Multiracial Twins

There is a person out there who resembles me. She has given me the best of times and the worst of times. Together with our identical smiles and outlandish twin powers, we can charm the pants off anyone and render their minds haywire. We are a dangerous duo as an army of two. However, we are not double trouble but twice blessed. We have the ultimate soulmate and a best friend forever. Nevertheless, being a twin can be frustrating and obscures my individual identity at times.

In my reflection, paper, I discuss how my identity is shaped by my twin sister, and evidence the layers of influence across time and place. I hope the paper can elucidate the story of twin-hood through my eyes. More importantly, I hope the paper can reflect what I have learned this quarter in class, regardless of the fact that I am a twin. While I may be a twin, I am also one of a kind. I am an individual. Over the past 10 weeks, I have learned a bajillion names for calling multiracial people--mulatto, oreo, banana, etc. I have seen the faces of a bajillion more multiracial people and hear their stories-- Obama, Woods, Ethnic Man, the students in the class, etc. Milking these experiences, I have learned that everyone should be given a chance to self-identity and live their lives in comfort from faulty assumptions.

In a nation where there is a rapidly increasing mixed race population, it comes to no surprise that more and more babies are born to mixed race parents. What are the social implications of their births? How do they add or detract from identity formation in America? Obama provides a model for them. From his 1995 book, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, to his extraordinary talks on race, he has maintained his multiracial identity in the forefront while identifying as black. By doing so, he demonstrates that it is possible to embrace one reality without ignoring another.

Twins Ryan and Leo Gerth were born on July 11, 2008 to their black, Ghanian mom Florence and white dad Stephan in Lichtenberg, Germany. The press is having a field day and the public is showing mass hysteria over such a dichotomy. Although one twin looks more white and one more black, they can have both black and white features and certainly black and white experiences. Skin color is only factor affecting how an individual thinks and behaves.

Marcia and Millie Biggs of Erdington, Birmingham, UK



Alicia and Jasmine Singerl of Burpengary, Australia






Remi and Kian Horder-Hodgson of Nottingham, UK



These twins are deemed "miracles" and media, neighbors, family all obsess over their difference in skin colors. The Daily Telegraph refers to them as “one black and one white.” The paper also voices that “experts say the chance of twins being born with such different physical characteristics is about a million to one.

The fascination with these twins says a lot about the way our society perceives race. We are all very intent on forcing people into neat little categories despite our promise to respect multi-raciality. It is remarkable how much phenotype - especially skin color - can distort our views. People were making it seem as if the twin sisters looked nothing alike when in reality, their features were very similar. It was simply a matter of skin tone. People tend to overlook that the other twin had European facial features as well. Most people simply could not see beyond the child’s dark skin, even though this rests on just a matter of genetic variation.

As a twin, I know how frustrating it can be when people assume differences between my sister and me when such claims are not validated. One twin has to be the evil twin, the other the angel. One twin becomes the more desirable one: taller, prettier, resembling more like the parents. Race and skin color do not have to add to this pot of already vexing experiences for twins. Twins may have different skin tones but they come from the same parents, so there is nothing innately different about them. Lumping racial attributes to twins is simply foolish, just like stereotyping individuals in society as markers of some racial group.

Let's go beyond race and acknowledge that twins are individuals, as are all of us.

The Horder-Dodgson twins' mother, Kylie Hodgson assured London's Daily Mail, "It (the difference in skin colors) doesn't matter to us -- they are just our two gorgeous little girls."

What a wonderful mother.

Boston Accent: A Sign of Authenticity?

Reflection on Megan's presentation: "Language and Identity"

Boston is notorious as a hub of intellectuals and a landmark for historical reflection. We are home to brave men, home to the Patriots and the Red Sox, home to Harvard. Boston's acclaim is even likened to its resemblance to England. Many tourists from England would agree that the similarity between Boston and England is astonishing: everything from the pub menus to the quaint brick housing on Beacon Hill, from the rich history to the modern intellectualism. However, while the British accent is strongly praised for sounding proper and refined, the Boston accent is perceived as obnoxious and vulgar.

I do not blame the criticism... and I consider myself a Bostonian. "Wicked Pissah" and "How ah ya?" just do not float my boat. In a state that is continuously ranked top 10 in America for intelligence, is it possible that state authenticity lies in an accent mirroring mental drain? While some Bostonians are proud of their accents, and it is quite evident, many are not. Most, for sure, do not even display the accent. Even along the very streets of Boston, the detested Bostonian accent is undeniable. Many native Bostonians deem it as uncouth and rustic,

Nevertheless, let's face it, the only thing more cacophonous to the ears than a Boston accent is a bad Boston accent. Next time a person "tries" to be a "true" Bostonian and fails, I would strongly suggest the person just "keep it real" and be himself. Most "true" Bostonian, those who have lived here are are the exemplifications of our pride, do not have the Boston accent. The Boston accent also varies by neighborhood and by ethnicity, hence, diluting its value to mark an individual as a genuine Bostonian. In neighborhoods throughout Boston, the dialects of the North End and East Boston of the city are heavily influenced by Italian immigrants, which creates a speech pattern more like that of New York City. The South Boston accent contains a great Irish population and is closer to the stereotypical Boston accent. All these people are Bostonians, no matter what their speech patterns may be.

I may be bias but Boston is truly a remarkable city. I still walk with pride the historical tourist sites (Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, Freedom Trail, Duck Tour) and make it a point to live like a Bostonian – complete a pub crawl down Union Street, relax in Boston Commons, and enjoy outdoor lunch on Newbury. It is a gorgeous city, small enough to be manageable yet large enough to avoid social humdrum. I am smitten with Boston. I believe it is quite a shame to associate Boston's pride in an accent and dim our shine in being a historical and cultural, intellectual and hard-working heart of America.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I personally find it quite frustrating that so many people associate authenticity to a land as being tied to self-decisive speech patterns (Jean Mills: "Connecting Communities: Identity, Language, and Diaspora"). I want to be seen as a Bostonian but I want to speak proper English. However, according to the survey above, I might as well be comfortable being assumed a Midwesterner. My love for Boston shall not waver in such madness!

Model Minorities

Planning for Reflection Paper

In composing my reflection paper, I dwelled on the topic of Asian Americans being model minorities and how I fit within this myth.

While I feel that I have attained the American Dream in some sense— having gotten into college and about to begin my professional career— I realize that many are not so fortunate. I am proud to be the actualization of a dream but I am guilty of perpetuating a stereotype, “the model minority” stereotype. Half of all Asian Americans are immigrants but all of them on the whole are doing very well socio-economically, when compared to other minority groups. Collectively, they have made remarkable strides in revolutionizing American culture. They positively contribute to American fashion and music, politics and science, as examples. The modern faces of Asian America are Yahoo Founder Jerry Yang and Fashionista Vera Wang, people of talent and affluence. In many respects, Asian Americans have done remarkably well in achieving the “American dream" of attaining a good education, having comfortable careers, and earning a good living.

The image of the "model minority" is a bright, shining example of hard work and patience whose example other minority groups should follow. Many people may even contend that since Asian Americans are doing so well, we cannot possibly be victims of any discrimination or require public services such as bilingual education, government documents in multiple languages, and welfare. These people assume that all Asian Americans are successful and that none of us are struggling. On the exterior, it may sound rather innocuous and even flattering to be described in those terms. However, the reality is much more convoluted. Despite a positive trend in the attitudes toward Asian Americans, racial discrimination and glass ceilings still exist. Numerous studies show that the majority of the general American population cannot make a distinction between the various Asian American ethnic groups, treating all of us as one generic, monolithic group: the model minority.

