Katheryn Ward, Tulsa, OK.
I’m An Individual NOT A Color!
Nadra Enzi, New Orleans, LA. Anyone with eyes can see that I’m a dark Black man. That and a couple dollars might buy you a cup of coffee at a trendy shop. Two terms of Obama-inflamed identity politics makes me reassert a lifelong commitment to individualism. I’m not a one-size-fits-all person. The fact I voted […]
I am white don’t blame me
Dan Richardson, Phoenix, AZ.
See me for who I am
Jonah Gerry, Haslett, MI. My name is Jonathan Gerry and I organized my Black Student Union at my high school. This quote was inspired because we have all been discriminated against. And it’s what’s on the inside that matters.
“What are you?” I am human.
Tara Dosumu Diener, USA.
America is a work in progress,
Brie Stoll, Houston, TX. We are a very young country. We need to work with each other to fix this country.
But where do you come from?
Caitlin Wong, USA. I am a White American woman who relatively recently started seeing a Chinese man. He was born and raised in American, but he is not biracial. It’s a fairytale romance – I am in love and I couldn’t be happier. At first it surprised me that we got stares, especially in New […]
Raising a bi-racial daughter in America.
Heather Sams, Moreno Valley, CA. My daughter is a beautiful, intelligent, biracial young lady. I am white and her father is a light skinned black man. I say those race terms that way because that is honestly how people in society view others, by color. My daughter is as pale skinned as I am. When […]
I’m afraid of muggers and police
Jose M Moreira, Brooklyn, NY. What I mean to say is, I am afraid that one person that has the concept of robbing, stabbing and killing me can snuff my life out probably slower than someone that is suppose to ‘protect and serve me’ might just take said life so much more quickly and amazingly […]
Where do my kids fit in?
Azizi Saulet, Riverside, CA. They are not black enough for black kids. They too black for white kids. Where do my kids fit in?
Over the phone, you sound different
Fabrice Julien, Manchester, NH.
I like kimchi more than potatoes.
Sarah Diggins, Berlin, MA. I’m almost entirely Irish by heritage (my dad’s side is 100%), but I never really clicked with the culture. I grew up loving Celtic music, looking at gorgeous landscapes of the Irish countryside, and hearing stories about my Irish cousins and ancestors from my grandparents. But when I went to live […]
You can’t date him he’s black
McKaela Evertsen, Murray, UT.
Sadly frustrated at the backward slide.
Pam Lepley, High Point, NC.
“But you don’t act Puerto Rican”
Jaylene O., Harrisburg, PA. I’m mixed. But I am predominantly Puerto Rican. I explained this once and I got the response “But you don’t act Puerto Rican.” ……..What? Since when is race defined by actions. I shouldn’t have to act any certain way to be considered what I am. I speak Spanish and Puerto Rican […]
Model minority. Kinky chink. Not relevant.
Sonya Wang, Ballston Lake, NY. Yes, Asian-American issues are not addressed with the same urgency as many other important issues However, they are not addressed because Asian-American issues tend to be placed under the blanket ‘model minority’ stereotype, and that is simply not true.
Racial discrimination is abstract until experienced.
Robert Hom, Eagle River, WI.
Chubby, old, white girls CAN dance!
Diane Auten, Arroyo Grande, CA. I am a 43 year old, white, chubby mom who also happens to be a Hip Hop and Zumba instructor. I often get (new) people who come up to me after my class and say, “WOW! I was so surprised at what a great class that was.” Which basically means […]
Privileged doesn’t mean life is easy.
Danielle Kray, Buffalo Grove, IL.
No, I am not an oreo.
Sarah Staples, Nashville, TN. I grew up in a predominantly white community in a city that was predominantly black and hispanic or latino. My best friends were always white, my parents made me study classical piano for 12 years, I played soccer, I read Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and I went to boarding school. No, […]
She`s so beautiful, is she mixed?
Julie Newell, Lubbock, TX.
It’s easier to say I’m white.
