TED2015
Anand Giridharadas: A tale of two Americas. And the mini-mart where they collided
Filmed:
Readability: 4.5
1,715,860 views
Ten days after 9/11, a shocking attack at a Texas mini-mart shattered the lives of two men: the victim and the attacker. In this stunning talk, Anand Giridharadas, author of "The True American," tells the story of what happened next. It's a parable about the two paths an American life can take, and a powerful call for reconciliation.
Anand Giridharadas - Writer
Anand Giridharadas writes about people and cultures caught amid the great forces of our time. Full bio
Anand Giridharadas writes about people and cultures caught amid the great forces of our time. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
"Where are you from?"
said the pale, tattooed man.
said the pale, tattooed man.
0
884
5459
00:19
"Where are you from?"
1
7583
3520
00:24
It's September 21, 2001,
2
12453
3040
00:28
10 days after the worst attack
on America since World War II.
on America since World War II.
3
16533
5082
00:34
Everyone wonders about the next plane.
4
22715
4225
00:38
People are looking for scapegoats.
5
26940
2742
00:42
The president,
the night before, pledges to
the night before, pledges to
6
30762
3728
00:46
"bring our enemies to justice
or bring justice to our enemies."
or bring justice to our enemies."
7
34490
5254
00:52
And in the Dallas mini-mart,
8
40934
5559
00:58
a Dallas mini-part surrounded
by tire shops and strip joints
by tire shops and strip joints
9
46493
5773
01:04
a Bangladeshi immigrant
works the register.
works the register.
10
52266
4007
01:08
Back home, Raisuddin Bhuiyan
was a big man, an Air Force officer.
was a big man, an Air Force officer.
11
56273
7042
01:15
But he dreamed of a
fresh start in America.
fresh start in America.
12
63315
3604
01:18
If he had to work briefly in a mini-mart
to save up for I.T. classes
to save up for I.T. classes
13
66919
5298
01:24
and his wedding in two months, so be it.
14
72217
2588
01:27
Then, on September 21,
that tattooed man enters the mart.
that tattooed man enters the mart.
15
75605
5180
01:32
He holds a shotgun.
16
80785
2261
01:36
Raisuddin knows the drill:
17
84496
1663
01:38
puts cash on the counter.
18
86159
2669
01:42
This time, the man doesn't
touch the money.
touch the money.
19
90058
4461
01:46
"Where are you from?" he asks.
20
94519
4471
01:50
"Excuse me?" Raisuddin answers.
21
98990
5202
01:56
His accent betrays him.
22
104192
4125
02:00
The tattooed man, a self-styled
true American vigilante,
true American vigilante,
23
108317
5017
02:05
shoots Raisuddin in revenge for 9/11.
24
113334
4749
02:10
Raisuddin feels millions of bees
stinging his face.
stinging his face.
25
118083
4649
02:15
In fact, dozens of scalding,
birdshot pellets puncture his head.
birdshot pellets puncture his head.
26
123982
6297
02:22
Behind the counter, he lays in blood.
27
130279
3580
02:25
He cups a hand over his forehead
to keep in the brains
to keep in the brains
28
133859
4491
02:30
on which he'd gambled everything.
29
138350
2778
02:34
He recites verses from the Koran,
begging his God to live.
begging his God to live.
30
142298
6559
02:40
He senses he is dying.
31
148857
4315
02:45
He didn't die.
32
153172
2518
02:47
His right eye left him.
33
155690
3316
02:51
His fiancée left him.
34
159006
3585
02:54
His landlord, the mini-mart owner,
kicked him out.
kicked him out.
35
162591
4100
02:58
Soon he was homeless and
60,000 dollars in medical debt,
60,000 dollars in medical debt,
36
166691
5313
03:04
including a fee for dialing
for an ambulance.
for an ambulance.
37
172004
4202
03:09
But Raisuddin lived.
38
177996
2462
03:12
And years later, he would ask
what he could do to repay his God
what he could do to repay his God
39
180458
5995
03:18
and become worthy of this second chance.
40
186453
2759
03:21
He would come to believe, in fact,
41
189792
2091
03:23
that this chance called for him
to give a second chance
to give a second chance
42
191883
5728
03:29
to a man we might think
deserved no chance at all.
deserved no chance at all.