However, the model minority notion is a myth. Not all Asian Americans are the same. Vietnamese Americans have a college degree attainment rate of only 20%, less than half the rate for other Asian American ethnic groups. The rates for Laotians, Cambodians, and Khmer are even lower at less than 10%. Studies indicate that, as a whole, Asian American families have higher median incomes than White families. However, this data is skewed by the fact that the typical Asian American family tends to have more working, income-earning members than the typical White family. It is not unusual for an Asian American family to have four, five, or more members working. Using a more justifiable statistic, per capita income, results show that Asian Americans still trail Whites on this very important measure. Furthermore, Asian Americans are much more likely to concentrate in metropolitan areas where the cost of living is much higher. Although Asian Americans have come a long way to assert power and influence in American society, they are still significantly underrepresented in positions of political leadership. In the corporate world, Asian Americans are underrepresented as CEOs, board members, and high-level supervisors.

Just because many Asian Americans have "made it," this does not mean that all Asian Americans have made it. Extracted into subgroups of individuals, many Asian Americans are still the targets of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. For instance, the enduring notion that "all Asians are smart" places a great burden on many Asian Americans. Many, particularly Southeast Asians, are not able to conform to this unrealistic expectation, this stereotype threat, and in actuality, have the highest high school dropout rates in the country. Because of this flawed image of achievement, Asian Americans are also increasingly becoming the victims of hate crimes. Recent research shows that Asian Americans are the fastest growing victims of hate crimes in the United States. Although Asian Indians and other successful Asian Americans may have commendable socioeconomic achievement, it is rare that many of them will claim that they no longer experience discrimination because of their Asian ethnicity. The model minority myth does a disservice to Asian Americans, because it suggests they neither need nor can benefit from affirmative action or social justice. As I had illustrated, the glass ceiling exists for this minority group as well. Unfortunately, the model minority myth blinds others to these realities.

Because society's subtle discrimination of Asian Americans has dire consequences, I hope we can all make a consolidated effort to learn not to discriminate or make assumptions about people based on phenotype but look within and learn to embrace all people as individuals. It is VERY important to remember that the model minority notion is a stereotype and like many stereotypes, there is a repetitive and self-perpetuating nature to them. It is NOT true that Asian Americans are more intelligent than other races. It is NOT true that Asian Americans are more successful and less often victims of discrimination. The myth and stereotype does disservice to Asian Americans who are not high achieving but expect to, in what is termed "stereotype threat." It does a disservice to other racial minorities who are told to follow the model set by Asians.

The fact is, Asian Americans are not ruling the world. We do not comprise a great share of CEOs, Nobel Prize winners, representation in Congress. Clearly, we are not such a model minority after all.

Interracial Dating

Reflection on Janan and Jill's presentations regarding interracial dating

Jenna'a presentation focused on the challenges and rewards that come with raising multiracial children.

In this entry, I want to share my thoughts on why couples choose to enter into interracial relationships in the first place.

Interracial dating poses many dilemmas anhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd difficulties. Couples of different races encounter hostility both by members of a majority culture and by members of their own ethnic communities (Tell the Court I Love My Wife, by Peter Wallenstein). The politics of interracial dating opens doors to much discussion and reflection.

First, interracial relationships are very complicated. To try to have an in-depth and honest conversation about interracial dating requires an ability to go beyond cliches of "Love sees no color" as well as charges of selling out the race and desiring white privilege or minority exoticism through interracial relationships. While white men dating women of color are going to find less societal censure, people of color dating another person across racial lines may find quite a bit of disapproval from within their ethnic communities and the general public.

Second, it is rare to make dating decisions based on pure politics. People may have preferences about whom they can and want to date: physical features, inner qualities, religion, interests, educational level, race, etc. However, the reality is that finding someone you truly connect with is very challenging. We place so many demands on our life partner. We expect them to be our soul mates, our best friends, the models for our children, the representative union of our families, and the general public face to our personal commitment. This is asking A LOT. Can a person choose who to fall in love with? No and yes. One probably cannot help who one is attracted to and who one falls in love with, but for some people, the social pressure and stigma may be too great and the frames around life partner qualities become fixed. However, should we work against these ingrained tendencies of wanting white privilege or desiring exotic children? Nicole Sprinkle in "A Child of Two Worlds" appears very inconsiderate at times. For me, I think it is a good idea to be as open minded as possible about one's life partner.

I once knew a man who was adamant about marrying a Jewish, white woman. I met the same man when I returned to Boston last December and he is happily married to a woman he loves. She is African American and Christian. While I know the couple will face many dilemmas in choosing how to raise their interracial, interfaith children, I am happy that my friend had found a woman he loves and that he became flexible in altering some of his former convictions based on true love.

I believe that consenting adults should be free to love whomever they choose. This is true love and love that lasts, love that unifies, love that stabilizes society. To tell people that they are sell-outs or bananas or Uncle Toms or coconuts because they are in an interracial relationship is unproductive and discriminative.

On Miscegenation and Prop 8

Interracial Marriage in the U.S.

This webpage offers an interactive map showing which states restricted interracial couples during every year from 1662 and 1967. Users can change the years and states by simply clicking selectively. It's awesome.

. . .

Today, the California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.

However, does majority rule justify appropriate decision-making? History has shown us that the will of the majority does not always make things right. In light of California's anti-miscegenation laws of the 19th and early 20th centuries, if Californians were polled at that time, a majority would have voted in favor of prohibiting miscegenation/interracial marriage. However, the morally upright decision was to allow people to marry whomever they want.

These anti-miscegenations laws were specifically designed to ensure white purity and to prevent any white Americans from trespassing the color line.

Asian Americans, in particular, have faced shocking effects of this adherence to the color line in the Cable Act (1922-1936). The Cable Act specifies that any U.S.-born woman marrying a "person ineligible for citizenship" would automatically lose her U.S. citizenship. It is important to note that the ONLY race and hence only aliens "ineligible for citizenship" at that time were Asian immigrants. Therefore, our nation's earliest anti-miscegenation laws were specifically aimed at Asians, using both the Cable Act and anti-miscegenation laws that prevent Asians and whites from marrying.

Fortunately, with time comes change. The Supreme Court of California was wise enough in 1948 to acknowledge how unlawful anti-miscegenation laws are. The Perez vs. Sharp decision ruled against anti-miscegenation laws, claiming that they were based on racial distinctions that were "by their very nature, odious to a free people."

Today, interracial marriage is accepted almost anywhere with anyone in the United States. Even individuals who do not necessarily want their son/daughter to marry across the racial divide would be hesitant to turn back Loving vs. Virginia. People today consider marriage to be a private affair between two consenting adults.

Marriage, as an institution, is one of the most conservative, traditional, and entrenched institutions we have. Marriage leads to a more stable society and same-sex unions, by virtue of it being the same type of institution, also stabilize society. What will de-stabilize society is fear for the unknown and hatred toward the outer norm. People should be given a chance to enter this stabilizing institution in whatever form they choose: heterosexually or homosexually. I hope that one day in the not so distant future, our society will adopt a more tolerant attitude toward same-sex marriage. In the future, I hope citizens will reflect on California's upholding of Prop 8 to be a draconian and antiquated move.

Eye To Eye but not Heart To Heart: Cultural Gaps in Understanding

Racial Microaggression in the Classroom

It was both intimidating and awkward. The second grade teacher was trying so hard to welcome me to class. I had just recently arrived in America. The teacher used what he thought was the one-size-fits-all communication approach to create rapport with people and he was resolutely abiding by the rules of this sticky approach. He believed that "good eye contact" was important to demonstrate camaraderie so he tried every trick to meet my eye. He called my name, paused, and tried to meet my eye. He asked me direct questions, paused, and tried to meet my eye again.

However, I was not used to the eye contact thing at all and was unknowingly successful in countering my teacher's well-intended altruism. I would divert my eyes away from my teacher's. I would stare at the ceiling, mutter an answer, glare at the ground, at my shoes, out the window, and mumble something inscrutable again.

