Today will be great. It's a good day to be brown. It's our equivalent of St. Patrick's Day. So this morning I put my latino playlist together. I've been listening to Daddy Yankee's new album all week anyway, but it takes a lot of energy to drive around with the windows done and the music cranked up.Recently I've realized how much racism affects my everyday life. I realized that "forgetting" I'm brown is my way of coping with it. If I'm not brown, then there's nothing to see. It's not true though.
On monday I was in a group of people, and after someone mentioned the people of color support group (a group for those of us who are non white to deal with the racism we face every day), said racism didn't really exist anymore because her son went to a college in Canada and didn't see it. I wanted to punch her in the face so hard and start crying, but I didn't. I made myself small and quiet. I left with a headache and didn't get to work on that experience until last night.
What is wrong with that conclusion? 1. It's a white person saying that who goes to school in CANADA. How the hell would they know whether racism exists anymore or not? They are the majority. Not to mention that racism is so ingrained in this society now that it happens on a subconscious level. Yes there has been progress, but it's still a huge problem. It's just less visible. No more hosing people of color; a lot more derogatory terms in every day speech.
Now don't get me wrong, I love love love my white friends, but even they are racist to some point, as as all people of colored, I too am racist in return. It's in all of us, but the more we work on awareness and change the less it will exist in all of us. I have the resources to work on it constantly too, which is great. When it comes to friend though, I never say anything when they say something racist. Maybe I should...
So in conclusion, I love all of my white and colored friends. We're all racism, but we can begin working on it. It's something I experience everyday and it's really scary. It's scary just to drive in my car with the windows down and latino music cranked up. So yes it exists. I just wanted you, who read this blog, to be aware on this day of brown celebration.
Now go celebrate!
Funny you bring this up because I was recently talking about this with people who I didn't really know, but who were all of color (mexican, asian, dominican) so we all could relate. They were talking about how even at a school so "liberal", as smith racism still exists and a lot of them had experiences it first hand there, which surprised me. I guess I never really realized it because I also try to "forget" or try to detach from myself as being a person of color to cope with the racism I see everyday. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we were both adopted and raised in a majority white environment with less connection to our ethnic roots and identity. It is really interesting...
ReplyDeletehahah so there is no racism in Canada now? Good one woman! XD
Actually yesterday this girl I know and I went to Dunkin Donuts to get coffee and there was this African American woman serving us. After I got it and had left I said that I think she mixed up the order and my friends said, "well, I mean she could barely speak English!" It was just very strange of her to say seeing as the woman seemed to speak and understand English perfectly fine. I almost said something but I didn't. I think the next time I will.