for my last post of the semester, i would just like to talk about how much fun it has been. thanks for all of your support and feedback during class, and it's been a pleasure being your classmate.
now on to the real stuff. i wanted to reflect on just what my future plans are concerning how i am going to continue on and apply what i have learned in the class to my future endeavors. first of all, i would like to continue my progress within my own racial identity. i know i have said that over and over again, and that it probably sounds like an awful awful broken record, but i really do mean it. if i just coast by after this class without thinking about racism as an influential topic, i will slowly but surely drift back to becoming the ignorant person i used to be. and THAT is definitely NOT what i want to be.
secondly, i would like to share my knowledge that i attained here in this class with anyone and everyone i care about and come in contact with. especially since the state of dialogue on this campus is not what it should be in my mind, education and getting the word out there is imperative. we need to let our fellow students know what's going on in the world and open their eyes to the real impact of racism in our society today. as a class, i think we can definitely get this part done because i heard all of your awesome proposals for action plans, and from what i have heard, a lot of you would actually like to implement them in the future. let's get on those action plans, and let's turn this campus around!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Shout Out to MLK
as i was writing the action plan paper for our group, i dug a bit a research about MLK, since after all our action plan revolved around his remembrance. now, i knew beforehand that MLK had come to visit our campus at least once, and also the fact that as a student body, we don't do crap to remember MLK on his birthday every year but to bitch and moan about how we don't get a day off like we did in high school. i can't lie about this, i am definitely guilty in all of the above, and it took this action plan to realize what i have been doing wrong.
let me share with you a little about what i found.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Illinois Wesleyan's campus twice in his lifetime, once in 1961 and again in 1966. between which, he had been recognized as time magazine's "man of the year" as well as the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the civil rights movement. however, it was not his first visit that was most remembered, it was his visit in 1966. on thursday, february 10, 1966, MLK came and gave a speech at the president's convocation here at Illinois Wesleyan. he spoke out here, against racism and inequality. he preached to the student body about how they could personally stop racism from happening on their campus, in their community, and in their nation. one of his quotes was, “The basic thing about a man is not his specificity but his fundamentum, not the texture of his hair or the color of his skin, but his eternal dignity and worth.”
by these words, our university was influenced at the time, but with time, that influence had faded. just as our society's remembrance of the civil rights movement faded with time. let that no longer be the case. let us remember what MLK told us that day, and let us also remember what MLK represented as a huge figure of the civil rights movement. let us no longer think of MLK day as a day off of work or school, but rather as a "day on," as one of my classmates so eloquently put. let us use that day as a day to actively stand out against racism. who's with me!!
let me share with you a little about what i found.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Illinois Wesleyan's campus twice in his lifetime, once in 1961 and again in 1966. between which, he had been recognized as time magazine's "man of the year" as well as the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the civil rights movement. however, it was not his first visit that was most remembered, it was his visit in 1966. on thursday, february 10, 1966, MLK came and gave a speech at the president's convocation here at Illinois Wesleyan. he spoke out here, against racism and inequality. he preached to the student body about how they could personally stop racism from happening on their campus, in their community, and in their nation. one of his quotes was, “The basic thing about a man is not his specificity but his fundamentum, not the texture of his hair or the color of his skin, but his eternal dignity and worth.”
by these words, our university was influenced at the time, but with time, that influence had faded. just as our society's remembrance of the civil rights movement faded with time. let that no longer be the case. let us remember what MLK told us that day, and let us also remember what MLK represented as a huge figure of the civil rights movement. let us no longer think of MLK day as a day off of work or school, but rather as a "day on," as one of my classmates so eloquently put. let us use that day as a day to actively stand out against racism. who's with me!!
