The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
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  • Michele Norris
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    • University of Michigan
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Hawaiians? Did you swim to school?

Tagged With: Hawaii, Hawaiian, John Book, mainland, multi-ethnic, Pasco, stereotypes, swimming, WA in Race Card

John Book
Pasco, WA

In my experience as someone who is part-Hawaiian, I’ve found that the stereotypes of what I am and [...]

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I am both black and white

Tagged With: Alexander Belisle, ancestry, Belize, Black, both, Bronx, Latvian, NY, white in Race Card

Alexander Belisle
Bronx, NY

My mother is Latvian and my father is from Belize but all my life I passed as [...]

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Are you planning to go home?

Tagged With: atlanta, Berkeley, CA, cringing, Home, Lee Hwang in Race Card

Lee Hwang
Berkeley, CA

Ironically, it was a black woman in Atlanta that said this to me. She was perfectly innocent and [...]

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What’s your real Filipino name?

Tagged With: Brooklyn, Jill Damatac, name, NY, real in Race Card

Jill Damatac
Brooklyn, NY

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“Our race doesn’t matter. Stop asking.”

Tagged With: asking, matter, Race, Seattle, Sile Grace, WA in Race Card

Sile Grace
Seattle, WA

Said by my Appalachian granny every time I asked what race we were (everyone asked ‘what’ she was). [...]

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My daughters are not my grandkids.

Tagged With: CA, career woman, children, granchildren, mother, motherhood, San Francisco, Terri Hunter-Davis in Race Card

Terri Hunter-Davis
San Francisco, CA

My daughters are 11 and 14. I am middle-aged. Like many women of my generation, I had [...]

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The “haves” have not a clue.

Tagged With: clue, Daniel A Palmer, havess, Kettering, OH in Race Card

Daniel A Palmer
Kettering, OH

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Why can’t they pick normal names?

Tagged With: AZ, name, Nathan Arrowsmith, normal, Tempe in Race Card

Nathan Arrowsmith
Tempe, AZ

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Constant internal struggle; heritage constantly ignored

Tagged With: CA, Folsom, heritage, ignored, internal struggle, Mike Angell in Race Card

Mike Angell
Folsom, CA

So I’m just an average white guy who grew up in an average white little farming town in Michigan. There [...]

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My race changes with the seasons

Tagged With: changes, ct, Jacinta Lomba, Race, seasons, South Windsor, thank you in Race Card

Jacinta Lomba
South Windsor, CT

Thank you for organizing this campaign! I think it is fabulous.

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Much better, still miles to go.

Tagged With: better, Cedric James, miles, PA, Philadelphia, to go in Race Card

Cedric James
Philadelphia, PA

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Am I a Mexican or not?

Tagged With: Chicago, identity, IL, Malique, Mexican in Race Card

Malique
Chicago, IL

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Mexicans take unwanted jobs; Why Complain?

Tagged With: CA, compain, complain, jobs, Mexican-American, Oakland in Race Card

Carlos Rodriguez
Oakland, CA

I’m a typical Mexican-American teenager, who eats beans and tortillas every day. When I hear people who are unaware say, [...]

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Guessing my ethnicity is not a game.

Tagged With: @yanitla1687, Altinay Cortes, ethnicity, game, guesing, twitter in Race Card

Altinay Cortes
Submitted via Twitter: @yanitla1687

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Racism is stealing this President’s legacy.

Tagged With: @TheShenme, legacy, president, racism, stealing, Tisha Johnson ‏, twitter in Race Card

Tisha Johnson ‏
Submitted via Twitter: @TheShenme

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First Generation means second is mediocre

Tagged With: Alameda, American Dream, CA, first generation, high expectations, immigrate, Jonna Marie Mallillin, mediocre, second generation in Race Card

Jonna Marie Mallillin
Alameda, CA

“First generation means second is mediocre” explains the stress immigrant parents put on their first generation children. People who [...]

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Last name Smith? But you’re Asian.

Tagged With: Asian, Baltimore, last name, MD, name, Smith, Trish Broome in Race Card

Trish Broome
Baltimore, MD

My father is white and my mother is Korean, so I grew up with my father’s last name, Smith. On [...]