43
197611
4573
03:35
Twelve years ago, I was a fresh graduate
seeking my way in the world.
seeking my way in the world.
44
203544
6088
03:41
Born in Ohio to Indian immigrants,
45
209632
2500
03:44
I settled on the ultimate rebellion
against my parents,
against my parents,
46
212132
3267
03:47
moving to the country they had worked
so damn hard to get out of.
so damn hard to get out of.
47
215399
5030
03:52
What I thought might be a six-month stint
in Mumbai stretched to six years.
in Mumbai stretched to six years.
48
220429
5591
03:58
I became a writer and found myself
amid a magical story:
amid a magical story:
49
226020
4645
04:02
the awakening of hope across much
of the so-called Third World.
of the so-called Third World.
50
230665
4517
04:07
Six years ago, I returned to America
and realized something:
and realized something:
51
235182
5056
04:12
The American Dream was thriving,
52
240238
3064
04:15
but only in India.
53
243302
3523
04:18
In America, not so much.
54
246825
3445
04:22
In fact, I observed that
America was fracturing
America was fracturing
55
250270
3823
04:26
into two distinct societies:
56
254093
2234
04:28
a republic of dreams
and a republic of fears.
and a republic of fears.
57
256327
4639
04:32
And then, I stumbled onto this
incredible tale of two lives
incredible tale of two lives
58
260966
3351
04:36
and of these two Americas that brutally
collided in that Dallas mini-mart.
collided in that Dallas mini-mart.
59
264317
7323
04:43
I knew at once I wanted to learn more,
60
271640
2401
04:46
and eventually that I would write
a book about them,
a book about them,
61
274041
2771
04:48
for their story was the story
of America's fracturing
of America's fracturing
62
276812
3882
04:52
and of how it might be put back together.
63
280694
5586
04:58
After he was shot, Raisuddin's life
grew no easier.
grew no easier.
64
286280
3980
05:02
The day after admitting him,
the hospital discharged him.
the hospital discharged him.
65
290260
4700
05:06
His right eye couldn't see.
66
294960
1978
05:08
He couldn't speak.
67
296938
1608
05:10
Metal peppered his face.
68
298546
3119
05:13
But he had no insurance,
so they bounced him.
so they bounced him.
69
301665
4181
05:17
His family in Bangladesh
begged him, "Come home."
begged him, "Come home."
70
305846
4124
05:23
But he told them he had
a dream to see about.
a dream to see about.
71
311070
3158
05:27
He found telemarketing work,
72
315148
2551
05:29
then he became an Olive Garden waiter,
73
317699
3275
05:32
because where better to get over his fear
of white people than the Olive Garden?
of white people than the Olive Garden?
74
320974
4120
05:37
(Laughter)
75
325094
3340
05:40
Now, as a devout Muslim,
he refused alcohol,
he refused alcohol,
76
328434
4557
05:44
didn't touch the stuff.
77
332991
2197
05:47
Then he learned that not selling it
would slash his pay.
would slash his pay.
78
335188
5027
05:52
So he reasoned, like a budding
American pragmatist,
American pragmatist,
79
340215
3791
05:56
"Well, God wouldn't want me
to starve, would he?"
to starve, would he?"
80
344006
4132
06:00
And before long, in some months,
Raisuddin was that Olive Garden's
Raisuddin was that Olive Garden's
81
348138
3268
06:03
highest grossing alcohol pusher.
82
351406
4071
06:07
He found a man who taught him
database administration.
database administration.
83
355477
3887
06:11
He got part-time I.T. gigs.
84
359364
2122
06:13
Eventually, he landed a six-figure job
at a blue chip tech company in Dallas.
at a blue chip tech company in Dallas.
85
361486
5232
06:20
But as America began
to work for Raisuddin,
to work for Raisuddin,
86
368048
4768
06:24
he avoided the classic
error of the fortunate:
error of the fortunate:
87
372816
4037
06:28
assuming you're the rule,
not the exception.
not the exception.