Taping Assignment 2 Reflection
i wanted to blog this time about something that i left out of my taping assignment 2 that also might stem some comments for those of you out there needing some more comments, i know i do, hahaha. anyways, back to the point. i remembered hearing me talk about a specific conversation i had had in my race and ethnic relations class last year.
we had been talking about possible ways society could eliminate racism. some of my classmates proposed that we start in the workplace, since that was where most instances of racism occurred in their opinions. others proposed changing how racism is portrayed through the media. still others proposed starting in the schools with the younger generations. it is these proposals that i would like to reflect upon.
first, i would like to address the issue of eliminating racism in the workplace. i agree with my classmates that the workplace is probably the area where many of the acts of racism that are committed today take place. i do not believe, however, that any or all of these acts are at all intentional. however, even though the intentions in almost all of those scenarios were good, they do not however take away from the fact that these acts of racism do still happen in the workplace. in that regard, i can agree with the proposal that starting in the workplace would be very beneficial for eliminating racism. however, i would not agree that starting in the workplace would eliminate all sources of racism.
second, i would like to address the issue of eliminating racism in the media. now this would be one hell of a job that would take quite a long time to do. it would, however, prove to be a giant leap in the right direction. this would be because, in my mind, the media today is nothing but a giant advertisement supporting racism. there are countless examples of racism tendencies in tv shows, movies, commercials, magazines, etc. if all of these elements were eliminated, there would be a vastly decreased source of advertisement for racism. if this amazing feat could be done, it would be a great day in the fight against racism.
lastly, i would like to address, in my opinion, the best way for us to eliminate racism in the future. tt would have to be through the vigilant and dedicated education of our children of racism and how to identify it. both of these tactics, if used together, would prove to be quite possibly the most effective form of fight against racism. sure, even if we educate our children about racism and how to identify it, that would not eliminate a huge source of racism, the media. however, it would allow them to recognize when racism is being used, and help stomp it out right then and there.
what are your thoughts about possible ways to eliminate racism?
we had been talking about possible ways society could eliminate racism. some of my classmates proposed that we start in the workplace, since that was where most instances of racism occurred in their opinions. others proposed changing how racism is portrayed through the media. still others proposed starting in the schools with the younger generations. it is these proposals that i would like to reflect upon.
first, i would like to address the issue of eliminating racism in the workplace. i agree with my classmates that the workplace is probably the area where many of the acts of racism that are committed today take place. i do not believe, however, that any or all of these acts are at all intentional. however, even though the intentions in almost all of those scenarios were good, they do not however take away from the fact that these acts of racism do still happen in the workplace. in that regard, i can agree with the proposal that starting in the workplace would be very beneficial for eliminating racism. however, i would not agree that starting in the workplace would eliminate all sources of racism.
second, i would like to address the issue of eliminating racism in the media. now this would be one hell of a job that would take quite a long time to do. it would, however, prove to be a giant leap in the right direction. this would be because, in my mind, the media today is nothing but a giant advertisement supporting racism. there are countless examples of racism tendencies in tv shows, movies, commercials, magazines, etc. if all of these elements were eliminated, there would be a vastly decreased source of advertisement for racism. if this amazing feat could be done, it would be a great day in the fight against racism.
lastly, i would like to address, in my opinion, the best way for us to eliminate racism in the future. tt would have to be through the vigilant and dedicated education of our children of racism and how to identify it. both of these tactics, if used together, would prove to be quite possibly the most effective form of fight against racism. sure, even if we educate our children about racism and how to identify it, that would not eliminate a huge source of racism, the media. however, it would allow them to recognize when racism is being used, and help stomp it out right then and there.
what are your thoughts about possible ways to eliminate racism?
