I live in California. What do I owe climate-denying Kentuckians?
In his response, the ethicist noted: “The key point is that racial categories matter to the extent that people care about them. The biological differences on which they are built – the color of our skin or the shape of our eyes – have no intrinsic social meaning, and they are placed in different classification systems in different places. … If there are cultural differences related to racial identities, it is because understanding ourselves as – and being perceived as – Black, White, or Asian plays a role in how we think about our lives and how we are perceived by others are thought and treated about us. People who imagine that race has a deeper reality may assume that there is always a right answer to what you “really are,” racially speaking. That’s just not the case. Particularly if you are a descendant of people with more than one racial identity, there is probably no clear answer to the question of how to identify, although how you look, for better or worse, will often make a difference to the way others treat you. . As for what you or your children tell others, it doesn’t seem difficult to just say that you have a Thai father and she has a Thai grandfather. Those are the facts; no rules prescribe what to think about it.” (Read the entire question and answer again here.)
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A very nuanced answer which delicately negotiates the complexities of racial and cultural identity in America. The question of course is: if the letter writer has to think about it, what is he really concerned about? A conscious effort to succeed always carries the risk that in the next generation someone will have a baby who obviously cannot pass for anything other than Asian. And this will create its own trauma that can be significant. In my opinion, being at ease with one’s own identity — however one defines it — is the most important. — Minh
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I am an Asian immigrant who married a white man. My children look like their father, but bear little resemblance to me. However, I tell my children to be proud of their white and Asian heritage. Whether someone identifies with a group of people by culture or by blood, it is their right to recognize the intersections of humanity that make us who we are. — Anne
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As a non-American I am constantly fascinated by the fixation on race in the United States. The result is that Americans are all much better at identifying and fixing racial differences than anyone else. I’m not sure if this is helpful. — Dennis
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I am a black gay man who can easily pass for white. I was raised to be proud of my black heritage and never deny it. At the same time, I grew up in a predominantly white community. Throughout my life, I have experienced both overt and covert racial hostility from white people, especially when they did not know that my father was black or that I identified as black. That is the reality of being a white POC in a white-dominant nation. The letter writer has a responsibility to support her children in claiming and knowing their full identity and how to be proud of who they are, regardless of whether they feel their identity has been erased or whether they are able to ‘ pass,” especially given the anti- The Asian attitude has emerged from the pandemic. We need more social justice warriors to fight racism and xenophobia, especially if they have a ‘stake’ in the game. — George
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The whole concept of race is simply a harmful and fairly modern invention. I don’t think it matters whether the kids identify as white or Thai, with one exception. In my opinion, the children should identify with whatever suits their needs at any given time, thus taking advantage of the artificial rules that apply to race. If they can gain admission to a university of their choice by identifying as Thai, they should definitely do so. If it suits them to identify as white, they should do so. — Marking