Marcella Gucho, Sacramento, CA. I’m half Hispanic and half Irish, and it’s put me a few interesting positions with other groups of people. For instance, some assume that Mexican stereotypes can’t bother me because “I’m White passing.” Some more extreme people I’ve encountered as a child think I’m a mistake because of my parentage (i.e., […]
Made in the image of God
Submitted via Twitter: @MochaJuden #theracecardproject
So, how did your parents meet?
Alexander Chee, Submitted via Twitter: @alexanderchee #theracecardproject
Come look, black people on television!
Ron Boose, Atlanta, GA. It wasn’t until 33 years after the first television was invented in 1927 that a black actor and actress were seen on television.
I’m American Indian-I’m a Unicorn.
Ty NolN Tempe, AZ I’m from a traditional family and have braids. I dance at Powwows, and participate in our Longhouse Ceremonies. The photograph is from when I used to do modeling and is from a calendar photo shoot, on Motorcycles. I’m on a 1935 Indian motorcycle, because one of the “gimmicks” of the calender […]
Openness defines my children’s easy friendships.
Jen McKain, Oakton, VA.
Sometimes first impressions are very wrong
KD, Oakton, VA.
I didn’t think it was real!
Toya James, Albuquerque, NM. I am biracial (Black/White) and born in Cleveland in 1959. By “it” I mean race. I thought more people knew race is simply a social construct and that racism was something education erased. I have only recently realized how widespread the buy-in is in American society and that race was invented […]
Race, the elephant in America’s China
Kingsley, Nashville, TN.
White guy can’t walk in’your shoes
Jay Grabow, Omaha, NH. I’m a 52 year old white guy, living in middle class suburbs. Yeah, I’ve struggled to get where I am in life and I’ll need to keep struggling to maintain it. I grew up absorbing the racism around me. But I witnessed two prime examples of how racism affects African Americans […]
Every life should be worth something.
Jacob Stella, San Diego, CA.
“M’ pa rele blanc,” I replied.
Emily S., Baltimore, MD. A phrase in Haitian Kreyol which means, literally, “I’m not called ‘White’” or “My name is not ‘White”. It was a phrase I became accustom to shouting back to calls of “Blanc, Blanc, Blanc” everywhere I went, by Haitian children and adults alike. I almost hadn’t noticed my skin color up […]
A member of the fogotten race
Anna Fraley, Jena, LA. Do people realize that Native Americans still exist? WHY are our struggles for equality not brought to thr forefront like those of the African Americans, Muslim Americans, and Latinos? We are the forgotten.
I was infected with racism early.
Susan Crandall, Albuquerque, NM. I was infected with racism early breathing it in almost with my first breath. I was injected with racism early along with my immunizations, this one, though, making me prone to its infection, instead of immune. Although my mother tried to teach me otherwise, racism lives in the voice floating up […]
Sorry, this AMERICAN sings it better.
Aaron Matthew Villalobos, Norman, OK. While I’m admittedly more apple pie than beans & rice, I have never felt my heritage as a Mexican-American detracted from my ability to honor my country with the gift god has given me–my voice. I love singing our national anthem. I feel like it’s the biggest contribution I can […]
Blacks demand equality, except for gays.
James, Los Angeles, CA.
Not Trayvon, fear becoming Sabrina
Cyndi Morris, Los Gatos, CA. I’m a White mom of a Black son, living in an overwhelmingly white neighborhood. I struggle against my in adequate education on race in America. I’m sure I stumble as I guide my son toward valuing everything about himself, including his African American heritage. I have known that I need […]
I’ll never fully trust white people
Kelly M., Riverside, CA.
Apparently I’m racist because I’m white.
Russell Anderson, Phoenix, AZ.
White male. Teenaged me wasn’t feared.
Chris Snyder, Grand Rapids, MI.
Where’d you go to high school?
Jules M. Marquart, Louisville, KY. In Louisville during the pre-busing 1960s, this “screening” question was based on assumptions and generalizations about race and class. A high school in the West End of the city–African-American (Negro or Black back then) and poor; in the South End–white and red neck; and in the East End–white and privileged.
Where will we wash colored clothes?
LaLana Martin Gold Beach, OR When I was 9 years old, our mixed-race family (Asian/Pacific Islander and German/French) was on vacation in the southeast. With six of us there was a lot of laundry. We stopped at a laundry mat and I hopped out of our camper to help Mom with the wash. A sign […]
Just one race: Human.