Not in My Town Reflection
this post is in reflection of the video we watched in class that i think was entitled, "Not in Our Town." in this particular video, several examples of towns across america were shown where community members were actively standing out against overt acts of racism that were being done.
as a whole, i personally thought that this particular video was powerful in showing us that taking action against racism in our communities would be a great place to start. i mean, we have to start somewhere, right? by taking actual, physical steps to eliminate racism in the community in which you live, you enrich your own life by progressing through your own racial identity, as well as provide the experience for others to do the same. it was this very concept, upon which the action plan for my group was born, but my response to that will come in a later post.
after watching each story about a community leader taking action to change their community into a better one, i couldn't help but to think about what my ideal community would be like, one where i would be comfortable in raising my own children someday. that community would value such ideals as safety, friendship, and most importantly equality were stressed as core beliefs. in such a community, people would actually be able to live together in peace and harmony, and where there would be no problems with race and inequality.
so i ask you guys to respond to that question with a description of what your ideal future communities would be like. spare me no dirty details, even if they involve using unicorns as modes of transportation instead of cars. hahaha.
as a whole, i personally thought that this particular video was powerful in showing us that taking action against racism in our communities would be a great place to start. i mean, we have to start somewhere, right? by taking actual, physical steps to eliminate racism in the community in which you live, you enrich your own life by progressing through your own racial identity, as well as provide the experience for others to do the same. it was this very concept, upon which the action plan for my group was born, but my response to that will come in a later post.
after watching each story about a community leader taking action to change their community into a better one, i couldn't help but to think about what my ideal community would be like, one where i would be comfortable in raising my own children someday. that community would value such ideals as safety, friendship, and most importantly equality were stressed as core beliefs. in such a community, people would actually be able to live together in peace and harmony, and where there would be no problems with race and inequality.
so i ask you guys to respond to that question with a description of what your ideal future communities would be like. spare me no dirty details, even if they involve using unicorns as modes of transportation instead of cars. hahaha.
Interracial Dating?
the other day, i was approached by one of my good friends, and was asked why i wasn't dating an asian girl. wow, just like that. i had to admit i was prettty shocked at the question, but to be fair, i think i need to preface my reaction by explaining a little about how my friends and i work.
first of all, we are well known to kid and joke around with each other, i mean what kind of friends don't? (if you guys don't do that, i'm sorry if i have offended you). anyway, we are pretty open with each other and when we are not, the situation escalates until we all decide that we were stupid for not being open with each other in the first place. with that being said, it was not completely out of place for my friend to ask me about my interracial girlfriend, although i did NOT see it coming at all.
after i settled down and actually thought about the question though, i realized that i never really thought of why i wasn't dating an asian girl. it's not like im not attracted to them, hell, i can be attracted to anyone who is attractive. that was when i realized that although people will admit that a person of another race may be attractive maybe even hot, but that is usually where it ends. many many people out there, although they may not admit it, have quite the problem with interracial dating. they may agree with it themselves, but when it comes around to actually dating someone themselves, they will not touch the subject. keep in mind though, this is all mere speculation on my part.
so, in response to this new "epiphany," if you will, i decided to do a little research in the area of interracial dating. i poked around a few websites and found some very interesting stuff. one example was an article i found on cnn.com that was dated in 2000 concerning the lifting of an interracial ban on a college campus. although the article was nice in the fact that the ban was lifted, it was pretty amazing to me that a college campus could actually ban interracial dating in the first place, and in the second, keep in enforced until 2000!
in the end, i would have liked to discuss this topic in class, and maybe let some of you ponder about it yourselves. what truly is your stance on interracial dating?
first of all, we are well known to kid and joke around with each other, i mean what kind of friends don't? (if you guys don't do that, i'm sorry if i have offended you). anyway, we are pretty open with each other and when we are not, the situation escalates until we all decide that we were stupid for not being open with each other in the first place. with that being said, it was not completely out of place for my friend to ask me about my interracial girlfriend, although i did NOT see it coming at all.
after i settled down and actually thought about the question though, i realized that i never really thought of why i wasn't dating an asian girl. it's not like im not attracted to them, hell, i can be attracted to anyone who is attractive. that was when i realized that although people will admit that a person of another race may be attractive maybe even hot, but that is usually where it ends. many many people out there, although they may not admit it, have quite the problem with interracial dating. they may agree with it themselves, but when it comes around to actually dating someone themselves, they will not touch the subject. keep in mind though, this is all mere speculation on my part.
so, in response to this new "epiphany," if you will, i decided to do a little research in the area of interracial dating. i poked around a few websites and found some very interesting stuff. one example was an article i found on cnn.com that was dated in 2000 concerning the lifting of an interracial ban on a college campus. although the article was nice in the fact that the ban was lifted, it was pretty amazing to me that a college campus could actually ban interracial dating in the first place, and in the second, keep in enforced until 2000!
in the end, i would have liked to discuss this topic in class, and maybe let some of you ponder about it yourselves. what truly is your stance on interracial dating?
