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2.05.2013

being

I am white. I am black. I am Native American. (I could say that in a couple of different orders, but that's the way I thought of it as I wrote and since I'm me and I'm the one writing, I get to decide.)

What does that even mean nowadays? We live in twenty first century, after all. From that perspective, my racial identity amounts to very little; I am not a slave, I haven't been driven off my land, and I don't think of myself as superior to anyone else. In fact I often feel more defined/restricted by my gender than my race. On the other hand, some things have changed very little in the last hundred years, and my racial identity is still a part of who I am. It has shaped me in tangible, distinct ways and in ways that I'm not even fully aware of. I've been thinking about my feelings on this subject for a while now but they don't feel as straight forward as most of the things that I've posted on were and therefore my writing about them is not as coherent or concise as I like it to be; but this is a start.
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5 comments:

  1. kFebruary 5, 2013 at 2:41 PM

    aaaand you are gorgeous :)

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 5, 2013 at 3:51 PM

    As someone who is white/Irish in the UK, although the latter part is a big part of my cultural identity, my race isn't something I ever really think about- except for when it's necessary to sort of check my privilege when thinking about broader race issues. The identity thing is something I find fascinating. I'm really glad this is something you've touched upon, and I'd definitely be interested in reading further if this is something you wanted to explore. Beautiful post (and, for what it's worth, beautiful photograph) xx

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  3. LindsayFebruary 5, 2013 at 10:32 PM

    You are so beautiful! I think it's awesome that you have so many cultures to consider when you're thinking about your identity. Race has definitely had an impact on my life, and I don't have such a diverse heritage as you. It's interesting to think about!

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  4. Emily Susan KimFebruary 5, 2013 at 10:46 PM

    This absolutely fascinates me! I am taking a Native American history class and have chosen to write my final paper about interracial marriages of Native Americans with other races. I would be very interested to read a full post, if you ever coherently write one! :)

    Emily
    @emilysusanphotography.com

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  5. KathrynFebruary 5, 2013 at 11:22 PM

    heritage can be a funny thing. I generally don't even think about it, or even about being Australian. who you are is so much more than that, but always built upon it. it's a subject to ponder, for sure...
    this photo is beautiful, by the way. the lines across your face, *sigh* lovely.

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Thanks for your nice words. I appreciate them so much.