Interesting Article... I'll reflect more on it later.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-buying-black-09-mar09,0,5889126.story
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Flench Flies & Caucasians.
3/3/09 (Square Root Day!)
In the movie we watched in class last week, "Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible," there was an excerpt that discussed an Asian girl who was cast as an island girl in a school play. The island was a Pacific island, so the island girls were supposed to be an Asian race. These girls were instructed to say things like "flench flies" instead of "french fries" to further demonstrate their Asian role in the play. this girl stood up to the play's director and refused to say "flench flies" because it was so demeaning.
This same topic has come up more than once in the past week.
1. In my Neuroscience class we were discussing phenomes because we're studying the language chapter, and my professor was explaining that his mom (since she's from Thailand) could not say the "r" phenome (because it's not in her first learned language), so it sounds more like an "l."
2. My friend (who is Asian) is involved with theater at her school was recently cast as a "Pacific Island Girl" (sound familiar?). She was so excited for her new part, that she said, "AND I get to talk like an Asian and everything!" She gave me a little demonstration and laughed. I was literally shocked at how she was responding in such a different way to the racist and stereotypical way she was being treated.
3. But then I realized that the last role she played was that of a Vietnamese civilian in a Vietnam War production. Typical. Cast the Asian girl as the Asian character. Interestingly enough, in this same production, one of the other characters was supposed to be a Middle Eastern man, but they got a White guy to play his role. Strange the way theater works.
I just read a classmate's blog about the blog online fmylife.com. The story she posted reminded me of a similar experience when I was in middle school. I believe it was eighth grade, and my classmates and I were taking the PLAN test (pre-ACT test). My friend had bubbled in "Other" on her testing form. Our teacher came around and asked her, "oh, are you not White anymore?" My friend was confused, but once my teacher told her that she should have circled "Caucasian," my friend explained herself that since "Caucasian" had the word "Asian" in it, she thought that it really meant "Asian." It's interesting that as students who grew up in a predominantly White area, we learn the politically correct terms - African American, for Native American, but we never learn what's politically correct to call ourselves.
This makes me wonder. Where does the term "Caucasian" come from, anyway? Here's what Wikipedia says:
The concept of a Caucasian race or Varietas Caucasia was developed around 1800 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German scientist and classical anthropologist.[5][5] Blumenbach named it after the peoples of the Caucasus (from the Caucasus region), whom he considered to be the archetype for the grouping.[6] He based his classification of the Caucasian race primarily on craniology.[7] Blumenbach wrote:
"Caucasian variety - I have taken the name of this variety from Mount Caucasus, both because its neighborhood, and especially its southern slope, produces the most beautiful race of men, I mean the Georgian; and because all physiological reasons converge to this, that in that region, if anywhere, it seems we ought with the greatest probability to place the autochthones (birth place) of mankind."[8]
WAIT. Stop. Realize that this was developed in around 1800. But, really the "most beautiful race of men?" And the birthplace of mankind? I thought the "birthplace of mankind" was somewhere in Africa. But I still have questions. Where is Mount Caucasus? And are the Georgians the same people as the people from Georgia (country between Russia and Turkey)?
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black and the Caspian sea in the Caucasus region.
The majority of Georgians are Christian, and mostly adhere to their national ancient autocephalous (since 4th century) Georgian Orthodox Church.
Strategically located on the crossroads between East and West, the Georgian people have been influenced by many civilizations throughout history. They absorbed features of other cultures and married them to indigenous traditions to produce a rich culture
Interesting. Caucasian is actually derived from Middle Eastern people, so why is it now associated with White people. The etiology of words can be really interesting, but overwhelming at the same time.
In the movie we watched in class last week, "Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible," there was an excerpt that discussed an Asian girl who was cast as an island girl in a school play. The island was a Pacific island, so the island girls were supposed to be an Asian race. These girls were instructed to say things like "flench flies" instead of "french fries" to further demonstrate their Asian role in the play. this girl stood up to the play's director and refused to say "flench flies" because it was so demeaning.
This same topic has come up more than once in the past week.
1. In my Neuroscience class we were discussing phenomes because we're studying the language chapter, and my professor was explaining that his mom (since she's from Thailand) could not say the "r" phenome (because it's not in her first learned language), so it sounds more like an "l."
2. My friend (who is Asian) is involved with theater at her school was recently cast as a "Pacific Island Girl" (sound familiar?). She was so excited for her new part, that she said, "AND I get to talk like an Asian and everything!" She gave me a little demonstration and laughed. I was literally shocked at how she was responding in such a different way to the racist and stereotypical way she was being treated.
3. But then I realized that the last role she played was that of a Vietnamese civilian in a Vietnam War production. Typical. Cast the Asian girl as the Asian character. Interestingly enough, in this same production, one of the other characters was supposed to be a Middle Eastern man, but they got a White guy to play his role. Strange the way theater works.
I just read a classmate's blog about the blog online fmylife.com. The story she posted reminded me of a similar experience when I was in middle school. I believe it was eighth grade, and my classmates and I were taking the PLAN test (pre-ACT test). My friend had bubbled in "Other" on her testing form. Our teacher came around and asked her, "oh, are you not White anymore?" My friend was confused, but once my teacher told her that she should have circled "Caucasian," my friend explained herself that since "Caucasian" had the word "Asian" in it, she thought that it really meant "Asian." It's interesting that as students who grew up in a predominantly White area, we learn the politically correct terms - African American, for Native American, but we never learn what's politically correct to call ourselves.
This makes me wonder. Where does the term "Caucasian" come from, anyway? Here's what Wikipedia says:
The concept of a Caucasian race or Varietas Caucasia was developed around 1800 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German scientist and classical anthropologist.[5][5] Blumenbach named it after the peoples of the Caucasus (from the Caucasus region), whom he considered to be the archetype for the grouping.[6] He based his classification of the Caucasian race primarily on craniology.[7] Blumenbach wrote:
"Caucasian variety - I have taken the name of this variety from Mount Caucasus, both because its neighborhood, and especially its southern slope, produces the most beautiful race of men, I mean the Georgian; and because all physiological reasons converge to this, that in that region, if anywhere, it seems we ought with the greatest probability to place the autochthones (birth place) of mankind."[8]
WAIT. Stop. Realize that this was developed in around 1800. But, really the "most beautiful race of men?" And the birthplace of mankind? I thought the "birthplace of mankind" was somewhere in Africa. But I still have questions. Where is Mount Caucasus? And are the Georgians the same people as the people from Georgia (country between Russia and Turkey)?
