@caitlinchris Archives - The Race Card Project

No 2 people are exactly alike

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 @caitlinchris, alike, People, twitter

Submitted via Twitter: @caitlinchris

No B’s in an Asian Family

July 15, 2022July 15, 2022 @caitlinchris, CA, diverse, Family, Hawaii, HI, Jessie Blakely, Los Angeles, stereotype

Jessie Blakely
Los Angeles, CA

I was raised in Hawaii, where there really isn’t such thing as a racial stereotype. Hawaii kids tend to be so ethnically diverse, that any stereotype today may apply to up to 1/2 of their bloodline, but rarely more. When I moved to the mainland to go to college, I was faced with a multitude of ethnic stereotypes, none of which I was previously aware of. It made me realize how little color matters in Hawaii. I saw how some people on the mainland claim not to care about race, but race is the first thing they notice. Bit of a contradiction, I think.

White, female – begin to speak – IMMIGRANT!

September 8, 2015September 8, 2015 @caitlinchris, Åsa Nojd, begin, CA, female, immigrant, San Francisco, self-conscious, speak, stereotype, talking

Åsa Nojd
San Francisco, CA

For better or worse, my accent changes others’ perception of me in an instant when they hear me speak. That used to make me feel very self-conscious and I sometimes avoided talking, not to reveal that I’m actually a foreigner and not just another white American.

It took me a good 10 years in this country to stop feeling self-conscious about my accent. These days, I interpret an obvious shift in perception because of my accent as a reflection on the other person, not on me. I already know who I am.

Mixed race love – no gray area

August 9, 2013 @caitlinchris, African American, CA, gray, Jan Hedlun, mixed race, Potrero, White Female

Jan Hedlun
Potrero, CA

I am a white female who was in a relationship with an African-American gentleman. There was no gray area for most people when it came to our love. Sad what the world doesn’t understand.

African and American, not African-American.

May 29, 2013 @caitlinchris, adopted, African, American, Cameroon, Joy Schmidt, NC, Waxhaw

Joy Schmidt
Waxhaw, NC

I was born in West Africa and adopted by Caucasian parents. But since my parents are missionaries we also live for most of my childhood in Cameroon. When we moved to the U.S. permanently I was starting 9th grade, and one of the most frustrating things that I am met with is people expecting my knowledge, behavior, or accent to fit their notions of an African-American.