I've literally seen people cringe when I've started talking about race. It's almost as if the subject is just not something normal people discuss. Not only that, they will not want to address disagreements we'll have on the issues. They'll nod at me, perhaps with a smile and say they understand. Do they really understand?
Why is it that many people who don't deal with issues surrounding race, sex and sexuality get very defensive and annoyed when it is brought up? I perceive that a lot of people here feel it is the other way around ... that certain liberal students are always getting upset about minor things that happen.
But take a look around and gauge the truth for yourself. Why is it these students are always bringing these ideas up? If you are not one of these students, why aren't you bringing it up? It is important to realize that some of us experience these issues everyday because of whom we are perceived to be. I know a few of my African-American and Asian-American friends experience a lot of problems just being students.
From my perspective, I have been very lucky to be white at Dartmouth. What do I mean by being white? Well, people at Dartmouth perceive me to be white. This is a privilege that I enjoy. I do not have to sit in a class and wonder if I'm the only one thinking a certain way because of my color. I don't have to wonder if someone who asks me out thinks that I'm exotic because of my color.
I don't have to worry that, when I am broke, people will stereotype all people of my color as being poor. If I break the law, I, Meylysa, am breaking the law, not all women and not all people of my color.
Because I am pretty much straight, I don't have to occasionally hear derogatory comments about my sexuality. When I don't confront people who have said something homophobic, I don't have to feel the oppression of being silenced. I don't have to feel like there is a battle to be fought, and I have lost a portion of the field. I don't have to think about whether I can hold hands with my date or whether I will come home and find hate mail.
I can consider myself an individual, instead of a woman of color. I can try to attain success for myself and not for my community. I don't have to be an example of the people of my color. If I mention issues of race, defend affirmative action or address attitudes that are homophobic, I'm not labeled as an angry minority.
When I went to high school, it wasn't this way. In my high school I was Chinese. I thought about these things a lot. It was hard not to; people threw these issues in my face. I didn't bring the issue of race into my life; being called the "Chinese girl," having kids make fun of me by pulling back their eyes and pretending to speak Chinese, having people ask me "What are you?" ... these are the things that brought race into my life.
When someone brings up the issue of race, sex, class or sexuality, it is not a time to get defensive. It is time to talk about the issue and to see why this is something that we didn't see ourselves. It is time to learn from the experience. If we got hit with these issues all of the time, like so many here do, it would not seem so absurd to hear someone mention that a comment could be considered offensive.
I am lucky, I have been considered Chinese, foreign and white. I have been in different contexts, so I can empathize with what many different communities here feel. I have the drive to address these issues. I often wonder if those without the personal experience can even perceive that there are problems.