88
376853
3924
06:32
In fact, he observed that many with
the fortune of being born American
the fortune of being born American
89
380777
5799
06:38
were nonetheless trapped in lives that
made second chances like his impossible.
made second chances like his impossible.
90
386576
6722
06:45
He saw it at the Olive Garden itself,
91
393298
3431
06:48
where so many of his colleagues had
childhood horror stories
childhood horror stories
92
396729
3510
06:52
of family dysfunction, chaos,
addiction, crime.
addiction, crime.
93
400239
4717
06:56
He'd heard a similar tale about
the man who shot him
the man who shot him
94
404956
4451
07:01
back when he attended his trial.
95
409407
2652
07:04
The closer Raisuddin got to the America
he had coveted from afar,
he had coveted from afar,
96
412059
5730
07:09
the more he realized there was
another, equally real, America
another, equally real, America
97
417789
4184
07:13
that was stingier with second chances.
98
421973
4322
07:19
The man who shot Raisuddin grew up
in that stingier America.
in that stingier America.
99
427595
6295
07:25
From a distance, Mark Stroman
was always the spark of parties,
was always the spark of parties,
100
433890
5090
07:30
always making girls feel pretty.
101
438980
3563
07:34
Always working, no matter what
drugs or fights he'd had the night before.
drugs or fights he'd had the night before.
102
442543
4596
07:39
But he'd always wrestled with demons.
103
447139
4105
07:43
He entered the world through
the three gateways
the three gateways
104
451244
2505
07:45
that doom so many young American men:
105
453749
2722
07:48
bad parents, bad schools, bad prisons.
106
456471
4869
07:53
His mother told him, regretfully, as a boy
107
461340
3531
07:56
that she'd been just 50 dollars
short of aborting him.
short of aborting him.
108
464871
5343
08:02
Sometimes, that little boy
would be at school,
would be at school,
109
470214
5864
08:08
he'd suddenly pull a knife
on his fellow classmates.
on his fellow classmates.
110
476078
4501
08:12
Sometimes that same little boy
would be at his grandparents',
would be at his grandparents',
111
480579
3608
08:16
tenderly feeding horses.
112
484187
2747
08:18
He was getting arrested before he shaved,
113
486934
2445
08:21
first juvenile, then prison.
114
489379
2426
08:23
He became a casual white supremacist
115
491805
3139
08:26
and, like so many around him,
a drug-addled and absent father.
a drug-addled and absent father.
116
494944
5712
08:32
And then, before long,
he found himself on death row,
he found himself on death row,
117
500656
4908
08:37
for in his 2001 counter-jihad,
he had shot not one mini-mart clerk,
he had shot not one mini-mart clerk,
118
505564
6124
08:43
but three.
119
511688
1908
08:45
Only Raisuddin survived.
120
513596
2288
08:48
Strangely, death row was
the first institution
the first institution
121
516944
4864
08:53
that left Stroman better.
122
521808
3533
08:57
His old influences quit him.
123
525341
2228
08:59
The people entering his life
were virtuous and caring:
were virtuous and caring:
124
527569
3656
09:03
pastors, journalists, European pen-pals.
125
531225
4764
09:07
They listened to him, prayed with him,
helped him question himself.
helped him question himself.
126
535989
6293
09:14
And sent him on a journey
of introspection and betterment.
of introspection and betterment.
127
542282
5146
09:19
He finally faced the hatred
that had defined his life.
that had defined his life.
128
547428
4934
09:24
He read Viktor Frankl,
the Holocaust survivor
the Holocaust survivor
129
552362
2891
09:27
and regretted his swastika tattoos.
130
555253
3380
09:30
He found God.
131
558633
2292
09:32
Then one day in 2011,
10 years after his crimes,
10 years after his crimes,
132
560925
4227
09:37
Stroman received news.
133
565152
2439
09:39
One of the men he'd shot, the survivor,
was fighting to save his life.
was fighting to save his life.
134
567591
7793
09:47
You see, late in 2009,
eight years after that shooting,
eight years after that shooting,
135
575384
5789
09:53
Raisuddin had gone on his own journey,
a pilgrimage to Mecca.
a pilgrimage to Mecca.
136
581173
6023
09:59
Amid its crowds,
he felt immense gratitude,
he felt immense gratitude,
137
587196
4254
10:03
but also duty.
