Xenophobia in Denmark - Everyone's Top Hobby?

Yesterday morning started out as usual: while waiting for my breakfast to cook, I scanned the headlines of many Danish newspaper sites.  This one came as a shock:

Kenyan breaks record of fellow ‘Dane’

Many of my subsequent thoughts, vocalized, would sound something like a segment of Hell's Kitchen.  "Bleeeep!!  Even the English-language newspaper here?!  Bleeeeeeeep racist bleeep!! Bleep them!  Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeep go to bleep!" 

One day later, only 4 comments have been posted to the article; 3 of which question why Dane was in quotes in the headline.

Who is this "'Dane'"?  Wilson Kipketer, who was born in Kenya in 1972, attended Copenhagen University in 1990, and according to the article, became a Danish citizen then.  According to everything else online about him, he was not a Danish citizen even in 1996, as he was not allowed to compete for Denmark at the Olympics that year in Atlanta; however, he did wear the red-and-white for Denmark in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.  He took the bronze in the 800-meters.  And in 2000, he married his Danish girlfriend Pernille.

Fact checking aside, I could not believe how egregious, shocking, xenophobic, and utterly distasteful this headline was!

It made me very proud of my American roots.  Sure, all the oldest immigrants call the newest wave of immigrants bleep, bleep, bleep, and bleeeeeep.  We do take pride in our ancestors' lands by defining ourselves as Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, African-Americans, etc.  But I have NEVER seen a newspaper headline put "American" in quotes when referring to a foreign-born athlete who now is a citizen of the country, whether it's been 14 years or 14 days since becoming a citizen. We acknowledge that we are a country made up of many different peoples.  Sure, there are a LOT of problems with racism and acceptance of foreigners; however, no headline would refer to an athlete who has won a medal for the US, and is an American citizen, as "American."

My question is, "WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR A FOREIGN-BORN PERSON TO EVER BE CONSIDERED A DANE?"  Is there ANYTHING?  Even winning an Olympic medal is not enough!  (And this place needs all they can get!) 


So, my next question is, "If it is so impossible to be considered a citizen of the country, why try?"  Why bust your hump at learning Danish, at interacting with the Danes, at learning a new culture, if it will all be for naught?  If they will always see you as naught?

USA Today wrote about the number of foreign-born athletes who were competing for the United States in the 2008 Olympics.  I would like to close by directing you to it.