Zach Brutsché, Sedona, AZ Hackneyed. True.
Race is a Matter of Mind
John Stephens, New Market, VA. Many years ago, when I was a young man, I went to see the movie The Defiant Ones with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier. The film was about two convicts who were both strident racists. They escaped from prison but they could not escape each other because they were shackled […]
If I’m colorblind, you’re invisible.
Martie Moore, Marietta, GA.
Bangladeshi-British immigrant. Mom of all-American twins.
Sadia Rodriguez, Round Rock, TX. If I had to limit myself to a single identity, I’d say that I’m a mother of twins above all else. Sure, I’m also a business analyst, a blogger, a divorcee, a permanent resident of the US, a holder of British and Bangladeshi passports and a former US Army wife. […]
My heritage is Irish, not white.
S. Aleana, Ocala, FL. I did not come from a privileged white family. My family line on all sides traces back to the early 1900’s. They were poor Irish immigrants. I have been told I do not understand how minorities feel because I am white and privileged. I have never been handed anything in life, […]
Homeless. White. Unusual. Gave him money.
T.C. Green, Los Angeles, CA.
Not every police officer is bad
Brooke A. Brown, Williamsport, PA.
That little black girl is SHARP !
Desiree C, Philadelphia, PA.
Grandaddy gave carp to the darkies.
Clay Underwood, San Diego, CA. My grandfather, born 1890’s, was an avid fisherman. My brother and I fished with him in rural north Alabama when we spent summers there in the 1960’s. If grandaddy caught a carp he would give it to one of the black families he knew (he called blacks “darkies”). We were […]
False construct. Always falls on us.
Sabrina Sojourner, Washingtin, DC. I look forward to the day when I am NOT accused of playing the race card; when I am NOT asked is this about race or gender. I occupy both.
My brain looks like yours inside
Jeannette Brown, Submitted via Twitter @Sisterchemist, #theracecardproject
Hey Do You Need an Interpreter?
Rebeca Cruz-Esteves, Philadelphia, PA. I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in both the U.S. Although my first language is Spanish it’s hard to tell since I have no accent. Growing up it was hard to immediately blend in as I spent my childhood in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood. As a teenager my family […]
I don’t know what I am.
http://theracecardproject.com/wp-admin/edit.phpJordi A. Snell, The Netherlands. My mother is Dutch and my father is Moluccan (Melanesian I assume). I don’t exactly know what my father’s race is because alot of Moluccans have mixed race ancestry. All I know is that my father’s skin color is ‘Black’, he has thick curly hair when it’s long, but his […]
I am glad I’m not Black.
Prudence Runyan, Philadelphia, PA. In the late 90s a colleague and I needed to go about 90 miles away to a client meeting. We each took our own cars, as it was the weekend and we were heading off in separate directions after the meeting. He planned to follow me, as he hadn’t been there […]
Skin’s too white for my heritage
Sara, Submitted via Twitter: @smamela
Am I from here or there?
Laura Martinez, Hays, KS. I was born in Mexico and came to the USA as a child. I am so proud of my culture and love Mexico, but I also love the US. When I visit Mexico with my mom people in Mexico see me as not a “true” Mexican, because I haven’t actually been […]
Silently ashamed by my Anglo-Saxon heritage.
Submitted via Twitter: @SugaBabe_14
My skin color eclipses my culture
Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, Denver, CO. Being light skinned and Mexican has been the hardest thing to navigate in life. A dark skinned mother and an Anglo father gave birth to a light skin mestiza.
I grew up in the 98118
Guy Godefroy , Seattle, WA. Submitted via Twitter: @mrfatlace Additional information for the 6-WORD ESSAY: http://southseattle.komonews.com/news/arts-culture/445093-census-bureau-98118-most-diverse-zip-code-us
Black, Caribbean-American, human, American, Southern
Britt Stone, Philadelphia, PA. No one ever asked “what” I am. They just assume. They approach me with all sorts of ideas about what food I like, what music I listen to, the books I read, and my favorite movies and tv. They have an opinion of what I should sound like when I speak, […]
I’ll never be what I could…
Aspen, USA. The world likes it that way.