138
591450
1795
10:05
He recalled promising God,
as he lay dying in 2001,
as he lay dying in 2001,
139
593245
3789
10:09
that if he lived, he would serve
humanity all his days.
humanity all his days.
140
597034
5200
10:14
Then, he'd gotten busy
relaying the bricks of a life.
relaying the bricks of a life.
141
602234
5295
10:19
Now it was time to pay his debts.
142
607529
3383
10:23
And he decided, upon reflection,
that his method of payment
that his method of payment
143
611982
3890
10:27
would be an intervention
in the cycle of vengeance
in the cycle of vengeance
144
615872
3263
10:31
between the Muslim and Western worlds.
145
619135
2859
10:33
And how would he intervene?
146
621994
2695
10:36
By forgiving Stroman publicly
in the name of Islam
in the name of Islam
147
624689
4302
10:40
and its doctrine of mercy.
148
628991
1740
10:42
And then suing the state of Texas
and its governor Rick Perry
and its governor Rick Perry
149
630731
6561
10:49
to prevent them from executing Stroman,
150
637292
3705
10:52
exactly like most people
shot in the face do.
shot in the face do.
151
640997
3114
10:56
(Laughter)
152
644111
2364
10:58
Yet Raisuddin's mercy was inspired
not only by faith.
not only by faith.
153
646475
7226
11:05
A newly minted American citizen,
he had come to believe that Stroman
he had come to believe that Stroman
154
653701
6058
11:11
was the product of a hurting America that
couldn't just be lethally injected away.
couldn't just be lethally injected away.
155
659759
6980
11:18
That insight is what moved me
to write my book "The True American."
to write my book "The True American."
156
666739
4465
11:23
This immigrant begging America
to be as merciful to a native son
to be as merciful to a native son
157
671204
4647
11:27
as it had been to an adopted one.
158
675851
3757
11:32
In the mini-mart, all those years earlier,
159
680768
2853
11:35
not just two men,
but two Americas collided.
but two Americas collided.
160
683621
4426
11:40
An America that still dreams,
still strives,
still strives,
161
688047
2921
11:42
still imagines that tomorrow
can build on today,
can build on today,
162
690968
4079
11:47
and an America that has resigned to fate,
163
695047
3099
11:50
buckled under stress and chaos,
lowered expectations,
lowered expectations,
164
698146
3134
11:53
an ducked into the oldest of refuges:
165
701280
3138
11:56
the tribal fellowship of one's
own narrow kind.
own narrow kind.
166
704418
3800
12:00
And it was Raisuddin, despite
being a newcomer,
being a newcomer,
167
708218
2670
12:02
despite being attacked,
168
710888
1327
12:04
despite being homeless and traumatized,
169
712215
2873
12:07
who belonged to that republic of dreams
170
715088
3404
12:10
and Stroman who belonged to that
other wounded country,
other wounded country,
171
718492
4611
12:15
despite being born with the privilege
of a native white man.
of a native white man.
172
723103
5315
12:20
I realized these men's stories formed
an urgent parable about America.
an urgent parable about America.
173
728418
6286
12:26
The country I am so proud to call my own
174
734704
4019
12:30
wasn't living through a
generalized decline
generalized decline
175
738723
3866
12:34
as seen in Spain or Greece,
where prospects were dimming for everyone.
where prospects were dimming for everyone.
176
742589
7094
12:41
America is simultaneously the most
and the least successful country
and the least successful country
177
749683
4997
12:46
in the industrialized world.
178
754680
2347
12:49
Launching the world's best companies,
179
757027
2544
12:51
even as record numbers
of children go hungry.
of children go hungry.
180
759571
3399
12:54
Seeing life-expectancy drop
for large groups,
for large groups,
181
762970
4155
12:59
even as it polishes
the world's best hospitals.
the world's best hospitals.
182
767125
3706
13:02
America today is a sprightly young body,
183
770831
4303
13:07
hit by one of those strokes
that sucks the life from one side,
that sucks the life from one side,
184
775134
5818
13:12
while leaving the other
worryingly perfect.
worryingly perfect.
