Not Quite White
I got this from a friend of mine today.
"Why is it that when you aren't predominately anything you have to fall into the 'White' category. I HATE checking that stupid box - white. White has such a negative connotation to it. It brings to mind ignorant rednecks in white sheets and cone hats screaming about 'racial purity.' And I know that some rednecks are proud to say 'I'm White,' but I would prefer something a little more fitting to me. But what else is there, really? I can't say I'm Spanish, because I'm a number of generations removed from those ancestors, and I would be ridiculed by the Latin community because, well, I don't speak Spanish. I don't want to say I'm Cajun, because I have an education and all my teeth. What else is there for those of us who aren't proud to be called white? And by the way, I have to answer this question a good bit when I meet new people. Since I don't speak the same country as those around here and I'm a lot more tan than most of us white-ies, I get 'what are you.' Or 'where are you from.' What else can I say but, I'm just white? It sounds so ignorant. And I don't really care to delve into my family ancestry with people I barely know. So what's your take on it? "
My take on it is, unlike most other ethnicities in our country, white people have it bad when they truly want to represent their heritage in a non-hateful or separatist way. No one can look at the average Caucasian and say "Yep, I see a French-Canadian and German background all up in there", because there aren't that many differing characteristics among the various white sub-groups, and what differences that exist are buried under years of intermingling. This friend that sent this is pretty dark, almost as dark as I am - if I didn't know her, I'd think she was Hispanic or Native American, when in fact she's neither. How does she go about putting space between the obvious ("I'm just white") and the hidden ("I'm Cajun/Creole/German/Hispanic")? Thoughts?
posted by Dark Damian @ 1:14 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
When asked what my goddaughter "is", her mother answers "she is human".
If asked her ethnicity or racial background, they will be informed that she is biracial or that she is part black and part white.
That reminds me of a girl who went to the same Korean culture camp I did when growing up.
She was asked once if her Caucasian mother was her "real" mom. The little girl's reply: A sarcastic, "No, she's made of cardboard."
People (to be fair, it's mostly children) are always asking me if my daughter is "really mine" (since I'm of European descent, and her father is partially of African descent). I look at them straight in the eye and say "yeah, doesn't she look just like me?" If it's an adult, I sometimes add "We were suprised, but happy, to see that she tans so well" or something of the sort.
I refuse to answer race questions on questionnaires. If forced, I check "other" and write "European" or "Jewish" in the blank. For my daughter, I write "mixed European/African heritage."
Peace,
Kalyani
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