Comment to Conor Friedersdorf, C11 Editor at 'The Confabulum'
Dear Mister Friedersdorf,
It is worth commenting that if you were to look at me you would see a ‘white’ man. What that look would not disclose is a racial heritage that is quite probably common to many ‘white’ people.
My father was half American Indian and his grandmother was negro, Afro-Cuban if we want to get technical but me, well I can’t even keep a good tan. I’ve been working on one now for nearly 60 years and I think I may have it in another thirty or so but for now, all I can field is a dim summertime shading for my ‘poisonous tree toad whiteness’.
(No doubt due in some part to the Irish, German and English ancestors I also claim. Damn genetics! )
All kidding aside, it is easy to see where someone like me might have trouble identifying with a particular racial identity group.It should also be clear why I champion an attitude of judging people more by what they can do than by what color they are.
I will not attempt a claim that racism is not a factor in society but I do believe that if more people were aware of their ancestry, it might be something we could put into decline rather quickly since there are a lot of Americans just like me.
I applaud your effort here. RT
