IBARW: Speaking out

[oyceter]

A contribution to International Blog Against Racism Week!

I read Sarah Dessen's Just Listen a few weeks ago, and while the title is about listening, the book is about the heroine learning to voice her feelings and her opinions, even when they may cause anger or disapproval. I was incredibly involved with Annabel's feelings and her constant silence, largely because I see so much of myself in her. It's gotten much easier for me to speak out about topics that involve me only on a personal level, but that's not what I wanted to talk about in this post.

I wanted to talk about why I'm trying to blog about race more, especially since both attempts to talk about race in my LJ have received quite a few comments to the effect that bringing up the topics of race and racism encroaches upon the attempt to be colorblind.

I don't mean to make this post all tragic and dramatic so that people will say, "Oh, that's awful, poor you!" I'm not trying to garner sympathy, but to show what racism has meant in my life and how it's affected me. I decided to post it after the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM, and the PotC Debate of DOOM just cemented that decision. I want to counter the idea that racism is over, that we're all colorblind now.

Naturally, I wish it were that way. But I don't think it is.

This isn't meant to represent anyone's experience but my own. I realize that the privileges of being financially well-off and heterosexual temper a lot of my experiences, and that being a woman adds yet another layer of complexity. This isn't meant to denigrate people who suffer from classism, homophobism, sexism, or any of the other things that are wrong with society. Nor is it meant to represent the Asian-American experience as a whole, much less the minority experience, which is as rich and varied as the human experience (since, duh, it's a subset). And it most definitely isn't meant to draw attention away from the black experience, the Latino or Hispanic experience, or the Native American experience.

Also also, the experiences that I mention are my own, and as such, they consist of things that I remember most. People featured in these experiences may remember things differently. But I would like to ask people to really think about why I might remember these experiences differently, why they might mean different things to me, before refuting them.

Also also also, yes, I do think categorizing people in terms of race is problematic. On the other hand, because (I'm paraphrasing Frank Wu here, because I can't find the quote) while race is non-existent in scientific terms, racism does exist. Even if some people don't distinguish between a black person and a white person, other people will. And because racism exists, we cannot ignore race unless we also ignore the deleterious effects of racism.

I also (x4) hate to be paranoid and defensive, but given the frightening amount of comments that my two posts on the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM and my post on Race and PotC 2 got, I'd like to ask people to really think before they comment, to see if their comments fall under How to Suppress Discussions on Racism, which is biting and beautiful. Unfortunately, I've seen examples of many points in all three of my posts above. And if your comments do meet those guidelines, please try asking yourself why they do, why comments like that are so pervasive, why they come up whenever discussions of racism come up. I'm not even saying to not make comments to that effect. I'm just asking that people think their comments first.

Finally, I am by no means the first person to talk about this or bring this up; people far more persuasive and thoughtful than me have been posting about this online for ages, and of course, there is a robust conversation about race going back a long time.


Most of my pre-college years were spent in Taiwan, where I didn't particularly have to think about racism, except on a more theoretical level. Of course, part of why I didn't have to think about racism was because I was Chinese, not an aboriginal inhabitant of Taiwan. Another part was because up until Chen Shuei-Bien was elected, I could live with my head in the clouds with regard to politics — the KMT was in power and the Taiwanese national movement wasn't as prominent as it is now. I was in the majority; I could afford not to worry.

The one thing I do remember from Taiwan was when my AP history teacher (white American) asked my class if we would continue and socialize with other Asians when we went to college, since most of us had gotten into colleges in America.

Most of the people in my class said yes, they would probably be joining Asian associations or clubs. I said no. My teacher argued that we should try to get a more diverse experience, and at the time, I agreed with him.

When I went to college, I did what I said. I had several screaming fights with my mom and my dad about not joining the Chinese association. I thought I was being anti-racist. In the end, because I didn't make a deliberate effort to try and befriend people of other races, the majority of my friends ended up being white.

This could be because of my college, which was much less diverse than most. And I know many people who claim to have lots of friends of other races. But I remember coffeeandink telling me that it's very common for people to overestimate the number of people of color or women in a room, so I wonder. The very fact that I do wonder is telling in and of itself.

I remember comments on why all the Asian people self-segregated and sat at their own table. I remember the one regularly racially-integrated table being called derogatory names. The comments about the racially-integrated table were because they frequently left dirty dishes at the table, but I still wonder if there was disguised vitriol. I wonder this because there were so many comments around me about people who were "overly sensitive" about racism or sexism, so much routine mockery of editorials in the college paper on the harmful experiences of Sikh students being called "Osama bin Laden" in shopping malls, mockery of petitions to Abercrombie and Fitch about their "Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make it White" t-shirt.

