Stopping myself from hating white people
Simone,
Canada.
I’m Asian-Canadian, and honestly, it’s kind of hard not to feel just plain alienated right now. It’s just gotten bad lately.
The level of xenophobia towards Chinese, or anyone assumed Chinese, is seriously tiring. It’s maybe the straw on the camel’s back here. It reminds me of my early childhood in Vancouver seeing stuff like “Chinese go home” graffiti etc.
If it’s not me- because I have a very decidedly Canadian accent and don’t even speak my native language- it’s targeted at people who look like me, the kinds of people who honestly have no difference from my ama, from my relatives, from my parents.
I’m becoming self-conscious when people go out of their way to avoid me when I’m out. I don’t think I’ve seen any fellow Asians without masks, most people who aren’t white tbh wear masks. I wear masks. But the focus is on my community all the same.
I don’t hate white people, and I know there’s a lot of amazing people. But saying I feel alienated is an understatement. There’s a serious feeling that I should just stick to my own and maybe eventually leave though Canada’s where I was raised since I was 2.
White male trying to be accountable.
Skyler,
Vancouver, WA
Autistic, raised Islamic, and traveled the world. Still learning to be humble and understand the privilege I was born with, and will never “know enough”
Half brown. Half white. From Vancouver.
Yasmin Pallan,
Canada
As a half Indian, half white person growing up in Vancouver and later Toronto, I was and still am tired of always being asked the question “where are you from? I mean, where are you REALLY from?” People like absolutes and obvious answers and mixed race is never that. To add to my story, I spent many years living in Barcelona, so speak Spanish. And my late husband was Jewish so I converted. Funnily enough I have felt the most relaxed in my 2 adopted worlds because I look like everyone else and people just assume I was born into them. But culturally I’ve often felt like an interloper. I’m old enough now that I’m past the point of caring what others think and of trying to fit in. But shockingly I am still asked on a fairly frequent basis where I am from. Even after everything that has happened in the world. And I still answer the same way. “From Vancouver. Where are you from?”
My white advantage is an embarrassment
Russell Cupp,
Vancouver, WA
As an octogenarian thinking back about my years I am thoroughly embarrassed about the many advantages I had that I would not have had were I of a minority race. The most profound is when I was young and broke the law I got away with probation. I know that had I been black I would have gone straight to jail, and that would have changed my life tremendously.
No white Barbies for this one.
Samantha Williams,
Pensacola, FL.
My father is black and my mother is Filippino. I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where the majority of my mother’s family lives, I was not as well acquainted with my father’s side of the family. My father stated that they weren’t going to make the same “mistakes” with “this one” to my mother when my little sister was born, and that she would only have black barbies. My sister and I are 15 years apart in age, I spent most of my childhood in a small town in southeast Georgia — all of my friends were white.
2007: Smuggled out of Eldoret, Kenya
Vancouver,
Submitted via Twitter: @JAY_MC
In Kenya for humanitarian work right before the election. Things got hairy and I was stuffed in a secret part of van.
Many fingers needed to hold tomorrow
William Hood
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
A successful tomorrow requires humanity to be connected as brothers and sisters for our children and grandchildren to survive and thrive. We are each one finger but cannot hold this promise of tomorrow alone. Our diversity is our strength. Our common humanity our bond.
Be an ally celebrating our diversity
Brent Sprute,
Vancouver, WA.
Content of character, white male N/A
Greg S. Furman,
Vancouver, WA.
They will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Except white males. Your privilege predetermined your only value.
I welcome diversity and shun suffocation
Kacie
Vancouver, WA
I grew up in a very white area of the U.S. and still at 23 years old, I’ve had very few friends of different races or lifestyles. Only within the last year have I learned a lot about a different race (Hispanic culture, particularly Mexican) and it has been the most eye opening year. I believe we need to share our stories more.
Illegal immigration: dislike behavior, not people.
Anthony Ricotta
Vancouver, WA
I have a really hard time with this issue because people seem to assume my objection to the behavior/action of illegal immigration is a racial thing. However, I don’t care about the culture or nation from whence someone comes, I simply object to breaking the law! I understand that for some, illegal immigration is an act of desperation akin to a starving man stealing bread, and I am understanding of such people, but I still can’t get over a resentment and anger toward those breaking the law who are not *that* desperate.
I feel like I am not allowed to talk about my opinion because everything gets tinged with race in our culture.
Quarter black, look asian, passe native.
Anne Guillory Thom
Vancouver, WA
Don’t feel comfortable in ethnically oriented gatherings, except in Louisiana.
White boy, black//brown majority school
Dan Euliss
Vancouver, WA
You get to feel the other side of the race card.
