CNBC Reporter: NYC Marathon Winner Not Really American, "He's Like a Ringer You Hire to Work a Couple Hours at Your Office"

Posted by Liliana Segura, AlterNet at 12:30 PM on November 3, 2009.

Look out, Pat Buchanan: Here comes Darren Rovell, CNBC sports reporter, and nativist extraordinaire!

Coming off of Pat's latest, "Traditional Americans Are Losing Their Country," Rovell is here to tell you that, no matter what the news media claim about that American runner who won the New York City Marathon last weekend -- the first in over 25 years! -- first place finisher Meb Keflezighi, is not, in fact, a real American.

Writing at ColorLines, blogger Jorge Rivas notes that Rovell has published a new column: "Marathon's Headline Win is Empty."

"It's a stunning headline: American Wins Men's NYC Marathon For First Time Since '82" Rovell writes, "Unfortunately, it's not as good as it sounds."

The man who won the marathon is Mebrahtom Keflezighi, who immigrated to the U.S. when he was 12, became a citizen and later trained in youth, college and professional level distant running programs. But from the moment Keflezighi won the marathon this past Sunday, the dispute erupted online: Should Keflezighi's win count as an American victory?

According to Rovell, the answer is a definitive "No."

Meb Keflezighi, who won yesterday in New York, is technically American by virtue of him becoming a citizen in 1998, but the fact that he's not American-born takes away from the magnitude of the achievement the headline implies …

Given our disappointing results, embracing Keflezighi is understandable. But Keflezighi's country of origin is Eritrea, a small country in Africa. He is an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country."

Got that, naturalized citizens? No matter how long you've been here, no matter how legal your status, never forget that this is not your country.

As Rivas points out, "Keflezighi did exactly what anti-immigrant reform activists say immigrants should do. He came to the U.S. twenty-two years ago legally as a refugee and became a 'naturalized' citizen a few years after. So even when immigrants of color enter the U.S. 'the legal way' they're still not welcome."

Or at least, not fully welcome. If the United States is a corporate workplace, in Rovell's mind, these people are sort of like the part time temps:

"Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league."

Emphasis mine.

I've watched the New York City Marathon for years; one of the best parts has been seeing the tremendous variety of people who participate, young, old, and from just about every country on the planet -- a true reflection of what New York, and, indeed, the United States, actually is. This year, the marathon passed two blocks from where I live; as the last runners trotted by, we laughed at the sight of a runner dressed as the Eiffel Tower -- I shudder to think what Rovell must've thought of that guy.

Memo to Rovell: The United States is a nation of immigrants. Get over it.

Go here to read about the "debate" sparked by Keflezighi's win in the New York Times.

Go here to read Rovell's column in all its xenophobic glory.

Liliana Segura is a staff writer and editor of AlterNet's Rights and Liberties and World Special Coverage.