Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, & Identity

Chapter 1’s introduction describes the authors’ interaction with Alfred and Darlene at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. After Vulchi exclaims that “it’s crazy that [this place] is part of America,” Alfred replies that, “This place is more American than any other part of America. We are more American than any other American. We were here first” (12). He also educates another visitor about the derogatory term “Eskimo.” The authors then explains how race and racism impact all areas of life: “From our televisions to our artwork to our health care, race is a cancer that impacts every part of our lives. It often determines anything from where we live, to whom we know, to how we walk through the world” (13). The authors stress the need for awareness of race’s widespread impact if change is to occur.

Chapter 1 then details the stories of 16 people. Jennifer L. describes her family’s racism toward Black people—racism that she adopted. However, she soon saw her own privilege as an Asian American person—a member of the so-called “model minority”—with light skin. She argues that white people should be less self-centered and instead ask questions like “‘how can I support you?” and “what do you need from me?” (17). Footnotes explain the model minority myth, the definitions of “stereotype” and “ally,” and the median household income for Asian Americans.

Alexa, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, details her school experiences as a light-skinned Latina and the bullying by classmates who called her “white.” After moving to a predominantly white school, she felt trapped between being too Latina for school and too white for her family. She notes how gender intersects with race, as Latina women earn even less than white women when compared to white men, and she stresses the additional difficulties that come with being undocumented. Footnotes explain code-switching and the legal education rights of undocumented immigrants.

Education can also impact racism at home, as experienced by Justin, a Latino from a low-income immigrant family. He experiences light-skinned privilege in his neighborhood while having to code-switch between his white school culture (where he experienced racism) and his home culture, where his family sometimes views him as white because of his school experience and English skills.

Queen Esther explains how race impacts perceptions of music; people are surprised that she is a Black country singer. She explains that American musical genres comes from African music: “[H]olding a banjo and singing country music was not me straying from my Blackness, but me reclaiming it” (23-24). She describes other inventions by Black people and how Black people built America. She also discusses the creation of whiteness and Blackness as a constructed dichotomy that erased enslaved people’s understanding of their own histories. Footnotes address Black women’s bodies, their rights, and slavery, as well as changes in Texas history textbooks that ignore slavery and racism.

Justin E., a Black cultural anthropologist, addresses the difference between the framing of slavery in Senegal versus the US: In Senegal, slavery is conceptualized as something in the past, whereas Black people in America are conceptualized solely in terms of their history of enslavement. He argues that white people should teach each other about racism; people of color should not bear the entire responsibility. Footnotes explain the difference between saying “Africa” and specifying a geographical location on the continent and discuss Joy DeGruy’s idea of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome,” which describes slavery’s impact on current generations.

Nick, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, has an Indigenous American mother and a Jewish father; his story considers the intersection of these two identities and its effects on his resistance and service. He discusses the impact of race on poverty, focusing on Indigenous communities, and emphasizes how the struggle for equity permeates all communities of color. Footnotes accompanying his interview describe US treaties with Indigenous nations and define racial equity.

Vic, an Asian woman, addresses the impact of race on interracial relations—namely, how Asian people attempt to create change by “being respectable” in the eyes of white people. She argues that true change occurs through community organizing. Footnotes explain the term “positionality,” Chinese communities now called “Chinatowns,” and how the first US immigration law banned women traveling from China; its purpose was to limit Chinese American infants and families from gaining citizenship, retaining Chinese Americans as laborers only.

Melina recognized her color-blindness in college and journeyed toward teaching other white people about racism. She emphasizes long-standing systems of power created by a combination of patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy and considers whether these systems should be challenged jointly. She also addresses the need to address white privilege and behavior that stems from white supremacy, noting that white people bear this responsibility. Footnotes explain Janet E. Helms’s “Model of White Racial Identity Development” and define white privilege.

Race and culture interact for Rylee, Marley, and Parker, who discuss the impact of race on them as Hawaiians and the ideas of cultural appropriation and reparations (addressed in the footnotes). Liz addresses the effects of race and culture when traveling as a Nigerian American person; she felt more racism in Europe and Australia and more comfortable in East and South Africa. The footnote provides a quote by W. E. B. Du Bois on how Black people experience “double consciousness,” or constantly viewing oneself from the dominant perspective.

Race impacts vocation, as Ed and Chef Tu demonstrate. As an African American meteorologist, Ed has helped communities of color deal with and prepare for weather disasters, and he illustrates the impact of race in this arena. Chef Tu, who is part Vietnamese, explains the influence of race on food, which connects cultures and also defines them. Footnotes cover emancipation, the number of African American meteorologists, the number of ethnic groups in Vietnam, and the number of Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam War.

Vineela and Tyler G, an interracial couple, share how race influences dating through discussion of their experiences; Vineela’s mother was hesitant about Tyler, who is white. A footnote explains the benefits of sharing stories about identity, culture, and race