The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Livi Dom,
Napa, CA.
I have opinions on things, but because I’m white I feel as if it’s not my place to talk about them, because I have no idea what it’s like to be discriminated about because of my race. Which is fine! I just stay in my lane, and I try to support, but not take away from the people who are the center focus.
Jay Bailinson
Napa, CA
In lived in Oakland CA. during preteen and early teen years. I belonged to a Boys Club sponsored by the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Oakland’s China town area. I played on sports teams in a church league sponsored by this church. I was one of two white boys on the team and in the club. An important part of our practices (or especially after winning a game) was to go out and eat. One Friday night after basketball practice we were going to a hamburger place in East Oakland, Six boys in the back seat of the coach’s “clunker” and two upfront with him. When we got to the hamburger place we piled out being loud, happy, goofy early teenage boys. A group of white older young men was hanging out near one of the picnic tables. As we approached they started yelling racial slurs. The one that I remember clearly was “hey Chinks, go back to China”. I didn’t belong. It hurt that my friends were being insulted by guys with the same color skin as mine. I didn’t do anything. My friends will now think I’m like the yelling guys. I returned to the car. Sat in the back seat feeling sick, apart, and lonely. 15 minutes later all the boys returned to the car with our coach. Got in with all the food. Piled into the back seat, surrounding me with hamburger/french fry filled bags and goofy teenage boy silliness. Nothing had changed for us. I was still Jay. Part of the team and one of the guys. Yet in the core of my being on that night, I learned what race fear was. Our coach who was also a youth pastor talked with me later privately. I don’t remember the words, just the feeling of being loved, accepted, and honored as a person.
Danielle Cuddy,
Napa, CA.
Growing up as an adopted South Korean female in the city of Napa proved a challenging adolescence. I was called, “China Girl” in elementary school, but that was okay with me because the other children would come to realize that they were wrong and I was actually from the opposite side of the continent. My high school graduating class was comprised of 1.9% asians, and when my date cancelled on me for my senior prom, I turned to a friend from the local private school. “But you are asian,” my friend said, “Guys at Justin Siena only like white girls.” I will never forget that. In 2014 I moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of nineteen years old. I started dating a guy in the army, only to be broken up with because at the end of the day, I was not what he was looking for. He was looking for a white girl. This taught me that racism is apparent in diverse cities, as well as in small towns. Even in the present day, I hear the snickers of “Chinita” and “Konichiwa” under my latino coworkers’ breath as I pass by them in the restaurant. As a child, Hollywood gave me the role models of figure skater Kristy Yamaguchi and Disney’s Mulan. As a country, we are taking small steps in the integration of cultures to diminish racism, and I could not be more excited. However, where is the change for asian culture? I do not want any asian girl to grow up the way I did, thinking that she is less than the white girl because she is not pretty enough. I now know that I am beautiful regardless of what others tell me, but I had to get to this point by myself.
Herman Soon
Napa, CA
When I was 10 my eye doctor told me “You will have to work twice as hard to be considered even.”
At the time I didn’t understand but it has been the ruling truth of my life. Just for the opportunity has always been a struggle. At one job I trained 4 people to be manager before I got a chance after they all were found lacking. As I was leaving another job, the district manager actually told me that what pissed him off was that my brother and I could outwork everyone physically and out perform anyone mentally. Some way to leave a job. At work my suggestions are always better when parroted later in meetings as a brilliant idea by a paler person, who usually got credit for my labors, after my voice was ignored. Most of the time I feel like I wear a cloak of invisibility capped by the “cone of silence. A ghost life where I am wanted/needed do work but left out when it is time to pass out the rewards/recognition. Over a half century later the advice Dr. Lee gave me is still true.
Signe Olson,
Napa, CA.
Jocelyn Rueda,
Napa, CA.
I am a Mexican female. I once went to a store and went up to the register to ask a question and the women was looking for someone to talk to me. She was a white women and she thought I didn’t speak English.
Olivia Neely,
Napa, CA.
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