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Poor little middle class white girl

Tagged With: check the box, College, middle class, Nina Haug, poor, problems, Richardson, TX, White girl in Race Card

Nina Haug
Richardson, TX

While applying for college, I realized that I have no “hook” – the box, story, or line that might make [...]

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Trust me…I am a doctor

Tagged With: AL, Auburn, Black, brown, doctor, Dr. Carmen Beverly, Trust in Race Card

Dr. Carmen Beverly
Auburn, AL

Not your nurse, maid or clerk…really a fierce brown lady doctor trying to keep everyone well.

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I’m a threat, savvy black man

Tagged With: Advantage, black man, business, Eugene Covington III, savvy, threat, USA in Race Card

Eugene Covington III
USA

In business, building strong relationships is the most important thing. Finding common ground is the first step down the path [...]

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My spouse is a black man

Tagged With: black man, CA, interracial marriage, Los Angeles, marriage, mixed marriage, spouse, Thomas C. Hofstra in Race Card

Thomas C. Hofstra
Los Angeles, CA

My spouses six words are “I try to understand our world”

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Race-neutral name, foot in the door

Tagged With: Advantage, door, Meredith, name, neutral, Race, TX in Race Card

Meredith
TX

Growing up as a Black girl named Meredith wasn’t easy. I was teased about it a lot. But as I entered adulthood [...]

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We Share The Same Last Name

Tagged With: CA, E R Leathers, Emerville, name, Raleigh, same last name, share in Race Card

E R Leathers
Emerville, CA

Each and every Sunday, after attending church, my four sisters and I would head to downtown Raleigh. Sometimes we [...]

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All I’ve got is the food.

Tagged With: Cleveland, falafal, food, heritage, Lebanese, OH, shawrma in Race Card

Kelsey
Cleveland, OH

I’m Lebanese/Irish but grew up solely around my Lebanese family. However they rarely acknowledged where we came from. The closest I’ve [...]

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“Mamma, why am I not blonde?”

Tagged With: blonde, daughter, Mamma, Padmaja Ganeshan Singh, Princess, Seattle, WA in Race Card

Padmaja Ganeshan Singh
Seattle, WA

Growing up here, in the US, my daughter’s definition of a princess, is a blonde, white young girl wearing [...]

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Really? Because you don’t look Cuban.

Tagged With: Carina Tillan, conflict, fair skinned, FL, Hallandale, look, Spanish, you don't look in Race Card

Carina Tillan
Hallandale, FL

My rebuttal to that is usually “Then what am I supposed to look like?” You’d be surprised how often people [...]

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Educated black men still dread sirens.

Tagged With: black men, educated, police, sirens, USA in Race Card

Joshua D.
USA

2 advanced degrees and zero crimes later, life still sometimes feels like a high-speed chase. Especially when it’s dark and those [...]

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The rules are different for you.

Tagged With: different, Nashville, rules, TN in Race Card

James
Nashville, TN

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We assumed their father was black!

Tagged With: assume, Black, Family, father, IL, Melissa Weir, real parents, Trout Valley, white in Race Card

Melissa Weir
Trout Valley, IL

We like to think that we are like every other family, whatever that means. But questions like “are [...]

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White male. Random pat down? Never.

Tagged With: CA, Justin Galvin, pat down, police, Portola Valley, random, white in Race Card

Justin Galvin
Portola Valley, CA

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Native? Not according to the government

Tagged With: Boxborough, goverment, James Sandborn, law, MA, Native in Race Card

James Sandborn
Boxborough, MA

If a person called themselves an African American and someone asked if they could provide a genealogical search at your [...]

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Chihuahua? Do you mean my wife?

Tagged With: CA, Chihuahua, clur, Fullerton, husband, Kristle Elise Siggson, wife in Race Card

Kristle Elise Siggson
Fullerton, CA

This was my husband’s response when an elderly gentleman was asking him how his chihuahua was doing after moving [...]

