The Mulatto Millenium

I couldn’t help but google the author after reading this essay. I was extremely surprised when I clicked on the link to her name and a white woman appeared on the screen. If the author is writing from own experience then this creates quite a dilemma. I was expecting someone with at least vague features of either an African American or a Mexican. But I guess what she says in the reading is true “If it had been based on the appearance, my sister would have been black, my brother Mexican, and me Jewish” (16). It is just hard for me to imagine growing up in a culture that doesn’t reflect what you look like. If I were the author it would be hard for me to refer to myself as African American when my skin is as white as day. But I guess it is all based on how you are raised. Another thing that caught my attention was when the author talked about the M.N. officials and how they questioned her. They say, “But why black? I mean, why didn’t you identify as white if you were gonna identify as only one thing? Isn’t that reverse racism?” (20). It is intriguing how the author continues to try and identify herself as black even though the favorable race at the time would have been white. The M.N. officials don’t understand her reasoning at all. But for the author it is very simple. She believes that multiculturalism is about confronting racism and power. The authors views are very interesting and caused me to think a different way.