Non-verbal communication, such as eye contact, is a constituent of the methods we present information using various modalities. Culture-specific differences are both physical and behavioral. The choice of colors and patterns in our clothing, and the inflections in our voice offer manifold layers of meaning and interpretation aside from their culture-specific significance. The color red has positive overtones in some cultures, and considered unlucky in others. Direct eye contact is perceived as showing sincerity in some cultures and deemed disrespectful in others. In order to localize notions of amity with a global friendship circle, we must be open to variations from the "rules" we are used to. We must learn to adjust our comfort zone of what is appropriate and what is right.

The sending and receiving of non-verbal messages usually occur on a subliminal level, which makes intercultural communication even more challenging to master. It is very easy to misinterpret a message simply because we do not understand its meaning outside our cultural context. Coming from China, a culture that views direct eye contact as disrespectful, I did not want to reciprocate my teacher's "rude" behavior. However, in my new environment, America, a culture that associates eye contact with openness and positive engagement, my teacher was sincerely trying to make me feel comfortable and at home in my new setting. When I averted his eye contact, he probably misinterpreted my action as being impolite, that perhaps I am hiding something, did not know how to respond, or most optimistically, that I am shy. He ignored my mutters and interrupted me at his convenience, as similarly re-enacted in the "Talking Athabaskan" video we saw in class in order to get what he wanted: reciprocated eye contact. We cannot assume that a behavior learned in our local environment has the same significance in other cultural settings.

Unfortunately, foreigners often have a less than positive impression regarding Americans. Americans are viewed as arrogant, pushy, insensitive, rude and informal. Americans do tend to be more informal than people from other countries. It is more common for Americans to wear casual clothing to school and greet teachers by their first names. Nevertheless, good manners and courtesy are always stressed in every situation. In the classroom, though I might have misinterpreted direct eye contact as a sign of disrespect ("glaring") by my peers and instructors, most Americans (and Westerners) do not intend to communicate rudeness by their behavior. Instructors not from Western cultures teaching American students need to understand that American students show their respect in different ways. For example, students show respect by having good attendance and by participating actively in classes. Furthermore, punctually completing homework assignments communicates responsibility. When students ask questions, they are demonstrating interest to their teachers. When they look their teachers in the eye during interactions, they are showing dynamic engagement. Most American instructors will interpret these behaviors as signs of respect and will respect their students in return.

Likewise, other cultures that avoid eye contact (e.g. Asian cultures) do not intend to show disrespect by averting eye contact ("lack of attention or interest"). This communication style can give the impression of lack of courtesy, lack of self-esteem, or lack of trustworthiness. The reality is that these students are not demonstrating lack of the knowledge in discussion or hiding other knowledge relevant to the interaction. They do not have an introverted personality. The cultural image of the Asian American model minority student only worsens the classroom intercultural relations. Asian students are viewed as know-it-alls, especially in math and the hard sciences (Sue: "Racial Microaggressions"). Furthermore, they are seen as schemers, often trying to circumvent the conventional institutional rules to boast their academic or social standing. Lastly, these students are perceived as shy and unresponsive, not engaged in the classroom and contributing to the learning dynamics. However, all these cultural stereotypes cannot simply be imposed on nonverbal communication. Students may choose to avert eye contact because this is a sign of respect in their native cultures. Their home culture communication and interaction differ from dominant patterns experienced in American schools. By avoiding eye contact, the students are merely allowing the speaker to feel most comfortable speaking.

In order to remedy the cultural divides in non-verbal communication, we must first become aware of the issue. We must acknowledge that we can send powerful messages non-verbally and that our messages will be interpreted differently in different cultures in various contexts. In addition, we have to become aware of our own behavior patterns and become observant of those in other people. We need to anticipate how others will react to our behavior and vice versa. We must learn to be comfortable with accepting silences and diverted eye contact, adjust our personal space and respond in a similar fashion as our acquaintances. In the classroom, teachers must be culturally accountable. They should know about students' cultural knowledge, convey content-specific/culture-specific knowledge, build on familial cultural experiences, local values, and communicative norms. Our intercultural camaraderie can be improved if we take small steps to strike a balance in communicative competence with our counterparts.

Eye contact is crucial in everyday interactions; after all, it is one of the first things people use to form an impression of you! However, there are many different eye contact styles specific to various cultures and environments. Through eye contact, people are unconsciously signaling to us how they wish us to behave towards them and we are doing the same to them. Our noncompliance to their signals and them to ours will lead to misinterpretation and misjudgments. In order to create positive rapport with our peers, we must learn to adjust our comfort zone of contact. Only when we understand other cultures and how they truly differ can we recognize how misunderstandings can easily result from simple differences in perspectives. At least the second grade teacher acknowledged that I had just emigrated from another country. At least I realized that I was no longer in China.

Racial Microaggressions

...Have you ever been the only African American person in a class and a so-called "black issue" comes up and suddenly you feel all eyes are on you-- that you are supposed to have the "appropriate response"?

...Have you ever watched the news and a particularly violent crime is described and your first reaction is: "God, I hope the perpetrator is not black?"

...Have you ever been in a store, bar, or restaurant and felt you were next in line for service only to see that a white patron got served instead?

Racial Microaggression:
subtle insults (verbal, nonverbal and/or visual) directed toward people of color, often automatically or unconsciously, in everyday exchanges.Their ambiguity is what makes them so vexing — the recipient does not know for certain whether the racial microaggression is a deliberate slight or not, making it difficult to know how to appropriately react.

Videos Used In Presentation:


Avenue Q: "Everybody's a Little Bit Racist"



10 Most Racist Moments In TV



Margaret Cho On Race



Our Duty



Racial Microaggressions are NOT merely innocent oversights!

Derald Wing Sue, professor of education at Columbia University's Teachers College: "I see a huge irony. While hate crimes receive the most attention, the greatest damage to the life experiences of people of color is from racial microaggression."

Such racial "slights" can be VERY damaging when multiplied by the thousands of times they may occur over the course of a lifetime.

Chester Pierce: "One must not look for the gross and obvious. The subtle, cumulative miniassault is the substance of today's racism."

Dialect: Neither “Good” Nor “Bad” But “Different”

Precursor To Megan's presentation: "Language and Identity"

"I seen him," says the Black, blue-collar, high-school dropout. "I saw him," insists his White, college-educated manager. "I saw him" is Standard English, a sentence structured according to the grammar rules taught in educational institutions and demanded of in public society. Some people who hear a vernacular dialect different from Standard English may make false judgments about the speaker's acumen and ability. There is a prevalent notion that Standard English is proper English and superior to other forms; it is the dialect with greater social prestige and power. Those who speak Standard English are viewed as cultured and educated. Like race and class, dialect is a marker of group membership. Standard English is the dialect most often used in print and is what we and foreigners learn in school. In this sense, it is "better" in that it is more useful for wider communication and mutual understanding. In a language as widely spread and globally used as English, there is immense value in speaking the standard dialect. However, using another dialect is not "wrong" and should not be deemed inferior.

The speaker using the vernacular dialects in the wrong place at the wrong time with people who do not appreciate such differences will immediately be classified according to certain labels, most likely, pejorative ones of being uneducated and unrefined. Ebonics or "Black English" is often viewed as the inability of certain urban individuals, especially poor Blacks, to conjugate the verbs "to be" and “to see” (among many others) and to pronounce certain words incorrectly. People who speak a different dialect, whether it be Black English or British English, speak differently because they want to be able communicate with their peers, those whom they interact with on a regular basis (Jean Mills: "Connecting Communities: Identity, Language, and Diaspora"). They seek to be able to voice their opinions and thoughts in the most effective manner. They desire a dynamic flow of conversation and comfortable presence. Their communication variance does not make them any less of a person, a citizen, or a social being. They are merely not letting the constraints of language hold them back in free expression. These vernacular dialects are social dialects.

