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I am watching it now. Happy to see colorism discussed on a national scale. But I'd like to see it discussed for all ethnic groups. Indians, Latinos, and Asians also have similar issues.
"America let's you know really fast if you are not white." This is a great quote. And this is not just for black people.
We aren't really post racial. Ask anyone walking around with brown skin and wavy hair how many times they get asked what they are so they can be classified.
Or ask your an Afghan, Iranian or Armenian or Arab if checking the white box on the census helped things after 9-11.
One of my good friends is Egyptian-American. She doesn't think of herself as white or black. But when it was time to pick a side, she chose white. She has a lot of relatives that grew up in a place with a lot of Egyptians. They had a chance to embrace their "Arab"-ness and the numbers were large enough, they didn't have to choose a side. It wasn't rare or weird.
It would have been also really interesting to look at how black is defined in South Africa too. A met a woman from South Africa (a black South African). She said, even though I am black, my american-ness would make me white in South Africa. Interesting stuff.
I am watching it now. Happy to see colorism discussed on a national scale. But I'd like to see it discussed for all ethnic groups. Indians, Latinos, and Asians also have similar issues.
"America let's you know really fast if you are not white." This is a great quote. And this is not just for black people.
We aren't really post racial. Ask anyone walking around with brown skin and wavy hair how many times they get asked what they are so they can be classified.
Or ask your an Afghan, Iranian or Armenian or Arab if checking the white box on the census helped things after 9-11.
One of my good friends is Egyptian-American. She doesn't think of herself as white or black. But when it was time to pick a side, she chose white. She has a lot of relatives that grew up in a place with a lot of Egyptians. They had a chance to embrace their "Arab"-ness and the numbers were large enough, they didn't have to choose a side. It wasn't rare or weird.
It would have been also really interesting to look at how black is defined in South Africa too. A met a woman from South Africa (a black South African). She said, even though I am black, my american-ness would make me white in South Africa. Interesting stuff.
I am in a similar position to what you are talking about, being half middle eastern and half european. I have the eyes and facial structure of a "regular" white person, but the skin color and hair of an arabic/semitic person. And I have been asked "What are you, some kind of Iranian or Mexican?" multiple times in my life and one time I actually did have someone say to me literally "I thought you were some kind of terrorist when I first saw you"
And my reaction is: so what?
You aren't a victim unless you turn yourself into one. I always check "white" when asked my race and when someone comments about it I answer honestly and simply assume curiosity rather than racism on their part. Instead of looking for special understanding or special consideration because I'm colored differently than most of the people around me, I just choose to act as if there is no difference. And it has worked fine for me. Even living in the South. Even being, and thus associating with, Republicans. My experience is that if you don't act any differently than anyone else then you won't be treated any differently than anyone else even if you do have brown skin and dark wavy hair.
Now obviously there are cases of people being not hired for jobs or assaulted due to race, I'm not denying that. That's a whole different story. But as for the sort of mild racism that people make a big deal about, I say just forget it. It's only an issue because people keep trying to make it an issue. They're trying to fix something that isn't broken.
Well, My great-grandfather's father was white, but my appearance would lead one to believe that I am a "full-blooded African-American. Can I still say that I'm white? And even if I did, why would my "whiteness" be so significant?
I am watching it now. Happy to see colorism discussed on a national scale. But I'd like to see it discussed for all ethnic groups. Indians, Latinos, and Asians also have similar issues.
"America let's you know really fast if you are not white." This is a great quote. And this is not just for black people.
We aren't really post racial. Ask anyone walking around with brown skin and wavy hair how many times they get asked what they are so they can be classified.
Or ask your an Afghan, Iranian or Armenian or Arab if checking the white box on the census helped things after 9-11.
One of my good friends is Egyptian-American. She doesn't think of herself as white or black. But when it was time to pick a side, she chose white. She has a lot of relatives that grew up in a place with a lot of Egyptians. They had a chance to embrace their "Arab"-ness and the numbers were large enough, they didn't have to choose a side. It wasn't rare or weird.
It would have been also really interesting to look at how black is defined in South Africa too. A met a woman from South Africa (a black South African). She said, even though I am black, my american-ness would make me white in South Africa. Interesting stuff.
Well, My great-grandfather's father was white, but my appearance would lead one to believe that I am a "full-blooded African-American. Can I still say that I'm white? And even if I did, why would my "whiteness" be so significant?
What an unbelievable race bait. They just won an election by racially polarizing this country. I guess it wasn't good enough so they need to drive the nail in further.
I am sure there is an African right now that totally disagrees with you and probably has pretty tangible evidence that his bloodline didn't dabble with Chez Whitey at any point.
Yeah, it was weird....she said is by virtue of American accent. Interesting right! Although I'd obviously likely be perceived something different initially.
You aren't a victim unless you turn yourself into one. I always check "white" when asked my race and when someone comments about it I answer honestly and simply assume curiosity rather than racism on their part. Instead of looking for special understanding or special consideration because I'm colored differently than most of the people around me, I just choose to act as if there is no difference. And it has worked fine for me. Even living in the South. Even being, and thus associating with, Republicans. My experience is that if you don't act any differently than anyone else then you won't be treated any differently than anyone else even if you do have brown skin and dark wavy hair.
Now obviously there are cases of people being not hired for jobs or assaulted due to race, I'm not denying that. That's a whole different story. But as for the sort of mild racism that people make a big deal about, I say just forget it. It's only an issue because people keep trying to make it an issue. They're trying to fix something that isn't broken.
How is identifying as non-white associating yourself with "victims?"
It is what it is.
The biggest problem we have has nothing to do with how people choose to self-identify, but how people use their perception of your identity to determine what you should be like and how you should be treated.
One of the biracial women summed it up quite perfectly.
She said "my sister likes "white stuff" and people who act like white people. And I like "black stuff" and people who act like "black" people. That is why we self-identify differently.
That's the real problem, we do a very good job of associating "good" with "white" traits and "bad" with "black" traits. And push those assumptions on to each group. Well not exactly, when a "white" person does something crazy, it is attributed to that individual being crazy, but when someone black does something crazy it is more likely to be considered an ingrained characteristic of being black and not an individual choice.
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