On paper, this organization was excited to interview me — a multiracial immigrant who grew up and still resides in the community and identifies with key stakeholders. However, in the interview, I could sense that they were disappointed because I may not have appeared Black or Brown enough for them.
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Do you want to know what happened for most of those organizations? They read some books. They attended some trainings. They may have even hired or promoted a Black or Brown leadership team member or two. But that was the extent of it for many of them. Do any of these steps even matter if representation is not actually taking place? You must ask yourself why am I in this role — am I a token for diversity or am I a representation of diversity?
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Our names are sacred. They are part of our identities and are our connection to our culture, our family and our ancestors. In many cultures, names have honorable meanings and stories behind them. Cultural denigration is the diminishing of a culture that is perceived as inferior to the dominant culture, and it is one component of systemic racism.
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I was eight years old and had a scantron in front of me. The teacher was explaining how to complete our identifying information. I nervously raised my hand. “Well, my mom is Filipino, and my dad is white. I’m both. It says you can only select one response. What should I do?” She answered, “Pick the one you feel the most like today,” and kept moving on. How does an eight-year-old child pick which of their identities to identify with on any given day?
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