neverwillstop:

nuestrahermana:

[Image Description: A screen cap of an ask sent to NuestraHermana. It says the following:I am starting to question my race, my ethnic identity. I don’t feel comfortable calling myself white, but I don’t feel right about calling myself a person of color. What would you say to those people who are kind of in-between, for lack of a better word, would be? The thoughts and opinions of you and your readers would be appreciated especially from others who have come from similar backgrounds. - theangryqueer]

I want to share this question with all of my POC, more specifically my mixed POC/POC who have light skin and/or are white passing. Please reply with a reblog or simply send in an ask/message!

I’ll give some background information because this is a actually a friend of mine IRL and they are a lovely queer person of color. Background wise their mother is white and their father is Mexican. Physically, they are dark haired and light skinned/white passing. 

We discussed this earlier this week because white people tend to question them in a condescending way when they find out they ID as a person of color/mexican. Pretty much telling them why would they want to do that when you “couldn’t tell” by looking at them. 

While, I can’t say I understand their experience first hand like some of you may, I personally would consider them a person of color. Person of color is political in many ways and pertains to your culture and background. 

It’d be lovely if anyone would give some feedback. 

-NH

Mmmm I’m not white-passing, but I think identity is personal, and your friend has every right to identify as a person of color since that reflects their cultural background. Just gotta be aware of their privilege. Like, are you more likely to try to get ahead in white supremacy because you pass? That’s white-identifying. If you pass and side with whiteness, I’d consider you white, just as a form of self-protection for myself.

i’m also not white passing.  i i.d. as afro-latino or afro-mexicano and some people don’t see the afro side.  so i have a huge privilege in our color obsessed culture.  it’s important for folks that are “passing” yet identify as poc to hold up the banner, if you will.  i find myself in many situations where my fellow latinos often say disparaging things about black folks and blackness and i do my best to make them aware of my identity and then of how skewed their perceptions are.  it seems like a unique role that “passing” poc have.  granted, not everyone wants that responsibility and that is completely acceptable. it’s a valuable place to be for the community if “passing” folks choose to i.d. as poc and recognize their privilege.  it is each individual poc’s choice on how they i.d.  it can be a complex journey for us mixed folks and it’s worth all the time you spend questioning where you fit in. my 10 cents.

(via nuestrahermana)