However, we cannot negate the historical reality that Black English did originate with poor Black Southerners in the Jim Crow era. They might have used phrases like "my baby's favva" and "I be chillin'!" However, these phrases and others have adapted through time, and have become expressions incorporated into certain individuals’ speech to make it more interesting and flow better. Black English symbolizes the comfort of home and camaraderie. Social dialects are unique and filled with colorful phrases and expressions. Just like American English is adapted from British English to fit the communication needs of this country, Black English should be understood and nurtured as a method of communication. Black English is simply a way of life. Those that speak it prefer to speak it most of the time and do not sense any “impropriety” in its usage. Those who prefer to be vegetarian are not any less human than those who are not. Many rich, educated and “cultured” individuals also speak Black English. Their choice of language is just another colorful marker about them. Dialect adds flavor and style to their day-to-day lives. They voice fresh perspectives and respond with unique ideas. The color of their skin, the texture of their hair, and the variation of their speech are all markers of beauty and the exquisite diversity that is America.

When users of Black English are in a different setting, say Downtowns and federal districts where there is a diverse mix of people, they are forced to speak Standard English. They are forced to conform to societal standards. The harsh reality is that for those who speak the dialect regularly, it is difficult to adapt because they feel a personal tie to their native dialect. Through this adaptation phase, these individuals are marked as “uneducated” because they have not fully conformed. They are forced to go into the work place thinking that the way they speak is fine and that it is acceptable. However, it is not acceptable in the work world and therefore, many of them cannot find decent jobs. The music and movie industries may make millions of dollars from exercising social dialects but even they are not immune to societal demands and have not done anything to improve the situation in the real ghettos or for the many poor folks who use this dialect for effective communication. By being exploited for their culture and dialect, Black English speakers can no longer thrive on being distinct and special because everyone is the same and one in speaking Standard English.

This is truly unfortunate. Dialects have been in existence for as long as language has been in existence. Dialects incorporates, borrows, and skews words and grammar structures of the standard dialect and renders them distinct and with specialized purposes. A dialect is an intelligent and insightful variation to the blandness of the standard language. Blacks and other speakers of the vernacular dialect, like everyone else, want a solid sense of their cultural identity. There is no scientific rationale to uproot Black English. Any professional linguist will testify that, as a language way of communication, Black English and Standard English are equal, in the same way that Italian and Chinese and French are all equal. They do things differently, in how they use words and grammar structures but there is no factual method to declare one is superior to the other.

To say that Black English is wrong and reflects uncouthness is erroneous and reflects the cultural ignorance of those who are making such shaky statements. It reveals the unwillingness of certain individuals, potentially white upper-class folks, to accept the idea of the “lower class” to have the intellectual capacity to actually develop a distinct and special dialect. Black English is neither the product of insufficient education nor counter-evolutionary. The proponents of such claims cannot be farther from the truth. Black English is not inferior but many people believe it is because its users, primarily black Americans, have a history of powerlessness. Society looks down upon the speech of the powerless. This has been demonstrated across history over and again. Of course, not all black Americans speak "Black English," nor do they all disdain Standard English. However, Black English is uniquely anchored in the black culture. We absorb this attitude unconsciously when we learn the English rules taught in school and view those who have not applied such “knowledge” as substandard.

The federal "No Child Left Behind" Act mandates closing the achievement gap between white and black students. However, why do black students score lower than whites on standardized tests in the first place? The reason lies in their nonconformity to Standard English, the language used in these tests. This also explains why there is a disparity even both groups are in equally wealthy and racially integrated schools. Intelligence needs to be analyzed in a more encompassing context. This is crucial as tests reveal other measures of intelligence beyond dialectal preference. For example, in the 1960s, the renowned sociolinguist William Labov discovered that some of the most brilliant, verbally gifted and socially skilled youths in the study spoke a dialect different from Standard English.

The misperception that Black English is bad English is scientifically baseless and it needlessly leads some students to under-perform in schools. Therefore, schools and other social institutions need to accept and embrace vernacular dialects while acknowledging the standard one. If we want to decrease alienation from school and mitigate stereotype threat, we should teach what is appropriate — that Standard English should be taught but that a student’s native dialect is also appropriate as a derivative base for adaptation, instead of rooting it out. It would be great if these students can be taught, "The school language here is called standard American English. It may be different from your native language or dialect but it is no better or worse than your language. Standard English serves to unite all Americans.” Students should be granted the opportunity to switch between the two dialects. The teaching of Standard English should be coupled with appreciation of dialect diversity (Students’ Right To Their Own Language). No dialect is better than the other; they all convey meaning in their own ways. By giving students information about various dialects, including their own, instructors can demonstrate the integrity that is language and the melting pot that is America. This approach elucidates the interrelationship between standard and social dialects, undermines the social basis for evaluation, and reinforces the pragmatic justification for using a standard dialect.

Fortunately, as Black English receives more and more worldwide exposure through multimedia, it bears the potential to transform itself from being perceived as American culture to being accepted as a foundation of American culture. However, since Standard English is the "common language" and one we are taught in school and used to intercommunicate with diverse Americans, we should be aware of its propriety and acknowledge what is taught and what is shared. If America wants to sustain as a melting pot, it is crucial that we assimilate under a unified language – Standard English. "I saw him" and "I seen him" reflect neither linguistic superiority, nor stupidity on the part of those who use "I seen him" but it demonstrates a literal and not derogatory sense of ignorance. By saying "I seen him," users are not acknowledging the grammar taught in school, the common dialect typing a melting pot of people, and at the fundamental level, all the efforts (hiring teachers, building schools, etc) and resources (financial and social) exerted to ensure the processing and application of the unified tongue. Rightly or wrongly, students are expected to master Standard English in order to perform well on standardized tests, succeed in school, and “move up” in the social ladder. For the sake of establishing and maintaining a career within corporate America or almost any career in this country for that matter, individuals need to be able to use the Standard American English. It is virtually impossible and an uphill battle to maintain a vernacular dialect considering the diversity of individuals among you in different situations when socially mobilizing. I do not believe that individuals should stop using Black English but rather have the ability to diglossically adapt depending on their settings.

More Thoughts on Being Asian American

I arrived to the U.S. from China/Hong Kong at the age of 7, speaking fluent Cantonese Chinese. Now, I can speak English fluently but have lost much of my Cantonese language fluency. When I first arrived, I found the categorization of Asian American very strange and counterintuitive. Why would I want to share my identity with a Japanese American, Korean American, etc? I have spent my entire life among Chinese people. Not only are these other Asian ethnic groups not my backyard neighbors but historically, tensions among many East Asian countries have not been the most stable. Furthermore, what connection can be tied between a Filipino American and an Indian American, a Hmong American and a Mongolian American?

However, after settling in the United States for a good number of years, I realize that not many Americans consider me as I considered myself: Chinese American. I have gradually come to acknowledge that Asian Americans get lumped as one group, as perpetual foreigners, regardless of their English proficiency or length of stay in America. It is this threat to my individuality (ironically enough) that makes me ever more proud of affiliating myself as Asian American. Many ethnic Asians, too, gradually come to form communities that stand in solidarity with one another to fight for civil liberties and social justice. By banding together, we can distill our individual strands of ethnic vitality.

Being Asian American yet having experiences with both cultures allows me to not tolerate linearity of association and perpetuating bias (David Pollock's, Third Culture Kids).

Mixed Race Cartoons

Reflection on Jaimie's presentation on mixed race in the media

More than eye candy, something to think about...

Very specific ideas about what it means and looks to be “mixed race” have been normalized in the media, in marketing, on anthology covers, and in K-12 educational literature. -Michele Elam, "Identity Remix"



and a highly publicized one:


This image was the heat of racial controversy in Russia not too long ago. The ad was used for an ice cream called "Duet" and the designer, Voskhod Company, insists that the image was not intended to have any racial or racist connotation.

