| | The race posts are all the rage on Xanga right now, and in reading them, I began to realize something about myself -- I may be a bit color-blind.
Everyone says that the world should be more color-blind, and that we would all get along better if we didn't judge by the color of our skin. Obviously, that is waaay easier said than done. We judge by appearance all the time. Have you ever tried not to? I have, and I must say again -- easier said than done.
But I realized that in some cases, I have completely missed the shade of someone's skin. For example, I have a friend who is an incredibly talented musician and artist, highly intelligent in mathematics and sciences, ambitious, and a kind and thoughtful person. It never occurs to me to categorize him by his race, even though his skin is darker than mine. I think he might be Asian-American (fulfillment of typical stereotypes, anyone?) but does it matter? That's not the first thing I think of when it comes to describing him. I have another friend who is a skilled martial artist, a great leader, and a funny and friendly guy. The only reason I know that he is not native to this country is that he has a unique first name. Sure, his skin is looks like a perpetual strong summer tan, but that's not the first thing I notice when I see him. The same applies for other friends -- the only clue that I notice about their heritage is their last name. Skin color? Nah. Later I think, "Well, his last name is Hernandez... and yeah, I guess he does look Hispanic. Huh... how did I miss that?"
This supposed color-blindness doesn't apply in all cases. If I see a black guy, the first thing I think is, "That's a black guy." Maybe that's because I don't see many because I live in a very white part of America. I usually see black people in passing on the street rather than in face-to-face get-to-know-you conversations. Some might say that makes me racist. I say that I have a different perspective based on what I am exposed to every day. Is my perspective any less valid than someone who lives in a predominately black area? I don't think so. I don't think it makes me racist.
But if accused of racism, I'm NOT going to counter with, "Hey, I can't be a racist -- I have tons of friends who are minorities." I am friends with people because we get along and have common interests, NOT to fill some "I'm not a racist" friendship quota. Trying to use my friends as proof that I am not racist would prove the complete opposite.
So, in conclusion, the current topic of much conversation made me think. And I think that first impressions are not the same every time. In meeting one person, I may think, "Hey, look -- a black dude." In meeting another person, I may think, "Nice t-shirt -- I love that band, too! We have something in common!" I don't always judge by skin-color... but sometimes I do. That is my perspective on the possibility of color-blindness.
Post-post disclaimer: I'm not writing this to prove that I'm "like, totally not a racist". I'm not pointing out the diversity of the people I associate with because I think I'm better than others because of it. I don't think that, and that's not the point of this post. The point is that I discovered something about myself and the way that I think, and I wanted to put it into words to share with you. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.
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| | Posted 12/23/2008 10:44 AM - 27 Views - 6 eProps - 4 comments
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