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Speak Your Mind About Issues Concerning Life In A Modern Multicultural Society. Submit your "voice" to us by filling out the questionnaire and we'll consider your answers for publication in Urban Mozaik Magazine.
Here's what some of our readers have to say...
The voice of: Marcus Mose
Age: 26
Occupation: English Teacher
Birthplace: Shiprock, New Mexico
Residence: Aomori, Japan
Mother’s birthplace: Nageezi, New Mexico
Maternal grandfather: Nageezi, New Mexico
Maternal grandmother: Nageezi, New Mexico
Father’s birthplace: Pinon, Arizona
Paternal grandfather: Pinon, Arizona
Paternal grandmother: Pinon, Arizona
Do you feel that new immigrants to North America should assimilate into the mainstream?
I think they should to a point to where they feel comfortable. Also I feel strongly that the hosts should also try and assimilate to the newcomers. The rewards that could be attained when both parties try to understand and honor their differences would be beautiful.
Would your parents object to your dating or marrying a person who was a different race than you?
Fortunately my parents seem to not mind me dating freely who I choose. I have been involved in very deep relationships with women of different races other than my own (Navajo), and have had no objections from either of my parents. Many questions did arise from my parents as well as others, but nothing that could not be corrected and understood through open and honest communication.
What do you think of signs on businesses that don't have any English on them?
I have been living in Japan for a year and half, and most businesses here do not have English text to identify what their business is. At the beginning of my stay I found it difficult to get by. However, as simple as it sounds, I found that by pushing the doors open, looking around, and asking a few questions one could easily begin to understand. So I don't think it is necessary for businesses to do so. It's not so hard to open a new door.
Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or the color of your skin? Tell us about it?
Yes, many times. Recently, in Japan. Some people in Japan still mistake all Westerners (Europeans, Americans) as; tall, blonde hair, blue-eyes. So it takes me a while to explain to them that I am Native American. I often find that my co-workers who do fit the "perceived" foreigner are often treated differently than I. However, in some cases because of my physical features, culture, and values being closely rooted with Asia, I am often accepted and trusted more than my co-workers in certain situations.
Has anything, relating to race, happened lately that really bothered you?
While with my Japanese friend in a record store, he commented on how popular it is becoming for Japanese people to act like they are black people. Hip-hop is becoming quite popular in Japan and it is quite common to see young Japanese "rockin'" hip-hop inspired wear and blasting Jay-Z, The Roots, etc. on their bass stereos. I enjoy listening to Hip-hop music but I have never thought of myself as trying to be black or as acting black. I wear the same clothes, listen to hip-hop on my stereo and often use the slang in my speech. I think hip-hop is not about who created it or where it's from, but for me it's just about the feeling that I get from listening to the music. It inspires me, enlightens me and more importantly helps me to understand the world around me.
What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? And where were you when you ate it?
Natto, which is fermented soybeans. While in Japan I spent the night at a friend's place and we had natto mixed with raw egg for breakfast. It wasn't bad, just unusual!
What is your favorite "ethnic" food?
Navajo Tacos, and Gyros.
Where do you live and where have you traveled where the culture was the most different from your own?
Now I am living in Japan. When I first arrived I had a lot of trouble understanding and accepting the bureaucracies that exist in the work place. I work for a Board of Education and the order of rank is very clear. I must do whatever I am told. There are times when I felt that what I was doing was right or justified, but because I am seen as a junior in the office my views are often overlooked and discounted. However, strict as it may seem, I am honestly very happy with my work enviornment. The way that the system works is quite admirable and I believe that when I return home, what I have learned will be quite advantageous and for me in the long run.
Do you feel that you are in touch with your culture of origin?
Yes, being so far from my family and the reservation has inabled me to see how important and beautiful my culture is. I admit that I have lost a lot of it being so far away but it only makes me desire it more. I have also had the opportunity to share my culture with my community through teaching them various songs, dance and the history of my people. Let me tell you, it is a beautiful thing to see Japanese elementary school students dancing to Pow-wow music, while the Principal drums and I sing the songs!
Have you ever traveled back to the homeland(s) of your ancestors? Why not, if you haven't?
Yes, whenever I get the chance I always try to make my way home to the reservation.
In brief, describe your idea of a perfect world.
A perfect world. It's hard to imagine. I would leave everything as it is right now. All the pain and hardships that we are going through now are there for a reason, for us to learn and understand that it is up to us to realize that a perfect, peaceful world is attainable, if we would only put our fists down, take a deep breath and listen to each other openly and speak to each other honestly.
Do you or did you ever wish that you were of another race? If so, why?
