Introduction

         In my junior year second semester, I took a Race and Ethnicity class with Dr. Alessandra Williams. It was a pleasure to learn more about what race and ethnicity really are, to get to know myself more, and to also get to know my classmates more. In this artifact, which was my midterm part two, we were instructed to interview someone with a different race and/or ethnicity than us and learn about our differences, what makes our differences important, and how we can learn from them and each other. I am now writing this a little over a year later, after learning more and rereading my writing, I have noticed more than I did then. I now notice how power dynamics play in these situations more. The learning objectives that can be connected to this piece of writing are one and two. One: Articulate insights about their own identities in multiple contexts within respect to factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and ability. Throughout the entire paper I continue to grow and develop more of who I view and feel myself to be. This includes my race, gender, ethnicity, class, and sexuality. I had a whole semester to reflect on who I am and where I feel like I belong. It was not easy, and you’ll be able to read that for yourself. Two: Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts necessary for intercultural knowledge and competence, such as privilege/power and social construction of identity. It is clear in this midterm that I was able to demonstrate knowledge and competence of not only my social construction of identity but display knowledge of Aryce's as well. I was able to reflect on the privilege and power inequalities played between just our two lives, and although not stated in the paper, reflected further on my own about the ongoing privilege and power at play in our society.

Midterm Part Two: Interview with Aryce Huffman

         It should be to no one's surprise that the majority of the United States government and citizens are obsessed with its citizens’ race, gender, and ethnicity but not necessarily in that order. Citizens are worried about who their neighbors are, the government is worried about who and where their money is being allocated. To some people, such as myself, they do not understand what the fuss about gender, race, and ethnicity is all about. We see things as people are people, they deserve human decency, and equal opportunity for all. We are all human and we are all just trying to make a living. Through the perspective and reflection of a white, heterosexual, 21 year-old, cisgender female who identifies with a distant European American ethnicity, I explore what being a white, heterosexual, female, European American descendant privilege gets you in America with specific reference to the lived experiences of intersectionality of a fellow student, Aryce Detra-Ann Huffman. Aryce identifies as a black, heterosexual, 20-year-old, cisgender female who identifies with her Nigerian-American ethnic roots.

         As stated above, I am a cisgender female. That is, I identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. That is not to say that I am solely feminine in my actions and ideologies. I have always had some masculine actions and behaviors while growing up. Once I got into school, I knew this separated me from other girls because they weren’t as inclined to play with the guys at recess but as long as I was active and aggressive, I was having fun. So, as you can imagine, I grew up to express some pretty masculine actions until about halfway through middle school, and that made me even more separated from the girls in my class. In addition, I tended to dress more masculine than feminine, my body actions were more masculine, and my values were different than most girls my age and even to this day. Through these differences in my actions from the girls in my classes, I was able to see more and more the gender norms become solidified. A few examples of the differences include but are not limited to, many of the girls in my class were passive aggressive, they were all thinking about boyfriends and marriage, of course some started to have baby fever. I on the other hand, was possibly too brutally honest like many of the guys were able to be, I was not always worried about boys, I have not planned my wedding yet to this day, and I personally do not see kids anywhere in my near future.

         It was not until high school that I realized the true inequalities between the men and women. Not just in the actions that each gender is expected to act out, but inequalities that can greatly determine the quality of life someone has. This includes but is not limited to the pay gap, which jobs are socially acceptable for women versus males to have, and how women are more likely to be sexually harassed. I then learned about feminism, what the movement stands for and of course, like any young person, I wanted to do better, be better. So, I labeled myself as a feminist. From this point on, I had always thought I had it bad being a female, but I learned that since I am white, I have it much easier than other females around the country and the world. However, I was a newly proclaimed feminist that can help move America in the right direction.

         I have since learned that the feminist movement(s) were fighting for equality but still segregated by deeply held racist beliefs that have been around in the United States for centuries. Black feminist groups such as the National Black Feminist Organization (NBFO) and the Combahee River Collective (CRC) addressed issues affecting black women in America, specifically highlighting that the (white) feminist movement was not addressing their needs. Duchess Harris refers to this in her Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Clinton, that “During the six years of its [Combahee River Collective] existence, its members worked on a variety of issues that affected the Black women, including racism in the women’s movement.¹” It is sad to think racism is so ingrained in our society that even in movements for equality, it was equality for the white women.

