All three stories from Half and Half are autobiographical, about the authors definitions of themselves based on familial connections. Although the authors had completely different ethnicities, childhoods, and experiences as adults, we see a common theme among the readings: searching for an identity within your family. I liked how despite the vast differences among the authors, the commonality is in being multiethnic, an identity that we have been exploring throughout the semester. Much of the shared experience of multiracial individuals is of a quest for belonging, particularly within one’s own family.
Lisa See’s story “The Funeral Banquet” revolved around the preparations for her grandmother’s funeral. What was particularly interesting about this story was that Stella See was a white woman whose identity was wrapped up in her Chinese American family. While making the funeral arrangements, Lisa and her family negotiate how “traditionally Chinese” it should be, and Lisa asserts that to honor her grandmother it should be a Chinese funeral. Lisa and her father argue about the degree of tradition which should be present for the ceremony. Despite Stella’s “given” race, the author credits her grandmother for teaching her Chinese customs. “She had become Chinese not through her heritage or her blood but through her being” (127). Ultimately See’s story isn’t one of confusion or turmoil but of acceptance and love. Having grown up with exposure to more than one culture, she views her mixed family as something to cherish. This reading is a commemorative piece to her grandmother, who she thanks for giving her the strength to know “what people are whether they look the part or not” (138).
Philippe Wamba’s “A Middle Passage” details his experiences not as an African American, but as both African and American. The son of a black mother from Chicago and a father from Zaire, Wamba spent his childhood in more than one continent, a part of more than one culture. “It can be difficult to define yourself when those around you are so eager to do it for you” (152). He chronicles his acquaintances’ interpretations of him; Americans seeing him as African and Africans seeing him as American. Although he felt connected with friends and relatives based on “blackness” he was aware of distinct differences stemming from his dual heritage. Both sides of his family were loving and inclusive, but there were immense cultural variations which became evident to him even in his childhood. Wamba’s message seemed to be that identity isn’t about where you come from, but who you are. Rather than examining his heritage using a family tree, Wamba suggests “a tumbleweed is an even more fitting analogy, since it helps to capture the sense of movement, migration, and mixing that has characterized and shaped my life” (169). In his adulthood he stops looking for definition from his family, but decides to create his own.
Nina Mehta’s “From Here to Poland” is about her multiraciality, but more specifically, her relationship with her grandmother. Although she has spent part of her childhood in India, Mehta’s primary language is English. In order to communicate with her grandmother (who doesn’t speak English) Mehta relies on her relatives to act as interpreters. Despite the language barrier, she feels a closeness with her grandmother. I would consider speaking different languages to be a significant obstacle in developing a personal relationship, but that appears to be not necessarily true. Mehta appreciates the “physical”relationship she has with her paternal grandmother, regardless of the fact that it is non-verbal. She finds comfort in the familiarity of her grandmother’s presence. “My grandmother has always been an unremarkably ordinary part of the surroundings” (218). The author spends much of the story discussing her powerful desire to know more about her grandmother, and therefore her own familial history. Unlike Wamba, Mehta feels her identity is deeply entwined with her ancestors. Part of this philosophy may stem from her grandmothers religious beliefs of Karma and reincarnation. She conducts a series of interviews with her grandmother, which all require a relative to act as translator. Despite these attempts at intimacy, ultimately Mehta is entirely comfortable with the multiple languages in her family. “Sometimes more than being alone I like to sit in a room with familiar people who are speaking a language I don’t know, and be ignored” (239).
I felt able to relate to all these stories in one way or another. I think it is pretty typical for people to take interest in their ancestry. I know that within my family, we’ve gone to great lengths to preserve a few particular traditions. I am only one/sixteenth Sweedish yet I know more about the Sweedish part of my family than any else. In order to learn her grandmother’s recipe for cardamom bread, my grandmother weighed the contents of her grandma’s hands (my great great grandmother didn’t use measuring utencils). My mother has tried to keep an extensive written record of our family’s history, and during my grandmother’s decline into Alzheimers, the two of us interviewed her about her childhood and recollections of her parents. So I understand the search for connection with people who seem so far away (spatially or generationally). And while family is an important body through which we learn much about the world, I appreciate Wamba’s belief that you must define yourself.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Half and Half
“The Funeral Banquet” by Lisa See
Each family has their own cultures and traditions that they continue to keep alive and passing down to their children. Lisa’s grandmother was no exception. She passed down the strong Chinese traditions and, even though she was Caucasian, she was Chinese. It is impressive to see someone immerse themselves completely into a new culture. They are faced with many struggles from both racial sides.