Pictures do tell a thousand words, and offer many levels of interpretation. In this image, I believe in the designer's good intentions. I interpret the "black in white" and "chocolate in vanilla" references to signify an African-American President in the White House, and not to President Obama's mixed-race heritage. Also, in situating the picture against its historical context, Russia has no pronounced history of racism and should be given the benefit of the doubt. The image, furthermore, portrays no overt racial stereotypes. The ad simply shows a smiling President Obama making a peace sign in front of the White House. The rainbows in the background represent hope and peace. From the consumer's standpoint, I actually do view this image as suggesting Russia's faith in the Obama presidency.

Nevertheless, caveat emptor (buyer beware)! There are many ads that have subtle details offering multiple levels of bias interpretation ("Boondocks"), intending to sway consumer minds to make false assumptions and delve into stereotypes to meet certain company needs and goals.

Racial Identity Formation

I was born in China and spent most of my formulative years there. I cannot say that I developed my Asian racial identity in China because my identity was very much innate and blanketed by my physical surroundings. Cross' Racial Identity Development Model seems to be grounded on the notion that systemic or environmental factors cause an individual to feel “different.” I do not recall many situations where I had to exert my racial identity; everyone I interacted with during these years were Chinese. There was not another skin color I could compare to. Growing up in a very homogeneous population of working class Chinese folks in rural China and then urban Hong Kong taught me very little about racial and cultural identity. While racial homogeneity may lead to racial isolation, I found my experiences to be very positive. Back then, I did not know about racism; I transcended the issue of race by considering people as individuals rather than markers of their racial categories. The Cross Model, and other identity models, cannot generalize all individuals within a specified group, e.g. immigrants versus native-born, adults versus adolescents, but it is helpful in that it considers the sociopolitical influences on individuals.

Coming to the United States, I was confronted with a melting pot of diversity. On the upside, I gained exposure to difference and hopefully, learned to immerse in it and embrace it. However, I also learned to set categorical cultural and racial frames around certain people. I learned to discriminate. The U.S., because of its sheer diversity, fosters an oppressive culture where those who are “different” from the norm (white, homosexual male) are discriminated against. In this environment, those who are "different" internalize the messages they have been fed about what is “right” and “normal” to develop a heightened sense of self and group identity. Cross's model shows the “resocialization experience” in which a Black individual progresses from a non-Afrocentric to an Afrocentric to a multicultural identity. During this transformation, the individual ideally progresses from a complete oblivion to race then to embracing black culture exclusively and finally settling on a commitment to embrace all races and cultures. The model ends with an integrated sense of self awareness.

I followed this framework of racial transformation very squarely in America. I was fed with images of white superiority and power in this country. The low-income neighborhoods in Boston comprise mostly of minorities. The wealthier parts of Boston were predominantly white. In the media, I saw colorized images depicting racial discrepancies in crime versus honorable popularity. In my preencounter stage of racial identity formation, I respected the dominant racial culture, white culture, highly. I tried to assimilate to reap the benefits that come with being white. I surrounded myself with white popular culture, made white friends, ate Western food, dressed more Western, and behaved in a more American fashion. I am not implying that assimilation is reprobate or white culture is abominable. However, in retrospect, I did not give much credit to my own culture and did not have much racial pride, despite the countless achievements that Asian Americans have achieved in this country.

My token sense of racial pride also stemmed from the fact that I was an immigrant. As an immigrant coming from an impoverished background in China, my expectations coming to America were simple: work hard in school, get a good job, and repay my parents. My priorities were focused on education and family life; I did not care much about anything else. When I was discriminated, and I do clearly remember being discriminated many times, I brushed it off and pretended like nothing happened. I did not expect to be treated equally or with respect. I only expected to be treated better than I was treated back in China. Under an oppressive political climate and living in substandard conditions, life in America was milestones more viable. Because I felt less swayed by negative racial stereotypes portend a diminution in Asian Americans racial group identity and a gradual assimilation into mainstream, white America.

The Cross racial identity model discusses an intersection between racial perceptions of others (racism) and racial perception of self (racial development). Although our perceptions of others are important and act as triggers for development and consciousness, there is great value in the consideration of racial and ethnic identity for oneself and groups of individuals. When I first entered the US, not knowing any English and being socially reserved, I found an unchallenged notion to be happy with my lot. Although I lived in a white blue-collar neighborhood in Boston and was a target of racial intolerance, battered with verbal abuse and jeering glances, I did not stand up for myself, my culture, my race. However, as I improved on my English and matured physically and mentally, I grew out of my reclusive shell and one day, decided to confront a few teenagers who were throwing racial slurs at me. Looking them in the eye, I simply but affirmatively told them to stop, in clear articulate English. To my relief, the same kids never pestered me again. Had I not stayed there to confront my oppressors, I would regrettably remain a reticent victim of racial injustice. This experience resonates with that typical in the encounter stage.

Racial identity is a situational construct evolved over time. Because of competition and conflict with other groups, heightened racial identity based on group solidarity and similarity of experiences might form. My racial identity emerged out of the aforementioned incident, aligning with the immersion/emersion phase of the racial identity development spectrum. However, I gradually grasped that Americans are diverse, some are discriminated, others are the oppressors. America, itself, is not a country on an island in and of itself. Racial conflicts all across the world reveal the challenges we need to overcome to build cohesive, tolerant, and multicultural societies. I learn from my own experiences the injustice that plagues our society but I also learn the power of activism and speaking out. I try to promote my dream of a tolerant multicultural society by appreciating all people. As hostess of the local Boston show “Girl TV”, I often shared how I felt growing up and being discriminated. I encouraged the show’s viewers to stand up for who they are. Every time I received appreciative letters or calls from viewers, I feel even more committed to my dream. Overcoming my experiences with racial discrimination has provoked me to help others accomplish the same. I hope that those who are victims will work to have their voices heard and those who discriminate against others will learn to stop and understand. In this manner, I have satisfactorily internalized my racial pride with a greater sense of community and made a commitment that transcends the self to the group and beyond.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

a poem on pride and prejudice, about a young man denied
one and bestowed the other. taken from my poetry blog.

Down the street, sneakers hang from cable lines.
Along cement walls are graffiti gang signs.
One never walks alone here;
One is never without fear.
Brooklyn: where felons advance their career;
Brooklyn: where the innocent disappear,
A child dreams to become a pioneer.

In the media,
He is painted the shade of sin with the tone of threat,
The source of shame in a dark silhouette.
As if he is invisible yet ominously there,
Sprouting sin and fostering fear.
Roaming the mean streets of Brooklyn,
Grounds nourished in hate and bred for sin,
A child dreams to become a pioneer.

In this hood,
The crime-ridden projects of urban cityscape,
Day shines light on the sight of caution tape,
As the dreadful night before had taken shape
In the ugly forms of homicide and rape,
Of violent theft and victims’ futile escape,
In this vicinity of vice lived in constant fear,
A child dreams to become a pioneer.

In his family,
One might even say that the rumors hold truth,
As blood-kin behave in ways deemed uncouth:
An uncle on the run, and another behind bars,
His father charged for hijacking cars.
His older sister smokes pot outside the corner store,
As his little sister walks from behind to explore.
Yet he holds them dear and dreams to be the pioneer.

He is trampled by hollow assumptions,
Labeled with loathe and stamped with shame.
Using food stamps for daily consumptions,
He etches a living in his own name:
A student with perfect attendance,
And a fine scholar with straight A’s.
He is living with independence,
Fear overcome and peace embraced.

This child dreams to become a pioneer:
A brother who takes care of his sisters at will,
A son who makes his parents proud of him too.
A boy who, towards his ambitions, pursue,
Will one day find all his wishes fulfilled,
To become the man with his dreams come true.

