Here is an old piece, but it’s not a reprint. This article was first conceived for an anthology on multiracial identity, but I missed the deadline. It was eventually rewritten for a magazine’s special on “skin,” but needless to say, it was immediately rejected. It’s no use crying about “censorship.” I’ve got my own blog!
It was sometime in the late ‘80s, back before biracial was cool. My younger sisters and I grew up without a television, so as to keep us safe from its negative influences, but our parents did let us watch preapproved videos. One of our favorites was Hal Roach’s Our Gang, or The Little Rascals as it’s better known. The only downside was that we kids often misunderstood what was going on just as much as the kids in the show.
Case in point: “The Kid from Borneo,” in which the main characters mistake a freakshow star “Wild Man” as their uncle George, the “black sheep” of the family. After viewing it a few times, I was still extremely confused by the scene in which the mother comes face to face with the half-naked African.
“Mom,” I asked, “if they’re brother and sister, why is she screaming? Don’t they recognize each other?”
My mother’s look defined “flabbergasted.” “What?” she asked.
I must have looked confused.
“That man is black!” she squeaked out.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Those kids are white!”
“So…?” My sisters and I looked at each other. So what if some white kids have a black uncle? Wasn’t that…normal?
Mom looked helpless, probably wondering where she’d gone wrong in raising us. While offensive to her, that episode allowed me to form a special bond with Dickie, Dorothy, and Spanky. Sure, our friends might think our families are strange, but we mixed kids know how to weather through it.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Staring Discrimination in the Face
Another Hubpages reprint (August 5, 2009). Lest you think I’m dwelling on the past, note that this situation happened to me twice again, early last year before I landed my present job. My circumstances were very different by that time, but the outcomes of the interviews were essentially the same.
I Just Don’t Like Its Looks:
Yesterday, for the very first time - that I’m aware of, that is – I was a victim of discrimination while on the job market. Why was I refused employment? Was it racial discrimination? No. In fact, I strongly suspect that my “mixed-ness” might have even given me an advantage in this particular case. Was it sexual discrimination? Well, there’s no reason to waste time with an in-person interview since he would’ve had considerable evidence that I was female after a few e-mails and phone calls. Besides, this job required a lot of tedious, repetitive work...quite like a lot of “women’s work.” I’d be surprised if a lot of men had applied anyway.
Was it age discrimination? If you post a job on craigslist that would only appeal to retirees and college students on summer break, you can’t be too choosy. I’m not a veteran. I’m a native-born citizen. And nothing related to political affiliation, marital status, or religious views came up in the conversation. No, the employer discriminated against me because I was over-qualified.
The Story:
I had a summer position lined up, but conflicts with school forced me to decline it. So, I’ve spent all summer in great need of cash, having no luck because (1) positions I would’ve possibly gotten were closed months ago, (2) I don’t possess highly-demanded skills for low-wage jobs, (3) employers don’t want to hire someone who’s planning on leaving soon, and (3) employers don’t take me seriously because someone so well-educated can’t possibly want a “such-and-such job”! Of course, I really need a job right now. I’m willing to break out of my usual part-time job routine and do something very different because I needed the money. For example, I applied to a number of retail jobs...and was rejected every time.
So you can imagine how happy I was to find a temporary job that required the very skills I had, although it was low-paying and not intellectually stimulating. After a phone interview that went very well, I went to the in-person one feeling like a million dollars. I had years of experience doing exactly what the employer wanted done. I felt that my PHD candidacy was actually an asset in this case, unlike with other interviews for low-wage jobs. I also had a great excuse for why I wanted to take the assignment: To get more practice! This one was definitely in the bag...NOT!
He took one look at my resume and CV – neither of which he’d taken the time to actually read beforehand – and announced, “You're an academic. You shouldn’t have a job like this.” Say what? Apparently, my teaching experience, research, and publications, not impressive by any means from a real academic’s point of view, convinced him that this was not the job for me. Well, shouldn’t I be the one to determine that? I was willing to do the work needed and accept the pay offered. And I had the skills to do it far more efficiently in far less time than anyone else who applied, I’m quite sure.
So, yes, I’m a victim of discrimination. The employer made no attempts to hide that fact. To make it worse, he thought he was doing me a favor! Try telling that to the credit card companies.
I Just Don’t Like Its Looks:
Yesterday, for the very first time - that I’m aware of, that is – I was a victim of discrimination while on the job market. Why was I refused employment? Was it racial discrimination? No. In fact, I strongly suspect that my “mixed-ness” might have even given me an advantage in this particular case. Was it sexual discrimination? Well, there’s no reason to waste time with an in-person interview since he would’ve had considerable evidence that I was female after a few e-mails and phone calls. Besides, this job required a lot of tedious, repetitive work...quite like a lot of “women’s work.” I’d be surprised if a lot of men had applied anyway.
Was it age discrimination? If you post a job on craigslist that would only appeal to retirees and college students on summer break, you can’t be too choosy. I’m not a veteran. I’m a native-born citizen. And nothing related to political affiliation, marital status, or religious views came up in the conversation. No, the employer discriminated against me because I was over-qualified.