I remember being uncomfortable about being asked to sign the petition to Abercrombie and Fitch, because I didn't want to be one of those Asians who were militant and oversensitive and all up in arms about their Asian-ness.

I remember one person commenting to me, "Why are you so concerned with being Chinese? Why don't you just become American?" I didn't know how to respond at the time, but my question now is, "Why is being Chinese somehow antithetical to being American?" I'm sure it could be argued that since I was coming from Taiwan, it was different, but on the other hand... the constant touting of America as a melting pot shouldn't mean that cultural differences are melted away, that assimilation into the main culture is taken for granted.

When I was with my friends and they criticized the Asians who always sat together, I felt like the "good" Asian. The "good" Asian wouldn't self-segregate, would agree that racism didn't exist, would not talk about being Asian "all the time," would not talk about racism, would not constantly remind people that she was Asian. In short, the good Asian was the Asian who acted white.

I played this role throughout college, and even though no one explicitly told me so, I learned that talking about things I found racist or offensive was passe. I learned that talking too much about being Asian would mean that I would be thought of as Asian (not necessarily a problem) and only as Asian (definitely a problem). I learned that not talking about being Asian would mean that people would assume that my silence meant agreement, particularly when discussion turned toward "those other" Asians.

I'm reminded of the post rilina made, in which she quotes Yamada Mitsuye as saying, "I had supposed that I was practicing passive resistance while being stereotyped, but it was so passive no one noticed I was resisting; it was so much my expected role that it ultimately rendered me invisible."

I had thought that being an Asian who wasn't sitting at the Asian table was a statement of colorblindness, a statement against self-segregation, a statement against racism. But I found that not only did people not notice that I was protesting, they assumed my complicity in white privilege. They assumed that because I was sitting there while they made remarks about other Asians, I agreed. In my silence, I gave up my voice and let it be used to support arguments that I didn't believe in.

No one ever made me do this. No one had to. My complicity in white privilege was so assumed that no one ever had to point it out or voice it, and my guess is, if I had ever tried to point it out, I would have been one of those oversensitive people who "cry racism at the drop of a hat." The ironic thing is, I didn't see why anyone would ever want to "cry racism at the drop of a hat." I had seen time and again that calling something racist would bring on so many personal attacks on being "oversensitive," "militant," "just like those femi-nazis," or "having no sense of humor," even when people criticized something as blatant as the Abercrombie and Fitch shirt.

In my experience, people don't "cry racism at the drop of a hat" because it spawns LJ discussions of 200+ comments, the tail end of which become increasingly vicious. People don't "cry racism at the drop of a hat" because it means other people will automatically write them off as Angry People of Color or People with Lots of White Liberal Guilt. People don't "cry racism at the drop of a hat" because the thought of confronting the thorny issues of race and racism in America in a public forum, in a casual conversation, in class, at work, anywhere is too touchy, makes people too uncomfortable.

More specifically, I don't "cry racism at the drop of a hat" because I am used to being ignored when I do. Just in the past few days, when I've mentioned racism in PotC 2 in real life, people have either completely ignored the fact that I've said it, or the same old arguments come out. I didn't post about racism because posting meant dealing with flame wars, no matter how carefully worded the post was. I didn't talk about racism because doing so meant losing the small amount of privilege that I did get to enjoy as an Asian who didn't sit at the Asian table.

I didn't realize until recently that this small gain, bought by silence, was no gain at all.

That's why I'm speaking out now; that's why I've been blogging about this with increasing frequency. It's because too often in my life, silence has been construed as consent. There have been too many instances in which I've let a racist comment or remark pass without challenging. There have been too many times I've come out of a movie wondering, "Why are all the protagonists white, and why do all the supporting roles with people of color play to stereotype?"

Speaking out is painful. In the past few years, when I spoke out against racism, it was fueled by rage and pain. I would run out of words; I would be incoherent with anger when my friends told me I was taking it too seriously. My friends wouldn't understand why I was personally insulted by their decision to not think about racism. In the end, it felt like a slap against me, because racism is a force that has been in my life ever since I've moved here and will continue to be a force in my life for as long as I'm a minority. It is, of course, a force in everyone's life, but some people can ignore it. So when my friends told me that they didn't think about racism, I heard, "I don't have to care about something that affects you and doesn't affect me." I heard, "I don't care about something that hurts you." I heard, "I don't care about you or your experiences if they inconvenience me."

