hide Archives - The Race Card Project

From the shadows into the light

October 2, 2024 Dulce K Struthers, Family, hide, light, Mount Vernon, shadow, undocumented, WA, WWU RN-to-BSN Nursing Program

Dulce K Struthers,
Mount Vernon, WA

I grew up undocumented and am still unlearning my behavior and ways of thinking to not draw attention to myself or my family.

Loving and Hating being Asian

April 14, 2021April 15, 2021 angry, Asian, CA, Chinese, complex, hate, heritage, hide, judge, judged, love, representation, San Jose, Vivian Li

Vivian Li
San Jose, CA

I deeply appreciate my heritage as a Chinese-American. It has taught me about a complex culture, thousands-of-years-old ideology, and a strong sense of identity. I am proud of the country my ancestors hail from and its incredibly rich and its understudied history. It has given me beautiful looks, and the wisdom of being a minority. But I can’t help but feel so angry every time I see the complete lack of representation of Asians in every aspect of American life.

Why is it that Chang, one of two Asian characters, on Orange is the New Black has so few appearances, speaks broken English, and is perceived as the weird, foreign other? Why am I judged so quickly because I have black hair and soft, almond eyes? Why are the mental and emotional problems of Asian-Americans largely undiscussed and generally regarded as nonexistent? Why is it so taboo among Asian-American communities to openly discuss race issues?

I’m always angry but I hide it well.

Unlike Color, I (Can) Hide Being Gay

September 9, 2020September 9, 2020 coward, gay, hate, hide, Hollie Watson, Murfreesboro, racism, relate, TN

Hollie Watson,
Murfreesboro, TN

Technically seven words, but oh well. The only way I can relate to racism is through the hate I get by being gay. People that don’t really know you automatically hate you and judge you based on one thing. I’m just fortunate enough that I can be a coward and hide most of the time.

Today I feel like hunted prey.

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 AZ, Brenda Parson-Ross, hide, hunted, Phoenix, prey

Brenda Parson-Ross,
Phoenix, AZ.

There is no place to hide.

Changed my name to hide from you

May 7, 2015 60's, caucasian, hide, mixed, name, what's in a name, white neighborhood

Yolanda Brantley,
Minneapolis, MN.

Growing up as a mixed race child in a predominantly white neighborhood in the ’60’s was scarring. I knew I could appear as only “Caucasian” but my name gave me away. So I changed it to hide from everyone.

A cloak behind which people hide

February 25, 2014April 20, 2015 cloak, Collected from The Race Card Project, hide, label, On Location: Seattle Community Colleges, Seattle, WA

Nathen,
Seattle, WA.
Collected from The Race Card Project, On Location: Seattle Community Colleges

You are what you make of yourself. There will always be those that will tear you down, call you names seek to defame you, they are not important. What is important is what you choose to do with your lot in life; wether you should falter and accept their terms of bondage to a label, or if you rise up and break the mould into which they would have you caste. Those that would malign you only do so out of fear and spite; Fear for what you might attain without their label, and spite, for those who labeled them.

I used to hide my freckles

December 19, 2013 CA, Carissa D., freckles, hide, Los Angeles

Carissa D.
Los Angeles, CA

Race. A wall to hide behind.

September 18, 2013 Catonsville, fear, growth, hide, John King, MD, Race, wall

John King
Catonsville, MD

A wall made of no real human substance but fear. A wall where differences find a comforting place to self-justify. A wall behind which no growth occurs. A wall for the sake of a wall only.