questions of the day

 Are you colorblind? Do you try to be colorblind?

Not exactly. I probably was when I was younger, but not know. I tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the ramifications of race and ethnicity so I'm more aware of it than not.

 When did you become aware of your race or ethnicity? Can you name a time, either in a social setting or academic setting, when someone made you aware of your race or ethnicity?

I'm not really sure. Maybe when I was in kindergarten because I had a good friend who was African-American and was around foreign students quite a bit, so the spectrum of human difference became wider then. I think before that, the odds that I was around people of different races and ethnicities were pretty low. After that I lived in Japan and it was a pretty constant thing that I was always aware of. Then I lived in the south and was aware of it all the time.

 Do you think reverse racism exists? If so, is it justified?

I think some people definitely fall into that group. I've even had good talks with some of them. Although I can understand where they got their attitude from (bad experiences) and why they might feel that way, I don't agree with it. I realize though that that's the only way some people know how to deal with the world and protect themselves from being hurt and misunderstood all the time, but I think they end up hurting themselves just as much as anyone else. I think Malcolm X is a good example here of overcoming that kind of mindset. Unfortunately he was assassinated for it. I think a lot of the time, it's about being the bigger person...or maybe just learning to see people as individuals, not as a group. Come to think of it, the stereotyping of a whole group is what causes the problem in the first place...


 Do you believe that as long as someone works really hard, he/she is able to achieve anything in our society?

No, because to me life is like a race (pardon the pun) where some of the contestants get to use a motor cycle, others ride a bike, most run, but some have no legs, or have to carry a 60lb backpack, or are chained to the starting gate and can only run so far before they get pulled back. Having certain advantages makes it easier to do what you want. Having certain disadvantages makes it a whole lot harder. Does that mean you should lie down and give up? Probably not, but don't beat yourself up if you don't come in first. At the same time, don't look down on the guy with no legs while you're riding that motorcycle to the finish line.

 Does discrimination still exist today? Have you experienced it? Have you made someone a victim of it?

It definitely does--whether its blatant or subtle. As a woman, I have experienced some myself. I would like to think I don't discriminate against people intentionally. Accidentally? Who knows. It's not something I try to do because I know it's hurtful and ugly.

 What is the purpose of education? To go to college? To hold students until they are adults? To prepare people for the real world?

To me, the purpose of education is not really any of those things. Education as I see it is merely the work of personal empowerment. What that means to different people is bound to vary. I think most people view education in a very narrow way and think it's about going to college or preparing for a job. It can do those things but it's ultimately about a lot more than either of them. It's about preparing yourself to deal with life and learning how to make informed choices.

 What kinds of privileges exist in our society? How many of those do you experience?

I couldn't begin to catalog the privileges that I take advantage of on a daily basis.
And of course all of them are totally unfair and I definitely don't deserve them.

 How have your privileges shaped who you are today?

It's kind of a mixed bag with me because I've lived on both sides of the fence and see a lot of things differently than most people. I think the main effect is that I'm more aware of inequality now.

 Are you proud of the type of person you are right now?

Most of the time. Then I'll hear about someone's heroic struggle and thing, damn I'm slacking...or I shouldn't even have the nerve to complain about this thing and that one.