Just in the past two months, speaking out has been painful. Comments to my posts saying that I am racist for speaking about racism hurt. Comments saying that people see Asians as white hurt. Comments saying that I am exaggerating my experiences for sympathy, that I am being too serious, that I am making things up, all these hurt. Speaking out is painful, but silence is worse.

Silence costs too much for me.

I'm sure just blogging or speaking out can be seen as a pat gesture, as preaching to the choir, as something you only do once to feel good about yourself and continue to ignore the other 51 weeks of the year.

First, I'd like to say: I feel alone when I speak out. I felt awkward when I started counting minorities at WisCon, because I didn't want to be one of the three Asians there. I felt alone every time I counted and no one else did. The worst part is, I didn't even realize how alone I felt, how much it felt like just my problem, until coffeeandink pointed out that people could have counted with me. I felt alone posting about mentioning the race divide in the comments to the cultural appropriation debate, I felt alone posting about race in PotC 2, especially when the storm of comments started to come in.

But I found out that even if I felt like I were posting alone, in the end, I wasn't. There were other people I could talk to about racism; there were other people blogging about it.

And so, why I don't think Intl. Blog Against Racism Week is a mere gesture:

1. If someone else in my social group had spoken out about these things, I would have said something as well. Or, at least, I hope I would have. It's difficult to be the first person to break the silence, particularly when you're criticizing something many people are enjoying. But there were enough comments in the PotC2 post and the cultural appropriation posts saying that seeing people speak out made a difference and helped them feel less afraid to speak out that I think just speaking out is helpful. You can't fix anything until you acknowledge that it's broken in the first place.


2. Given that fandom is generally seen as a liberal haven, talking about racism can very much be seen as preaching to the choir. I thought it was preaching to the choir until the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM, and this was further cemented by the PotC 2 thing. I remember most discussions of race in the Whedonverse getting flame-y in a way that discussions on feminism didn't. I hope I'm wrong. I hope my experiences aren't the norm.


3. My other plea is for participants to blog against racism or to speak out against racism not just today, not just this week, but every day. I say this with the caveat that sometimes it's too tiring to do. Sometimes you need to rest, to not be embroiled in conflict all the time. But the point is, racism still exists, and because we all have a race (or two, or many) that we can identify with, it affects all of us. And I do mean all. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, interracial — all voices help. The more people there are speaking out against racism, the less the burden on one specific person. More importantly, it means more voices against all injustice, because speaking out should encompass speaking out against classism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism as well.

Most of all, I want to say to those of you speaking out: you're not alone.

Comments

[shati.livejournal.com]

I had meant earlier to thank you for your posts and comments during . . . um, the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM is a pretty good name for it. I was hugely impressed with how polite, articulate, and level-headed you were when I -- who wasn't being personally attacked, who was mostly too timid to even participate -- was, like, sputtering with frustration and fury. I imagine it came at a cost, and I wish it hadn't had to, and hell, I'd still have been impressed if you'd gotten publically furious, but -- thank you.

Recent LJ events have got me thinking where I wasn't before, and a lot of people contributed to that. But my thoughts would be a lot more scattered, and I'd be doing a lot more "What, I must be crazy for thinking about race in PoTC" (for example) thinking, if it weren't for some of your posts.

[oyceter]

"of DOOM" is always good ;).

And thank you very much! I'm so glad to hear that recent LJ events have gotten people thinking and that they might have made a difference, even for one person.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

I am white, and I am listening.

I thought about speaking, but I couldn't figure out a way to do it without making the conversation about whiteness, and I know enough not to want to do that.

So I'm listening. I friended you today, and I read a dozen blog posts against racism today, and I'm going to keep on listening to people of color. That's what I can do.

[oyceter]

Thank you! Knowing that there were people listening and reading was one of the things that made me decide to blog more about the topic instead of less, after the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM.

Also, welcome to my LJ! Usually there's a bit more on knitting, rats, food, and books, but talk of race won't go away either.

[cofax7]

You rock. Did you know that? You seriously do.

I just thought I should say that.

[oyceter]

Awwww, thank you!

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this. And thank you for your POTC post; I needed that. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I needed that.

I was willing to ignore the racism in the movie in order to enjoy something I'd been looking forward to for a couple of years, and I needed a gentle kick in the head and I got one.

