I'm loving this so much. Can't wait to read more. I am laughing and also nodding my head in earnest agreement! The feeling of not belonging resonates so strongly with me. Being biracial (mom is white, dad is Black), I was never Black enough for the Black kids (including my black cousins), and I definitely wasn't white enough for white folks. More than once, I've gotten the question "What are you?" In Texas, I'm Mexican, in other places, maybe Indian or Hawaiian...but I cannot escape my brownness and as I get older I'm coming to appreciate and love it so much more as I look at history (my own history, 'school' history, and the history of people of color) and my own internalized racial oppression. It takes work to get there and looking at your history can be healing, but also hard. Lack of knowing that history is also really hard, but as you describe, it is unfortunately by design that the history for many BIPOC folks was lost (systems and institutions especially 'endorsing' racist, inhumane policies and laws, or just turning the other way and not enforcing laws supposedly set up to protect people of color...which is also a problem if a certain group of people need laws to protect them based on the social construct of race...but I digress). I really appreciate you sharing a little bit of your story and look forward to more!
Natalie, thank you for sharing some of your story. “What are you?” is one of the rudest things people have said to me. Even as a kid, I’d respond “I’m a human being.” You’re right that one of the gifts of aging is that we begin to embrace ourselves. Thank you for reading!
Wow, Emily! Your story is so powerful and heart expanding. It is tremendous the journey you have traversed and your honesty and humor is inspiring to say the least. I am so grateful to be on this journey with you and as one of your readers I am chomping at the bit for more! Love.
i'm excited to read more.
I'm loving this so much. Can't wait to read more. I am laughing and also nodding my head in earnest agreement! The feeling of not belonging resonates so strongly with me. Being biracial (mom is white, dad is Black), I was never Black enough for the Black kids (including my black cousins), and I definitely wasn't white enough for white folks. More than once, I've gotten the question "What are you?" In Texas, I'm Mexican, in other places, maybe Indian or Hawaiian...but I cannot escape my brownness and as I get older I'm coming to appreciate and love it so much more as I look at history (my own history, 'school' history, and the history of people of color) and my own internalized racial oppression. It takes work to get there and looking at your history can be healing, but also hard. Lack of knowing that history is also really hard, but as you describe, it is unfortunately by design that the history for many BIPOC folks was lost (systems and institutions especially 'endorsing' racist, inhumane policies and laws, or just turning the other way and not enforcing laws supposedly set up to protect people of color...which is also a problem if a certain group of people need laws to protect them based on the social construct of race...but I digress). I really appreciate you sharing a little bit of your story and look forward to more!
Natalie, thank you for sharing some of your story. “What are you?” is one of the rudest things people have said to me. Even as a kid, I’d respond “I’m a human being.” You’re right that one of the gifts of aging is that we begin to embrace ourselves. Thank you for reading!
Wow, Emily! Your story is so powerful and heart expanding. It is tremendous the journey you have traversed and your honesty and humor is inspiring to say the least. I am so grateful to be on this journey with you and as one of your readers I am chomping at the bit for more! Love.
Jennifer, your encouragement helped me get here! So glad we connected 🥰