Imagine: You’re born and raised in Clayton Park by East Indian parents. By your own smarts, you get into university on a full scholarship. On your first day, your professor mispronounces your name and then your classmate asks where you’re from. You answer, “Clayton Park.” She leans in: “But where are you really from?”
For some visible minorities, these inhospitable challenges to identity happen every day. Earlier this month, Dalhousie students Ntombi Nkiwane and Catherine Cane began approaching peers to photo-chronicle such racial micro-aggressions that students of colour experience on campus. Inspired by a similar movement at Harvard University, quickly copied by other institutions, for How Would You React? (howouldyoureact.tumblr.com), Nkiwane and Cane ask students to write down the most ignorant but most common and prevalent remarks made to them based on their physical appearances, race or language. The results reveal a variety of cultural prejudices.
“The How Would You React? campaign highlights that there is still a big problem at Dalhousie, in Nova Scotia and Canada,” says Nkiwane. “There are political, economic and socio-economic factors that still systematically disenfranchise people of colour. This needs to stop. Students at Dalhousie and in Nova Scotia are too quiet. We need to stop being apathetic and combine our efforts to create change.”
As contributions to the project continue to roll in, Nkiwane is more surprised that some of the comments are made by professors in classes. “But faculty, too, live in a society that perpetuates racism on all levels,” she says. “I was not surprised with what I heard from students because, as a black woman, I face the bare-brunt of intersectional oppression and marginalization. We need to mobilize.”
With no official response from Dalhousie, Nkiwane and Cane plan to petition administrators to enhance cultural sensitivity on campus, from increased enrolment of students of colour to cultural sensitivity workshops and “less Westernized” events. Over 40,000 Nova Scotian residents identify as visible minorities and some are still asked where they’re from. “Just because someone is not white does not mean they are not Canadian. Much attention needs to be shed on racism, in and out of the classroom.”
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2014.
People ask me “where I’m really from” when they see my name. I think “micro-aggression” is what we used to call ignorance/rudeness. And it certainly depends on how the question is phrased and how nicely it is asked. “My what a lovely accent you have, do you mind if I ask where it comes from?” or “You have a wonderful name, where does it come from” are usually not interpreted as aggressive, bothersome or racist. They’re no different than commenting on someone’s beautiful broach, height or hair when done politely.
Racism in my mind implies discrimination. Making ignorant/rude, poorly phrased queries i.e. “No but where are you really from?” based on skin colour or name might be interpreted as racist but unless there is some judgement associated with it or discrimination based upon it, I don’t see it being racist. Asking about someone’s race is certainly taboo and frustrating but not necessarily racist. It’s the downside to not looking the same as the majority, wherever you are on the planet.
If queried rudely, I just turn it around and start making inquiries about their name, origins, background. Few people or their ancestors emigrated to North America in first class with bags full of cash because they were doing so well back home, and not knowing about one’s own ancestry while questioning someone else’s can also provide fodder for sport.
Perhaps I’m wrong but I believe coping skills are a more obtainable goal than perfection.
Me: “I’m an army brat. I went to 4 different schools in 3 provinces growing up.”
Member of the Voice of (Some) Women:” Did you have an abusive childhood?
Me:” WTF?”
or
South Asian Customer in Barrington St. 2nd Hand Bookstore: “Where is your New Age section?”
Me: “We don’t have one”
S.A. Customer: “Oh, is the owner a Christian?”
Me: ?????????????
What doubtful said – “Coping skills”
The first paragraph of the article really fails to give any evidence to the validity of it’s claimed content. I mean, really, there’s more important things in life to get worked up over then “your prof mispronouncing your hard to pronounce (for English speakers) name” or someong asking you where you’re from. Stop manufacturing drama.
As someone who gets asked “Where are you from originally?” at least a dozen times a year because of the colour of my skin, you need to let that shit roll off your back. They aren’t being racist, they are being ignorant. It doesn’t mean they have bad intentions.
If you would stop being such a reactionary dickwad, and asked them where *they* are from, you’ll often get people responding proudly that their family was originally from Ireland, or they’re half German, half Polish. Sure there are true “Canadians”, but unless you are aboriginal, you have heritage from somewhere else. People just want something to talk about that’s not the weather.
If these “micro-aggressions” are what make you mad, you’re not going to go far in life. Suck it up and stop being such a whiny fuck.