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black and the Caspian sea in the Caucasus region.
The majority of Georgians are Christian, and mostly adhere to their national ancient autocephalous (since 4th century) Georgian Orthodox Church.
Strategically located on the crossroads between East and West, the Georgian people have been influenced by many civilizations throughout history. They absorbed features of other cultures and married them to indigenous traditions to produce a rich culture
Interesting. Caucasian is actually derived from Middle Eastern people, so why is it now associated with White people. The etiology of words can be really interesting, but overwhelming at the same time.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
White Racial Identity Development
3/1/2009
White Racial Identity Development, according to the reading from Tatum.
I. Abandoning Racism
-Contact: Actually more of a "pre-encounter" phase. This would be someone who doesn't really see race and thinks that white is "normal."
-Disintegration: This usually happens when that person develops a relationship with a person of color. They realize that there are differences and they see inequalities.
-Reintegration: The person gets frustrated and blames the victim.
II. Developing a Positive White Racial Identity
-Pseudo-Independent: Understands the power structure, develops coalitions with groups of color. They're trying to find out who they are by surrounding themselves with people of color
-Immersion / Emersion: Immerse oneself in their own culture and family history.
-Autonomy: A positive sense of White racial identity is developed and secured.
I'm really glad I was exposed to learning about White racial identity development because I was starting to feel like White people don't develop a racial identity based on the readings from class. However, I can easily place myself in this White Racial Identity Scale. I would consider myself to be in the "Disintegration" phase. I think before taking this class I was in the contact phase. I didn't really think of myself as White and I never considered race. This class has taught me to take a different perspective in my evaluations of the world around me and has exposed me to learning more about people who are different than me.
I hope it doesn't seem like I'm passing judgment, but some of the people in the video we watched in class (Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible) seemed absolutely ridiculous. Mostly the people in the Pseudo-Independent stage, I guess, really. There were people who acted like they were all high and mighty just because they were taking a step toward racial equality and they're not people of color. I remember one person who talked about being at a race conference and they were one of few White people there. She said something along the lines of, "Hey at least I'm here, there's obviously not as many White people who care about these issues like I do." Some of these people seemed like their involvement in racial equality movements were so superficial, and for the wrong reasons. It was like they just wanted to be given a pat on the back for their hard work.
And I know not everyone has to go through all the stages listed above, but it kind of bothers me that so many White Folks go through this Pseudo-Independent stage. I'm thinking (hoping, maybe) that when I complete my White Racial Identity Development, I will skip the Pseudo-Independent stage because of my knowledge of it. I think it is possible to be involved in multicultural activities and join coalitions with people of color at the same time you're attempting to understand who you are as a White person by learning more about your cultural heritage (like in the Immersion / Emersion stage). I don't think its necessary to try to find out who you are by immersing yourself in a totally different culture. It doesn't work. That was already proven in the Racial Identity Development Theory for People of Color. Why would White people be expected to make that failed attempt? Obviously it's important to promote racial equality, which is part of the Pseudo-Independent stage.
Learning this theory makes me interested in becoming a more fulfilled person by understanding who I am as a White Person, not just as a person, or whatever. White racial identity and White pride are not fostered in our society because they have historical ties to White Supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan. We need to not be afraid to have racial pride or not fear racial development. It's time we as a nation grow up.
White Racial Identity Development, according to the reading from Tatum.
I. Abandoning Racism
-Contact: Actually more of a "pre-encounter" phase. This would be someone who doesn't really see race and thinks that white is "normal."
-Disintegration: This usually happens when that person develops a relationship with a person of color. They realize that there are differences and they see inequalities.
-Reintegration: The person gets frustrated and blames the victim.
II. Developing a Positive White Racial Identity
-Pseudo-Independent: Understands the power structure, develops coalitions with groups of color. They're trying to find out who they are by surrounding themselves with people of color
-Immersion / Emersion: Immerse oneself in their own culture and family history.
-Autonomy: A positive sense of White racial identity is developed and secured.
I'm really glad I was exposed to learning about White racial identity development because I was starting to feel like White people don't develop a racial identity based on the readings from class. However, I can easily place myself in this White Racial Identity Scale. I would consider myself to be in the "Disintegration" phase. I think before taking this class I was in the contact phase. I didn't really think of myself as White and I never considered race. This class has taught me to take a different perspective in my evaluations of the world around me and has exposed me to learning more about people who are different than me.
I hope it doesn't seem like I'm passing judgment, but some of the people in the video we watched in class (Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible) seemed absolutely ridiculous. Mostly the people in the Pseudo-Independent stage, I guess, really. There were people who acted like they were all high and mighty just because they were taking a step toward racial equality and they're not people of color. I remember one person who talked about being at a race conference and they were one of few White people there. She said something along the lines of, "Hey at least I'm here, there's obviously not as many White people who care about these issues like I do." Some of these people seemed like their involvement in racial equality movements were so superficial, and for the wrong reasons. It was like they just wanted to be given a pat on the back for their hard work.
And I know not everyone has to go through all the stages listed above, but it kind of bothers me that so many White Folks go through this Pseudo-Independent stage. I'm thinking (hoping, maybe) that when I complete my White Racial Identity Development, I will skip the Pseudo-Independent stage because of my knowledge of it. I think it is possible to be involved in multicultural activities and join coalitions with people of color at the same time you're attempting to understand who you are as a White person by learning more about your cultural heritage (like in the Immersion / Emersion stage). I don't think its necessary to try to find out who you are by immersing yourself in a totally different culture. It doesn't work. That was already proven in the Racial Identity Development Theory for People of Color. Why would White people be expected to make that failed attempt? Obviously it's important to promote racial equality, which is part of the Pseudo-Independent stage.