         As a white woman, I will never know what it is like to have the compounded minorities lived experience and all the fears and discrimination that comes with it. I can only know what I read, such as Harris’ reflection to the problem of segregated feminists and feminism. However, through Aryce’s lived experience, I was able to get a little insight on the intersectionality of being black and female. She has always considered herself female and states she never felt anything other than feminine. “I have never felt I wasn't a female. I’ve always felt like I wanted to dress like a female, or I guess, act like a female as people would say however we think females act, that’s mostly how I act”⁴. Although she admitted she has not faced backlash or discrimination on the basis of being just female yet in her lifetime, she does expect that it will come more with entering the workforce. “It is something that I’ve been waiting for because I feel like, if not most of us, all of us women have or will receive backlash just because society has learned to not take us seriously. And we’re always being compared to “the man” and the man is always looked at as superiors. So, it’s something that I’m expecting sooner or later but hopefully never”⁴.

         Later in the interview, we discussed more about discrimination and Aryce mentioned, “Then it turns into well dang, now I’m black, I’m a woman…,” and discussed other identities that are considered the minority. Although I can reflect on readings from those who have lived experiences of compound discrimination, it hits differently and fully sinks in when you hear it from a fellow classmate and friend. Aryce defines her race as black and it’s easy for her to identify with that because she’s known about race her whole life, even though her family does not discuss sensitive topics as such. Aryce was willing to open up and share about a close friend of hers being discriminated against on campus. Their freshmen year, her friend had racial slurs written on her whiteboard in the dorms. This is something I, as a white, female student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, have never had to think about or experience, even second hand, like many black and African American people do when it comes to prejudices, discrimination, and hate crimes. After going through that experience, Aryce is on edge, rightfully so, and does not feel comfortable walking around on campus anymore.

         I asked her if she would feel more comfortable attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, because it is a more diverse city, even though it is one of, if not the most, segregated city in the United States. She replied, “Definitely…  Milwaukee is diverse, [that] does not mean that there still aren't racists, discriminatory, or prejudice people but I do believe that those people, they stay prejudice. Like if you’re prejudice, you have thoughts, you don’t try to force those thoughts on to anyone else, you don’t bring those inside thoughts to the outside. And I feel like those people know how to deal with it more because of where they are and where they’ve been in Milwaukee if that makes sense?⁴” Her answer surprised me to a certain extent. How it can be so segregated, yet Aryce would still feel more comfortable in that environment because of the intention that those people grew up with bottling it up, more or less, and they know how to contain their racist ideologies. That to me is messed up, it just goes to prove that racism is still very prevalent today, it is ingrained in our society so much that we may not even recognize racist actions as racists actions because it is at such a subconscious level of the majority of us.

         I had the pleasure of attending Crystal Fleming’s lecture on campus. It was really eye opening to see what racism is today and how it is truly imbedded it is in our subconscious and everyday lives, so much that most do not even recognize it anymore. Normally when I think of racism, I think of Hispanics and Asians not African Americans, and maybe that’s because I’d hoped or thought America was past that. Such as, I thought we were past white supremacy in America, but Fleming states that is a myth. In reality, “white supremacy is the only type of racism that has ever been institutionalized in the United States.” Racism has been taught in textbooks for hundreds of years, that these racist actions by white people were/are not only acceptable but morally good. We see now that these appalling racist actions such as slavery and lynching are being taken out of textbooks, out of either embarrassment or disbelief, I’m unsure but what I do know is that we cannot learn from our mistakes if we do not know about our mistakes. Fleming also talked about how if you aren’t getting push back, or if you’re not uncomfortable, you are not doing enough. Racism is not an instance where ignorance is bliss. It is something that has been around for centuries and sadly will probably never go away. The first step to changing the systematic racism is to become educated. To be educated about the centuries of oppression that African Americans had to go through, the years and years of slavery and lynching, the politics behind it all, and so much more. The only way I will be able to make a difference, is to first become educated, become an ally, and use my white privilege to stand up for what is right. Even though I come from a small, primarily white town, I do not have to keep the cycle of racism going. Since I am white, I have the privilege to not be asked, “where are you from?” I do not have to explain myself, my race, or my ethnicity with others because, well frankly they do not care. However, for some white Americans, their ethnicity can be very determinate of how they live their lives, what culture they grew up in, and what traditions they practice year in and year out.

         As stated above, I define my “race” as Caucasian, or white, and I’m unsure of the differences between the two, but America is obsessed with race so there probably is a difference. Either way, I am white, almost painfully, unawaringly white. Since I was born and raised in a small, predominately white town in rural Wisconsin I have not experienced much diversity. I had a handful of Hispanics in my class and a handful of black students that I went to school with in all of my 12 years at Ripon. In Making All Black Lives Matter, Barbara Ransby has a section dedicated to the intergenerational organizing and youth leadership of the Black Lives Matter movement. Ransby discusses how the youth interacts with the older generations fighting for the movement, but I think it is important to note that those kids were knowledgeable enough about race and racism to fight for equality. I believe Aryce is knowledgeable enough about race seeing as she grew up in Milwaukee and has experienced what she has at Whitewater, whether it is first hand or second hand. I did not get the chance to ask Aryce if she is doing anything to help these organizations fight for equality, but I do believe her staying at Whitewater and not letting the racist bullies win is a step in the right direction.