No, I only wish I was taller!
Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? If so, why do you think you are?
Yes, I just like the idea of discovering something about someone else to better my understanding of the environment. A lot of my attraction is based on the physical, but there is also a spiritual, mental, and soul attraction that I am drawn to.
The voice of: Stephanie Baker
Age: 52
Occupation: Registered Nurse, Licensed Nursing Home Administrator
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut
Residence: Silver Spring, Maryland
Mother’s birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut
Maternal grandfather: New Haven, Connecticut
Maternal grandmother: New York City, New York
Father’s birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut
Paternal grandfather: Russia
Paternal grandmother: Austria
Do you feel that new immigrants to North America should assimilate into the mainstream?
I feel that tradition, customs, heritage is vitally important to cement the family together. However, in order to succeed in school and at work, some assimilation is necessary.
Would your parents object to your dating or marrying a person who was a different race than you?
Yes they would. My religious background would not allow for tolerance of this kind. Nor would they tolerate homosexuality, or my dating or marrying out of my religion.
What do you think of affirmative action and racial quotas in the workplace?
I do not believe in them. I feel the most qualified, by education accomplishments and/or skills, should earn placement.
What do you think of signs on businesses that don't have any English on them?
I feel unwelcome and perceive that they are an intentional deterent to those not of that ethnic background.
Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or the color of your skin? Tell us about it?
I have had someone assume that because of my religion that I would "protect" a coworker of the same religion. I was highly insulted for I believe that I am fair, just and non-discriminating. My first response was to be insulted that this person thought I was that so shallow but instead we spoke about it and I asked what led her to think so. This kind of misperception was like a slap in the face to me.
Has anything, relating to race, happened lately that really bothered you?
I was discussing a holiday recipe with an older, catholic, ex-school teacher. She was describing the componants of the cookie and referred to the brazil nut as "Nigger toes". I was so shocked and repulsed that talk like that exists. While visiting my inlaws who are elderly and Lutheran, a conversation ensued about our redecorating our kitchen. My husband and I were discussing the different bids and my mother-in-law asked if we "Jewed" the contractor down. I nearly fell out of my chair.
What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? And where were you when you ate it?
I will not eat anything I cannot identify or that is not in the food chain. Although, I did eat conch soup once in Nassau.
What is your favorite "ethnic" food?
Vietnamese, Italian
Where do you live and where have you traveled where the culture was the most different from your own?
I live in Maryland, USA. I have traveled in England, France, Germany, and the Carribean. The most unusual aspect was drinking coffee in these countries. I am not very adventuresome and very devoted to my American coffee - black, no cream, no sugar.
Do you feel that you are in touch with your culture of origin?
Jewish traditions, history, religion, food, holidays are very important to me. However, I have not kept in touch with my grandparents European culture.
Have you ever traveled back to the homeland(s) of your ancestors? Why not, if you haven't?
No I haven't. I am not drawn to those places. I am not drawn to Israel either. My family culture has been passed down through the traditions we follow.
In brief, describe your idea of a perfect world.
A perfect world would consist of no starvation, sufficient medication, free education, equal job/equal pay. Rewards for staying at home to raise children (to eliminate the need for two full time working parents. This is the greatest threat to the family and the future success of our children). All citizens of this planet will have a roof over their heads, clothing to keep warm and dry, food on their plates, enough income to provide these comforts, education to succeed, and freedom of religion.
Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? If so, why do you think you are?
I usually look at a person's eyes when first meeting. I have a curiosity when someone speaks with a different accent. I have not felt physicial attraction to many people of a different race based on their race...the attraction comes from how they present themself, how they speak, how they respond to me.
The voice of: Emily
Age: 24
Occupation: Americorps/VISTA volunteer
Birthplace: California
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Mother’s birthplace: China
Maternal grandfather: China
Maternal grandmother: China
Father’s birthplace: China
Paternal grandfather: China
Paternal grandmother: China
Do you feel that new immigrants to North America should assimilate into the mainstream?
People should not be forced to assimilate if they don't want to, but many find that some assimilation is necessary, even in tight-knit ethnic enclaves. Assimilation, also, should not occur at the expense of the immigrant's prior culture or lifestyle.
Would your parents object to your dating or marrying a person who was a different race than you?
Yes. They would object, because it is not what they expect for me. They would much rather I marry or date inside the race, but I do not think that they are ideologically set against my marrying or dating someone of a different race.
What do you think of signs on businesses that don't have any English on them?
