Eric Stoller blogged recently about his girlfriend being confronted with the "what are you" question, and queried as to why many Whites feel the need to put people of colour into identifiable little boxes.
To me, it's just a by-product of the Other-izing of minorities. For many Whites, who are, by definition, never face the racial degradation of Otherizing (or even conscious membership to a racial community) see nothing wrong with being curious about a "different person"'s background or appearance. For some, there is a fascination with being visibly different, for others, it is a belief that racism exists only as racial slurs and sodomizing broomsticks, and cannot be found within an "innocent question" posed by a curious and nonetheless open-minded White liberal.
The truth is that people of colour loathe the "what are you" question because it's a reminder of the inequality we face inherent to our racial background. "What are you" suggests that we are not them, we are not normal, we are different. Though the White querient may believe the question is not harmful, they never consider how the very non sequitor nature of the question not only reminds us of our "Other"-izing but showcases the mindset of Whites who feel entitled to the knowledge.
I'm frequently asked by Whites "what I am" -- and these questions are usually followed by comments about Chinese culture that supposedly connect them to my background. I haven't quite figured out how to respond to these kinds of questions, but I certainly know that I'm tired of being a "what" in the first place.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Reappropriate: What Are You?
Jenn at Reappropriate comments on the tendency from some to ask "What are you?":
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2 comments:
I want to write a response to this e-mail propaganda that I have gotten in my inbox several times in the last few years. First read the "Tampa" article and then be sure to read my response to it further down:
First read this that I will be responding to;
Subject: THIS WAS IN A TAMPA NEWSPAPER
"Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone-----YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM !!!!
Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????
Think about it! All we have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?
I celebrate Christmas...........but because it isn't celebrated by everyone..............we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings.
It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday?
We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that. This says it all!
This is an editorial written by an
American citizen, published in a
Tampa, FL Newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!
IMMIGRANTS,
NOT AMERICANS,
MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we
are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11,
we have experienced a surge
in patriotism by the majority
of Americans. However...... the dust from the attacks had
barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining about
the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to America.
Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants.
However, there
are a few things that those
who have recently come to
our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.
This idea of America being a
multicultural community
has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national idenitity. As Americans......
we have our own culture, our
own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language.
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!
"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women.......on Christian principles.............
founded this nation..... and this is clearly documented.
It is certainly appropriate to display it
on the walls of our schools
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as
your new home.........because
God is part of our culture.
If Stars and Stripes offend you, or
you don't like Uncle Sam, then you
should s eriously consider a move
to another part of this planet.
We
are happy with our culture and have
no desire to change, and we really
don't care how you did things where
you came from.
This is
OUR COUNTRY,
our land, and our lifestyle.
Our First Amendment gives every citizen the
right to express his opinion and we
will allow you every opportunity to do so!
But once you are done complaining....... whining...... and griping....... about our flag.......
our pledge...... our national motto........or our
way of life....I highly encourage you to
take advantage of one other Great American Freedom.......
THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.
It is Time for America to Speak up
If you agree -- pass this along;
if you don't agree -- delete it - You are in the WRONG Country!
AMEN
I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends (and enemies) it will also, sooner or later
get back to the complainers, lets all try,
please!"
Here is my response;
Man, I wish that they would have held this philosophy in 1492 or in any of the five centuries of conquest since then- because it has a little ethical merit. Unfortunately however, most of it happens to be in contradiction to human nature and natural order...especially the eurocentric/ ethnocentric approach to reality. It's never too late to start learning some of the many languages and customs of the First Nations of the "Americas"- like say Iroquoiian, to prove these points by example though! Its the best way to live...by example! Even the social Darwinists know that.
Consider this. In Northern California, there was once over a hundred Native language families. They were often as different as Russian is from Hebrew. Yet, these autonomous communities of people were able to relatively peacefully coexist in co-operative networks for millenia .... that is until immigrants from another worldview came along and sought to homogenize everything into their own way of thinking. Natural law does not require homogeneity. In fact natural law is dependant on networks of diversity to operate in any kind of balance at all. Nature organizes itself into ecosystems of interdependance. Although I agree that when people migrate to new territory they should look for ways to integrate into the existing order out of ethical courtesy and pragmatic economics- it must be admitted that infinite diversity in infinite combinations does not lend itself easily to homogeneity. That is the reailty we must acknowledge and begin to work with. Did you know that wherever in the world you find the most diversity of human communities and human languages- there you also find the most ecological balance, the most species of surviving plants and animals and the most harmony among men? When death and destruction comes to these areas- it comes not because of the networks of diversity, but at the heels of the land and resource speculators and the colonial empire builders... those who seek to dominate, control and exploit...and assimilate. Think about it. Its not natural and human diversity that is the enemy. Its selfishness in the heart of Man plain and simple. Its the "Golden Rule" that we should be fighting for. If this had been observed from the inception of the "United States", we would not have some of these social problems we have now and you would not be hearing me challenge the now existing order.
Good on ya!
my blog:
http://firstnationsspiritualwarriors.blogspot.com/
Starrider,
You know my thoughts about your posts, they seem accepting of other viewpoints, but ultimately they seek the same narrow systemic structure
What do you think of the Christianizing efforts of Native Americans, especially when they would forcibly remove their children from their homes and make them become Christian... was that acceptable, I mean they were making them become Christian (under your worldview, saving their souls), but they were ripping them from the supportive environment of their cutlure.
What decision would you have made?
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