Media Presentation Reflection
hello everyone, back again to make another post. this time i would like to reflect back on one of our class projects, specifically, the media presentation projects. first and foremost, since a number of the previous posts i have made on my blog have had to do with evidence of racism in the media, i feel that it is necessary to bring those posts back and connect them to what we have done in class. i know that there were definitely some experiences that i have had some pretty serious reactions to, but none of that would have been possible if it weren't for the media presentation project.
if i had to put a specific event that specifically pinpointed my presence in the encounter stage of Cross's black racial identity model, it would have to be the media presentations. although at the time, the project itself did not seem to stand out as something way out of the ordinary, it's influence had one that will impact me for quite some time. in essence, the project "opened my eyes" to evidence of racism in today's media. i know, i know, what a cliche to say that it "opened my eyes," but in truth that is exactly what happened. after researching and listening to what other groups had found in the media, it was almost shocking to see how many instances racism has crept into our society in the form of media. and, let me tell you, it's not overt racism at all. just like the example with the Popeye's and KFC commercials. i don't even think that the makers of those commercials even realized exactly what kind of message they were sending out. i honestly think that the marketing department of Popeye's just thought that having a sassy character on their show would boost sales. too bad they were ignorant to realize that the underlying message was racist. oops.
anyways, i want to thank Dr. Banks for enabling me for such a pivotal experience in my progression through the racial identity model. i know that also sounds cliche, and even a little kiss-ass, but it's true. if not for this project, i probably would still be the same ignorant person that i used to be. keyword here: used to be.
if i had to put a specific event that specifically pinpointed my presence in the encounter stage of Cross's black racial identity model, it would have to be the media presentations. although at the time, the project itself did not seem to stand out as something way out of the ordinary, it's influence had one that will impact me for quite some time. in essence, the project "opened my eyes" to evidence of racism in today's media. i know, i know, what a cliche to say that it "opened my eyes," but in truth that is exactly what happened. after researching and listening to what other groups had found in the media, it was almost shocking to see how many instances racism has crept into our society in the form of media. and, let me tell you, it's not overt racism at all. just like the example with the Popeye's and KFC commercials. i don't even think that the makers of those commercials even realized exactly what kind of message they were sending out. i honestly think that the marketing department of Popeye's just thought that having a sassy character on their show would boost sales. too bad they were ignorant to realize that the underlying message was racist. oops.
anyways, i want to thank Dr. Banks for enabling me for such a pivotal experience in my progression through the racial identity model. i know that also sounds cliche, and even a little kiss-ass, but it's true. if not for this project, i probably would still be the same ignorant person that i used to be. keyword here: used to be.
Racism in Our World Today
i was scanning some popular news websites....yeah, i know it's hard to believe, and i stumbled across this article on cnn.com: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/18/U.S.racism.conference/index.html?iref=newssearch
to confess, it was the title of the article that caught my eye:
now, those who may oppose my opinion would suggest that i did not address the latter half of the title, "says it 'singles out' Israel." this is true, i did not address that part....yet. i mean, seriously, THAT'S the reason we boycotted this conference? because we thought it was directed too much at israel? now that is the lamest excuse i've ever heard of. in my mind at least, if everyone who did not agree with one aspect of any conference debating a controversial issue, there would be no one at these conferences! if we don't agree how this racism conference 'singles out' israel, then we should be the ones present there, defending them, shouldn't we?