It doesn't bother me. I can see how some people feel it's too inclusive or un-American, but I have no trouble going to an ethnic restaurant or store and purchasing what I need to without a problem. I appreciate businesses with these signs because they provide a true sense of a created "home away from home," which contributes to the cultural fabric of the U.S.
What do you think of affirmative action and racial quotas in the workplace?
In the workplace, the best person for the job should be selected for the job. There should not be racial quotas, yet I think hiring should strive to achieve a work force that reflects the people who live in the community.
Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or the color of your skin? Tell us about it?
Not overtly, no.
Has anything, relating to race, happened lately that really bothered you?
Yes. Since 9/11, I have had Pakistani and Indian friends tell me that they are racially profiled - followed at shopping center, etc. Also, there has been an increase in hate crimes and hate incidents against people who look Arab or Middle Eastern.
What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? And where were you when you ate it?
Pig's feet, tripe, intestine. At home.
What is your favorite "ethnic" food?
Chinese, Thai, Mexican.
Do you feel that you are in touch with your culture of origin?
I feel as in touch as I can be. In many ways I suffer from what many first generation bi-cultural people feel: not American enough vs. TOO American, and at other times not Asian enough vs. TOO Asian/foreign.
Have you ever traveled back to the homeland(s) of your ancestors? Why not, if you haven't?
Yes, briefly. I have been to Hong Kong numerous times, where the majority of my extended family has emigrated.
What percentage of your friends are able to speak another language other than English?
40% - Spanish, Farsi, Urdu, Thai, Cantonese, Hindi.
Do you or did you ever wish that you were of another race? If so, why?
When I was a pre-adolescent, I had fleeting conscious realizations that my external appearance didn't seem to match my interior. Subconsciously, I may have wanted to appear more like a white (or at least typical suburban) beauty ideal...but I never explicitly dreamed of looking like Madonna.
Do you feel uncomfortable if you are a minority in a room full of people who are all of one race?
I am usually cognizant of the fact, but do not allow it to make me uncomfortable. I would become uncomfortable when the others in the room use race to threaten me.
Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? If so, why do you think you are?
Yes. I relate to people based on who they are, what their interests are, what they believe and what they love.
The voice of: Jonathan Evans
Age: 28
Occupation: Journalist
Birthplace: Petersburg, VA
Residence: Bloomsburg, PA
Mother’s birthplace: Belhaven, NC
Maternal grandfather: Rural North Carolina
Maternal grandmother: Rural North Carolina
Father’s birthplace: Richwood, OH
Paternal grandfather: rural Michigan
Paternal grandmother: rural Ohio
Do you feel that new immigrants to North America should assimilate into the mainstream?
I feel new immigrants to North America should be themselves. Certain concessions to the culture of those in one's community are necessary to a fulfilling existence in any society, but I don't think new immigrants should relinquish what makes them individuals just to blend in. In my view, the diversity of North America is a blessing. To expect immigrants from a wide cultural spectrum to fit into a cookie cutter ideal of what a North American resident is would be a mistake.
Would your parents object to your dating or marrying a person who was a different race than you?
To be honest, I attribute very little weight to what my parents think of the decisions I make in my life. Personally, my preferences for women of races other than my own are more a matter of sexual taste and a bias toward certain body types than a racial issue. My parents certainly don't dictate who I choose to have in
my life.
What do you think of signs on businesses that don't have any English on them?
I think it's a poor marketing decision not to use English in shops, but the signs belong to the business owner, as do the consequences or rewards of her or his business strategy.
What do you think of affirmative action and racial quotas in the workplace?
I don't care for affirmative action or racial quotas. I think competition in the workplace should be based on merit, production and achievement, and not genitalia or pigmentation. That being said, I understand the purpose and necessity of affirmative action and racial quotas. It's just a shame we need them to force us to treat people as people.
Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or the color of your skin? Tell us about it?
Yes, I have felt discriminated against once because of my race. I was waiting in car in a black neighborhood in Philadelphia for a business associate who'd gone inside a relative's house. A woman came out, knocked on the window and told me that they, "Didn't have any white folks in this neighborhood," and that if I didn't leave she was going to call police. She said if she showed up in my neighborhood, I'd probably call police on her.
Has anything, relating to race, happened lately that really bothered you?
Yes, something related to race has happened lately that really bothered me. I heard the word "nigger" for the first time in a long while. It caused a physical reaction in me, I recoiled almost as if I had been struck.
Where do you live and where have you traveled where the culture was the most different from your own?
I live in Bloomsburg, Pa. The place where I have traveled where the culture was most different from my own is Laos. For the most part, I got along fine and was treated very well, but sometimes I was baffled by subtle cultural differences.
