", and he promotes building a wall keeping immigrants out rather than embracing the positive contributions that they have on our economy. Yet, many Americans still passionately support him.
How is it we watch a musical like "Hamilton," so obviously focused on the positive impact immigrants have on society, and then continue supporting a presidential candidate like Donald Trump who stands for the exact opposite ideals?
How can we support a musical that spotlights people of color, while continuing to reamin silence about police brutality against black people?
The answer: we can't.
If we want positive change in America, we must stop talking about the problems in our society, and start taking action against injustice. We must stop talking about building walls, and begin building bridges. Only then will we see our ideals become our reality; only then will we see racial and ethnic equality in America.