Learning this theory makes me interested in becoming a more fulfilled person by understanding who I am as a White Person, not just as a person, or whatever. White racial identity and White pride are not fostered in our society because they have historical ties to White Supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan. We need to not be afraid to have racial pride or not fear racial development. It's time we as a nation grow up.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Electrocardiograms and Faculty Make Up
2/26/09
I work in the Emergency Department at BroMenn. I'm a nursing tech, and one of our duties is to take Electrocardiograms (EKG's). The EKG asks you to fill out patient information, including race before you can begin the analysis. Anyway. The options include: Caucasian, Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific, Native American, Oriental, and a few others (which I cannot remember off the top of my head).
You have to enter in a specific age and name for the patient, but just by hitting "enter" through the fields "gender" and "race," surprisingly (not really) you get Male and Caucasian. Again, another example of how the norm is White Male, anything else needs to be clarified.
When I first started operating the EKG machine, when I saw "Oriental," it really made me mad. Oriental is a term reserved for OBJECTS. An Oriental rug, for example. A PERSON is Asian or a Pacific Islander. I'm not sure if these things would have upset me as much as if I had not been enrolled in this course when I started working at the hospital.
Another thing we talked about in class this week that kind of made me curious as to the racial faculty make up at Wesleyan. Here's what I found (faculty - staff photo gallery):
252 White
5 Latino
9 Black
1 Pacific Islander
1 Spanish
8 Asian
5 Middle Eastern
281 total
89.7% white
Anyway, upon my calculations of this, I realized that there are probably some faculty members who define themselves according to a different race, and I was unsure of how to classify these people. Race is really difficult to define. I had a lot of difficulty defining people as Middle Eastern or Latino, or Pacific Islanders. It would be interesting to send out a survey and ask the faculty how they define themselves and find out the actual percentage of the IWU faculty.
I asked three of my suitemates what they thought the percentages were, and the responses I got were 70%, 80% and 90%. The two who said 70% and 80% were very surprised.
I did this same exercise with magazines for the media project, but I will wait to disclose my results until after my presentation.
I work in the Emergency Department at BroMenn. I'm a nursing tech, and one of our duties is to take Electrocardiograms (EKG's). The EKG asks you to fill out patient information, including race before you can begin the analysis. Anyway. The options include: Caucasian, Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific, Native American, Oriental, and a few others (which I cannot remember off the top of my head).
You have to enter in a specific age and name for the patient, but just by hitting "enter" through the fields "gender" and "race," surprisingly (not really) you get Male and Caucasian. Again, another example of how the norm is White Male, anything else needs to be clarified.
When I first started operating the EKG machine, when I saw "Oriental," it really made me mad. Oriental is a term reserved for OBJECTS. An Oriental rug, for example. A PERSON is Asian or a Pacific Islander. I'm not sure if these things would have upset me as much as if I had not been enrolled in this course when I started working at the hospital.
Another thing we talked about in class this week that kind of made me curious as to the racial faculty make up at Wesleyan. Here's what I found (faculty - staff photo gallery):
252 White
5 Latino
9 Black
1 Pacific Islander
1 Spanish
8 Asian
5 Middle Eastern
281 total
89.7% white
Anyway, upon my calculations of this, I realized that there are probably some faculty members who define themselves according to a different race, and I was unsure of how to classify these people. Race is really difficult to define. I had a lot of difficulty defining people as Middle Eastern or Latino, or Pacific Islanders. It would be interesting to send out a survey and ask the faculty how they define themselves and find out the actual percentage of the IWU faculty.
I asked three of my suitemates what they thought the percentages were, and the responses I got were 70%, 80% and 90%. The two who said 70% and 80% were very surprised.
I did this same exercise with magazines for the media project, but I will wait to disclose my results until after my presentation.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Dick Gregory
2/15/2009
Tonight I went to see the Dick Gregory talk at the Hansen Student Center. I had never heard of him before seeing posters and hearing my classmates talk about the upcoming talk. He is an African American comedian and civil rights activist. In the past, he worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for the civil rights movement and with civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr. He talked a lot about some serious issues, but always put a sense of humor about each topic. For example, he said that if he were president, he would dig up the rose garden and plant a watermelon patch – poking fun at the historic Black stereotype that black people enjoy watermelon. This reminded me of the movie "Ethnic Notions" that we viewed in class. I always think it's clever the way people can use historical references to create jokes. He also described how far Black society has come in that “Black History Month” used to be “Black History Week,” but the month that was chosen was February – conveniently the shortest month of the year. Everyone in the audience laughed. It was really interesting the way that he could create something funny out of a very serious topic.
I noticed a lot of difference between Gregory’s style of comedy and the mainstream White American comedy. There were times when the Black people in the audience would laugh at a joke Dick made, but not the White people. A lot of his jokes were aimed at the Black community, so the White people didn’t seem to understand the joke as the Black people did. This reminded me of the list of "Things Black People Like" versus the list of "Things White People Like." There are some things that are just cultural differences and neither group has enough exposure to the "other side" to really get the jokes.
Some touchy topics he was able to joke about included the Kobe Bryant rape scandal as well as teachers having sex with their high school students. However, there were instances that he talked about important topics but didn’t joke about them. For example, Black men make up 4% of the United States population, but account for 82% of the American deaths due to prostate cancer; and Black women account for 6% of the United States population, but account for 98% of the instances of thyroid tumors in America. The reasoning for these thyroid tumors, he explained, was because of all the hair straightening products and procedures Black women perform on their hair to get it to look less "nappy" and more like a White person's hair. This is like something that we discussed in class. Standards of beauty seem to glorify the White, blonde, thin woman. Years and years of using hair products and bleaching creams (as in China and Jamaica, he explained) in an attempt to become more "White" / beautiful, according to society's standards has actually taken a negative toll on health.
Another thing that was interesting to me was that he talked about the civil rights movement in a way that I had never thought of it before. Black men were given the right to vote before White women were. White women didn’t get their rights until the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement wasn’t just for the advancement of people of color – it helped out women’s rights, too.
Dick’s talk was an interesting experience. It was kind of interesting to be in the minority at the event (most of the audience was African American). Overall, it was a funny and also enlightening experience.
