physical appearance Archives - The Race Card Project

Guessing my race isn’t a game

May 23, 2022May 23, 2022 CA, citizen, define, game, insults, Oakland, physical appearance, prize, Race, Sheila Islam, win

Sheila Islam,
Oakland, CA.

You do not win a prize if you get it right.

People hardly ever guess it right and thats not exactly the problem. The problem is, that when people do this, I feel objectified. I feel like my physical appearance is being ripped from me and being judged. I am so many other things besides my race. Don’t get me wrong. I love who I am and where my family is from, but that does not completely define me. I strongly identify with my racial make up mostly because people make me do that; because I receive different treatment because of my skin color and this different treatment makes me identify with it more strongly.

I just have a huge problem with race. If I say where my family is from people expect me to be an expert on those countries, countries I have either never been to or have spent random summer vacations at during my childhood. People then get disappointed in me if I am not an expert in all things Bangladeshi or Mexican. There is no winning. I just constantly feel othered. I feel like society is constantly pointing at me and asking “why?” I am exhausted of having to answer people’s questions. It is insulting. I was born in the United States. I am a U.S. citizen. I am a person. Let me exist without your obnoxious, seemingly innocent questions that make me feel like i’m less of person.

Focus on me, not my appearance

December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 actions, appearance, CA, define, focus, gender, intelligence, peace, personality, physical appearance, Race, Shelby, social class, Sunnyvale, world

Shelby,
Sunnyvale, CA.

Too many people in this world focus on how we look when we should be focused on our character and our personality. We are too fascinated with our physical appearance when we should be fascinated with our words, our actions and our intelligence. Those are the things that should truly define who we are. Race, gender, social class, and social class should not define who we are and should not dictate our relationships with people. The idea of race was created by society and too many times has it caused wars and senseless acts of violence both physically psychologically. It’s time to stop looking at each other’s physical traits and start seeing what’s on the inside. We are all people and we are all living among each other. Why can’t we do it in peace?

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