Hair color does not equal incompetence.
Megan Schluentz, Muskegon, MI. Your dumb blonde jokes won’t stop me from becoming a doctor.
My blackness should NOT equal fear.
Attalah Shabazz, Richmond, VA. Wipe the slate clean, don’t generalize, there is more to me than my skin color. I am more than what society teaches you about me. Give me a chance, give us all a chance. Throw away all of you presumptions.
So acceptable we all crack jokes.
Sara Tall, Submitted via Twitter: @saractall. In my super diverse high school we would have said “So acceptable we all crack jokes.” Low income = high understanding.
“Dad, please tell Emily I’m adopted”
Barney Rush, Chevy Chase, MD. Ours is an adopted family: my wife and I have two daughters, both of whom are Caucasian, as we are. We adopted them through agencies, the older when we lived in New York; the younger when we lived in Florida. After living six years in Europe, we returned to the […]
Are we not all just Americans
Nate Handlin, Portland, OR. We need to end the labels, this only breeds division to us all. Instead of us vs. them, would it be nice to say this is our country, these are our issues we need to deal with, not theirs, not my people. but Americans. Was this not the reason we became […]
Yo, dumbass white hunky mother f*****
Rudy Owens, Portland, OR. So, you want six words? Here are six I heard so many times I can’t even count them. They came in various themes on being a “hunky” or “f*****” or “dumba**.” They weren’t intended to provoke, to share hatred, and to demonstrate power. They were repetitively used by many people, my […]
“Act like you’ve been here before.”
Jessica Johnson, Long Beach, CA. My grandparents took pride in not being a “typical” black family. I grew up in Prince George’s County, MD (about 10mins outside of the nation’s capital) which is home to the largest number of middle class black families in the United States. But outside of my community, I noticed even […]
White House, Black President, No Racism
Annette Harris, Upper Marlboro, MD.
Not African. Not American. Not Haitian.
Ahpaly Coradin, Pembroke Pines, FL. It is easy to forget that discrimination, ostracism and prejudice are not the exclusive currency of the white race. As much as I have been discriminated against by whites in America and abroad, I have suffered similarly from my own kind, in all my lands of origin.
I’m not basically white, I’m suburban
KayBee, Washington DC. Submitted via Twitter: @PetiteKaybee
I look white, I’m also Japanese.
Hanae Weber, Greencastle, IN. I am mixed race. My mother is half-Japanese, my father is white. I was raised in a Japanese-American household, but sometimes people struggle to grasp this or accept me as Japanese-American because of my blue eyes and brown hair. I am so proud of my culture that I refuse to sink […]
In Indonesia I am asked “Dutch”?
Nancy Deschu, Anchorage, AK. My Dutch ancestors arrived in New Amsterdam in 1624. Now, four hundred years later, I live in Alaska but my roots in New Jersey are strong and deep. While traveling in Sulawesi, Indonesia 15 years ago, locals would ask me, “Blanda?”, or what I learned was a slang term for “Dutch”. […]
Racism is too weak a word.
Amelinda, New Haven, CT. I am as white as they come… Blonde hair, blue eyes; English, Swedish, Irish, German, French heritage… I grew up in Nebraska, surrounded by the ‘whitest’ people you can imagine. The first ‘black’ person I saw was a professional photographer when I was a toddler, and I was absolutely shocked (I […]
Yes, I know how to swim.
Danielle , Submitted via Twitter: @perfectlygdkids.
I don’t know who I am
Stacey Rosana, Lake Elmo, MN.
Being Black and southern, educated engineer
Kristen Ellerbe, Richmond, VA. Calling me an Oreo or not really black, or basically a white girl means that you define some part of my personality, attitude, preferences, or demeanor as being owned and attributed solely to white people. Is it my intelligence, my sense of style, or how I speak? Is it because I’m […]
It’s sad how uncomfortable this is
Wes, Boston, MA. I feel like the topic of race has become uncomfortable for many people because we assume the worst of people’s words. A discussion that includes the ethnicity of another person too commonly leads to an argument or someone accused of being a racist when no harm was intended or when a fact […]
Too white for my own good.