Tonight I went to see the Dick Gregory talk at the Hansen Student Center. I had never heard of him before seeing posters and hearing my classmates talk about the upcoming talk. He is an African American comedian and civil rights activist. In the past, he worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for the civil rights movement and with civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King, Jr. He talked a lot about some serious issues, but always put a sense of humor about each topic. For example, he said that if he were president, he would dig up the rose garden and plant a watermelon patch – poking fun at the historic Black stereotype that black people enjoy watermelon. This reminded me of the movie "Ethnic Notions" that we viewed in class. I always think it's clever the way people can use historical references to create jokes. He also described how far Black society has come in that “Black History Month” used to be “Black History Week,” but the month that was chosen was February – conveniently the shortest month of the year. Everyone in the audience laughed. It was really interesting the way that he could create something funny out of a very serious topic.
I noticed a lot of difference between Gregory’s style of comedy and the mainstream White American comedy. There were times when the Black people in the audience would laugh at a joke Dick made, but not the White people. A lot of his jokes were aimed at the Black community, so the White people didn’t seem to understand the joke as the Black people did. This reminded me of the list of "Things Black People Like" versus the list of "Things White People Like." There are some things that are just cultural differences and neither group has enough exposure to the "other side" to really get the jokes.
Some touchy topics he was able to joke about included the Kobe Bryant rape scandal as well as teachers having sex with their high school students. However, there were instances that he talked about important topics but didn’t joke about them. For example, Black men make up 4% of the United States population, but account for 82% of the American deaths due to prostate cancer; and Black women account for 6% of the United States population, but account for 98% of the instances of thyroid tumors in America. The reasoning for these thyroid tumors, he explained, was because of all the hair straightening products and procedures Black women perform on their hair to get it to look less "nappy" and more like a White person's hair. This is like something that we discussed in class. Standards of beauty seem to glorify the White, blonde, thin woman. Years and years of using hair products and bleaching creams (as in China and Jamaica, he explained) in an attempt to become more "White" / beautiful, according to society's standards has actually taken a negative toll on health.
Another thing that was interesting to me was that he talked about the civil rights movement in a way that I had never thought of it before. Black men were given the right to vote before White women were. White women didn’t get their rights until the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement wasn’t just for the advancement of people of color – it helped out women’s rights, too.
Dick’s talk was an interesting experience. It was kind of interesting to be in the minority at the event (most of the audience was African American). Overall, it was a funny and also enlightening experience.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
On Being White... or Asian...
I looked at the blogs http://blog.stuffblackpeoplelove.com/ and http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ since we talked about them in class briefly. Interestingly enough, blogs such as http://www.asian-central.com/stuffasianpeoplelike/ and http://stufflatinpeoplelike.com/. I bet there are more out there, but I just skimmed for a little bit.
It was interesting, per our class discussion, that if you like something on one list, that would make you more "black" or "white" (or Asian, or Latino, etc.), depending on which list.
What one of my classmates brought up, was that her roommate said that although she wasn't White, it was like she was, since she seemed like she was more "White" than "Asian." I had a similar encounter a couple of years ago. I met the girl who would become one of my best friends from freshman year of college on facebook the summer before we started school. We were living on the same floor and had the same major. Upon talking to one another we realized we not only had the same taste in music, but we both played the piano, were cubs fans, loved sushi and boba tea, and ran cross country in high school. I was convinced we were practically twins. I didn't really look a whole lot at her facebook pictures, since I didn't really know her. But I was really surprised to find out that she was Asian rather than White. It was like in the first reading we had of this semester - everything is assumed to be White unless otherwise specified. I didn't really think much about it after the first time we met. She acted "White," whatever that is, rather than Asian. Except for the fact that she was pre-med. Anyway, I had my first serious discussion about race with her. Well, not really a serious discussion, but I guess it was just my first actual discussion about race. She told me that she never really felt "Asian" despite the fact that her parents were immigrants from the Philippines. In high school she did "White" things like run cross country, listen to indie music, and go to concerts. She was smart and took school seriously, but wasn't notorious for studying all the time like the typical Asian stereotype.
And if I remember correctly, this conversation continued with my response, "Yeah, you don't really seem Asian, it's more like you're White." It's really interesting for me to pick apart my past experiences and think about them in a new light.
What is being "White" anyway?
According to The Full List of Stuff White People Like (http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/full-list-of-stuff-white-people-like/):
* #121 Funny or Ironic Tattoos
* #120 Taking a Year Off
* #119 Sea Salt
* #118 Ugly Sweater Parties
* #117 Political Prisoners
* #116 Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore
* #115 Promising to Learn a New Language
* #114 America
* #113 Halloween
* #112 Hummus
* #111 Pea Coats
* #110 Frisbee Sports
* #109 The Onion
* #108 Appearing to Enjoy Classical Music
* #107 Self Aware Hip Hop References
* #106 Facebook
* #105 Unpaid Internships
* #104 Girls with Bangs
* #103 Sweaters
* #102 Children’s Games as Adults
* #101 Being Offended
* #100 Bumper Stickers
* #99 Grammar
* #98 The Ivy League
* #97 Scarves
* #96 New Balance Shoes
* #95 Rugby
* #94 Free Healthcare
* #93 Music Piracy
* #92 Book Deals
* #91 San Francisco
* #90 Dinner Parties
* #89 St. Patrick’s Day
* #88 Having Gay Friends
* #87 Outdoor Performance Clothes
* #86 Shorts
* #85 The Wire
* #84 T-Shirts
* #83 Bad Memories of High School
* #82 Hating Corporations
* #81 Graduate School
* #80 The Idea of Soccer
* #79 Modern Furniture
* #78 Multilingual Children
* #77 Musical Comedy
* #76 Bottles of Water
* #75 Threatening to Move to Canada
* #74 Oscar Parties
* #73 Gentrification
* #72 Study Abroad
* #71 Being the only white person around
* #70 Difficult Breakups
* #69 Mos Def
* #68 Michel Gondry
* #67 Standing Still at Concerts
* #66 Divorce
* #65 Co-Ed Sports
* #64 Recycling
* #63 Expensive Sandwiches
* #62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
* #61 Bicycles
* #60 Toyota Prius
* #59 Natural Medicine
* #58 Japan
* #57 Juno
* #56 Lawyers
* #55 Apologies
* #54 Kitchen Gadgets
* #53 Dogs
* #52 Sarah Silverman
* #51 Living by the Water
* #50 Irony
* #49 Vintage
* #48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
* #47 Arts Degrees
* #46 The Sunday New York Times
* #45 Asian Fusion Food
* #44 Public Radio
* #43 Plays
* #42 Sushi
* #41 Indie Music
* #40 Apple Products
* #39 Netflix
* #38 Arrested Development
* #37 Renovations
* #36 Breakfast Places
* #35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
* #34 Architecture
* #33 Marijuana
* #32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
* #31 Snowboarding
* #30 Wrigley Field
* #29 80s Night
* #28 Not having a TV
* #27 Marathons
* #26 Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!)