         Aryce identifies as a Nigerian-American and I asked her if it meant anything to her,  “So, I guess it doesn’t mean much but it means a little bit because I do want to go there one day and it, it means a little bit also because I have met people who, have  actually, they’ve actually, it’s crazy, they recognize me [as Nigerian-American]”⁴. She does want to go to Nigeria one day and continue to learn more about her roots and ethnicity. Luckily, it sounds like she never experienced the, “Where are you from” question that is usually aimed at Hispanics and Asians, and she has never been spoken to like she does not know English, but rather it was a more supportive “where are you from/are you Nigerian” question and overall interaction. I will never have to worry about being asked where I’m from or having someone assume, I don’t know English because of my skin color and how my face looks.

         No one usually asks, but I describe my ethnicity as European American. I know that I am part English, Polish, Irish, German, French, and probably more that I am unaware of. Since I have a very diverse ethnic background, I consider myself an Americanized mutt. By that I mean, we have quite the extensive background of ethnic ties, but we have been in America for so long and not practicing traditions or other cultural values to these places that we, or I, ultimately do not feel a strong tie to these countries and cultures. Our cultural values, actions and traditions are based off of what many would consider white Christian American. This includes celebrating New Year, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day (because of our little bit of Irish background), Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. However out there my ethnicity is, I have still had the privilege to not have to tell people my race or ethnicity, I have never had to choose between my gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity because I have white privilege and because I did not grow up connected to my ethnicity. However, there are others that have this struggle. For instance, in Cherrie Moraga This Bridge Called My Back, she struggles with choosing between her sexual orientation and her ethnicity, her culture. At one point, at a lecture she was able to be herself because like her, there were other lesbian Chicana ladies in the audience. She states, “For once, I didn’t have to choose between being a lesbian and being Chicana; between being a feminist and having family.²”

         Although Aryce has not had to choose between two of her identities, she does believe that if she were homosexual, she might have to. In our interview she explained, “I can kind of make a religious connection with like, a lot of black people are Christians, and so, and if you know you’re black you're most likely Christian. If you’re Christian, you’re most likely don’t want to be in a homosexual relationship or transgender relationship. You don’t want to be transgender period, those types of things. Which I’ve never looked down upon people like that and I’ve never um judged people on that, but I feel like if I were to come out and say hey, I like women. It wouldn't, it wouldn’t go well. Then it turns into well dang, now I’m black, I’m a woman, now I like other women, and you can already see like what the backlash is of -- let's just say a white, middle class male, oh he’s a majority. Oh, now he’s gay, he's a minority.”⁴ Which I think was very enlightening, it shows that in the United States we have social norms and almost preferences for people when it comes to their race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

         We seem to think that some identities are acceptable and that some aren’t. If you do not fit in, you are likely to be considered a minority, such as if you are not white, if you are homosexual, if you practice different religions like Islam, or if you are a different ethnicity. Then you are more likely bullied, have discrimination against you, prejudice, and possible hate crimes. Aryce makes a good point that, if you identify with more than one of these ‘minorities’, for a lack of a better term, then you are looked down upon even more. Some identities weighing more heavily than others, such as the example that Aryce gave, being a white, middle class man is perfectly acceptable but as soon as he comes out as gay then his whole life changes and he is now susceptible to discrimination based on his sexual orientation. Without so many words, Aryce basically described what intersectionality is for us with this example. How we all have multiple things we identify with, whether that’s race, ethnicity, gender, work, sexuality, or class but each can make us more vulnerable and susceptible to judgement from society, our peers, and/or our family.

         Things such as race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, I have not had to think of before. If I did, it was coming from a lens of privilege. I have not been discriminated because of my race, I have never been afraid when a cop has pulled me over, and I don’t have to suffer through “What are you?” or “Where are you from?” questions. I have never had to worry about deportation, and I have never had to worry about being made fun of or harassed because of my sexual orientation. For the last 21 years, I have walked around with privilege and for a great majority, I didn't even know it. That changes now. I am now more educated than I was yesterday, and tomorrow I’ll be even more educated than I am today. I will continue to learn my own faults, and to learn from them. I will be a voice for those who don’t have the chance to have a voice because of white power. I will be better than my parents, I will do better. I am a 21-year-old, white, heterosexual, European American female and I am an ally.

Bibliography

1. Harris, Duchess. Black Feminist Politics from Kennedy to Clinton. Basingstoke, NH: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
2. Moraga, Cherríe, and Gloria Anzaldúa. This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005.
3. Ransby, Barbara. Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the Twenty-First Century. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2018.
4. Nicole Rainey, interview with Aryce Huffman, March 19, 2019.