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Stopped by airport-security. Why? I’m Persian

Tagged With: aurport, CA, Hannah Sadat-Tehrani, Persian, San Francisco, security, TSA in Race Card

Hannah Sadat-Tehrani
San Francisco, CA

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Mom-cuban dad white what I

Tagged With: Andrew Robinson, CA, Cuban, mom, Stanford, white in Race Card

Andrew Robinson
Stanford, CA

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I know I don’t look Persian

Tagged With: CA, look, Persian, Rustin Baradar, San Mateo, stereotype in Race Card

Rustin Baradar
San Mateo, CA

Everyone is doubtful when I say I’m 100% Persian just because my skin isn’t as dark as the stereotypical [...]

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You’re not like a real Mexican.

Tagged With: Aaron Duran, heritage, italian, look, Mexican, OR, Portland, real in Race Card

Aaron Duran
Portland, OR

I’m of mixed heritage, being Mexican and Italian. However, I more closely identify with my Mexican heritage due to [...]

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Hair: Long–I’m Cherokee. Short–European.

Tagged With: Cherokee, European, hair, long, NC, New Bern, short, The Rev. Dr. Laura Mae Johnson in Race Card

The Rev. Dr. Laura Mae Johnson
New Bern, NC

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In the moonlight we’re both blue.

Tagged With: blue, Brooklyn, moonlight, NY, same in Race Card

MM
Brooklyn, NY

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Interesting spice in our melting pot

Tagged With: GA, Lucia Bird, Marietta, melting pot, spice in Race Card

Lucia Bird
Marietta, GA

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Great Grandpa came on the Mayflower

Tagged With: Ally M, CA, grandpa, great grandfather, mayflower, San Mateo in Race Card

Ally M
San Mateo, CA

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But you don’t look Puerto Rican

Tagged With: Latino World, look, Massapequa Park, Natalia de Cuba Romero, NY, pass, Puerto Rican, white, White girl in Race Card

Natalia de Cuba Romero
Massapequa Park, NY

IN my heart and in my head I have always thought of myself as Puerto Rican, [...]

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Kids sang about her Jewish nose.

Tagged With: CA, Central Oregon, enti-semiism, Jewish, kids, nose, Rebecca Gundzik, Studio City in Race Card

Rebecca Gundzik
Studio City, CA

We left a small town in Central Oregon because my then middle-school age daughter was being subjected to severe [...]

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WE Are Not What You say

Tagged With: Armando Israel Morales Villa, CO, Denver, stereotype, we in Race Card

Armando Israel Morales Villa
Denver, CO

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I’m not getting pregnant at 15.

Tagged With: 15, CO, Denver, Karen Olivares, latina, pregnant, stereotype in Race Card

Karen Olivares
Denver, CO

The stereotype of Latina girls getting pregnant at 15 is still going on and I don’t plan on getting pregnant [...]

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God created people. We created race.

Tagged With: created, God, PA, People, Rabbi Jeremy Gerber, racec, Wallingford in Race Card

Rabbi Jeremy Gerber
Wallingford, PA

I actually came up with this one together with a good friend who is an Episcopal Priest. We were [...]

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How do I stop being racist?

Tagged With: bad, Black, confused, Racist, VA, Virginia Beach in Race Card

Bobbie
Virginia Beach, VA

I have so many confused thoughts about race. If everyone around me is white, and I’m white, what else should [...]

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Becoming American, it is not easy

Tagged With: accepted, American, Anaheim, CA, Colombian, head, heart, Sandra Castañeda in Race Card

Sandra Castañeda
Anaheim, CA

I have spent 42 of my 44 years in this country and it doesn’t make an ounce of difference, I’m [...]

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My eyes aren’t all I am.

Tagged With: Asian, CA, eyes, Hapa, Menlo Park in Race Card

C.Q.
Menlo Park, CA

I know people who have been surprised that I’m Asian. Why should it matter? So much beyond my eyes defines [...]

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Waiting for, “Are you the nanny?”

Tagged With: are you the nanny, CA, children, Emily Miller, mixed, nanny, Oakland in Race Card

Emily Miller
Oakland, CA

I shouldn’t have been surprised when my youngest daughter was born with White skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. She [...]

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Friend’s birthday, my dress is ruined.

Tagged With: Celeste Bourdeau de Fontenay, Dinner table, Newark, NJ, restaurant, waiting, waitress in Race Card

Celeste Bourdeau de Fontenay
Newark, NJ

I attended a dinner for a friend’s birthday at a nouveau riche- bling, expense account, restaurant in New [...]

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