* #25 David Sedaris
* #24 Wine
* #23 Microbreweries
* #22 Having Two Last Names
* #21 Writers Workshops
* #20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
* #19 Traveling
* #18 Awareness
* #17 Hating their Parents
* #16 Gifted Children
* #15 Yoga
* #14 Having Black Friends
* #13 Tea
* #12 Non-Profit Organizations
* #11 Asian Girls
* #10 Wes Anderson Movies
* #9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
* #8 Barack Obama
* #7 Diversity
* #6 Organic Food
* #5 Farmer’s Markets
* #4 Assists
* #3 Film Festivals
* #2 Religions their parents don’t belong to
* #1 Coffee
Now, the Full List of Stuff Asian People Like (http://www.asian-central.com/stuffasianpeoplelike/stuff-asian-people-like-full-list/):
· #106 Talking at the Worst Times
· #105 Internet Stardom
· #104 Staying Open on Christmas Day
· #103 Naming Daughters After Jewelry
· #102 Being Modest about ***
· #101 Being or Not Being Asian
· #100 Reserved
· #99 MSG
· #98 Studying Overseas
· #97 Model Poses
· #96 Kirkland Bottled Water & Brita Water Filters
· #95 Resenting Asian Women for Dating Caucasian Males
· #94 Jay Chou
· #93 Choreographed Dancing
· #92 University of California
· #91 Multilingualism
· #90 The Number 9
· #89 Abercrombie, Hollister, American Eagle
· #88 Numbers (8-8-08)
· #87 ‘Lah”
· #86 Not Having Pets
· #85 Arranged Marriages
· #84 Child Labor
· #83 Not Moving Out
· #82 Mangosteen
· #81 National Scatology
· #80 Aiya!
· #79 Plastic Furniture Covers
· #78 Sriracha Sauce
· #77 Techno
· #76 Fresh Food
· #75 Dumplings
· #74 Middle Finger Pointing
· #73 Bleached Hair
· #72 Disneyland
· #71 Tennis
· #70 Nice Guys
· #69 Badminton
· #68 Chili
· #67 Goldfish
· #66 Taking Pictures
· #65 Being Blunt
· #64 Not Taking the Last Piece of Food
· #63 Squatting
· #62 Moth Balls
· #61 Variety Shows
· #60 Wontons
· #59 Pale Skin
· #58 Golden Poop Charms
· #57 Gambling
· #56 Procrastination
· #55 Sappy Music Videos
· #54 False Humility
· #53 The Wok
· #52 Dance Dance Revolution
· #51 Higher Education
· #50 Western Culture
· #49 Language Proficiency
· #48 House Hunting
· #47 The Child
· #46 Cutting In Line
· #45 Nagging
· #44 Fortune Cookies
· #43 Spring & Egg Rolls
· #42 Final Fantasy
· #41 Eye Enlargement
· #40 White Girls
· #39 Glasses
· #38 White Guys
· #37 Piano & Violin
· #36 Aging Cookware
· #35 Peace Sign
· #34 Fish Sauce
· #33 Jet Li & Bruce Lee
· #32 Speaking Loudly
· #31 Rice
· #30 Cash
· #29 Slurping
· #28 Hoarding
· #27 Jackie Chan
· #26 Comparing People
· #25 Staring at People
· #24 Chopsticks
· #23 Durian
· #22 Asian Buffets
· #21 Growing Stuff In Own Yard
· #20 Bad Pronunciation
· #19 Arriving Late
· #18 Handwashing the Dishes
· #17 Asian Supermarkets
· #16 Not Wearing Shoes Indoors
· #15 Nintendo Wii
· #14 Honda Civic
· #13 Pimped Out Cars
· #12 Basketball
· #11 Eagle & Tiger Balm
· #10 Boba
· #9 Asian Comedians
· #8 Karaoke
· #7 Anime
· #6 Korean Soap Operas
· #5 Bargains
· #4 Bowl Haircuts
· #3 Academics
· #2 Purikura Photos
· #1 Cute Plush Toys
I think it's interesting to look at these lists and compare them to the things my friend and I had in common. Most of the stuff I mentioned previously is on the White list (indie music, Wrigley Field, Sushi, coffee) with the exception of Boba tea, which is on the Asian list.
Now, I kind of feel uncomfortable trying to analyze where my friend was in her racial development at the time of this conversation, but here goes. At this time, her father wanted her to be a doctor, but she actually wanted to be a music major. She was taking the typical pre-med classes until her sophomore year when she decided to go into nursing, instead.
On page 53 of Tatum's book, she describes the four identity statuses in the identity search process:
1. Diffuse: little exploration
2. Foreclosed: parents select your roles
3. Moratorium: an active exploration of roles
4. Achieved: a state of strong personal commitment to identity after an active exploration
I think my friend was in the Foreclosed state when I met her first semester freshman year. Second semester when she was actively exploring different majors, she was in the Moratorium state. Now, that she has finally decided on nursing and is actively pursuing that path, she is now in the Achieved state.
However, this is just in relation to her identity as a college student. She may very well be in different states when it comes to other aspects of her life such as dating or socially.
It was interesting, per our class discussion, that if you like something on one list, that would make you more "black" or "white" (or Asian, or Latino, etc.), depending on which list.
