I only had white Barbie dolls.
Sydney,
Logan, UT
Why did I only have white Barbie dolls? And why don’t they have nipples?
I’m not a basic white woman
Sydney,
OH
Assuming who I am based on what I look like will keep you from moving forward. Don’t judge me and I won’t judge you. We are all smarter than that.
I never know what to say.
Sydney,
KS.
I do the best I can to be an ally for my friends of color. Sometimes, though, I stay silent on issues. Not because I am not being the best I can be- but because often I say things as a white person that offends my friends because the language I use isn’t right. It seems as though, even though I try my best to not, every single thing I say is met with some sort of “Well, that’s great but here’s what you did wrong..” type of statement. I came from a small, homogenous western KS town. I do my best to meet my friends where they are, but often feel like they do not try to understand how much it takes to break out of a mold of small-town thinking in certain instances. Racism and race is hard to talk about, especially when you are just trying to learn and grow, but can’t do it without stepping on the toes of absolutely everyone.
Ethnically Chinese. As American as you.
Lily Yan,
Scottsdale, AZ.
Last year, my Australian cousin told me that despite the fact that Sydney has a significant Asian population, she still encounters the ignorance of those who assume she is not truly an Aussie. I could relate, as I still encounter many who ask where I am from and are not satisfied when I tell them Arizona.
