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So I want to discuss something super complicated that I have a lot of feelings about and I hope that everyone can discuss this with an open heart and mind without malice.
I want to talk about White Assimilation and the myth of the model minority.
Lets start with the facts:
- I am a Mexican-American woman who is half white and 100% white passing in the region of which I reside.
- I was kept from my cultural heritage by my family intentionally.
Lets start with the facts:
- I am a Mexican-American woman who is half white and 100% white passing in the region of which I reside.
- I was kept from my cultural heritage by my family intentionally.
I understand that people are upset by the idea/myth of the model minority. They are not wrong. Even as a white passing minority who spent half of her life surrounded by white people, I knew I was never fully accepted as "one of them" and that I never would be.
The facts are, the concept of a model minority is harmful, however, that doesn& #39;t change the fact that many white people could still be exhibiting a "model minority bias" toward folks like myself, which perpetuates harmful practices like COLORISM.
I benefit from not just white people, but ALL PEOPLE having a subconscious bias in favor of light skinned people. People want to hire me for projects because I am seen as "one of the good ones" provided that I continue to fall in line and never challenge them.
It& #39;s important that we acknowledge the demands of white assimilation and how that impacts the way people are treated. Do they "act" white enough? Are they "speaking english" all the time?
I acknowledge that I benefit from my parents forcing white assimilation on me.
I acknowledge that I benefit from my parents forcing white assimilation on me.
It can be true that being a model minority is a myth because of the simple fact that every white person has a different idea of where the finish line is and they LOVE to move that finish line, while at the same time, the stereotype can inflict harmful biases in our society.
I benefit from being light skinned. I benefit from speaking English as a first language. I benefit from being born in an 85% white county in a 69% white state where I pass as a white person. I am exposed to and understand their culture. I benefit from all of that.
It doesn& #39;t make me a "model minority" but it also doesn& #39;t erase the fact that I controlled 0 of those factors and neither does anyone else. We all need to make a collective effort to fight anti-Blackness and colorism together.
I& #39;m learning more every day and and I am committed to doing better, starting first by being a better listener. I acknowledge my privileges and the power that comes with those privileges.
I owe it to my community to use those responsibly. I hope we can all have more nuanced discussions and I know twitter isn& #39;t always the best place for it, but it is the place where I have the most reach and the most opportunity to make a difference.