185
780952
3488
13:17
On July 20, 2011, right after
a sobbing Raisuddin
a sobbing Raisuddin
186
785430
6626
13:24
testified in defense of Stroman's life,
187
792056
2299
13:26
Stroman was killed by lethal injection
by the state he so loved.
by the state he so loved.
188
794355
6324
13:32
Hours earlier, when Raisuddin still
thought he could still save Stroman,
thought he could still save Stroman,
189
800679
4553
13:37
the two men got to speak
for the second time ever.
for the second time ever.
190
805232
2968
13:40
Here is an excerpt from their phone call.
191
808200
3392
13:43
Raisuddin: "Mark, you should know
that I am praying for God,
that I am praying for God,
192
811592
5858
13:49
the most compassionate and gracious.
193
817450
3043
13:52
I forgive you and I do not hate you.
194
820493
2468
13:54
I never hated you."
195
822961
2991
13:57
Stroman: "You are a remarkable person.
196
825952
4444
14:02
Thank you from my heart.
197
830396
2117
14:04
I love you, bro."
198
832513
2887
14:07
Even more amazingly, after the execution,
199
835400
3918
14:11
Raisuddin reached out to Stroman's
eldest daughter, Amber,
eldest daughter, Amber,
200
839318
4212
14:15
an ex-convinct and an addict.
201
843530
2743
14:18
and offered his help.
202
846273
1787
14:20
"You may have lost a father,"
he told her,
he told her,
203
848060
2998
14:23
"but you've gained an uncle."
204
851058
3542
14:26
He wanted her, too, to have
a second chance.
a second chance.
205
854600
5883
14:32
If human history were a parade,
206
860483
5135
14:37
America's float would be
a neon shrine to second chances.
a neon shrine to second chances.
207
865618
6707
14:44
But America, generous with second chances
to the children of other lands,
to the children of other lands,
208
872325
5700
14:50
today grows miserly with first chances
to the children of its own.
to the children of its own.
209
878025
6216
14:56
America still dazzles at allowing
anybody to become an American.
anybody to become an American.
210
884241
4927
15:01
But it is losing its luster at allowing
every American to become a somebody.
every American to become a somebody.
211
889168
6643
15:07
Over the last decade, seven million
foreigners gained American citizenship.
foreigners gained American citizenship.
212
895811
4772
15:12
Remarkable.
213
900583
2024
15:14
In the meanwhile, how many Americans
gained a place in the middle class?
gained a place in the middle class?
214
902607
5305
15:19
Actually, the net influx was negative.
215
907912
3770
15:23
Go back further,
and it's even more striking:
and it's even more striking:
216
911682
2299
15:25
Since the 60s, the middle class
has shrunk by 20 percent,
has shrunk by 20 percent,
217
913981
5231
15:31
mainly because of the people
tumbling out of it.
tumbling out of it.
218
919212
3352
15:34
And my reporting around the country
tells me the problem is grimmer
tells me the problem is grimmer
219
922564
3662
15:38
than simple inequality.
220
926226
2413
15:40
What I observe is a pair of secessions
from the unifying center of American life.
from the unifying center of American life.
221
928639
5935
15:46
An affluent secession of up, up and away,
222
934574
3528
15:50
into elite enclaves of the educated
and into a global matrix
and into a global matrix
223
938102
3432
15:53
of work, money and connections,
224
941534
2783
15:56
and an impoverished secession
of down and out
of down and out
225
944317
4098
16:00
into disconnected, dead-end lives
226
948415
2744
16:03
that the fortunate scarcely see.
227
951159
4024
16:07
And don't console yourself
that you are the 99 percent.
that you are the 99 percent.
228
955183
5285
16:13
If you live near a Whole Foods,
229
961918
4586
16:18
if no one in your family serves
in the military,
in the military,
230
966504
3663
16:22
if you're paid by the year,
not the hour,
not the hour,
231
970167
5219
16:27
if most people you know finished college,
232
975386
3397
16:30
if no one you know uses meth,
233
978783
2322
16:33
if you married once and remain married,
234
981105
2180
16:35
if you're not one of 65 million Americans
with a criminal record --
with a criminal record --
235
983285
4342
16:39
if any or all of these things
describe you,
describe you,
236
987627
3782
16:43
then accept the possibility that actually,
237
991409
2867
16:46
you may not know what's going on
238
994276
2423
16:48
and you may be part of the problem.