finally we get to the part where i actually read the article and it's contents.....ahhhhhh, now i understand REALLY what's going on here. after reading the article, i realize that this article is not one describing the united states' lack of enthusiasm in the fight against racism. in fact, the article describes how the united states would not tolerate an atmosphere at the conference that ALLOWED for racist and anti-semitic views to be announced. now THIS is what should be going on here. THIS is progress in the right direction. THIS is the view that the world should see that involves a unified country dedicated to denounce and eliminate racism from the world.
to confess, it was the title of the article that caught my eye:
U.S. boycotts racism conference, says it 'singles out' Israel
i don't know about you guys, but when i see "U.S. boycotts racism conference," i step back and think that the united states is not taking a stand against racism, and that lack of stance against racism would most definitely not be a step in the right direction. if anything it's a step in the wrong direction. i mean, true, i did not read the article at this point, but honestly, anyone who reads the newspaper automatically judges the article by the title. and this being the title of this article is a blatant suggestion that the united states does not agree with a racism conference.now, those who may oppose my opinion would suggest that i did not address the latter half of the title, "says it 'singles out' Israel." this is true, i did not address that part....yet. i mean, seriously, THAT'S the reason we boycotted this conference? because we thought it was directed too much at israel? now that is the lamest excuse i've ever heard of. in my mind at least, if everyone who did not agree with one aspect of any conference debating a controversial issue, there would be no one at these conferences! if we don't agree how this racism conference 'singles out' israel, then we should be the ones present there, defending them, shouldn't we?
finally we get to the part where i actually read the article and it's contents.....ahhhhhh, now i understand REALLY what's going on here. after reading the article, i realize that this article is not one describing the united states' lack of enthusiasm in the fight against racism. in fact, the article describes how the united states would not tolerate an atmosphere at the conference that ALLOWED for racist and anti-semitic views to be announced. now THIS is what should be going on here. THIS is progress in the right direction. THIS is the view that the world should see that involves a unified country dedicated to denounce and eliminate racism from the world.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Another example of racism in the media
So as I was watching some more TV during one of my study breaks ;), there was a commercial that automatically made me perk up. It was a Popeye's chicken commercial promoting one of their limited time specials. The commercial itself was not what made me stop and think, it was the painfully obvious stereotype of Blacks liking fried chicken that made me cringe.
Before I talk more about my feelings towards this commercial, let me explain how this commercial viewing ties back to our class. Remember way back when we talked about stereotypes? Well, that is exactly how this ties back. We talked back then about how stereotypes were not always bad, and how they can actually be of good use. This, however, is no good stereotype in any way shape or form. The only way that this example of a stereotype could be put to use is to further the progression of racism within our society.
Now I will continue my explanation of my feelings towards the commercial. The commercial showed not only the idea that Blacks liked eating fried chicken, but that their attitude was consistent with the character in the commercial. Sassy in attitude, and not willing to pay a lot for more food, the character of the commercial disgusts me. Also implied in the commercial was that people like her eat in places like Popeye's, furthering the stereotype that Black people are poor and only eat fast food.
In contrast to these Popeye commercials, however, the commercials for Kentucky Fried Chicken are quite racially equal, with the equal number of appearances by both Blacks and Whites. Now take some advice from your competition Popeye's.
Before I talk more about my feelings towards this commercial, let me explain how this commercial viewing ties back to our class. Remember way back when we talked about stereotypes? Well, that is exactly how this ties back. We talked back then about how stereotypes were not always bad, and how they can actually be of good use. This, however, is no good stereotype in any way shape or form. The only way that this example of a stereotype could be put to use is to further the progression of racism within our society.
Now I will continue my explanation of my feelings towards the commercial. The commercial showed not only the idea that Blacks liked eating fried chicken, but that their attitude was consistent with the character in the commercial. Sassy in attitude, and not willing to pay a lot for more food, the character of the commercial disgusts me. Also implied in the commercial was that people like her eat in places like Popeye's, furthering the stereotype that Black people are poor and only eat fast food.