What one of my classmates brought up, was that her roommate said that although she wasn't White, it was like she was, since she seemed like she was more "White" than "Asian." I had a similar encounter a couple of years ago. I met the girl who would become one of my best friends from freshman year of college on facebook the summer before we started school. We were living on the same floor and had the same major. Upon talking to one another we realized we not only had the same taste in music, but we both played the piano, were cubs fans, loved sushi and boba tea, and ran cross country in high school. I was convinced we were practically twins. I didn't really look a whole lot at her facebook pictures, since I didn't really know her. But I was really surprised to find out that she was Asian rather than White. It was like in the first reading we had of this semester - everything is assumed to be White unless otherwise specified. I didn't really think much about it after the first time we met. She acted "White," whatever that is, rather than Asian. Except for the fact that she was pre-med. Anyway, I had my first serious discussion about race with her. Well, not really a serious discussion, but I guess it was just my first actual discussion about race. She told me that she never really felt "Asian" despite the fact that her parents were immigrants from the Philippines. In high school she did "White" things like run cross country, listen to indie music, and go to concerts. She was smart and took school seriously, but wasn't notorious for studying all the time like the typical Asian stereotype.
And if I remember correctly, this conversation continued with my response, "Yeah, you don't really seem Asian, it's more like you're White." It's really interesting for me to pick apart my past experiences and think about them in a new light.
What is being "White" anyway?
According to The Full List of Stuff White People Like (http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/full-list-of-stuff-white-people-like/):
* #121 Funny or Ironic Tattoos
* #120 Taking a Year Off
* #119 Sea Salt
* #118 Ugly Sweater Parties
* #117 Political Prisoners
* #116 Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore
* #115 Promising to Learn a New Language
* #114 America
* #113 Halloween
* #112 Hummus
* #111 Pea Coats
* #110 Frisbee Sports
* #109 The Onion
* #108 Appearing to Enjoy Classical Music
* #107 Self Aware Hip Hop References
* #106 Facebook
* #105 Unpaid Internships
* #104 Girls with Bangs
* #103 Sweaters
* #102 Children’s Games as Adults
* #101 Being Offended
* #100 Bumper Stickers
* #99 Grammar
* #98 The Ivy League
* #97 Scarves
* #96 New Balance Shoes
* #95 Rugby
* #94 Free Healthcare
* #93 Music Piracy
* #92 Book Deals
* #91 San Francisco
* #90 Dinner Parties
* #89 St. Patrick’s Day
* #88 Having Gay Friends
* #87 Outdoor Performance Clothes
* #86 Shorts
* #85 The Wire
* #84 T-Shirts
* #83 Bad Memories of High School
* #82 Hating Corporations
* #81 Graduate School
* #80 The Idea of Soccer
* #79 Modern Furniture
* #78 Multilingual Children
* #77 Musical Comedy
* #76 Bottles of Water
* #75 Threatening to Move to Canada
* #74 Oscar Parties
* #73 Gentrification
* #72 Study Abroad
* #71 Being the only white person around
* #70 Difficult Breakups
* #69 Mos Def
* #68 Michel Gondry
* #67 Standing Still at Concerts
* #66 Divorce
* #65 Co-Ed Sports
* #64 Recycling
* #63 Expensive Sandwiches
* #62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
* #61 Bicycles
* #60 Toyota Prius
* #59 Natural Medicine
* #58 Japan
* #57 Juno
* #56 Lawyers
* #55 Apologies
* #54 Kitchen Gadgets
* #53 Dogs
* #52 Sarah Silverman
* #51 Living by the Water
* #50 Irony
* #49 Vintage
* #48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
* #47 Arts Degrees
* #46 The Sunday New York Times
* #45 Asian Fusion Food
* #44 Public Radio
* #43 Plays
* #42 Sushi
* #41 Indie Music
* #40 Apple Products
* #39 Netflix
* #38 Arrested Development
* #37 Renovations
* #36 Breakfast Places
* #35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
* #34 Architecture
* #33 Marijuana
* #32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
* #31 Snowboarding
* #30 Wrigley Field
* #29 80s Night
* #28 Not having a TV
* #27 Marathons
* #26 Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!)
* #25 David Sedaris
* #24 Wine
* #23 Microbreweries
* #22 Having Two Last Names
* #21 Writers Workshops
* #20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
* #19 Traveling
* #18 Awareness
* #17 Hating their Parents
* #16 Gifted Children
* #15 Yoga
* #14 Having Black Friends
* #13 Tea
* #12 Non-Profit Organizations
* #11 Asian Girls
* #10 Wes Anderson Movies
* #9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
* #8 Barack Obama
* #7 Diversity
* #6 Organic Food
* #5 Farmer’s Markets
* #4 Assists
* #3 Film Festivals
* #2 Religions their parents don’t belong to
* #1 Coffee
Now, the Full List of Stuff Asian People Like (http://www.asian-central.com/stuffasianpeoplelike/stuff-asian-people-like-full-list/):
· #106 Talking at the Worst Times
· #105 Internet Stardom
· #104 Staying Open on Christmas Day
· #103 Naming Daughters After Jewelry
· #102 Being Modest about ***
· #101 Being or Not Being Asian
· #100 Reserved
· #99 MSG
· #98 Studying Overseas
· #97 Model Poses
· #96 Kirkland Bottled Water & Brita Water Filters
· #95 Resenting Asian Women for Dating Caucasian Males
· #94 Jay Chou
· #93 Choreographed Dancing
· #92 University of California
· #91 Multilingualism
· #90 The Number 9
· #89 Abercrombie, Hollister, American Eagle
· #88 Numbers (8-8-08)
· #87 ‘Lah”
· #86 Not Having Pets
· #85 Arranged Marriages
· #84 Child Labor
· #83 Not Moving Out
· #82 Mangosteen
· #81 National Scatology
· #80 Aiya!
