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.

[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.

[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.

[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.