239
996699
5889
16:54
Other generations had to build
a fresh society after slavery,
a fresh society after slavery,
240
1002588
5988
17:00
pull through a depression,
defeat fascism,
defeat fascism,
241
1008576
4264
17:04
freedom-ride in Mississippi.
242
1012840
2729
17:07
The moral challenge of
my generation, I believe,
my generation, I believe,
243
1015569
2527
17:10
is to reacquaint these two Americas,
244
1018096
3117
17:13
to choose union over secession once again.
245
1021213
5179
17:18
This ins't a problem we can tax
or tax-cut away.
or tax-cut away.
246
1026392
3945
17:22
It won't be solved by tweeting harder,
building slicker apps,
building slicker apps,
247
1030337
4190
17:26
or starting one more
artisanal coffee roasting service.
artisanal coffee roasting service.
248
1034527
4438
17:30
It is a moral challenge that begs
each of us in the flourishing America
each of us in the flourishing America
249
1038965
6267
17:37
to take on the wilting America as our own,
250
1045232
4095
17:41
as Raisuddin tried to do.
251
1049327
3015
17:44
Like him, we can make pilgrimages.
252
1052342
2581
17:46
And there, in Baltimore and Oregon
and Appalachia,
and Appalachia,
253
1054923
3523
17:50
find new purpose, as he did.
254
1058446
2492
17:52
We can immerse ourselves
in that other country,
in that other country,
255
1060938
3259
17:56
bear witness to its hopes and sorrows,
256
1064197
3777
17:59
and, like Raisuddin, ask what we can do.
257
1067974
6855
18:06
What can you do?
258
1074829
3126
18:09
What can you do?
259
1077955
1751
18:11
What can we do?
260
1079706
1973
18:13
How might we build
a more merciful country?
a more merciful country?
261
1081679
5047
18:18
We, the greatest inventors in the world,
262
1086726
4207
18:22
can invent solutions to the problems
of that America, not only our own.
of that America, not only our own.
263
1090933
5015
18:27
We, the writers and the journalists,
can cover that America's stories,
can cover that America's stories,
264
1095948
3402
18:31
instead of shutting down
bureaus in its midst.
bureaus in its midst.
265
1099350
3596
18:34
We can finance that America's ideas,
266
1102946
3244
18:38
instead of ideas from New York
and San Francisco.
and San Francisco.
267
1106190
3215
18:41
We can put our stethoscopes to its backs,
268
1109405
2845
18:44
teach there, go to court there,
make there, live there, pray there.
make there, live there, pray there.
269
1112250
6225
18:50
This, I believe, is the calling
of a generation.
of a generation.
270
1118475
4797
18:55
An America whose two halves learn again
271
1123272
3486
18:58
to stride, to plow, to forge,
to dare together.
to dare together.
272
1126758
5646
19:06
A republic of chances, rewoven, renewed,
273
1134374
5725
19:12
begins with us.
274
1140099
3678
19:15
Thank you.
275
1143777
1839
19:17
(Applause)
276
1145616
4947
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anand Giridharadas - WriterAnand Giridharadas writes about people and cultures caught amid the great forces of our time.
Why you should listen
Anand Giridharadas is a writer. He is a New York Times columnist, writing the biweekly "Letter from America." He is the author, most recently, of The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas, about a Muslim immigrant’s campaign to spare from Death Row the white supremacist who tried to kill him. In 2011 he published India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking, about returning to the India his parents left.
Giridharadas's datelines include Italy, India, China, Dubai, Norway, Japan, Haiti, Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Uruguay and the United States. He is an on-air contributor for NBC News and appears regularly on "Morning Joe." He has given talks on the main stage of TED and at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Princeton, the University of Michigan, the Aspen Institute, Summit at Sea, the Sydney Opera House, the United Nations, the Asia Society, PopTech and Google. He is a Henry Crown fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Giridharadas lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, Priya Parker, and their son, Orion.
Anand Giridharadas | Speaker | TED.com