Lauren Qualters, West Chester, PA. For my race card project I chose the phrase “Too white for my own good” which is most certainly a true statement, in both humerous and negative ways. I am certainly very sterotypically “white” but not in an intentional or discriminatory way. My traits are my own and they embody […]
Give love to yourself and others
Katriel Hampton-King, Chicago, IL.
American media empire ensures global antiblackness
Alex Webster, Japan. African American male English teacher abroad; lived in China, currently living in Japan.
I myself, am not an oreo
Natalie Ngong, Louisville, KY. Sometimes in this world not having the voice that is expected of you as the race you are, creates a need for insults. In some people’s minds you are not truly the race you appear to be you act like another race simply due to the way you converse. This should […]
See you at the finish line!!!
Anonymous, MN. Can’t draw to save my life. Picture up for interpretation.
My family is black and white.
Brian, Gaithersburg, MD.
You have to choose. Which one?
Aimee Mallery, Rochester, NY. My daughter is Native American on her father’s side. When faced with a form for daycare, I had to choose whether to label her Native American or Caucasian. They insisted she couldn’t be both.
With Them, I’m Visable. Without, Invisable.
Christy Braddock, Silver Spring, MD. Marc Quarles’ 6 words spoke to me when featured on All Things Considered this morning: ‘With Kids, I’m Dad. Alone, Thug’ I am a white mom of 2 children of color and 2 caucasian children. When I am with my black children, I feel visable in all race communities in […]
Kindergarten without English. I’m still fine.
Vishwa Dhuleshia, Shrewsberry, MA. I started Kindergarten knowing how to say only two things in Enlgish: “my name is Vishwa” and “I have to go to the bathroom.” I spent the first 3 years of Elementary school going to ESL classes while my classmates took spelling classes. Those few years I had to face the […]
Color is perception, Equality is law
Mark, West Chester, PA.
Racism is rarely the real problem
Bob Johnson, Colverdale, CA. It saddens me to see so may people using accusations of racism against them as an excuse not to take responsibility for their own actions and lives. You cannot improve yourself by hating or blaming others. Of all the races, whites are by far the most conscious and careful about not […]
It’s Hard Not to See Color
Megan Hogan, Havertown, PA. I don’t see color in a bad way but I do see it. I don’t see what is wrong with that. We all need to start embracing ourselves and others more. I should be able to recognize the color of someone else and celebrate and be able to inquire about it. […]
“You’ve sold out; you’re too white.”
Gianna Donovan, New York, NY.
I Play The Card I’m Dealt
Cedric Bedford-Chalale, Oakland, CA. Black people play the race card because that is the only card dealt to black people by white America. It’s a reality….
Only A Pawn In Their Game
Deb Hamilton USA This is the title of Bob Dylan’s song about the assassination of Medgar Evers.
Cautious eye-holding while saying hello.
Mark Loup, Williams Bay, IL. This is one of the reasons I’m glad I left Chicago, one of the most segregated big cities in America. The tension just seems to overwhelm intentions. I live near the resort city of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, and while I’m sure there’s plenty of racism here, there’s less tension. […]
I only noticed her pretty hair.
Jessica Cooper, Glasgow, KY. The first time I met an African-American individual I was three years old. My mother and I were walking down an isle in the supermarket and I looked up to see a little girl with the prettiest hair. She had braids with beads and ponytails and I loved it. My three-year-old […]
You sound like a white girl
Joy Owopetu, Manassas Park, VA. What does this even MEAN? I have heard so many times that I sound like a white girl from the valley. It has caused me to experience unfriendly behavior from coworkers who thought I wasn’t “black enough” and I have gotten outright laughed at in public by ignorant individuals who […]
Not White Enough, Not Hispanic Enough
Eliana Rodriguez, Winston Salem, NC. I hate the feeling of rejection from the Caucasians I grew up with and the Hispanics that come from my culture. Ive always felt alienated from the white students in my schools but it hurt even more to find out that people from my own culture didn’t accept me cause […]
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