Mixed Chicks Chat

Social Justice Works! Acceptance Speech

As promised, here's the transcript of Fanshen's acceptance speech for the Social Justice Works!  The Aaronson Fund Award for the Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival.

I was born in Washington, D.C., AKA Chocolate City, and lived there with my Jamaican father in a scraggly neighborhood at 14th & A.  In D.C., I passed for Black. 

My parents divorced and my brother and I moved with our White mom to a tiny town in Maine, population 800; Black population:  1 - if you count my half and my brother's half.  In Maine, I passed for White. 

Then my mom moved us to Cambridge and for the first time I could be both Black and White and more: an actress, a football player, and an activist.  I spent a blissful 8 years in Cambridge with other children whose parents were gay, or whose families were a complicated algorithm of trans-racial and cultural relationships.  We reveled in our progressive town and frolicked in our blended love.  And then I went to college.

In my first week of college I was confronted on my racial identity. After answering the question ‘What are you?’ with “I’m Jamaican, and Scottish and Blackfoot Indian and a woman and an actress and…” I was aggressively schooled on the One Drop Rule and pressured into adopting a Black militant identity that would inform my life choices for the next several years.

The pride I had in being Mixed in Cambridge was and is difficult to maintain in the rest of the world.  But it is important and it is right.  This is why I now dedicate my time and energy to letting people in interracial/cultural relationships, trans-racial/cultural adoptive families and those who are of Mixed heritage know that their story is important and complicated and does NOT have to fit into categories.  That is the purpose of the Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival.

The Festival co-founder Heidi Durrow and I are thrilled to accept the first Social Justice Works!  The Aaronson Fund award.  Thank you so much.

Why is 'Lightskinned' Offensive?

Episode 69 presents a spirited debate on labels.  We had a new caller on who identifies as an 'earthling' (read:  there's no more need for labels).  Fanshen said that she has heard this often from White people, but not as often from People of Color - and made the assumption that the caller was White.  Heidi questioned this assumption, reminding us that her father (who is African American) had a similar philosophy.  What's your take on this?  Is there hope - and would it be desirable - to no longer identify ourselves by race or culture?

Also, we chose this episode topic because we have been told - sometimes directly but often indirectly - that the terms 'lightskinned' and 'mixed' are offensive, offputing and alienating.  But honestly - we do not understand why.  Would you please leave your comments on this?  We're looking forward to the conversation and open to understanding why this hurts you (or those you know).  Thanks!

OPEN CALL: Kip Fulbeck's New Book on MIXED KIDS!

Kip Fulbeck's new book project is MIXED KIDS ... a photo portrait book
about multiracial/multiethnic kids!  We're having an open shoot Sunday,
October 12th. Here are the details:

MIXED KIDS PHOTO SHOOT / L.A.
Sunday, October 12th
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
213.625.0414

Map & Directions: http://www.janm.org/visit/map.php

OPEN CALL

This is an open call for mixed kids 12 and under ... multiracial, biracial,
mestizo, Hapa, etc.  Any ethnic mixture is welcome!  Approximately 100
children will be picked for the book.

DETAILS

1.  Release forms must be signed by parents/legal guardians.  If you are
bringing children that aren't your own, please print out this release form
and have it signed.  Kip will not photograph anyone without a signed
release.

http://s508.photobucket.com/albums/s326/kfulbeck/?action=view&current=mixed_kids_release.jpg

2.  Please have your child wear their typical clothes.  We'd like them to
look as everyday (and beautiful!) as they normally do, as opposed to having
them look "dressed up." 

3.  Please do not have your child wear all white.  Kip shoots on a white
backdrop, so white jackets, t-shirts, etc. bleed into the background.  The
less white clothing, the better.

4.  Let your child know this is a fun project.  Kip is great with kids, and
he'll joke around with them, show them their pictures and give them
stickers.  But anything you can do to get them in a fun frame of mind is
appreciated.  Please make sure they're well-fed and have gotten their
sleep!  :)

5.  Depending on crowds, the whole portrait process can usually be
completed in 10-20 minutes.  

6.  INDIVIDUAL STATEMENTS:  Your child will be given the opportunity to
write about themselves on a piece of paper (similar to Kip's other books)
... the basic question is "Who are you?" but they can take it wherever they
want.  They can write as many statements as they want, but they must finish
it at the shoot before you leave -- i.e. no sending it in by mail later.
 Kids are pretty good at coming up with their own genius ideas here!
 Scribbling for the younger kids is fine.

7.  If they'd like to practice, make sure to have them write/draw in a
7"x7" box with black ink.  They'll probably have to re-do a statement on
premises to keep the project uniform.

FAQS

What are my child's chances of getting in the book?
It all depends on how many people we shoot and what the publisher pics.
 For 100% Hapa, Kip photographed 1200 people for 120 images.  For
Permanence, he photographed 400 people for 120 images.  We are planning to
photograph approximately 300-400 kids for Mixed Kids.

How do I increase their chances of getting picked?
This is a hard one, as we don't make the final decision, but usually the
more original the statement, the better.  Humor, drawings, and poignancy
are always good.

Can we get copies of the pictures?
Sorry, but we cannot forward original pictures.  If you are interested in
purchasing an image, we can send you a sample copy.  Please contact me
(Lindsay) at info@thehapaproject.com to inquire about purchasing signed
prints.

Location, Location, Location

In this episode, we discussed how where you lived determined what your experience was concerning multiracial identity.  The question biracial/multiracial people get is often What are you?  But just as frequently we hear: Where are you from?  We had the great benefit of one of our beloved listeners Ehav who called in from Israel and shared his experience of living the Mixed experience there.

Mixed Chicks Chat is voted Best Podcast!

WE (that means you too) DID IT!  We were voted Best Podcast by the Black Weblog Awards!  We are so very grateful to those of you who voted for us and to our very loyal listeners & contributors (Benjamin, Snow Mama, BillMo...).  In an upcoming episode we will discuss the idiosyncratic nature of having 'categorized' ourselves to be nominated & win the award - but that's not stopping us from celebrating and basking in the recognition!

Episode 66: Rebecca Romo's study on Blaxicans

In this episode we talked to Rebecca Romo, who's getting her PhD at the University of California Santa Barbara.  She is expanding on her Masters thesis looking at the experiences of 'Blaxicans' or, those mixed with Black and Mexican roots.  If you or someone you know want to participate in or want more information on her study, you can contact her at:rebecca_romo@umail.ucsb.edu

Submitted by Mixed Roots Film & Literary Participant Esther Friedman...

Thanks to Esther for sending us this blog post in response to Soledad O'Brien's Black in America series.  It's called I'm Neither Black nor White.  I'm Both.  and is written by actress Lynn Whitfield's 16 year old Mixed daughter.  Click on the link to go to the blog post, then come back here & make a comment!

I am neither black nor white. I’m both