In contrast to these Popeye commercials, however, the commercials for Kentucky Fried Chicken are quite racially equal, with the equal number of appearances by both Blacks and Whites. Now take some advice from your competition Popeye's.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Racism in Cartoons: The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
So today I was browsing through some TV channels, and came across the show entitled: The Misadventures of Flapjack. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a cartoon about a little boy who goes through life in a comical port setting, while being raised by a whale named "Bubby."
Where is the racism in that, you might ask? It's in Bubby's character. It is painfully obvious that Bubby's identity is that of a black woman. At first when I thought about this, it did not strike me as anything odd. If anything, I thought it was great that a black woman was represented in a cartoon that is overwhelmingly populated by white characters. However, when I thought further into Bubby's character, I was reminded of the film we saw in class "Color of Fear" and the Mammy character described in that film.
Bubby's character totally reminds me of that Mammy character that was so prevalent in our past. Although Mammy's character has faced a lot of criticism, all of which has been warranted, this example is one that proves that her existence has not yet been completely filtered out of our society yet. This specific example of Mammy's extended existence through the years, however, is not as overt as it has been in the past, but just because Mammy's presence is not seen visually does not mean that it is more acceptable. On top of that, the fact that her presence in a popular children's cartoon means that she could have an impact on our children, which would definitely be a step in the wrong direction.
What are your thoughts?
Where is the racism in that, you might ask? It's in Bubby's character. It is painfully obvious that Bubby's identity is that of a black woman. At first when I thought about this, it did not strike me as anything odd. If anything, I thought it was great that a black woman was represented in a cartoon that is overwhelmingly populated by white characters. However, when I thought further into Bubby's character, I was reminded of the film we saw in class "Color of Fear" and the Mammy character described in that film.
Bubby's character totally reminds me of that Mammy character that was so prevalent in our past. Although Mammy's character has faced a lot of criticism, all of which has been warranted, this example is one that proves that her existence has not yet been completely filtered out of our society yet. This specific example of Mammy's extended existence through the years, however, is not as overt as it has been in the past, but just because Mammy's presence is not seen visually does not mean that it is more acceptable. On top of that, the fact that her presence in a popular children's cartoon means that she could have an impact on our children, which would definitely be a step in the wrong direction.
What are your thoughts?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Racial Identity...What does it really mean?
Hello everyone, well, I'm quite embarrassed to say that this is my first entry in my blog. However, I am excited to see what I can come up with for the rest of the term.
Anyway, onwards to the topic at hand: Racial Identity.
The other day, I was being interviewed for a position as a Resident Assistant for the upcoming school year, of which included many questions about what I thought of diversity, seeing as it is one of the core beliefs of the Office of Residential Life. More specifically speaking, the question that was directed to me was, "How does, or did, your racial identity affect you?"
After the question was asked of me, I had to sit and pause for a moment. Forced to reflect on how my racial identity played a role in my life, I automatically thought about this class and what we discussed a few weeks ago about racial identity. Although I could not remember exactly what we talked about, I did remember Tatum talking about how colored people have earlier memories of race than whites, and that these identities reflected back on us and how we identify with ourselves.
So, I responded to the question with an experience I had when I was in elementary school, since that was the earliest I could remember having such an experience related to racial identity, and talked about how we discussed racial identity in class and that it had had a positive effect on my life thus far.
However, after the interview was finished, I kept thinking about that question, and what racial identity truly meant to me, and here is what I came up with:
In hindsight, I can honestly say that I was definitely racially confused. I grew up with stereotypically strict Korean parents who stressed the importance of learning and identifying with my Korean heritage. However, I also grew up surrounded by American values and traditions, which I had been exposed to through the media as well as through my education.
Now, up until I was in high school, racial identity never was a priority, per se, within my life. I was figuratively buried up to my head in schoolwork and the numerous extracurricular activities I was involved with. In other words, I frankly did not have the time to debate or wonder about my racial identity, I just took it for granted. Or maybe I was readily able to switch back and forth from my Korean identity and my American identity from home and school respectively. And then THAT got me thinking about how I could have been a spy leading two entirely separate lives, but that's a completely different story, which I won't get into here.
