Skip to main content

A View from the Middle

“What are you?”  People of color have so much beef with this question and for good reason. At its heart it is an inquiry rooted in ignorance and misunderstanding of race, culture and the scope of human diversity. Regardless, it is a question that I have asked myself time and time again as a part of a long process of developing my identity as a mixed-race person. That being said, I am not mixed in that my parents are of different races. As I have thought about who I am, I have started to redefine what it means to be a mixed race person.

Phenotypically I am brown skinned, black haired, and brown eyed; and while I lived in Ecuador as an exchange student, friends and family referred to me as “negrito” from time to time. By this standard I am a person of color without a doubt. People still ask me “what are you” or “where do you come from” because of my initial appearance and I have come to understand the implications of my being a POC as I navigate PLU. 

 On the other hand, my learned culture is that of the dominant class. I was adopted from Colombia at 3 months by Caucasian parents (whom I love very dearly) into a rural town in southern Minnesota; and while they did their best to help me connect to the other side of my heritage as a Colombian (bilingual schooling, culture camps, attempts at cooking cultural cuisine) there is no replacement for truly being a part of that community. As a result, I grew up in an affluent, upper middle class household that afforded me all the privileges and socialization of Caucasians.  

 What am I then? Who do I owe allegiance to? How can I balance my identities when I know the horrible extent to which one has oppressed the other?  How much of the struggle can I claim? Does this make me an ally or a leader in the struggle?  There are no simple answers and I am still (and always will be) in the process of figuring it out.  These questions are not only important to me but will be a topic of discussion that increases in relevance as the demographics of the US begin to undergo massive shifts due to trends that indicate a Latino majority by 2043. Acculturation and assimilation will create a generation of young people who will have to deal with these same issues and questions. Being able to incorporate these new identities into our communities and developing models that are applicable to their experiences will be essential to helping us understand what it means to be a POC in a changing world. 
Theo Hofrenning

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alumni Spotlight: Troy Andrade 2007

Troy J. H. Andrade is a 2007 graduate with a BA in Economics and Political Science, and a minor in Music.  As a student, Troy was heavily involved in The dCenter’s Rieke Leadership Program.  In fact, Troy created the Rieke Leadership Award poster that hangs in the dCenter today (right next to the bookcase, check it out!)  Troy is originally from Manoa Hawaii and still remains close to many of his friends from PLU. Troy, Jackie (Sasaki) ('07), and Noah What type of work are you doing and why is it important to you? I am currently an attorney at McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, LLP, where I specialize in complex commercial litigation, administrative law, and appeals in both state and federal courts.  Working as one of two Native Hawaiian attorneys in a prestigious and large law firm provides me with a unique opportunity to educate my colleagues on the socio-historic and political struggles of the Native Hawaiian people when dealing with issues sensitive to ...
1 comment
Read more

A Reverse Mission Trip in El Paso, Texas

Mathew 5:13-16 13  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all   who are   in the house.   16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – NKJV We rested in the sanctuary of Iglesia Luterana Cresto Rey in El Paso Texas, for a small worship service beginning our last reflection of our Border Immersion experience. Pastora Rosa led us by asking two questions. Who has been a light for us in our journey? Who has made an impact on you this week? How could I possible summarize my experience engaging in a community when I had learned so much? It was only seven days earlier t...
1 comment
Read more

#WeAreOrlando

Devastated about what happened in Orlando last night. We are lucky to live in a country where we finally have equal legal rights, but the fight for acceptance and equality did not end with the Supreme Court decision last year. Homophobia continues to be a harmful and dangerous ideology that is taught - yes, taught - and passed on from one generation to the next. It is espoused by politicians in power, it is preached from the pulpit, and it's passed from parents to their children any time they tell them homosexuality is wrong, or think that depictions of gay couples in books or movies are inappropriate for children, or when they teach their kids to "love the sinner but hate the sin." This disguised insult perpetuates the idea that our families are wrong, dirty, and shameful. All for something we had no choice in and for loving someone of the same sex.
Post a Comment
Read more