Recent generations have been hit with a wave of racial empowerment that hasn’t been present in white colonial America previously. With this newfound pedestal for empowerment and acceptance, comes newfound challenges in understanding each individual’s role in society. This is especially true for those who identify with multiple racial groups, including myself as I am white and Arab.
To understand modern racial identity one thing must be understood: race is a concept, not a fact. It started as a concept in Europe for people from different countries. It was later used as a generalization to justify the dehumanization of Black people on a ‘scientific’ level and was weaponized to group people who were not related, to maintain control of those enslaved. Its meaning has evolved, and today race is used to describe people of certain ethnic communities who have a similar experience in society. This structure is still prominent as it stays within the foundations of the US, which was built on racialized spaces with anti-integration values. As of recently, there are fewer laws against people with specific DNA and stigma is more focused on people’s assumptions of you, propelled by society. As it has been and continues to be, people of darker skin tones and people with more prominent ethnic features have a much higher risk of racial scrutiny than lighter-skinned and more racially ambiguous people. This is a huge reason for the insecurity of identifying with your racial heritage whether physically ambiguous or not. As no one would want to experience the pain of being racialized in America on top of having the privilege of not being racialized on sight, how do we experience our race in other ways and why would we want to?
Fellow bulldogs, such as myself, have shared experiences on personal journeys with owning their racial identity as people who appear more ambiguous. Seniors and BSU co-leaders Lou Williams and Naima Joseph brought well-educated perspectives and talked about the difficult journey of owning their identities at a young age. “I was raised being told I was Black, White, and Indian and to be proud of that, but as I got older and heard others saying my being mixed couldn’t be true, it was definitely confusing and could be hurtful,” Joseph explained. Telling people about your race at a young age is not easy when those around you don’t understand confusing racial concepts. This makes white passing race something that may come with time. “At least for me, there’s a part of me that’s been told if I was really Black such and such thing wouldn’t feel new or like such and such thing would have always felt relevant to me.” Williams said. “But it’s realizing that those experiences you have are also part of the Black experience. Realizing Black people passing as white has been a part of the Black experience for a very long time.” He goes on to emphasize that it is anti racist to identify fully as the races you are. He explains to not claim your full race is to reinforce the idea that whiteness is the ideal and whiteness should be prioritized over other identities. Joseph came to a similar conclusion, while also acknowledging how “it’s important to know what you look like in the world. If you have privileges with that, how can you support your community and support yourself as someone who is still a mixed person. Don’t abandon your community. That never ends well.”
It is important now more than ever that we understand and own who we are as it is so crucial to today’s movement. The issue that appears to us now is identity beyond the perceptions of other people. This issue hasn’t been as prevalent in the past because to pass as society’s golden standard was to also choose self-preservation and life beyond just surviving. Present-day America is by no means a perfect place for its inhabitants with intersecting identities. However, there is something to be said about the current freedoms in choosing labels that resonate with individuals the most. Though today there are still many issues within being an intersectional American, there is so much more freedom of representation and even idolization of ambiguity. But once again these new freedoms come with different challenges, and new questions like: can identity surpass the perception of other people? In most instances, the majority would say yes, as someone can be gay or trans and whether they were seen as such would not change the fact that they are. But can we safely assume this also applies to racial identity?
Joseph brings up arguably the most controversial point of white passing identities: the privilege that comes with passing as white. There is an assumption that to be white passing is to automatically take advantage of the privilege you have and use it to profit off of your POC identity. This assumption is rarely the case. “I don’t want to offend anybody. I haven’t had the same struggles as most POC people do because of the people who can’t tell that I’m Indian or I’m a person of color.” Senior Hannah Ziesche said. When Ziesche got to Garfield she found that it was “so diverse and just so amazing.” In this new environment, during conversations concerning race she found herself asking others, “‘what do you think?’ Genuinely because I didn’t want to say anything.” This brings in the idea that when you don’t look like a racial stereotype, it is easier to rely on the ideas of other people for fear of offending others. Some have used this to come to terms with their identity.“The reason that I’ve become more confident in my identity is because I’ve come to understand that me passing as white is entirely dependent on other people.” Williams said. One thing to realize is the perception of your race doesn’t change your heritage or your upbringing, which are both tied to race.
With this pain, many people are afraid to be invalidated when considering the fact that they’re white passing, but it’s important to be aware of this as we get a free pass in a lot of racially scrutinizing situations. In general, white people see white before they see anything else because that’s what is generic to them. This privilege can vary, but according to Williams: “There’s a clear difference in how people talk around me when they do know that I’m Black versus when they don’t…You’re minding your business and then your proxy to some conversation that you realize like, this is what goes on behind closed doors with white people.” It is dangerous to ignore and disregard this power we hold but within this power there is opportunity. This voice is a powerful one that is unfortunately the most projected in our colorist society. If understood and regulated by mixed people, it is a powerful tool to vocalize for your community’s benefit.
Despite the barely conceptualized world of white passing mixedness, the main take away the bulldogs have taught me is this; Garfield is a huge part of finding ourselves in our racial identities. As Williams put it, “My gratitude to Garfield is only increasing. I don’t know where I’m gonna go to college, but I know that I don’t think I’ll have nearly as strong of an identity about it as having gone to Garfield when I’m later in life.” As we continue the Garfield legacy whether you are mixed or not, white passing or not, the best advice that can be given is to be open minded and understanding of yourself and others. If you understand your identity and the privilege you have, no one can rightfully dismiss you. Race as a topic is taboo but as we have these conversations, we promote the excellence of our community.