I still enjoyed the movie. I'll probably get it on DVD. I didn't need to ignore the racism in it anymore than I needed to ignore the sexism in the first one. In fact, I needed not to. What I need to do is be aware and critical about race in what I take in the same way I am about sex and gender and sexual orientation.

...I should NOT have needed this pointed out to me. I'll pass on the White Guilt thing, but I do think I shall have to make a point of remembering how very very DUMB I feel right now, for I dislike feeling dumb and it is therefore a powerful motivator for change.

So far my approach to IBARW has been to quote other people in my lj, people of colour. I don't know if that's good or bad or what, but for now it feels like a way of shutting up and listening, and that seems right, so I think I'll keep on with it for a bit.

Also, now that we've met, mind if I friend you?

[oyceter]

Hey, we all need a gentle kick in the head once in a while ;). The hard thing is figuring out that it was needed and figuring out what to do with it.

I've been reading what you've been quoting these few days, and really learning a lot! So thank you for that!

Also, friend on! Welcome to my LJ, may it not explode too often.

[sophia-helix.livejournal.com]

You are not alone, and I am listening. And I should have said this earlier, but I'm glad I read your PotC post before I saw the movie -- I'll see it tomorrow, finally, and I'm glad I will go in already on guard, so I don't just let those stereotypes sink in without thinking about them.

[oyceter]

Thank you. It really helps to know that there are people listening. Also, yay, I get to see you soon!

[seajules]

Still here. Still listening. Still learning. That's what I can do. And if my brain ever comes back to me, maybe I can say something useful about this, but for now I'll just be pointing out the useful things you and others are saying.

[oyceter]

Thank you, it helps!

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

You are powerful, and you have a very clear voice. Thank you for using it.

Attempting to discuss--or speak out against--racism, as a white woman, puts me in a great deal of sympathy with feminist men. I feel that I am often percieved in terms of White Liberal Guilt, or--that experience I talked about a while back, of trying to sit down at the segregated table and being made unwelcome. As if I am seen as trying to borrow somebody else's issue. Or as if I were looking for an excuse to be self-congratulatory. (As if it weren't possible to oppose racial prejudice simply because it is *wrong,* but only through some concealed White People Agenda. [possible because there are so many *^%$&^%&^ concealed White People Agendas])

You have never made me feel as if my help wasn't wanted.

But the other thing I said to you, that your post way back about the Asian characters in the Jenny books mattering to you mattered to me, that it changed my perception and made me understand that something I had done for no particular reason--ie, having a multiracial cast, because that's what the neighborhoods and subcultures I grew up in looked like--that also stands. And it's influenced what I've written since, because I now write everything thinking "what will this characterization say to a hypothetical 16 year old who sympathizes with this character?"

And thank you for that.

And thank you for not being scared off.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

Thank *you*, Bear, for the way you approach this.

[littlebutfierce]

Thank you for posting about this stuff, as always!

I'm about to run off to work, but just wanted to note: I hate that congratulatory attitude in fandom, like, "We're liberal! We don't have to talk about racism, because we're over it! We don't lynch people or use racial slurs, therefore we have nothing to worry about!" Arrrgh.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

*nodnodnod* I've encountered it a lot. I've been told I'm unpleasant to be around, because I won't let it lie.

I also notice the Fan of Color nod at cons.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

More importantly, it means more voices against all injustice, because speaking out should encompass speaking out against classism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism as well.

Now and forever--yes.

[oyceter]

One good thing is that looking at race more closely makes me (hopefully) look more closely at other prejudices that I have and try and challenge them. I figure I've been subconsciously been treating other important issues like some people have been treating racism; being more aware of one will hopefully make me more aware as a whole.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

So far I haven't posted much about race outside of F'Lock, because I'm still trying to get my feelings in order and figure out how much I can put into one post.

I'm thinking about Dr Who fandom at the moment, particularly the new series (the two that have been broadcast and the spoilers for the third and Torchwood) and how on the one hand it's more diverse than just about anything on US TV (at least that gets over here) -- there's Lost, I suppose, but that's a more static cast. Then someone on my F'List commented that she hadn't realised based on fannish discussions that one of the recurring characters was black, and that got me worrying about how I'm writing him in fanfic at the moment. Although I suppose the fact that I'm writing him is a thing in itself(1), just not one that's necessarily going to get noticed by those who only know the fandom from fanfic.

More stuff to think about, but I like being made to think.

(1)Remembering the various debates about whether Gunn from Angel gets written about enough.

