So on watching the videos on other racial perspectives, I had a few thoughts. As far as reflecting on my own Racial identity, Whiteness is kind of invisible. I don't feel very connected to white culture or even know what it is much. It is the norm. I think I connect much more to Jewish culture and my faith and ethnicity's beliefs as a religious minority than to White culture itself. I think light colored skin has impacted me in that systematically I am privileged. While in the past, my ancestors came to this country poor, they were able to build wealth over time and now I am upper middle class, or at least my family is. I was fortunate to have my parents help me with tuition and to attend a top graduate program in my field. I think just day to day not having to deal with the harassment of police and being treated as the norm rather than the exception has impacted me. I think the perspectives of other racial groups that impacted me were just how diffuse their identities are too. For both Latino and Asian videos several people felt like their identities had been diffused and almost erased by our culture. This made me so sad because I've always been interested in other cultures and am kind of a geek for Asian culture, particularly Japanese, but I appreciate Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian cultures too. It makes me sad that this country, the melting pot focuses more on erasure of culture and homogenization than embracing other cultures and languages. I think I also related to the difficulty of merging your culture with American culture and trying to keep both. As a Jew, I feel very connected to my culture, but it's hard with American culture, which is particularly Christian, to keep my traditions sometimes. If I want to celebrate my holidays, I have to take time off of work or school. Americans eat pork and aren't generally kosher. I think trying to navigate between both cultures is tricky. Another thing that really struck me with the videos is the video with young African American boys. I think growing up black and the experiences these young men have of being treated like they're dangerous is so sad. I was almost on the verge of tears in the video because these children are so sweet and do not deserve to be treated differently based on skin color. It also makes me sad as someone who wants to be a child and adolescent therapist that children of color have to go through that and endure a world that tells them they are dangerous or wrong or abnormal based on skin color.
Ever since I was very young I have always been interested in other cultures and religions, etc. When I took the tests earlier, I was surprised at my results. It showed I lean toward lighter skinned people. I am sure my late best friend fell over laughing at that one. Since the age of 16 I have identified with the Cherokee. My Grandmother realized my interest and taught me what it meant to be Cherokee. I asked why she never told me before . She said when she was young they kept to themselves and never spoke of the Cherokee way..it was out of shame. Since, then I have thought of myself as a person of color. I realize most people think I am white (my Father was white). It is because of that I never endured the racism my elders endured. I have had the advantage of "White Privilege". I have faced racism only once. In high school a young Nazi found out I was part Cherokee and grabbed me just before one of my classes and threatened to kill me. My best friend in high school was one of our football players. He was more like a brother to me. By the way, he was Black. He threw him against the wall and gave him a warning about coming near me, again. I have always been drawn to people in the Black community. As an adult my late best friend, who was also Black, taught me what it meant for her and her children to be Black in America. We had to stand up for each other many times.