The media can lie.
And people will die,
In this place where calm drowns into a cry,
And yet a tree grows high into the sky.
Living a life of fear with no despair,
A child dreams to become a pioneer.

Film Review: "Ethnic Man"

Heroes: winsomely toned men with hearts of gold and brawn of steel. Superman. X-Men. Spiderman. Alabaster skin epitomizes their divine complexion. However, in the real world, we see another superhero, a role model for the average American. His name is Ethnic Man and he is truly one of us, truly an American. Of African-American, Native American, Filipino, Chinese, Danish and German descent, Teja Arboleda (Ethnic Man) uses his worldly compass to defy stereotypes in this visual saga. This film follows Ethnic Man's epic battles, confronting racism and discrimination using gallant gestures of exerting difference to embrace universality. He saves the average American from the chains of singularity by charmingly and poignantly addressing the enigma of cultural, racial, and ethnic identity. Topping his fine verse with humorous undertone, Teja challenges us to contemplate "What does it mean to be an American?"

In America, a melting pot of differences, we are nonetheless confronted with a linear notion of the ideal, a discrete sense of belonging within the periphery. We grow up with the construct that the classic American has blue eyes, blond hair, and fair skin. Ethnic Man acknowledges this common experience when he points to pictures of Jesus in a Bible who has "totally white, white skin, blue eyes and blond hair" and calls him "the perfect, all-American surfer dude." American shows like "90210" and "Baywatch" reinforce this singular notion of Americanism.

However, underneath his clean facade of banter and fine commentary, excellent performance with fluid movements and variety of speech, Teja reveals that he, too, falls victim to the chains of singularity. He depicts his inner scars, deepened through taunting and multiple episodes of identity crises. Teja’s childhood friends in New York City often bellowed “Hail Hitler” to initiate a pre-defeated game of playing army with him. He was spit on, shoved, and punched. He was told again and again to return to where he belongs but he, too, does not know his true place of belonging. Teja recalls holding his dark hand against his mother's white hand and wishing he could look the same as her.

The issues that Teja depicts are not only his personal struggles, but social ones. People like Teja, the minorities in America, all share similar experiences of exclusion and repulsion. Fortunately, our differences and our firm foot in the door of America beckons a future when all differences are one and the same and we will all be considered Americans.

Ethnic Man is a genuine hero. He makes us reflect, and stretch our boundaries of reflection to make us think and hope and dream beyond. He challenges his audience to come to a greater truth that crosses both racial and color lines. His visual presentation, while welcomingly humorous and entertaining, also offers a very stimulating and enriching dialogue with a serious message: we are all American. In contrived heroes, there is only one archetype. In reality, heroes are the essence of difference. May Ethnic (Wo)Men save our race, our human race.

“I’m not comfortable in my own skin”: The Plight of Multiracial Children

Precursor to Danielle's presentation on the dichotomy of multiracial life
In the film "None of the Above", we see an adorable young multiracial boy articulate the full essence of his heritage. He seems proud and adamant. However, the reality is less comforting. Multiracial individuals, especially children, often suffer identity crises because they are confused about their racial makeup and cultural heritage. They are unable to connect completely with either side of this multifold background (NAACP article). However, I think that in light of a society that implicitly encourages linearity, unresolved identity issues continue to plague multiracial children because their unique cultural and racial heritages are not acknowledged by the greater society. Institutions render multiracial individuals almost invisible. Children's storybooks and films portray characters of singular heritage, for example. From school enrollment forms to standardized testing, multiracial children often find themselves essentially forced to make a monoracial decision in having to check one box or identify as "Other": other, different, not mainstream. There have been all too many cases of multiracial children being teased and bullied in school for being different: for being one thing and yet another, for not quite being this but not quite being that either.

Because society's resistance to multiculturalism has ill side effects, I hope we all can take a consolidated effort to learn not to discriminate or make assumptions about people based on phenotype but look within and learn to embrace multiculturalism and the unique assets that mutliracial/ multicultual individuals bring to society. I hope we can gradually widen our currently narrow-minded American viewpoint, of perceiving America as a a "salad bowl" with separate and distinct racial contributions, and hence a power hierarchy of oppression and domination, pivoting race against race.

Because not all children are treated "the same" in classrooms, instructors need to re-evaluate the idea of equality and ensure that every student is afforded opportunities for academic excellence and personal growth. Living in a multicultural and multiracial society dictates that the classroom climate should encourage multiculturalism and embrace this new population of students, increasing in number and complexity. Institutions like schools need to make multiracial children feel wanted and welcome. They should reassess their curriculum and make any necessary adjustments to recognize and accommodate this population. Teachers can instruct about famous multiracial individuals such as Frederick Douglas, Tiger Woods, and Colin Powell. They can invite members from the local community into schools to serve as positive multiracial role models. Having real role models is crucial to students' overall success and positive racial identity Furthermore, teachers must encourage peers to acknowledge and accept multiracial children, as well as foster a safe environment for multiracial children to learn and develop their identities. Finally, teachers should supply their classrooms with books that feature multiracial children. A safe and welcoming learning environment is paramount to a child's development. Multiracial children will learn on level ground to grow to become responsible citizens, comfortable among society. They will learn to make identity decisions and society should not marginalize them by their choices.

Asian vs Asian American

As I have discussed in an earlier post, I feel like I fit the fortune cookie analogy: yellow on the outside but both yellow and white on the inside. I am Asian American. I was, however, born in China so I did experience my fair share of being an immigrant. Being a Chinese, an immigrant, and an American, I am very interested in where these fine lines of separation lie and what turning markers blur these lines. When does an Asian immigrant become an Asian American?

Do Asians become Asian-Americans when they naturalize or does the transformation occur sooner, e.g. when they learn to combat Asian American issues, take on American values and standards, or become proficient in speaking English? By extension of the latter theory, do immigrants from English-speaking countries become Americans sooner than those who do not? If we hypothesize that becoming American relies not simply within a legal document, how can we hash out the traits that separate Asian from Asian American?

One can make the argument that Asian Americans are perpetually foreign in the United States (Sue: "Racial Microaggression"). They originate from lands where the languages and customs are vastly different from Western society's. Asian immigrants continue to roll in abundance to the United States, as well as countries all over the world yet they all share one commonality in their physical phenotypes: faces that irrevocably distinguish us as members of a minority race with recent origins in perpetually foreign countries. This physical identification factor may explain why many Asians believe that they neither have the ability nor the incentive to assimilate like European groups. When asked where they are from, Asian Americans would naturally reply "Boston," "New York" or another American location but unsatisfactorily to the inquisitor: "Where are you really from?" Despite this extra layer of assimilation barrier, many Asians have boldly tried to identify themselves as Asian American, for example, writer Ha Jin and musician Yo-Yo Ma.

Despite wanting to assimilate, wanting not to become a foreigner in our own country, Asian Americans themselves have blurred the lines between Asian Americans and Asians. Many members of the Asian American community, for example, have embraced famous Asians like Jackie Chan and Jet Li as their own. While these Asian celebrities may help publicize the Asian American community, they also reinforce the Asian stereotypes that Asian Americans generally do not want to be associated with: broken English, traditional Asian values, etc. What do Asian Americans want to be seen as? As someone who considers herself Asian American, I, too, will embrace stars like Jackie Chan as people who help elevate my "race" and bring it to public discourse. These people characterize the "Asian" in "Asian American" and their talents, values, and characteristics represent positively for all Asians and Asian Americans. However, I will be quick to identify other celebrities like Amy Tan or Michelle Kwan as well, individuals who are born in the U.S. or who have lived here for a number of years. These stars fully encompass Asian Americanism in their experiences with conflicting cultural values and generational divides, experiences that Asian Americans face (Cross' "Racial Identity Development Model").