[oyceter]

Oooh, yes, I remember the Gunn debates! Also, looking forward to your post if you end up making one, and there is no shame in sitting back, thinking, and trying to sort things out.

[livinglaurel.livejournal.com]

Beautiful post, beautifully written.

I didn't realize until recently that this small gain, bought by silence, was no gain at all.

Especially that bit. -- And I just wanted to say I'm enjoying a lot of the Blog Against Racism Week posts, because I'm getting to learn so many new neat things, hear so many different perspectives people might not otherwise post about, see new sides of various topics. Sort of sad I haven't been learning before this, but later is better than never!

So -- thank you.

[oyceter]

Thank you! I've been finding a lot of really cool posts as well!

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

Thank you for breaking it down like that- it's so amazing to see that when people speak up- they're dismissed, and when they don't, it's assumed it must be all good- either way, "Not a problem" becomes the response for all discussions of privilege. That, and, especially for explaining so clearly why blogging vs. racism matters.

You're earned my e-crush :P

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

You're earned my e-crush :P

*pout*

[kaiweilau.livejournal.com]

Wow.

It's tough for me to digest what you've written all at once. But I just wanted to say that I've had very similar experiences to you in college. I never joined the Asian Students group in college precisely because I didn't want to be seen as self-segregating. I didn't want to be seen as one of those people who cry "racism" at the drop of the hat. But like you, as I've seen how cultural stereotypes and perceptions affect every day life in the real world, I've thought more and more about race.

Excellent post. We need more people provoking thoughtful intelligent discussion about race among those who might not talk about it otherwise.

[oyceter]

Oi, yeah. One of the hardest and most painful parts was realizing that what I thought was a protest was a protest that either wasn't heard, or was heard and taken the wrong way. I keep thinking maybe someone will say, "Oh, I'm friends with an Asian! She says such-and-such is ok!" and this time, the person they're talking about will be me. So it's like my silence is being used to perpetuate further hurts.

Of course, the only thing anyone can do is move forward and try not to do the same thing again, so here's to trying to do better!

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

fabulous post, lil' sister! fabulous.

[oyceter]

Thank you!

[cavlec.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this post. It is beautiful.

[oyceter]

Thank you!

[flyingfree42.livejournal.com]

So I've written this comment in my head several times, ever since I saw your utter bogglement at the people in your Cultural Appropriation Post of Doom who said they considered Asian people white. Each time I decided not to post because, honestly, I'm a wee bit socially anxious and don't want to accidentally offend people. Better to just be quiet right? Only not, because that's the whole point of IBARW... And also, you said above that you were hurt by those comments. So now I feel like I should say something, and I apologize if the effect is different from my intention. Ie: to possibly make that statement feel less hurtful for you.

First things first, however. I want to say that I admire you for the stand you are taking and your refusal to back down in the face of an utterly ridiculous amount of people sticking their fingers in their ears and trying to yell "lalala" loud enough to drown out people trying to talk seriously about race issues. I have really enjoyed the sheer number of thought provoking posts that have come out on these topics since WisCon. I hope everyone who has spoken out will continue to do so, and that more and more people do so as well.

Anyway.

My assumption is that the reason you are hurt by the statement that "Asians are white" is because it feels like a complete denial of your own identity, subsuming you against your wishes, at the expense of important aspects of your personhood, into the white collective. Or, as we like to call ourselves, The Borg. I think most anybody would find that hurtful.

However, I don't think that's what people mean when they say that. I think the real meaning behind that phrase comes from the harmful conflation between race and class. I believe what they mean to say is that "we perceive the Asian minority group as having economic and educational status equal to that of whites, whereas we perceive other minority groups as not." Because, yes, of course, there are harmful racial stereotypes about Asians. Female Asian fetishism and the stereotype of Asian subservience are particularly vile.

But the stereotype of "is inherently good at math and science" is barely even in the same ballpark as the stereotypes of "is poor, uneducated, and predisposed to criminality" that exist about blacks and Hispanics. My American culture hive mind suggests that Random Asian Person Walking Down the Street is probably (or will be perceived as being) college-educated, holding a white collar job, and being basically middle class. (Atleast, on the East Coast this is true. My feeling is that the degree of racism is directly proportional the the population density of that minority group, so perhaps this is different on the West Coast where Asians are a much bigger percentage) That same perception of "being middle class" does not exist for many other racial minority groups, which is why, I think, people will try to draw the distinction. But instead of doing this by bringing class issues into the discussion they fall prey to the conflation and try to use racial shorthand instead.

