There's no paper-bag test or blood quantum checklist at the door, though; the unicorn roundup is all about asserting our own existence and cultural self-identification, despite geeky interests (and participation in a geeky online medium) where the prevailing assumptions are that the overwhelming majority of F&SF fannish sorts are white (and probably American, and except in certain female-dominated corners like LJ, largely male...)
Now, if you don't feel like that's your place because your cultural upbringing and sense of identity are primarily white, that's fine; but if you do identify as mixed/multiracial/etc., please don't feel like you shouldn't participate just because there have been people who assume you are white. There's are some insidiously subtle forms of racism that are directed at those of us who don't fit into the neat little pigeonholes of how POC are expected to look and talk and behave, and for me at least, refusal to allow myself to be pressured into being complicit with my own erasure is an important act of resistance, even if it's also deeply wearying.
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branchandroot
Re: This is epically cool.
Date: 2009-08-15 09:51 pm (UTC)Now, if you don't feel like that's your place because your cultural upbringing and sense of identity are primarily white, that's fine; but if you do identify as mixed/multiracial/etc., please don't feel like you shouldn't participate just because there have been people who assume you are white. There's are some insidiously subtle forms of racism that are directed at those of us who don't fit into the neat little pigeonholes of how POC are expected to look and talk and behave, and for me at least, refusal to allow myself to be pressured into being complicit with my own erasure is an important act of resistance, even if it's also deeply wearying.