· #79 Plastic Furniture Covers
· #78 Sriracha Sauce
· #77 Techno
· #76 Fresh Food
· #75 Dumplings
· #74 Middle Finger Pointing
· #73 Bleached Hair
· #72 Disneyland
· #71 Tennis
· #70 Nice Guys
· #69 Badminton
· #68 Chili
· #67 Goldfish
· #66 Taking Pictures
· #65 Being Blunt
· #64 Not Taking the Last Piece of Food
· #63 Squatting
· #62 Moth Balls
· #61 Variety Shows
· #60 Wontons
· #59 Pale Skin
· #58 Golden Poop Charms
· #57 Gambling
· #56 Procrastination
· #55 Sappy Music Videos
· #54 False Humility
· #53 The Wok
· #52 Dance Dance Revolution
· #51 Higher Education
· #50 Western Culture
· #49 Language Proficiency
· #48 House Hunting
· #47 The Child
· #46 Cutting In Line
· #45 Nagging
· #44 Fortune Cookies
· #43 Spring & Egg Rolls
· #42 Final Fantasy
· #41 Eye Enlargement
· #40 White Girls
· #39 Glasses
· #38 White Guys
· #37 Piano & Violin
· #36 Aging Cookware
· #35 Peace Sign
· #34 Fish Sauce
· #33 Jet Li & Bruce Lee
· #32 Speaking Loudly
· #31 Rice
· #30 Cash
· #29 Slurping
· #28 Hoarding
· #27 Jackie Chan
· #26 Comparing People
· #25 Staring at People
· #24 Chopsticks
· #23 Durian
· #22 Asian Buffets
· #21 Growing Stuff In Own Yard
· #20 Bad Pronunciation
· #19 Arriving Late
· #18 Handwashing the Dishes
· #17 Asian Supermarkets
· #16 Not Wearing Shoes Indoors
· #15 Nintendo Wii
· #14 Honda Civic
· #13 Pimped Out Cars
· #12 Basketball
· #11 Eagle & Tiger Balm
· #10 Boba
· #9 Asian Comedians
· #8 Karaoke
· #7 Anime
· #6 Korean Soap Operas
· #5 Bargains
· #4 Bowl Haircuts
· #3 Academics
· #2 Purikura Photos
· #1 Cute Plush Toys
I think it's interesting to look at these lists and compare them to the things my friend and I had in common. Most of the stuff I mentioned previously is on the White list (indie music, Wrigley Field, Sushi, coffee) with the exception of Boba tea, which is on the Asian list.
Now, I kind of feel uncomfortable trying to analyze where my friend was in her racial development at the time of this conversation, but here goes. At this time, her father wanted her to be a doctor, but she actually wanted to be a music major. She was taking the typical pre-med classes until her sophomore year when she decided to go into nursing, instead.
On page 53 of Tatum's book, she describes the four identity statuses in the identity search process:
1. Diffuse: little exploration
2. Foreclosed: parents select your roles
3. Moratorium: an active exploration of roles
4. Achieved: a state of strong personal commitment to identity after an active exploration
I think my friend was in the Foreclosed state when I met her first semester freshman year. Second semester when she was actively exploring different majors, she was in the Moratorium state. Now, that she has finally decided on nursing and is actively pursuing that path, she is now in the Achieved state.
However, this is just in relation to her identity as a college student. She may very well be in different states when it comes to other aspects of her life such as dating or socially.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Interracial Dating & Track
2/3/2009
This weekend, I was reading Beverly Tatum's book "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the cafeteria?" I was at a track meet, and a topic that she touched on was interracial dating. She gives an example of a Black girl who lived in a predominantly White neighborhood who complained about not being able to date (and also never had dates to any dances) because there were no other Black boys available to date. This got me thinking about interracial dating and how "taboo" it seems to be in our society. I asked a couple of my teammates if they had ever dated (or hooked up with) someone who wasn't in their racial group. Everyone I talked to said, "no, I haven't." One of the girls even told me a story about a different (White) girl who dated a (Black) guy on the track team last year. This relationship wasn't something that was publicized, but the people that she knew were very skeptical about the situation, telling her that she could do better, or just wondering why she would even consider dating a Black guy.
This was interesting to me, because out of everyone I had talked to I was the only one who had dated or "hooked up with" someone outside of my race. But, then as I was disclosing this information, I said, "Well one guy is half-Asian, and the other guy is Middle Eastern, but he acts like he's White." I stopped, and realized what I had just done. I had just justified these two guys by explaining that they were more "White" than someone else in their racial category.
I wanted to create a survey to give out - to find out what the percentage of my peers have dated someone outside of their race. I also wanted to find out how they were treated, or even how their friends / family / peers reacted to that situation. I don't know if this is valid or not, but just an idea.
Which reminded me. I have a friend at home who was "kind of seeing" this guy at school who was half-Asian. But, her friends at school and at home "jokingly" harassed her about it, and so now this relationship has completely fallen apart. I'm not sure if it was due to the reactions she was getting from this, or if it just wasn't meant to be. But I'm sure how her peers and friends reacted to the relationship had some effect on how it turned out. She actually told me not to date someone who wasn't White because I would probably regret it, like she did. Interesting, because I don't regret dating anyone who I have ever dated.
Anyway. I was also thinking about what we talked about at the end of class today. The Eberhardt & Fiske book talked about Aversive Racism and how to strike back against it. A solution that was offered was to increase a common ingroup affiliation that unites people of different colors. A common cause of Aversive Racism is an in-group bias, where people think that their group is better than the other group, not that the other group is worse. I think that this could actually work. The difficulty in this would be actually creating the group that is appealing to both students of color and White students. So many organizations that are aimed at integrating people of all cultures fail miserably because often White students don't feel that they belong, or have no desire to belong due to their already privileged position in society. I have found this to be true in my own personal experiences. It wasn't until college that I became friends with people outside of my race, and I think it was because we were part of a common in-group. For example, Freshman year, I had friends of different races that were people on my dorm floor. When I came to Wesleyan, I became friends with people outside of my race because they were on my cross country or track team.
A side note about track:
Although the track team is one big, giant team, it's really segregated between events. There's the distance people (those that do cross country in the fall), the sprinters (separated between short sprinters and the long sprinters), the jumpers, the pole-vaulters, and the throwers.
Of course, these team divisions don't go without racial divisions. It's hard to find a Black person on the distance squad (although, we have one, which I'll talk about shortly), and we joke around that Black people supposedly have the "X Factor": they're fast sprinters.
Now, this Black guy on the distance squad is a Freshman. Last spring, and this summer, before school started, people were contemplating whether he would be friends with "us" or the "Black track kids." It was a legitimate question. It was something we all wondered. There were only two people of color (both of Middle Eastern descent) on the distance squad, and this new Freshmen class would "greatly increase our racial diversity" (there were two other Freshmen people of color - both of Asian descent).
