By surfin3rdwave • 14 years ago

Defining Whiteness

I’m sure we’ve all noticed the trend over recent decades– predominantly-white people who are 99.999% white identifying themselves as Amerindian because its’ trendy. I think it’s largely an attempt to escape feelings of white guilt– but it amuses (and saddens) me that most of those people will deny any traces of African ancestry.

I’ve struggled to define my own racial identity. My mother is Italian. My father is 1/8 Amerindian (Muscogee), 1/4 black and 5/8 Euro-mutt.  So this makes me 1/16th Muscogee and 1/8th black, and the rest– the vast majority– could be vaguely classified as “white-ish”.

My gut instinct is to call myself non-white, or to self-identify as a woman of color. Although I’m olive-skinned and black-haired, most people interpret me as being an Italian-ish white girl. Sometimes I’m mistaken for Latina, Middle-Eastern or Indian.

But I ultimately know that I benefit from white privilege. Sure, I have some black and Amerindian blood, but I don’t know what it’s like to experience racial discrimination. I’ve never been denied a job or a house because of my skin color; no lover has been embarrassed to introduce me to his family.

While I, on one hand, want to embrace the fact that I am not entirely white, I also don’t want to engage in cultural appropriation. I have virtually no contact with the black or Amerindian branches of my family, and my parents barely acknowledge that they exist. (My mother even uses racial slurs against black people.)

So, anyway… My question for all of you is– how do you define whiteness? If I am not entirely white, but I’m treated by society like I am, is it appropriate for me to identify myself as a woman of color? Furthermore, is it acceptable for me to do this when the rest of my family struggles to bury that aspect of our past? Can I reclaim my heritage without engaging in appropriation?

And to what degree does skin tone play a role in defining whiteness? My brother is of the exact same lineage as me, but his skin a few shades lighter and his hair is brown and not black. Does this play a role in whether or not he can rightfully call himself a person of color?

I know I can’t be the only one struggling with this identity issue. What are your experiences?

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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By Nia Evans • 7 years ago

Dear Betsy DeVos: Fighting for Survivors of Sexual Violence Is a Racial Justice Fight

For the past few months, I’ve seen several articles — almost exclusively written by white women — arguing that we shouldn’t enforce Title IX protections for survivors of sexual assault because the authors believe Black men are more likely to be accused. The narrative has been picked up by numerous media outlets and used by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to strip protections for survivors.

The idea that survivors’ rights are a threat to Black men leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Let me be clear: that’s not because I’m not worried about race discrimination in school discipline. We have no data to support the argument that Black men are more likely to be accused of or ...

For the past few months, I’ve seen several articles — almost exclusively written by white women — arguing that we shouldn’t enforce Title IX protections for survivors of sexual assault because the authors ...