Stella Copeland faced border patrolling when she decided to become Chinese. The Chinese community would have a hard time accepting a white women into their family because of the racisms that is still present. The white community would be angry that she would rather be Chinese than be white.
In a society in which being “Americanized” provides greater opportunities, Stella challenged it because she decided to become unamericanized. And by becoming “more “Chinese” than most Chinese” (Lisa Lee, 126) she got the respect from her family.
It was interesting to see that at the funeral they were having problems deciding what to do because Stella was not a traditional Chinese woman. Multiracial families go through all these decisions and doubts on how to do things because they do belong to two worlds. It is difficult to go against traditional norms when there is more than one culture to go by.
All families have members who are open to multiracial marriages, but then there are also those who are more conservative and do not want interracial mixes in their family. Lisa even says that in her family there were people who did not approve of interracial marriages and would even joke about the prejudice that was present. Such as when Gilbert died and his daughter and her Caucasian fiance joked that he chose to die rather than go to their wedding. (Lisa See, 129)
Biracial/multiracial families have to stand up for themselves and fight oppression. They should not be controlled by border patrollers and should be praised for crossing the border line. Lisa Lee and her grandmother did not let racism separate their family and Lisa continues to hold her cultural identities with strength
“A Middle Passage“ by Philippe Wamba
Philippe was born in America and lives in Tanzania and it is very interesting to see the order patrolling that occurs when he goes to visit his family. In America he is treated differently because he comes from Africa. African Americans easily fall into stereotypes and start treating him like a child. The cultural difference is so great that even if they look alike, they are different. With his family in Congo, he is the American brother and was connected to America than to Tanzania. Philippe was not entirely American, yet he was given that title because he was born there.
Being form a multiracial family, Philippe has trouble defining his identity when people label him different things.
Philippe was happy that he was called Phil and even said that he would be mortified if his friends found out his African name. It is sad to say but fitting in in cost of your culture happens a lot. People do not want to be labeled as outsiders will hide, rather than take pride in their cultural identities.
I think that it is very important that they parents encourage both cultures to be used with the children. I like that Philippe’s parents cooked meals that represented their culutre and kept trading off.
It was funny when his dad and uncle went to buy a goat to serve at a party and the Americans thought they were selling it as a pet. Different cultures have different traditions, being Mexican-my family does eat goat and Philippe’s story reminds me of hope each culture has different ideas.
Philippe had to choose between his American and African culture once he moved to Tanzania and in order to fit in he had to become more African. Philippe does not belong to just one or cultures, but he is more. He does not feel he has to state his identity, he does not want to be labeled and want to show that he is made up of many places. He does not have to choose one over the other but he can be all, he chose to be free. Being multiracial is something to be proud of, not something that needs to be hidden.
“From Here to Poland” by Nina Mehta
Nina Mehta started talking about how her parents defied the color line, her mother being American and her father Indian. As it is usual with interracial couples, the parents were not please with the marriage and would even disown their children if the interracial relationship continued.
Nina is American and Indian, but she only speaks English. She can barely communicate with her grandmother and I think that it would have been better for Nina if she had been taught the Indian languages. Nina would have been able to identify more with her other culture rather than feeling like she only had “half and understanding.” (Nina Mehta, 219)
It was interesting to see that even if she did not communicate with the grandmother, she still liked having approval from her, like sitting on the jute mats and didn’t use utensils to eat.
When she moved to New Jersey, she was faced with discrimination because she was biracial. At ten years old she faced prejudice from a young boys because of her biracialism. The community had border patrolling and did not accepts people of color because few African American families that lived there never stayed long.
Nina wondered why she was so different, the confusion and anger she felt was only worsened because of the racism she was confronted with. She even wanted to change her name to claim a different ethnicity.
Having her grandmother present, Nina was able to get the side of the culture that she was not completely a part of and that she even did not want to be a part of. Nina was able to get more attached to both her cultures and learn from them. Her grandmother was the connection to the culture that her parents did not immerse her in, which is the problem with being multiracial--with what culture does one identify with the most and is it ones decision or is it influenced by the greater society?
Each family has their own cultures and traditions that they continue to keep alive and passing down to their children. Lisa’s grandmother was no exception. She passed down the strong Chinese traditions and, even though she was Caucasian, she was Chinese. It is impressive to see someone immerse themselves completely into a new culture. They are faced with many struggles from both racial sides.
Stella Copeland faced border patrolling when she decided to become Chinese. The Chinese community would have a hard time accepting a white women into their family because of the racisms that is still present. The white community would be angry that she would rather be Chinese than be white.
In a society in which being “Americanized” provides greater opportunities, Stella challenged it because she decided to become unamericanized. And by becoming “more “Chinese” than most Chinese” (Lisa Lee, 126) she got the respect from her family.
