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What Do You Do When Someone Calls You White to Your Face?
I recently attended a professional development workshop about integrating social justice education into leadership development. I had worked in social justice and diversity education at the start of my career 25 years ago, but felt it was important to refresh my skills with current literature. That is also to say that I know and understand the language of identity and how to talk about culture.
But in that workshop, I was also reminded that sometimes people who do this type of work don’t know the language of identity or how to talk about culture.
During the break, I spoke with the woman sitting next to me. Also from Massachusetts, we were talking about what we were planning to do while visiting our West Coast location. I mentioned that I was from California and had gone to university nearby, so I was anxious about getting to eat food I knew and remembered. I specifically said that growing up Mexican in California, I missed good Mexican food that I am unable to eat in the Boston area.
She responded, “Oh I didn’t know you were Mexican. You’re so white-passing.”
Triggered.
Identity Development is Complicated
I have a complicated relationship with my Mexican identity. Not because of anything negative…