Anyway, what ended up happening, is he IS in fact friends with "us," and he's one of the most popular kids on the team. I remember one of the readings from last week talking about how Black kids in predominantly White schools can either be rejected or very popular due to the "Athlete Factor." (This actually happened in my high school - there was a new Black student our Junior year and he was REALLY good at football, and he immediately rose in popularity because of the "Athlete Factor.") Anyway, I don't think the "Athlete Factor" is really what's going on in this situation because we're all athletes. I think part of it is that he's a really funny guy, and the other part: it's not all that common to see a Black guy running distance.
Back to what I was saying... Anyway, I think my involvement with IWU track has changed the way that I perceive people of other races. Despite team segregation, I see my sprinter, jumper, and thrower teammates as just that - my teammates. I think my coach does a very good job of trying to keep everyone connected and feeling like a team despite our different events. This includes people of other races. When I participated in track and field in high school, the team was VERY, VERY segregated and I hardly saw anyone who wasn't "distance" as a teammate. I can now honestly say that I believe I have more of a "track in-group bias" (which includes people of color as well as White people) than a "white in-group bias." So, I guess what I'm saying is this particular experience is what makes me believe that if a multiracial group is developed that all people will consider the "in-group," then we will have a means to stop racism and social segregation.
Very long post. Thanks for bearing with me.
This weekend, I was reading Beverly Tatum's book "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the cafeteria?" I was at a track meet, and a topic that she touched on was interracial dating. She gives an example of a Black girl who lived in a predominantly White neighborhood who complained about not being able to date (and also never had dates to any dances) because there were no other Black boys available to date. This got me thinking about interracial dating and how "taboo" it seems to be in our society. I asked a couple of my teammates if they had ever dated (or hooked up with) someone who wasn't in their racial group. Everyone I talked to said, "no, I haven't." One of the girls even told me a story about a different (White) girl who dated a (Black) guy on the track team last year. This relationship wasn't something that was publicized, but the people that she knew were very skeptical about the situation, telling her that she could do better, or just wondering why she would even consider dating a Black guy.
This was interesting to me, because out of everyone I had talked to I was the only one who had dated or "hooked up with" someone outside of my race. But, then as I was disclosing this information, I said, "Well one guy is half-Asian, and the other guy is Middle Eastern, but he acts like he's White." I stopped, and realized what I had just done. I had just justified these two guys by explaining that they were more "White" than someone else in their racial category.
I wanted to create a survey to give out - to find out what the percentage of my peers have dated someone outside of their race. I also wanted to find out how they were treated, or even how their friends / family / peers reacted to that situation. I don't know if this is valid or not, but just an idea.
Which reminded me. I have a friend at home who was "kind of seeing" this guy at school who was half-Asian. But, her friends at school and at home "jokingly" harassed her about it, and so now this relationship has completely fallen apart. I'm not sure if it was due to the reactions she was getting from this, or if it just wasn't meant to be. But I'm sure how her peers and friends reacted to the relationship had some effect on how it turned out. She actually told me not to date someone who wasn't White because I would probably regret it, like she did. Interesting, because I don't regret dating anyone who I have ever dated.
Anyway. I was also thinking about what we talked about at the end of class today. The Eberhardt & Fiske book talked about Aversive Racism and how to strike back against it. A solution that was offered was to increase a common ingroup affiliation that unites people of different colors. A common cause of Aversive Racism is an in-group bias, where people think that their group is better than the other group, not that the other group is worse. I think that this could actually work. The difficulty in this would be actually creating the group that is appealing to both students of color and White students. So many organizations that are aimed at integrating people of all cultures fail miserably because often White students don't feel that they belong, or have no desire to belong due to their already privileged position in society. I have found this to be true in my own personal experiences. It wasn't until college that I became friends with people outside of my race, and I think it was because we were part of a common in-group. For example, Freshman year, I had friends of different races that were people on my dorm floor. When I came to Wesleyan, I became friends with people outside of my race because they were on my cross country or track team.
A side note about track:
Although the track team is one big, giant team, it's really segregated between events. There's the distance people (those that do cross country in the fall), the sprinters (separated between short sprinters and the long sprinters), the jumpers, the pole-vaulters, and the throwers.
Of course, these team divisions don't go without racial divisions. It's hard to find a Black person on the distance squad (although, we have one, which I'll talk about shortly), and we joke around that Black people supposedly have the "X Factor": they're fast sprinters.
Now, this Black guy on the distance squad is a Freshman. Last spring, and this summer, before school started, people were contemplating whether he would be friends with "us" or the "Black track kids." It was a legitimate question. It was something we all wondered. There were only two people of color (both of Middle Eastern descent) on the distance squad, and this new Freshmen class would "greatly increase our racial diversity" (there were two other Freshmen people of color - both of Asian descent).
Anyway, what ended up happening, is he IS in fact friends with "us," and he's one of the most popular kids on the team. I remember one of the readings from last week talking about how Black kids in predominantly White schools can either be rejected or very popular due to the "Athlete Factor." (This actually happened in my high school - there was a new Black student our Junior year and he was REALLY good at football, and he immediately rose in popularity because of the "Athlete Factor.") Anyway, I don't think the "Athlete Factor" is really what's going on in this situation because we're all athletes. I think part of it is that he's a really funny guy, and the other part: it's not all that common to see a Black guy running distance.
Back to what I was saying... Anyway, I think my involvement with IWU track has changed the way that I perceive people of other races. Despite team segregation, I see my sprinter, jumper, and thrower teammates as just that - my teammates. I think my coach does a very good job of trying to keep everyone connected and feeling like a team despite our different events. This includes people of other races. When I participated in track and field in high school, the team was VERY, VERY segregated and I hardly saw anyone who wasn't "distance" as a teammate. I can now honestly say that I believe I have more of a "track in-group bias" (which includes people of color as well as White people) than a "white in-group bias." So, I guess what I'm saying is this particular experience is what makes me believe that if a multiracial group is developed that all people will consider the "in-group," then we will have a means to stop racism and social segregation.
Very long post. Thanks for bearing with me.
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