The discussion about race and culture on the Internet has grown and expanded. I can't express how awesome and amazing I think this is. A big thank you to everyone who is participating!
Here's the exciting news: BlogRhet is hosting the first ever theme-week (an online, no fees, no name-tags, no pressure conference-slash-consciousness -raising-event); AKA: Let's Talk About Race, Baby.
I promise no "speed-dating" style ice breakers, either. ;)
I also promise some awesome things.
Motherhood Uncensored's Kristen, Rice Daddies, Kimchi Mamas, and more will all be cooperatively participating in BlogRhet's week long initiative to explore race, culture and the Internet...next week! Kristen will host a radio-podcast on the topic, including interviews with Stefania Pomponi Butler and others; she'll also be guest posting on the topic at BlogRhet. Joy of GingaJoy and Tere of A Mom, A Blog and the Life In-Between will text interview some of the fabulous Kimchi Mamas. Jason from Daddy in a Strange Land will also guest post his moving essay about this topic on BlogRhet.
The Hump Day Hmmers are invited to participate too!
If you want your post included, in addition to linking back to me in your post, also include a link to BlogRhet (we use this for tracking to see who we need to link to). If you want suggested verbiage, consider:
This post is part of Julie Pippert's Hump Day Hmm and BlogRhet's "Let's Talk About Race, Baby" week long initiative.
URL link for me: http://theartfulflower.blogspot.com/
URL link for BlogRhet: http://blogrhet.blogspot.com/
Otherwise, your voice is welcome in all of the discussions via comments or other avenues. And it is welcome.
I expressed my point of view about culture and race in my post, "Is the Internet the Rainbow Connection?" and in my comments on Tere's post at BlogRhet, "Race & Ethnicity: It Matters."
So what did other people have to say? Check it out!
Andrea at a garden of nna mmoy wrote I guess it all depends on how you define "rainbow"
Snoskred at Life in the country wrote Australians all let us rejoice..
Momish wrote Many Shades of Grey
Gina of I am not over it wrote I am responding
Tere wrote Race & Ethnicity: It Matters and Am I In or Am I Out?
Kim wrote of After the Ball White people say the damnedest things
Jason of Daddy in a strange land wrote what’s race got to do with it: some thoughts on parentblogging, community and identity
MamaSaga wrote What Color Am I? And What Does it Matter?
Anali of Anali's First Amendment wrote A Study In Black
Sephy of Sephy's Platzish wrote A question of race
LawyerMama wrote Race and the Blogosphere
Miguelina wrote Oh No! Here comes another ethnicity post!
If I missed you (many, many apologies) or you are a latecomer, just link to me and I'll find you in the trackbacks or link to me and drop me a comment or an email at jpippert at g mail dot com.
Next week I will continue this topic to support BlogRhet. I will gladly repost links to you, or feel free to respond, reply, add more thoughts, or join in for the first time.
Also, I'd like to put up some excellent points and thoughts people have posed in comments. Feel free to address these in comments or in your pwn post (for now or for enxt week--it's open).
Here are the thoughts hanging out there:
Her Bad Mother asked: where race *is* unseen (and on mnay, many blogs it is - case in point with your complicated family history, case in bigger point with bloggers like Stefania who only very rarely reference race on their primary blogs), is it important that it be made *unseen*? Do bloggers have an obligation to write their racial/ethnic/cultural (not to mention sexual, etc.) identities into their texts? Do *readers* have an obligation to seek that information out? How do we navigate this issue in a community that allows - even encourages - certain degrees of invisibility?
Another point to ponder from Her Bad Mother: Is it a *privilege* to not care about race? A privilege to those who - being (usually) white - don't *have* to care about race because it's never presented itself as an issue in their lives?
Christine of Running on Empty asked: One question I would pose to you and anyone who really identifies themselves as mixed race is how does identifying as mixed race affect your writing, if at all? Can one be considered mixed race in an adoptive situation? How does outward appearance affect people who identify themselves as mixed race? How has being a racial minority or of mixed blood drawn people to you--both negatively and positively? How and when has being "white" made a person the minority in a group?
Joy of Gingajoy asked: What is happening in white real world communities that sends many women seeking for help and community online? The recurrent story in the mommyblogpshere is that of the alienation and isolation that occurs when a woman finds herself a mom. Blogging becomes a way of coping and processing that identity shift, and also finding a less didactic form of help and support that one finds in The Parenting Manuals. Is this a "white" thing?
Another point to ponder from Joy: What brings various communities of women to blogging?