What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? And where were you when you ate it?
Rat in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Fermented fish sauce in Laos. Whiskey with a Cobra immersed in it in Thailand. Menudo, which is made with hog intestines, and chicharron (sp?), which is fried pork skin, in Mexico. Pig tail in North Carolina.
What is your favorite "ethnic" food?
Collard greens cooked with pigtail or fat back and corn meal dumplings. I had it last weekend on a visit to my grandparents' home. It's my grandmother's specialty.
Do you feel that you are in touch with your culture of origin?
No, I don't feel in touch with my culture of origin. I am Scotch and Welsh. I know very little about either place. I do, however, feel in touch with the American component of my family's history.
In brief, describe your idea of a perfect world.
My idea of a perfect world is one in which everyone is shown respect, where there are opportunities for people to maintain a decent living through honorable work and where the fruits of a society's labor are available to that society's members, not just a tiny, greedy fraction.
Do you or did you ever wish that you were of another race? If so, why?
Yes, I have often wished I belonged to a more culturally rich, family oriented culture. I've admired Latinos and some Asian cultures for those qualities, and wondered how I'd have been impacted had I been born into a family of one of those two ethnicities.
Do you feel uncomfortable if you are a minority in a room full of people who are all of one race?
It depends on their age and socio-economic status. I wouldn't feel uncomfortable in a room full of black college professors, for example, but I think I would be uncomfortable in a room of young black men from a Brooklyn, NY, housing project. It might not be a popular answer, or a just one, but it is the truth.
Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? If so, why do you think you are?
Yes, I am physically attracted to people of different races. I think I am because there are so many ways women can be beautiful. The olive complexion of a Latina, the eyes, like chocolate pools, of a black woman, the delicate fragility of an Asian woman's face, all can, with only a glimpse, drive me to distraction.
The voice of: Joey
Age: 15
Occupation: High school student
Birthplace: Stockbridge,GA
Residence: Corbin,KY
Mother’s birthplace: Gadsden,AL
Maternal grandfather: Glencoe,AL
Maternal grandmother: Pine Mountain,GA
Father’s birthplace: Hyden,KY
Paternal grandfather: Hyden,KY
Paternal grandmother: Hyden,KY
Would your parents object to your dating or marrying a person who was a different race than you?
Yes. Because my parents have a strong belief in the idea that "racial groups should not mix". I, however have a different opinion.
Have you ever been discriminated against because of your race or the color of your skin? Tell us about it?
Yes. I was once performing in a show at age 11, where I sang a song by R.Kelly (a black artist) and afterwards a black teenager came up to me and said "Why did you do that? You're white. You sing white music. Stop trying to sound black! Go home white boy!"
Has anything, relating to race, happened lately that really bothered you?
Most people would understand this, of course. The thing that's bothered me most is the 9/11 tragedy with the Taliban. As I said before, most people would understand this because of how the whole Afghan/Taliban thing has affected the nation and world.
What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? And where were you when you ate it?
Sushi. I tried it when I was with my dad at a Japanese restaurant out in California.
What is your favorite "ethnic" food?
Spanish cornbread.
Where do you live and where have you traveled where the culture was the most different from your own?
I live in Corbin, Kentucky. About 3 or 4 years ago I went south of the border to a small area in Mexico. The houses were small and close together, and the people were very different and the environment was slightly unsanitary and not what I expected.
Do you feel that you are in touch with your culture of origin?
Even though I've been told what cultures I come from, I'm not sure what the truth of my origin really is. I haven't found any evidence myself that could help me find the right answers.
What percentage of your friends are able to speak another language other than English?
About 20%.
In brief, describe your idea of a perfect world.
My idea of a perfect world is the kind of world were there are no boundaries that hold people back from what they believe in or choose to do. I think it would be perfect if everyone was able to follow their hearts and do what they feel is right.
Do you or did you ever wish that you were of another race? If so, why?
Yes. I would want to be a person of the Latino culture, because they have such an influential and diverse way of life. Plus, most Latin people are the kind who really know what they want and aren't afraid to be strong about it.
Do you feel uncomfortable if you are a minority in a room full of people who are all of one race?
Yes, only if I was the only one of my race.
Are you physically attracted to people of a different race? If so, why do you think you are?
I find myself physically attracted to 2 kinds of races. One if the Latino, because they have a sense of who they are and they know how to accept one another no matter what. The other is the exotic-influenced type of African-American, because they are very versatile with their culture.
Send us your answers! Submit your "voice" to us by filling out the questionnaire and we'll consider your answers for publication in Urban Mozaik Magazine.
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