I consider myself both Asian and American, hence Asian American. However, my parents generally see themselves as more Asian than American. We are all U.S. citizens and have been in America for the same number of years. However, I feel more emotionally tied to America; I have a heart-to-heart commitment to America that my parents lack. Emotional commitment sounds like a vague standard, but I think it is the best explanation for why some immigrants will never truly feel American despite temporal and locational associations. For example, individuals who moved to America against their will, like refugees, are not going to feel a sense of commitment to their new land. No matter how long they spend in America, they see America as a place of displacement and their native country as their true home. Being emotionally committed to a country is really open to interpretation. Once must feel a senses of national pride, of course, but I feel like the individual should also make a serious effort to learn the language (English), participate in civil society (e.g. vote or take on activism projects), associate with diverse people in America, carry appropriate emotions in national times of crises and triumphs, and feel a need to give back to America because it has afforded the individual certain rights and privileges. Because of all these malleable requirements, I feel more Asian American and my parents, more Asian.

What the individual thinks and what society thinks of the individual are often two very disparate notions but they definitely influence each other. When one starts to feel American and thinks he/she is American, then society will reciprocate these affections. Into the melting pot I go!

A Thought

Reflections on Teresa Williams-Leon's "The Sum of Our Parts"

I am a student, daughter, sister, friend, enemy, nap enthusiast, caffeine addict, techno music lover, writer, artist, thinker, progressive, quirky, pint-sized, Bostonian.

I have black hair, brown eyes. I am YELLOW.

None of these things define me, but they are the building blocks of who I am.

I am the sum all these things, my parts, and who I am is more than a sum of these parts.

A White Man's Burden Is A Colored Man's Responsibility?

Race And Privilege In The "Age of Obama": NPR

Privilege is tied to power, allowing certain individuals to assume unearned assets that can elevate social status or reputation. Markers of privilege are varied and many. In a capitalist society, individuals with higher incomes enjoy more respect, comfort, security, and power. In a male-dominated culture, men enjoy more autonomy and power than do women. In a color-coded society, those who are white are less disciplined by racism and more privileged to unspecified rights associated with skin color. Those who carry more markers of privilege are higher up the social ladder of power and prestige. Sadly, social institutions such as universities, and courts reflect and enforce certain forms of privilege and subjugation. Minorities, homosexuals, women, and other "Other" groups continue to be discriminated. This pervasive relationship of dominance and subordination involve all of us, participating often blindly.

The challenge, then, is how the privileged should think and behave with respect to their position of power and the implications of status. The underprivileged and the privilege should jointly merge their citizenry responsibilities and set forth a more equal and meritocratic society.

Power and privilege, however, are not necessarily equated with personal choice. The wealthy are sometimes endowed with money since birth. White individuals do not choose to become white. While the privileged may assume power across certain facets, we cannot criticize their power or privilege unless they abuse it by crassly neglecting the less privileged. Obama, for example, is weathy and influential as the President of the United States. While he is American by birth and profession, he chose to be Black by racial ID. Although Black, Obama constantly reminds the public of how his life is different from the lives of the many poor Blacks in America. He can choose a private school for his kids, Sasha and Malia. Washington public schools, among the worst in the country, are out. Like the Clintons and the other presidents before him, he will take advantage of his power and privilege to better himself and his family, but who can blame him?

Privileged people often feel guilty for their entitlement. Thus, many choose to give back to the community to undermine the power structure that benefits them. Yet, other people often dismiss the privileged's progressive worldview as insincere rhetoric. Very few Whites admit their higher incomes are partially attributable to the color of their skin. They feel guilty about racial disparities; they cannot acknowledge that this extra income is a product of a racial hierarchy. The guilt stems from the fact that society tells us to treat the unprivileged not only with our sympathy and our charity, but treat them as equals, and how is this possible when they do not share an equal lot in life? The privileged simply cannot be in solidarity with the oppressed, and they are condemned to that feeling of guilt. Powerful people are much more capable of effecting change, even though their selfishness renders them unwanting to in the first place. With privilege also comes responsibility and with greater privilege, greater responsibility. The privileged should be cautioned of negative dynamics that can stem from oblivion to their own privilege. They should not always assume they are correct over the less privileged. They should not wear the coat of ignorance and become unaware of the circumstances of the less privileged. Finally, they should not assume a legacy of privilege. Power fades, and so does privilege.

www.nathangibbs.com

I have recently stumbled upon a wonderful website: www.nathangibbs.com. Nathan Gibbs is a producer and artist who creates meaningful projects that explore color and culture in America. Two of his projects that I found to be extremely cool are:

1. "Crayola Monologues (2003) uses the crayon as a human metaphor for exploring color and identity in the United States. This animated video features crayons expressing how color hierarchies have shaped their lives. These crayons live in a world much like our own, complete with prejudice, class boundaries, social hierarchies and those who fall between the lines. Crayola Monologues also reveals the politics behind Crayola label changes, and gives a voice to the previously unheard perspective of crayons."



2. "Race Cube (2003) remodels the classic Rubik’s Cube with a racial twist. Rather than the abstract color separation of the original, the Race Cube poses a more concrete challenge: aligning images of people into categories based on race. Race Cube challenges not only the player’s ability to determine the race to which each face belongs, but also the fundamental assumption that distinct racial lines exist. Race Cube requires that subjects such as Tiger Woods be sorted in a binary paradigm, without any tolerance. Multiracial faces cannot sit simultaneously on multiple sides of the cube. The three dimensional grid structure of the cube represents the low tolerance, low-resolution construction of racial categories.At the same time Race Cube physically manifests the “problem” or puzzle of race, it also provides a solution. This perspective asserts that the cube is always in a constant state of solution. Race Cube maintains its ideal mixed state no matter how many adjustments one makes to the arrangement of the cube, regardless of the player’s attempts to solve the problem. This new solution views the biological notion of being mixed from a positive, rather than the traditionally negative, perspective. Validating diversity and the mixed state of racial representation today provides a platform for deconstructing biological myths about race."


Nathan, you rock!

Tiger Woods: Race Traitor or Visionary?

Reflections on Kamiya's "Cablinasian like me"

Tiger Woods has often been quoted, questioned, and criticized for calling himself "Cablinasian," a combination of Caucasian, Black, Indian, and Asian. The criticism comes largely from African Americans, who want Tiger Woods to take greater pride in his Black heritage and not become a "sellout." Even Colin Powell responds to Woods' remark by commenting that anyone who looks like him is Black. However, by calling himself "Cablinasian," Woods is not denying that he is not Black. Rather, he is saying that he is Black, proud to be Black, proud to be the honorary grandson of legendary golf player Charlie Sifford, but he is not just Black. He is stating that he is a rich mix of Caucasian, Black, Indian (Native-American), and Asian. "I'm just who I am," Woods told Oprah Winfrey, "whoever you see in front of you."

Does it matter if Woods is a single race or "Cablinasian" as he calls himself? What is the significance of him marrying a blonde white woman instead of a woman of color? Is Woods, a professional golf player well positioned with wealth and respect, "beyond race" by virtue of his societal status? While many people may condemn Woods' self-created racial identity, I personally applaud him for attempting to blur racial lines to affirm what he truly is in his own eye.


They -- we -- have learned to live and thrive within the difference, the racial divide, that so needlessly frightens America. Like them, America has a white parent and a black parent, and an Asian one and a Hispanic one too. It's time for Mother's Day. -Kamiya


Woods is a fascinating example of a melting pot culture in a mixed-race America. He embodies transnational and multicultural ties to a traditionally white sport, and a personal history embedded and crossed with the Vietnam War, African-American slavery, Asian Buddhism, minority exclusion and social agitation, all the while trying to accommodate masses of fans wanting him to be all things to all people. Whoever Woods may be, his refusal to place himself into a single racial category, his rebuttal of the one-drop rule, may point America to a more colorblind society. Woods is simply embracing his true identity and not letting other people dictate who he is. His identity, indeed, has no defined racial name. There are no set stereotypes associated with it yet. No one can justifiably evaluate him as this or that but who he is at face value: one of the top golfers of all time. By inventing his own "race," Woods stands for a greater reality: our race does not define us; we define our race. We can describe ourself and let our accomplishments (or lack thereof) become our stereotypes or associations. Our identities should be based on our attributes as human beings.