The Story:
I had a summer position lined up, but conflicts with school forced me to decline it. So, I’ve spent all summer in great need of cash, having no luck because (1) positions I would’ve possibly gotten were closed months ago, (2) I don’t possess highly-demanded skills for low-wage jobs, (3) employers don’t want to hire someone who’s planning on leaving soon, and (3) employers don’t take me seriously because someone so well-educated can’t possibly want a “such-and-such job”! Of course, I really need a job right now. I’m willing to break out of my usual part-time job routine and do something very different because I needed the money. For example, I applied to a number of retail jobs...and was rejected every time.
So you can imagine how happy I was to find a temporary job that required the very skills I had, although it was low-paying and not intellectually stimulating. After a phone interview that went very well, I went to the in-person one feeling like a million dollars. I had years of experience doing exactly what the employer wanted done. I felt that my PHD candidacy was actually an asset in this case, unlike with other interviews for low-wage jobs. I also had a great excuse for why I wanted to take the assignment: To get more practice! This one was definitely in the bag...NOT!
He took one look at my resume and CV – neither of which he’d taken the time to actually read beforehand – and announced, “You're an academic. You shouldn’t have a job like this.” Say what? Apparently, my teaching experience, research, and publications, not impressive by any means from a real academic’s point of view, convinced him that this was not the job for me. Well, shouldn’t I be the one to determine that? I was willing to do the work needed and accept the pay offered. And I had the skills to do it far more efficiently in far less time than anyone else who applied, I’m quite sure.
So, yes, I’m a victim of discrimination. The employer made no attempts to hide that fact. To make it worse, he thought he was doing me a favor! Try telling that to the credit card companies.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
10 Reasons Why That ‘Advice’ Book Might Be Junk
Another blast from the past: This is a reprint from back in my Hubpages days (August 6, 2009).
10 Reasons Why That “Advice” Book Might Be Junk: So sell it on eBay and buy another...
1. Finding a Mate: The author is and always has been single. These are especially depressing to find.
2. Fashion: The author promotes monogramming. Despite what some people would like to believe, it’s never been stylish.
3. Etiquette: It tells you that the best thing to do is to use your intuition – “just be polite” - without really giving any defining guidelines. If we knew how to do that, we wouldn't have bought the book!
4. Interior Decorating: The author is a slave to the “accent wall” and can’t recommend anything original.
5. Beauty: The author actually says that there’s one “correct” eyebrow shape...and that it works for all women regardless of differences in the shape and size of their heads and facial features. Don’t let her get anywhere near my face!
6. Internet Dating: Don’t reveal religious or political views or life-time goals too soon? Gee, maybe if you’re upfront from the very beginning, you’ll attract like-minded people and scare off others with whom you might otherwise have wasted a lot of Inbox storage space.
7. Makeup: Denies the existence of undertones and, therefore, advises light-skinned blacks, medium-skinned Hispanics, and dark-skinned Asians to use the same color foundation. Run and hide!
8. Getting Out of Debt: Pay it off. Umm...Excuse me. DUH!
9. Small Business: Encourages the reader to get involved in a “pyramid scheme” by insisting that sales experience or knowledge in the subject aren’t necessary to become a successful independent “business owner.” The brutal truth is that you must know how to sell something to be successful, and no one really wants to buy from someone who can’t be trusted to know the industry.
10. Getting Your Prayers Answered: It tells you that you must pray a specific prayer, either one found in the Bible or one personally created by the enlightened author. This turns religion into mere spell-casting and can’t explain why so-and-so’s genuine, heart-felt (but non-conforming) prayer got a favorable response.
10 Reasons Why That “Advice” Book Might Be Junk: So sell it on eBay and buy another...
1. Finding a Mate: The author is and always has been single. These are especially depressing to find.
2. Fashion: The author promotes monogramming. Despite what some people would like to believe, it’s never been stylish.
3. Etiquette: It tells you that the best thing to do is to use your intuition – “just be polite” - without really giving any defining guidelines. If we knew how to do that, we wouldn't have bought the book!
4. Interior Decorating: The author is a slave to the “accent wall” and can’t recommend anything original.
5. Beauty: The author actually says that there’s one “correct” eyebrow shape...and that it works for all women regardless of differences in the shape and size of their heads and facial features. Don’t let her get anywhere near my face!
6. Internet Dating: Don’t reveal religious or political views or life-time goals too soon? Gee, maybe if you’re upfront from the very beginning, you’ll attract like-minded people and scare off others with whom you might otherwise have wasted a lot of Inbox storage space.
7. Makeup: Denies the existence of undertones and, therefore, advises light-skinned blacks, medium-skinned Hispanics, and dark-skinned Asians to use the same color foundation. Run and hide!
8. Getting Out of Debt: Pay it off. Umm...Excuse me. DUH!
9. Small Business: Encourages the reader to get involved in a “pyramid scheme” by insisting that sales experience or knowledge in the subject aren’t necessary to become a successful independent “business owner.” The brutal truth is that you must know how to sell something to be successful, and no one really wants to buy from someone who can’t be trusted to know the industry.
10. Getting Your Prayers Answered: It tells you that you must pray a specific prayer, either one found in the Bible or one personally created by the enlightened author. This turns religion into mere spell-casting and can’t explain why so-and-so’s genuine, heart-felt (but non-conforming) prayer got a favorable response.
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