Some of you may have heard me tell a story about one time, two years ago while I was helping run a vacation Bible school on the sidewalks of North Philly. At one point towards the end of the week a little black girl, no more than 8 years old said something to me to the effect of, “man, all white people are stupid.” I was a little shocked at her boldness, so I asked “what about me? am I stupid?” “No.” “But I am white.” “No, you’re not, you black,” she replied. Laughing I pointed to my skin “Look at me! I’m white.” “No,” she said emphatically, “you hang out with black people. You black.”
This episode was echoed two Sundays ago during church. Ate Jeomi (really wish I knew how to spell her name), the Korean FH staff, was sitting on one side of Ate Chill, my boss, and I on the other so that Chill could translate for us. They were chatting a little during breaks in the service, and at one point, Ate Jeomi leaned over to me. “You’re not like other white people. It’s more like you’re Asian.” The words of this 40-something, Korean woman echoed in memory back to the streets of Philly.
I've been hesitating about posting this since she said it. I'm just not sure where to go from here. I mean, before the Philly episode, I had never given much thought to race, perhaps apart from the fallacy that we're not supposed to see it. Since then I've taken classes at PSU, gone through training, and in the fall I'll be hired to work for the Race Relations Project. I've thought and talked about race a lot.
And yet, Ate Jeomi's comment still gives me pause. What does it mean that I'm white? What does it mean that you are what color and culture you are? What does it mean that everyone in this internet cafe other than me is Filipino? What does it mean that a little black girl was quite confident that I was black or that a Korean woman thinks that I don't act like other Americans?
While I've got tons of thoughts on this, I don't have answers. And I don't know where to start. So I'll leave you with the questions in the hopes that maybe you'll have some answers for me.
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2 comments:
this is one of the hardest topics to comprehend. having been raised in middle-class america, i never really understood what race or culture was until i left the country. some of my best friends growing up were from india and china, but i never thought about that. people were just people.
i guess the issue is really: how closely are culture and race linked together? and which should be appreciated/discussed?
to my mind, racial blindness is essential. regardless of the color of their skin, people deserve to be treated the same (meaning no special criticism *and* no special benefits (being the 'rock-star' white guy can be seductive, but ultimately it's unfair and wrong)). considering people based on the individual is very important.
this is not to say, however, that *cultural* sensitivity is not mandated. while cultural studies are essentially the science of constructing sophisticated stereotypes (a stereotype = a model = a way to understand a complex world), cultural sensitivity practiced in moderation can be a good thing. in fact, it's essential for surviving in a foreign country.
so i guess the answer to the question is: there is no such thing as 'being white.' there may be such a thing as being 'compassionate' or 'rude' or 'from Boston' or 'from America' (some of which may necessitate a bit of cultural sensitivity and understanding), i don't believe race is equal to cultural background (or nearly as powerful in influencing everyday life)
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