I loathe checking the box that asks me to identify what race I am. There are two reasons. Number one is that usually none of the categories fit. I am not 100% white nor am I 100% Asian. Even if I were 100% Asian, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable checking a box that lumped me along with Pacific Islander. Not that I have anything against Pacific Islanders, but it highlights the ludicrousness of the classification system.
The second reason is that I am weary of racial statistics that pit one group against another. I read a few years ago that Asian women make more money on average than Caucasian women. I’m not sure I see the point of the study except to make white women resent Asian women. But perhaps I am being a malcontent.
A lot of people are asking about racial identification because Barack Obama who is both black (African) and white is running for president, so I thought I’d offer my own thoughts about the subject.
How do I identify myself? It depends who’s asking or where I am. I have lived most of my life in America. One of my parents is white. I went to schools that were always primarily white. I work primarily among whites. Given all of the above, most of my friends are white. My husband is white. Most television shows on TV are about whites. Most films are about whites. It would be truly remarkable if I didn’t identify as white because I am surrounded by whiteness. Oh, and I don’t speak Thai because my mom never spoke Thai with us.
But one thing keeps me from identifying myself as white: how others perceive me. Going to school as a kid, other people saw me as different. My name for one wasn’t like anyone else’s and it was a struggle getting people to pronounce it correctly. And I don’t look white. Ever since I was a kid people have asked me what my “heritage” is. You get to start to expect the question when you meet new people. So it was outside forces that made me feel Asian and not what was within.
As a kid I wanted to be thought of as “normal,” because in childhood it can be difficult being different. As you grow older, being different is what you cling to and what makes you special. So I started to make references to whites as if they were different from me. As I’ve grown older, I have really understood how very American I am. I may look partially Asian (at least in America), but I’m all American. I visited Thailand and witnessed a culture completely not my own.
The great thing about identifying as multi-racial is that you get to play both sides of the coin when you see fit. I can easily walk around an Asian store, restaurant or even Japan and I seem to fit in. I can eat blazingly hot chilies and make fun of the white guy sitting next to me whose face is getting red. I can go to a flea market and bargain with a vendor and not be embarrassed by it. I can express that white people just don’t understand blah blah blah. Everyone likes to feel special. But the truth is I am an American and culturally speaking I am very white. I am not oppressed. I do not have an accent. I have been widely accepted for who I am.
But just so we’re clear: I don’t like StuffWhitePeopleLike.
I’m the one in the lead! Oh you’re talking color? Nope, what are you talking about? Maybe ask Obama the mixed bag of nuts that question!
He might lie to you!
http://goodtimepolitics.com/2008/06/16/lies-lies-and-more-lies-obama-with-a-fresh-lie/
I initially marked this comment unapproved because it’s completely off topic and because based on goodtimepolitics’ “Oh you’re talking color” I wonder if he read my post.
I think I was too hasty and was perhaps maybe being a control freak. So I have marked it approved once again. It makes for an interesting comment discussion which I first brought up here.
I try not to delete comments when people disagree with me, but only when they are obviously off topic and inflammatory as I think the above one may be. Any readers want to weigh in?
As for Barack Obama lies. This link shows the category that those believers put themselves in.
Incidentally, Barack Obama has created a web site to address these issues. Click here.
I have not needed to delete any comments for being inflammatory. I had a frequent commenter for a while who basically just disagreed with me in the most irrational terms, without presenting any counter-argument to what I had posted. But that’s not the kind of thing I would want to delete–it only makes my post look reasonable and thoughtful by comparison.
I do, however, frequently delete comments that are thinly veiled advertisements. I won’t have that crap on my blog.
I check my comments at least once day, and it’s hard to imagine finding something on there that I would be appalled to have up for even 24 hours. After all, people know that it wasn’t me who posted it — just some psycho commenter.
goodtimepolitica? Dumbasspolitics more like.
I don’t like Stuff White People Like either. I was never sure exactly what it was they were trying to do/say. That site, which was written by a white guy who was from Toronto, just confused me. I didn’t get the point of it, and so I had to dismiss it.
Oddly, according to SWPL, I am 85% white already, which is hilarious – considering A)I’m black and b)I’m Southern (which is a whole different culture discussion).
I agree with you about those study results creating havoc. But, as a black woman (who, according to such studies, is generally the lowest paid on the professional scale), its important for me to know these things when negotiating pay for a new position.
The thing I love and hate the most about America is that we can all choose to sub-define ourselves aside from being just “plain old American”. Our diversity is the foundation for this country and I love having friends that are Filipino-, Japanese-, Chinese-, Indian-, African-, Scottish-, Italian- and Indigenous-American (and that’s just the short list!). I think it helps with my global view and certainly makes for interesting pot luck meals 😉
Fraser, StuffWhitePeopleLike has seemed to have fizzled in popularity, thank goodness. Besides it really wasn’t about white people as much as it was about yuppies.
Karla, Amen on the pot lucks. This is my cue to disparage “white” food as part of playing both sides of the coin. One memorable dish at a pot luck was Pillsbury crescent dough topped with yogurt and cucumber. Ick! The Filipinos kick ass when it comes to pot luck food. I love pancit and chicken adobo.
As for SWPL, I guess I didn’t understand the humour value of what they were saying. I couldn’t decide if they were being malicious, ironic, or satiric. It confused me and made my brain ache :).
I like potlucks. I usually offer to bring the plates or beverages. Not because I don’t want to cook for people, but for the safety of the other potluck participants.
Chicken adobe! YUM!
Thanks for the discussion as I did not mean anything by it as far as our skin colors and there are more than two colors! As far as the racist part or race…I have no problem with black, white, red or whatever until I’m told that I owe the other group something because of what my great, great, great grandfather did. I have many black friends being I’m down here in the South…North Carolina. Most of my friends are older like myself and we all understand each other, its the young people of all groups that think the World owes them a living! Thanks again!