It was interesting to see that at the funeral they were having problems deciding what to do because Stella was not a traditional Chinese woman. Multiracial families go through all these decisions and doubts on how to do things because they do belong to two worlds. It is difficult to go against traditional norms when there is more than one culture to go by.
All families have members who are open to multiracial marriages, but then there are also those who are more conservative and do not want interracial mixes in their family. Lisa even says that in her family there were people who did not approve of interracial marriages and would even joke about the prejudice that was present. Such as when Gilbert died and his daughter and her Caucasian fiance joked that he chose to die rather than go to their wedding. (Lisa See, 129)
Biracial/multiracial families have to stand up for themselves and fight oppression. They should not be controlled by border patrollers and should be praised for crossing the border line. Lisa Lee and her grandmother did not let racism separate their family and Lisa continues to hold her cultural identities with strength
“A Middle Passage“ by Philippe Wamba
Philippe was born in America and lives in Tanzania and it is very interesting to see the order patrolling that occurs when he goes to visit his family. In America he is treated differently because he comes from Africa. African Americans easily fall into stereotypes and start treating him like a child. The cultural difference is so great that even if they look alike, they are different. With his family in Congo, he is the American brother and was connected to America than to Tanzania. Philippe was not entirely American, yet he was given that title because he was born there.
Being form a multiracial family, Philippe has trouble defining his identity when people label him different things.
Philippe was happy that he was called Phil and even said that he would be mortified if his friends found out his African name. It is sad to say but fitting in in cost of your culture happens a lot. People do not want to be labeled as outsiders will hide, rather than take pride in their cultural identities.
I think that it is very important that they parents encourage both cultures to be used with the children. I like that Philippe’s parents cooked meals that represented their culutre and kept trading off.
It was funny when his dad and uncle went to buy a goat to serve at a party and the Americans thought they were selling it as a pet. Different cultures have different traditions, being Mexican-my family does eat goat and Philippe’s story reminds me of hope each culture has different ideas.
Philippe had to choose between his American and African culture once he moved to Tanzania and in order to fit in he had to become more African. Philippe does not belong to just one or cultures, but he is more. He does not feel he has to state his identity, he does not want to be labeled and want to show that he is made up of many places. He does not have to choose one over the other but he can be all, he chose to be free. Being multiracial is something to be proud of, not something that needs to be hidden.
“From Here to Poland” by Nina Mehta
Nina Mehta started talking about how her parents defied the color line, her mother being American and her father Indian. As it is usual with interracial couples, the parents were not please with the marriage and would even disown their children if the interracial relationship continued.
Nina is American and Indian, but she only speaks English. She can barely communicate with her grandmother and I think that it would have been better for Nina if she had been taught the Indian languages. Nina would have been able to identify more with her other culture rather than feeling like she only had “half and understanding.” (Nina Mehta, 219)
It was interesting to see that even if she did not communicate with the grandmother, she still liked having approval from her, like sitting on the jute mats and didn’t use utensils to eat.
When she moved to New Jersey, she was faced with discrimination because she was biracial. At ten years old she faced prejudice from a young boys because of her biracialism. The community had border patrolling and did not accepts people of color because few African American families that lived there never stayed long.
Nina wondered why she was so different, the confusion and anger she felt was only worsened because of the racism she was confronted with. She even wanted to change her name to claim a different ethnicity.
Having her grandmother present, Nina was able to get the side of the culture that she was not completely a part of and that she even did not want to be a part of. Nina was able to get more attached to both her cultures and learn from them. Her grandmother was the connection to the culture that her parents did not immerse her in, which is the problem with being multiracial--with what culture does one identify with the most and is it ones decision or is it influenced by the greater society?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tripping on the Color Line Ch. 2-3
Chapter 2:
"Loving our neighbor implies sticking with our own," (Dalmage, pg.71) is a great quote that portrays how the American society lives. It is sad to say but we do live in distrust and disinterest of people who are not members of the in group. Neighborhoods are racially segregated and continue to be this way. Why is this so? Shouldn't we be living in a society that values all ethnicities and promotes unification, instead of promoting segregation? The housing market has been and will continue being the primary factor in maintaining the color line. The housing industry has not only strengthened the white advantage but also provides more power to racial disparities in the community.
