“No nickname please, it’s not hard”
Janiya Moore, Aurora, IL I chose these 6 words because so often many people outside of my race find it difficult to say my 6...
Our boys died for your kind
Deborah Halperin, Bloomington, IL A man said this to me while we were in line at the post office. I was 18 and had just...
In a Class of My Own
Marcus Garcia, Chicago, IL I chose these words that have been plucked straight out of InuYasha. If you aren’t familiar, InuYasha is about a half-demon...
Grew Up Black. Now part Mexican.
Michelle Y. Bess, Chicago, IL. My mom is from California, my dad is from NYC. They raised my 4 siblings and me in Washington State....
Age 5 They don’t serve Mexicans
Mario Lopez, Chicago, IL Our family was on vacation on the way to visit family in Mexico and we went to some restaurant in Texas...
Ni de aquí, ni de allá
Ana Rodríguez, Wayne State, Antioch, IL Selena’s dad explained it best in his monologue where he talks about how tough it is to be Mexican-American....
We assumed their father was black!
Melissa Weir, Trout Valley, IL. We like to think that we are like every other family, whatever that means. But questions like “are those your...
White kids without shoes, white privilege
Kate Maguire, Champaign-Urbana, IL There is a parenting trend happening now towards “natural” childrearing which conjures up for me a picture of young kids frolicking...
Thankful mom embraced non-white cultures too.
Adrianne Tomkinson, Aurora, IL I am white. I am female. I grew up poor with black, brown, white and yellow neighbors. I loved and felt...
Immigrant to America equals sacrificing generations.
Tom Lau, Chicago, IL. This is a Polaroid of the back of my mom and dad that I took few years ago.
Too white to be Native American
Simone, Chicago, IL. A lot of people say I look too white to be Native American. It’s tiring that my mom is full Cherokee while...
I’m not going to pick one.
Sierra Moore, Springfield, IL. The picture is one of me as a baby. Since my early childhood until now I’ve been encouraged by people close...
Cuban assimilationist mom Black stereotype dad
Irene Crane, Batavia, IL Listening to your book “Our Hidden Conversations” so many of those stories and 6 words resonated with my experience growing up...