Like I said earlier, I was completely oblivious to my racial identity up until high school. It was then that I really began to realize that growing up on the North Shore of Chicago was no where near close to living in a racially diverse environment as I had thought. Once I noticed that the neighborhood I lived in was not very diverse, I realized that 1. I don't look like everyone else, and that separates me from them and 2. Even though I may not look like everyone else, I can use that as a source of pride.
Although I had begun to delve a little deeper in my understanding of my racial identity as a person, I came across a moral dilemma: Which identity to I associate myself with? As a Korean? Or as an American? For a while, I could not decide between the two, which inevitably made me even more racially confused than I was earlier.
I did not find the answer until I made it here to college.
Here in college, we (as newly considered young adults) are expected to "find ourselves," and grow into the people we are supposed to be for the rest of our lives. But how was I supposed to do that if I couldn't even associate myself with a specific racial identity? Finally, through the classes I took dealing with racism and racial identity, as well as my growth in maturation level, I was able to realize that I did not have to choose one racial identity to associate with, I could live with the two identities interwoven together, shaping myself as a unique individual.
Anyway, onwards to the topic at hand: Racial Identity.
The other day, I was being interviewed for a position as a Resident Assistant for the upcoming school year, of which included many questions about what I thought of diversity, seeing as it is one of the core beliefs of the Office of Residential Life. More specifically speaking, the question that was directed to me was, "How does, or did, your racial identity affect you?"
After the question was asked of me, I had to sit and pause for a moment. Forced to reflect on how my racial identity played a role in my life, I automatically thought about this class and what we discussed a few weeks ago about racial identity. Although I could not remember exactly what we talked about, I did remember Tatum talking about how colored people have earlier memories of race than whites, and that these identities reflected back on us and how we identify with ourselves.
So, I responded to the question with an experience I had when I was in elementary school, since that was the earliest I could remember having such an experience related to racial identity, and talked about how we discussed racial identity in class and that it had had a positive effect on my life thus far.
However, after the interview was finished, I kept thinking about that question, and what racial identity truly meant to me, and here is what I came up with:
In hindsight, I can honestly say that I was definitely racially confused. I grew up with stereotypically strict Korean parents who stressed the importance of learning and identifying with my Korean heritage. However, I also grew up surrounded by American values and traditions, which I had been exposed to through the media as well as through my education.
Now, up until I was in high school, racial identity never was a priority, per se, within my life. I was figuratively buried up to my head in schoolwork and the numerous extracurricular activities I was involved with. In other words, I frankly did not have the time to debate or wonder about my racial identity, I just took it for granted. Or maybe I was readily able to switch back and forth from my Korean identity and my American identity from home and school respectively. And then THAT got me thinking about how I could have been a spy leading two entirely separate lives, but that's a completely different story, which I won't get into here.
Like I said earlier, I was completely oblivious to my racial identity up until high school. It was then that I really began to realize that growing up on the North Shore of Chicago was no where near close to living in a racially diverse environment as I had thought. Once I noticed that the neighborhood I lived in was not very diverse, I realized that 1. I don't look like everyone else, and that separates me from them and 2. Even though I may not look like everyone else, I can use that as a source of pride.
Although I had begun to delve a little deeper in my understanding of my racial identity as a person, I came across a moral dilemma: Which identity to I associate myself with? As a Korean? Or as an American? For a while, I could not decide between the two, which inevitably made me even more racially confused than I was earlier.
I did not find the answer until I made it here to college.
Here in college, we (as newly considered young adults) are expected to "find ourselves," and grow into the people we are supposed to be for the rest of our lives. But how was I supposed to do that if I couldn't even associate myself with a specific racial identity? Finally, through the classes I took dealing with racism and racial identity, as well as my growth in maturation level, I was able to realize that I did not have to choose one racial identity to associate with, I could live with the two identities interwoven together, shaping myself as a unique individual.
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