If neighborhoods are racially segregated, the question then becomes what happens to multiracial families? If a multiracial family moves into a white community, then the whites flee and the neighborhood starts to be redlined. As more whites flee, more multiracial or African Americans families move in, which leads to a racially segregated neighborhood once again. The invasion succession model demonstrates that there will not be a racially mixed neighborhood because of the racism that is present. Why would the land be devalued just because an African American owns it? It is hard to believe that racial stereotypes are still very strong in society today. Who is to say that whites are more valuable than people of ethnic backgrounds? They need to realize that they have the same rights, yet they still continue to treat each other differently, it’s not just whites that continue the segregation, but also the people of ethnic backgrounds who discriminate back. People still continue the border patrolling of their neighborhoods and this helps maintain the color line.
One quote that I thought was interest was, "Whites who live in wealthier communities...can afford, at least on the surface, to accept a few blacks in the area." (Dalmage, pg. 76) It is ridiculous to know that white people think that they are doing African Americans a favor in letting them move into their neighborhoods. However, it is not just the people living in the neighborhoods who help maintain the color line, the government, banks, insurers, and others of the housing industry are to blame too because they try to keep the neighborhoods segregated by denying help to racial minorities.
Multiracial families have it even tougher. Where do they fit in, in white or black communities? Multiracial families have a more difficult time with border patrolling because they belong to both sides. If they live in one area they have to prove that they are "black enough" or "white enough," like many of the people mentioned in the book. Finding racially mixed areas that are stable and will not have the "white flight" later on is difficult to find. Living in a mixed area is better for multiracial families because they do not have to worry about borderism and the color line as much, even though they still will have problems.
There needs to be changes in the housing industry or else society is going to be ruled by the color line. The question that needs to be asked after reading this chapter is what can be done to stop it?
Chapter 3:
Comparing the Rorschach test to how we identify/classify people because of their appearance goes hand in hand. I never thought about it that way but it makes complete sense. We do not know what the ink stain really is, we just guess by what it appears like, we do the same thing with people. We see their skin color, their hair, their clothes, how they talk--we do not know how they identify but we go through stereotypes to guess who they are.
The more I think about how we categorize people, I realize that is a normal thing for us. The Critical Race Theory is always at play in society, racism is deeply engrained in us legally, culturally, and psychologically. Even if it is passive racism, it still affects us. It is hard to fight racism that we do not even know we are enforcing. We have come to view it as everyday life and we have to be aware of it in order to try to stop it.
The need to stick people in certain boxes (Dalmage, pg. 107) reinforces the color line and even asserts more white power. The need to have an "us" and "them" is just a way to segregate people. Multiracial families are constantly reminded of the color line and they have to get used to it because it will continue, even though it is unfair and they shouldn't have to deal with it. It must be tiring for a mother or father when they are not accepted as their children's parents because they are a multiracial family. Their appearance does not fit together so people do not place them in the same box.
"You told us all along that we had to call ourselves black because of this so-called one drop. Now that we don't have to anymore, we choose to. Because black is beautiful. Because black is not a burden, but a privilege." (Dalmage, pg. 112) Being proud of your racial background is very important. African Americans are proud of who they are and exert their pride to others and do not want to hide because of all the oppression they faced, they want to show that they are still standing tall. Multiracial people are proud of being black and want people to know them for who they are. "Their desire for a connection to blackness runs contrary to the racist thinking of many whites, who firmly believe that all people of color wish for whiteness." (Dalmage, pg. 115) I agree with this because people know that being white gives you certain privileges, but even if you can pass for white and you choose to be multiracial, that pride contradicts the common misconception that white is better. However, not all people choose to assert their race. Some do it for business reasons in which being part of a multiracial family would interfere, so there are times in which race does influence life decisions.
Everybody should be educated about race because they are faced with it every day. How do we expect people to be aware of the racism that occurs in society if they do not understand what is happening. Educating in private is important so that the person does not feel attacked and so the person really listens to what is happening and learns from it. Also, informing people of race differences is helpful, such as introducing that your family is multiracial before they meet them so that people do not have certain expectations. Humor is also a good tool to use when talking about race. People need to be educated about multiracialism in society, and not matter which way they learn, it is important that they become aware of the multiracial society that we live in and hopefully the racial cartography becomes a multiracial cartography.
"The ways in which individuals think about race and their own racial identity influences their responses and interactions with others."
(Dalmage, pg. 129) People need to be open to multiracialism and be accepting so that race will stop being such a big factor in social inequalities and for the color line to start vanishing.
"Loving our neighbor implies sticking with our own," (Dalmage, pg.71) is a great quote that portrays how the American society lives. It is sad to say but we do live in distrust and disinterest of people who are not members of the in group. Neighborhoods are racially segregated and continue to be this way. Why is this so? Shouldn't we be living in a society that values all ethnicities and promotes unification, instead of promoting segregation? The housing market has been and will continue being the primary factor in maintaining the color line. The housing industry has not only strengthened the white advantage but also provides more power to racial disparities in the community.