Additional Links and Questions---8-12-07
Cecilieaux wrote Acceptable Prejudices? and Hispania, Historia
Snoskred asked how we should consider a person's ability to sympathize due to marginalization or discrimination of another aspect beyond our control (such as gender or weight) and also brought up consideration of cultural envy, "...we see other cultures and think wow, it would be great to belong to a culture in that way? I don't have my own culture."
Make sure to read the discussion at BlogRhet...it's a bit long but really engaging, interesting, thought-provoking and insightful from many points of view.
Rachel mentioned Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy MacIntosh...this is also a good read or refresher if it's been a while since you read it.
****If you'd like to add a post or question, simply comment or email me at j pippert at g mail dot com. I will add items through the week of August 13. Do please make sure to follow the link instructions at the beginning of this post. Thanks!****
copyright 2007 Julie Pippert
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Comments
I'm not very good at following the party line so I can be included with the cool kids.
Done.
~Chani
Suggesting otherwise is a form of spite not reasonable, accurate or within fair play.
I'm happy to maintain open dialog with any points of view, I'm happy to link to anyone who participates in the Hump Day Hmm and who lets me know, and I keep my comments open and available (even with anonymous option) for any comments or questions. However, personal insults are not welcome.
LM, I KNOW! I have barely even begun. I can't wait though. Thanks for editing in the link.
Flutter, okay. I'm disappointed because you had some awesome questions. But I understand, honestly.
Mrs. Chicky, you never know...I think you could bring something great. I'll save you a seat. :)
I don't like to see what is happening here between you and Chani, though. My immediate urge is to try and fix it but that's not worked too well for me in the past.
Can I please ask two things?
1. Julie, the Hump Days have been fantastic and much enjoyed but I still feel people are confused about how to participate. As in to email you with a link. I've had to explain it to Sephy a few times 0 he's posted and then forgot to email you and I've recently had to say, did you email Julie with a link to that? He didn't realise he was supposed to. I think it might be worthwhile to actually write a post which you link to in your sidebar that explains how to participate in detail, and that everyone is welcome as long as they let you know they've posted. If for no other reason than I can send that link to new people wanting to participate and they can understand how to do it. ;)
You're no mind reader and how can you check everyone's blogs all the time? We have to have some responsibility for getting our posts to you.
2. Chani, Julie makes a good point. I didn't see a post from you on this topic appear on your blog today. Without you feeling badly about it, can I ask what was your expectation - that a previous post from you on the topic would be linked to automatically somehow?
I perhaps think this is a communication breakdown and not something two of my very good online friends should fall out about.
I also beg you to take what I've said in the spirit in which I've intended it, which is I adore the pair of you and would hate to feel a split here. ;(
I wish I'd never got out of bed this morning, today is turning out to be a bad Internet day. Sort of like bad moon rising. :(
Snoskred
http://www.snoskred.org/
Julie, I know you're taking a few hits for your opinions and this post in particular. I just wanted to say thank you for doing the Hump Day Hmmm's and increasing discourse in the Blogosphere in general. I know it's a lot of work to do this every week.
I had another question - I think you and I have pretty similar viewpoints regarding the invisibility of race, etc... But do you think that your view (mine as well) is necessarily colored because of your close ties to people of color?
I know you spoke of cousins who are brown and I'm in a similar situation. I have pretty much everything in my family and while I look nice and lily white, I have cousins who look black to the world as well. I've found that this makes me much more aware of race than some of the people around me, like my husband.
For example, T, while very well intentioned, simply doesn't notice it when we're in a store with people of color and we are waited on first. Me? I ALWAYS notice it.
And I wonder if this transfers over to the blogosphere as well.
Yes, I do absolutely think my family, history and experience influence my views---heavily.
Expanding on this moving to my ILs...this is a mixed family too, of races and religions. I'm sure that influences me too.
I am sure I am more sensitive to a lot of things by virtue of being related to it.
So yeah, good point. :)
It's the backpack. :)
And thanks for the kudos. It's a real pleasure to do this every week. I am always awestruck by the amazing thought and writing.
Kyla, woo hoo!
Momish, you bet, Thanks for editing. :)
SM, it's interesting. You really add to this point, the more I think about it.
Fenicle, thanks for stopping by. May I suggest you settle in to a comfy seat with your preferred drink and snacks? Lots of good reading! Lots! Enjoy the links.
P.M., you're back! Welcome!! It took me two days to sink in your were on a trip and quit clicking to your blog LOL. Thanks for all the kind words. And thanks fo rmakign me feel like a total nerd it took me a year to catch the Ok Go thing LMAO!! You know I am joking. ;)