The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Addison Schlue,
Davenport, IA
I chose these words because they fit me. I love all things to do with art but am horrible at interacting with people. Despite this, I am still trying my best to succeed in all the different areas of my life. I’m working on myself and am trying my best at Eastern Iowa Community College.
Zachary P,
Davenport, IA
I picked “A White Guy Living In America” because it sums up how I see myself and my experience with race. Being white has mostly meant I’ve been treated well and had some advantages. But there have been times when people assumed I was racist just because of my skin color, which was frustrating since it wasn’t true. I was raised in a white Christian family that emphasized respect and kindness. I also learned about different cultures early on in school, which helped me understand and appreciate people from all backgrounds. I believe it’s important to be proud of who you are, but also to stay open to learning about others’ experiences.
Meg Nicknish,
Davenport, IA.
Isaias Ortiz
Davenport, FL
Este hombre es un negro blanco! This man is a white black. The first time I heard that phrase was circa 1980, a family member said while referring to one of his friends, while they were singing and playing their guitars together. I was 20 years old by then, growing up in the country side, the central mountains of Puerto Rico. Both men laughed after, along with most people that heard it. I didn’t get the meaning then, but the phrase got stuck in my head, like when I think of a song in the morning and it stays with me for most of the day, whether I like it or not. Racism in Puerto Rico takes on a subtle tone. It isn’t as overt as it is in the continental US. We hear phrases like: “Mejora la raza” (Improve the race), which is said when a person of darker skin marries a person of lighter skin, or “Moro Viejo, mal cristiano” (An elder moor makes a bad Christian), which is used to describe a stubborn person. I moved to the US in 1982. A few years later, around 1993, while I was vacationing back home, I heard it again. This time I asked for its meaning. The person, a man I knew from my childhood, said it was simple. A “negro blanco” (white black), it’s simply a “nice guy”. A black man, that is so nice, that he could be considered a white guy, for all intents and purposes. To this day I don’t know how to feel about that….
Andrew Shie,
Davenport, IA.
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