If neighborhoods are racially segregated, the question then becomes what happens to multiracial families? If a multiracial family moves into a white community, then the whites flee and the neighborhood starts to be redlined. As more whites flee, more multiracial or African Americans families move in, which leads to a racially segregated neighborhood once again. The invasion succession model demonstrates that there will not be a racially mixed neighborhood because of the racism that is present. Why would the land be devalued just because an African American owns it? It is hard to believe that racial stereotypes are still very strong in society today. Who is to say that whites are more valuable than people of ethnic backgrounds? They need to realize that they have the same rights, yet they still continue to treat each other differently, it’s not just whites that continue the segregation, but also the people of ethnic backgrounds who discriminate back. People still continue the border patrolling of their neighborhoods and this helps maintain the color line.
One quote that I thought was interest was, "Whites who live in wealthier communities...can afford, at least on the surface, to accept a few blacks in the area." (Dalmage, pg. 76) It is ridiculous to know that white people think that they are doing African Americans a favor in letting them move into their neighborhoods. However, it is not just the people living in the neighborhoods who help maintain the color line, the government, banks, insurers, and others of the housing industry are to blame too because they try to keep the neighborhoods segregated by denying help to racial minorities.
Multiracial families have it even tougher. Where do they fit in, in white or black communities? Multiracial families have a more difficult time with border patrolling because they belong to both sides. If they live in one area they have to prove that they are "black enough" or "white enough," like many of the people mentioned in the book. Finding racially mixed areas that are stable and will not have the "white flight" later on is difficult to find. Living in a mixed area is better for multiracial families because they do not have to worry about borderism and the color line as much, even though they still will have problems.
There needs to be changes in the housing industry or else society is going to be ruled by the color line. The question that needs to be asked after reading this chapter is what can be done to stop it?
Chapter 3:
Comparing the Rorschach test to how we identify/classify people because of their appearance goes hand in hand. I never thought about it that way but it makes complete sense. We do not know what the ink stain really is, we just guess by what it appears like, we do the same thing with people. We see their skin color, their hair, their clothes, how they talk--we do not know how they identify but we go through stereotypes to guess who they are.
The more I think about how we categorize people, I realize that is a normal thing for us. The Critical Race Theory is always at play in society, racism is deeply engrained in us legally, culturally, and psychologically. Even if it is passive racism, it still affects us. It is hard to fight racism that we do not even know we are enforcing. We have come to view it as everyday life and we have to be aware of it in order to try to stop it.
The need to stick people in certain boxes (Dalmage, pg. 107) reinforces the color line and even asserts more white power. The need to have an "us" and "them" is just a way to segregate people. Multiracial families are constantly reminded of the color line and they have to get used to it because it will continue, even though it is unfair and they shouldn't have to deal with it. It must be tiring for a mother or father when they are not accepted as their children's parents because they are a multiracial family. Their appearance does not fit together so people do not place them in the same box.
"You told us all along that we had to call ourselves black because of this so-called one drop. Now that we don't have to anymore, we choose to. Because black is beautiful. Because black is not a burden, but a privilege." (Dalmage, pg. 112) Being proud of your racial background is very important. African Americans are proud of who they are and exert their pride to others and do not want to hide because of all the oppression they faced, they want to show that they are still standing tall. Multiracial people are proud of being black and want people to know them for who they are. "Their desire for a connection to blackness runs contrary to the racist thinking of many whites, who firmly believe that all people of color wish for whiteness." (Dalmage, pg. 115) I agree with this because people know that being white gives you certain privileges, but even if you can pass for white and you choose to be multiracial, that pride contradicts the common misconception that white is better. However, not all people choose to assert their race. Some do it for business reasons in which being part of a multiracial family would interfere, so there are times in which race does influence life decisions.
Everybody should be educated about race because they are faced with it every day. How do we expect people to be aware of the racism that occurs in society if they do not understand what is happening. Educating in private is important so that the person does not feel attacked and so the person really listens to what is happening and learns from it. Also, informing people of race differences is helpful, such as introducing that your family is multiracial before they meet them so that people do not have certain expectations. Humor is also a good tool to use when talking about race. People need to be educated about multiracialism in society, and not matter which way they learn, it is important that they become aware of the multiracial society that we live in and hopefully the racial cartography becomes a multiracial cartography.
"The ways in which individuals think about race and their own racial identity influences their responses and interactions with others."
(Dalmage, pg. 129) People need to be open to multiracialism and be accepting so that race will stop being such a big factor in social inequalities and for the color line to start vanishing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)