fen of color check-in

[rm]

Are you a non-white/PoC reader/viewer of SF/F?

There's this amazing thread over here asking people to check in, thanks to the latest iteration of this wacked out belief that there are no PoC invested in the genre.

Despite having a really mixed background that involves non-white ancestry on both sides of my family, I've lived my whole life with white privilege, so I haven't checked in, as I think it's both presumptuous and a bit counter to the purpose of the thread, but as someone who tries to be a good ally, I think this is a marvelous thread, and I encourage anyone to check it out.

Also? Me and my writing partner. Yes, PoC fans exist. And that this has to keep being explained to people is some seriously annoying shit.

Comments

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

Especially people who should really know better.

I'm on page 10 of comments. *sigh*

N.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I saw you! And Spiderman! We are so New Yorkers of the same era.

This latest thing... I've been really speechless. Like, I'm not even offended, I'm just like "really?" So stupid.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

HOORAY FOR SPIDEY!!!!

I remember someone on my flist telling me that LB identifies as Native American and I was like.... OK. That makes this an EVEN BIGGER RACEFAIL, you know? It's like... she REALLY should know better! REALLY REALLY!!!

Head + Wall = This, again.

N.

[rm.livejournal.com]

That's what I thought about LB too. I suppose it's like "I'm a woman I can't be sexist."

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

That people hold onto that belief! I suppose I've been fortunate that I've not really had that excuse, on grounds that most of the populations I've been around have had their varying degrees of ethnic diversity (particularly high school in the UK, which had a large Indian/Pakistani immigrant population). That is to say, my assumption was that there *were* fans from these backgrounds - and there were.

That is a *sweet* icon.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

Ah. That makes sense. My father is one of the most racist people I know. I guess I should never be surprised.

N.

[idunn.livejournal.com]

OMG, your icon. Whenever I leave the tristate area, nobody understands what the hell I'm talking about when I mention black and whites.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

I didn't think to ask.

But they are yummy. I once tried a cupcake with a black-and-white equivalent frosting.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I had a Balck and White in Philly... is that still part of the tristate?

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

It really is completely absurd, except of course for not being one bit funny.
Meanwhile, in the uncool Mundanian world, Whoopi Goldberg on The View was giving away copies of an anthology of the original Trek, because it is that important to her.

Totally get the white privilege thing. The family I emotionally self identify with is non-white, and I wouldn't be either, if my grandfather were not an Australian of Irish and English descent, and my father a white Southerner.
But a white guy looks back in the mirror,there you go.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

*facepalm*

WTF, genre? For serious.

[systris.livejournal.com]

commented, like srsly, when is this racefail shit gonna end already? this is soooo annoying anymore.

[hyrkanian.livejournal.com]

I'm hesitant to post on the thread, because as the once-in-a-generation redhead of my family I don't look the part. :/ Both my parents do look it. But I'm (as near as we can figure) 1/4 Cherokee, via both parents. Family lore has it my full-blood great-grandmother was disowned by the Cherokee Nation for marrying a (White) carpetbagger (who turned out to have more wives in more places but Granny didn't care, so I guess I come by poly genetically as well). Three generations later I'm told we've almost got them convinced to let us black sheep back into the fold.

But I've read all the comments to date and regardless of color or nationality (this said tongue in cheek, to be clear), these are people with damn good taste in movies/books/comics/etc. :D and I've enjoyed being reminded of some of the favorites of my own childhood.

[fuyukodachi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I am part Cherokee, but I am the whitest-looking person in my family, so I feel awkward trying to identify that way, even though it tends to be what I privately think of myself.

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

though my great grandmother was cherokee, i'm too much of a mixed breed to really claim it
i'm also super-pale

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

I can't find my first comment unscreened (and it cheers me that there are so many comments that I can't find my own), but I posted again, listing the family members who I know read and watch/ed and participated in fandom.

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

Hm, I want to comment over there but feel weird about it. I identify specifically as biracial, not as a person of color and not as white. Not only am I a huge lover of SF, but I feel very strongly about SF where non-white people are main characters. It's so relieving and meaningful to me to see non-white people portrayed as, well, people.

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

Just FYI, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma doesn't work that way, and neither does the Eastern Band. You cannot lose membership for marrying a white person. Lots of Cherokee families, though, do disown family members for marrying whites. So if you have proof of your ancestry, there's no "convincing", you can easily gain tribal membership :)

Family lore often goes way off the actual mark... like all those people supposedly descended from "Cherokee Princesses" ;)

[hyrkanian.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's good to know. Thanks! I need to find out from my mom how the ancestry research is going, it's her cousin that is doing it.

If nothing else at all, the thread has reminded me to do something I've meant to do for months now. :)

And I know family lore can tend to... embroider the truth ;) It can be quite amusing at times. Thus my saying it was family lore and not just stating it as The Truth. If my father and his sister's research is to be believed, we are direct descendants of the Kings of the Isle of Mann and closely related to the Earl of Darby. :D

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my great-great-uncle wrote a book about all the research on our family tree and it included descent from King Solomon ;)

Good luck!