I'm sorry you were hurt by those statements (as well as the many other lovely pieces of vitriole that have cropped up in this extended discussion) and I certainly can't claim to speak for the commenters, but I think the intent was to make a statement about class, not to deny your identity and sense of self.

So that's my comment. I hope I was able to be atleast halfway coherent.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

I've been hurt by the Asian stereotype and so has my brother.

I was hurt by it because I got failed in English for being experimental, and the instructor assumed that being Asian, I was bad at English. I was hurt by it because it was assumed I'd do well in higher math, when I really needed some help. Asians get hurt by it when it's assumed that they're strong in technical but not people skills, and passed over for promotions to management.

My brother was hurt by it because he would probably have been happier being tracked for vo-tech classes, but "Asians don't do that sort of work, they're all in brainy fields".

"Positive stereotypes" might not land a person in jail, but they are a sort of prison of their own.

[daedala.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[oyceter]

Thank you for reading ^_^.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I've been on hiatus on writing about racism for a while, but the things I wrote in the past are in the groups.google.com archives - including my leaving a group because I wouldn't be silent anymore.

3. The more people there are speaking out against racism, the less the burden on one specific person. More importantly, it means more voices against all injustice, because speaking out should encompass speaking out against classism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism as well.

Yeah, that. And the counting thing. Oh, yes.

So glad not to feel alone.

[oyceter]

Yay, I'm not the only other person doing the counting thing!

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Beautifully said.

[oyceter]

Thank you for reading!

[szzzt.livejournal.com]

So when my friends told me that they didn't think about racism, I heard, "I don't have to care about something that affects you and doesn't affect me." I heard, "I don't care about something that hurts you." I heard, "I don't care about you or your experiences if they inconvenience me."

Wow.

I want to memorize that.
And then maybe I'll hear it, and recognize it, the next time I want to slide out of a discussion.

[oyceter]

Thank you! I don't know what to say, because it can still be so painful, but thank you for listening.

[rydra_wong]

I don't have enough caffeine in my blood stream to comment intelligently right now, but this is such a fantastic post, and I'm really excited by all the stuff that's come out of IBARW already.

[oyceter]

I'm really excited by all the stuff that's come out of IBARW already.

Me too! I'm going to be reading and commenting on posts for the rest of the month!

And thank you ^_^.

[ponygirl2000.livejournal.com]

It's really amazing all of the discussions that have come out your posts. I'm hoping to get some time this weekend to check them out, but I just want to say that you should be proud of yourself for getting a very big-and-not-mentioned-for-too-long ball rolling.

[oyceter]

Thank you!

[silveraspen]

I found my way to your journal because of the PotC2 debate originally (and as a tangent, I am now reminded that I haven't yet posted my critical review of the film, which I need to do rather than let it slip by totally), and to this post over a long and winding route in which I was talking with shati about the Great Cultural Appropriation Debate.

That was an incredibly run-on sentence. Argh.

Anyway. What I came here to say is that I very much appreciate your speaking out, and the insightfulness of your comments, which are very thought-provoking. Such words are still very much needed.

I'm adding you to my flist, if you don't mind. :) Thanks for writing.

[oyceter]

Thank you so much! Of course I don't mind if you add me, and again, thank you! It really helps so much to know that people are listening.

[ladyjax.livejournal.com]

The hardest thing to do is to keep speaking when the silence (and ignorance) is deafening.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm so glad I have you in my life and hope I can be a good ally.

[oyceter]

I'm so glad I have you in my life and hope I can be a good ally.

Are you kidding? You are already awesome!! ^_^

[jabbberwocky.livejournal.com]

I know it's very late, but I just wanted to say thank you for writing this post. I only found out about IBARW recently because I've only just realised there's LOTS of people writing about race-related issues.

When you're at the stage of just beginning to speak out and challenging how others see you more actively, it does feel very alone. (Perhaps that's one reason I started blogging about it off LJ, because I needed a more removed space to 'think') It's reassuring to know that it's not just me who feels the pain and discomfort that goes along with speaking out, noticing things, and sometimes calling people on it. Thank you!

I hope you don't mind that I've added you as a friend so I can keep track of your thought-provoking posts. ^^

[oyceter]

Hi! It is always nice to know people read older posts! And so very yes to the scariness of when you just start speaking out -- even now, over a year after this post, it's still scary for me, still hard to decide when to call people out and when I'm just too tired to keep arguing.

And I don't mind at all! Welcome ^_^.