Although "Cablinasian" is certainly a reasonable race for Tiger Woods, calling himself a Black golf player will also serve some respectable purposes. He does not even need to say that he is proud of his African-American heritage. He only needs to say that he is a Black golfer. Much of the public and many of his fans already see him as a Black golfer purely based on phenotypical bases. If Woods embraced his Black identity, he will serve as an empowering force to inspire young Black golfers. As Woods had stated in a Nike commercial, "there are still courses in the United States that I cannot play because of the color of my skin." In becoming a top golf player despite the color of his skin, he will motivate aspiring Black players who have had to experience the same racial and social barriers Woods had to face in his move up the athletic honor ladder.

The One Drop Rule

"Through a long and arduous search for blackness, Obama arrived at humanity." - Gary Kamiya, "The Mix Master"

The one drop rule does not exist? Mr. Kamiya, I beg to differ. Riddle me this. Barack Obama's unique background presents America with both a puzzle and a challenge. With a father from Africa and a white mother from Kansas, Obama adamantly maintains being “African-American." Why does Barack Obama, who is 50% white, not asserting himself as white to the American public? Can he?

It is true that the scientific basis for "race" is shaky. Humans are 99% alike on the genetic level. Our genes say we are a single species. However, "race" continues to be used and defined. In America, "race" has become a slippery sociocultural mental construct that allows us to group people by visual discrepancies, weak but identifiable phenotypes. To this end, race is as present now as it has been since its inception of use.

It is ideal to strive toward a colorblind society, where our actions and behaviors realize the hope of this nation's Founding Fathers: that all men are created equal. However, the visual categories we use to classify and treat people do exist even as we are mentally haunted by this thread that sewed our nation together. Where so many decisions and actions continue to manifest the results of those "in here/out there" illusory categories,” America has proven its firm reputation in socially trafficking people by race.

The one-drop rule exemplifies the significance of the illusory social construct of "race." This notion has mostly been applied to American-born people of “black” (African) ancestry. Any person with any African ancestry, no matter how miniscule, is deemed a “black” person. Because tracing ancestry is complicated, the concept has sustained on the reliance on using color: shades of brown to signify "blackness." When we say "race" in America, we are delving directly into the realm of "drops." Color blindness? Hardly. Human blindness? Sight is a very powerful sense.

If the one-drop rule does not exist, then nearly all of us would identify and be viewed as multiracial. Langston Hughes once wrote: “You see, unfortunately, I am not black. There are a lot of different kinds of blood in our family. But here in the United States, the word ‘Negro’ is used to mean anyone who has Negro blood, therefore black. I am brown.” That only 3 percent of Americans currently identify as biracial pinpoints the dominance of people's perceptions over actual racial makeup.

Most "African-Americans" in this country have mixed ancestry. Obama is no different. He identifies as black because he is perceived at face value to be black. His blood composition is half black and his skin tone is more than sufficient to mark him as black. The one-drop rule has dire implications. For example, if both Obama and McCain were to drive fancy cars at night, who is more likely to be pulled over by police? That one drop sure goes a very long way.

Given the above category illusion, rampant among American minds, “African-American” is indeed the most accurate race to describe Obama. By doing so, Obama has opened our eyes to acknowledge the perpetuation of the one-drop rule. By going linearly with his "African-American" identify, Obama is demonstrating that while our country is indeed a melting pot of all kinds of people from all sorts of backgrounds, racial categorization is heavily dependent on perception. He is changing our misunderstanding that African-Americans are monolithic. Obama's claim of blackness is not denigrating his white heritage because a black person in America, most likely, do have some white ancestry. To accept Obama's black identification recognizes this fact and unravels the reality that blacks have a unique racial history in America.

In acknowledging our own propensity to uphold the one drop rule even as we strive to abolish it, we will inch closer to becoming a colorblind society. Our nation must learn to refrain from making judgements based on people's physical appearance and skin color. This nation is now undeniably multiracial and multicultural; our diversity is more than skin deep. In making friends, hiring employees, electing candidates, we should focus on the personal qualities and characteristics that people can bring to the table. I am far more interested in what Obama can do for me as the President of the United States than how he exemplifies a post-racial society. Reevaluating centuries of American race relations is beyond the job description for presidency!

--
Rap About The One Drop Rule

What Are You?

Reflections on Gaskin's "What Are you?"

Considering the environment I found myself in for the majority of my life, I could easily have become a Twinkie or a lemon. However, I consider myself a fortune cookie, yellow on the outside and both yellow and white on the inside. At the fork of the road, Chinese-Americans often ask: should I become American, or should I exert my native Chinese? I, too, have long grappled with this dilemma personally. My decision is to take neither road and pave my own more challenging but less-questioned third road. I am going to be both, being as American as I am Chinese, and vice versa. I am Chinese-American manifest in my day-to-day living: from the variety of food I eat to the the way I communicate and think, express and repress emotion, in all, the type of life I choose to lead.

I am proud to be Chinese and am yellow in all that is applicable to my situation. I was born in China and lived there for a solid 7 years. I am over-achieving, received high grades and near perfect scores on my SATs, attend a prestigious university, behave modestly, and enjoy everything in moderation. My lemon inner self can be exemplified in my loyal patriotism toward my home country. I love Chinese food! I love Chinese music! I love China. I feel a sense of pride in being Chinese, a member of one of the most historically and culturally rich world superpowers. China's journey, for better or worse, is my journey. Watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics and seeing China assert itself so adamantly to the world reinforces my pride. Witnessing China triumphing on a global stage in their home stadium, in a remarkable ceremony that bridges the modern with a flair for the ancient glorifies China's story and my own.

However, in returning to China last summer, I experienced another awakening. The Chinese saw me as a foreigner in my language deficiencies and self-unaware "American behavior." Local Chinese people would try to talk to me in English. They would ask me about the Backstreet Boys, George Bush, Boston clam chowder. They asked me about America, in what was in their opinion, my "home." Upon personal reflection, I realized that the native Chinese acquaintances were not flawed in their judgement. I cannot be fully Chinese no matter how hard I try. I only lived in China briefly and spent the majority of my maturing years in America. I attended a predominately white high school and found myself poring over Plato and Shakespeare in the early waking hours. Given the liberality and freedom I had in steering my own life, I decided to lean toward the humanities and fell in love with writing and the arts. Instead of entering science fairs, I entered spelling bees. Instead of directing the Math Olympiad team, I wrote for the Boston Herald and oversaw my high school newspaper. I am a "fuzzy." Consequently, I felt some distance, some fine line drawn between myself and the more "stereotypical" Chinese in China: math/science geniuses who spoke in broken English.

The way I assert myself is distinctly American. The inflections in my daily speech, my subtle eye movements, food preferences, and other miniscule details of my American lifestyle may take years to alter. However, I will forever be Chinese at heart. I will not lose my pride, or deny my past manifest phenotypically in my black hair and round face and slanted eyes. I cherish my traditional family upbringing, my culture. I do not want to integrate so much into American society that my Asian values are hardly apparent. All in all, being a fortune cookie is indeed a blessing. It allows me to choose between neither, while finding value in embracing both. I may not be able to fully become American or Chinese, but I am gaining greater appreciation for both cultures as I nourish and define my Chinese-American heritage. Outside, I am well shaped and clearly defined. Inside, I am full of wonderful surprises.