VivirLatino

Hm. This video was really interesting to me, but I’m not sure I have an opinion of it at the moment.

What it is: Tyra Banks has a group of women who all claim to be bi/multi racial–but who only “claim” one racial identity. A clue for those who don’t watch talk shows–of *course* the women only claim their “less offensive” side (aka their white side).

As a multi racial person who does not identify as multi racial (I claim mestizaje or mestiza)–I have to wonder why so many people are so offended that there is so much ambiguity and even rejection of particular racial identities. I mean–look at Tyra Banks. As she berates and sits judgment on a girl who ‘rejects her black side,’ Tyra is wearing her blond straight haired wig and has been famous for changing her eye color and even race (and requiring others to do so as well), on her other show, America’s Next Top Model. Ostensibly, Tyra is looking more white and can more easily pass than the girl on the stage can. And yet…she’s the one who feels she can sit judgment on everybody else.

If you “change your race” to look cute and hip and make money–is that different or less problematic than “changing your race” because you want to be white?

Without saying too much more about the video, I do have to say that this is why I so strongly favor the identity of “mestizaje” and “mestiza,”–it allows for a fluidity of racial identities. SUch that you are no longer claiming “I like my white side better” (etc). Because all the sides are mixed together to create a whole new “thing.” Not necessarily the best solution, but better, I think, than completely walling off entire familial backgrounds and histories.

If you thought that all the University protests in California ended already, you’d be wrong. Students at SF State University continue to blockade buildings on campus with people and objects. (picture is of a stairwell at SFSU).

The logic behind the blockade is that the educational “space” a university setting provides does not belong to administrators or government officials–it belongs to the people who use the space:

Reclaiming a space is not merely borrowing and then giving back. Reclaiming implies previous or deserved ownership, the taking back of what is understood as inherently belonging to someone or someones. We have maintained the occupation of Bu$ine$$ for 18 hours, our barricades not so much a threat as the extremely important work of agitation and political defense from our comrades on the outside occupation.

I have a lot of complicated feelings about university student protests–many times I think that the students who are protesting are acting more on impulse and desire to look “cool” than anything else. I’ve been a part of protests that broke up the *minute* things got a little sticky–leaving people who truly cared or who are affected by the thing being protested to deal with the fall out of protest–while those who only showed up on an impulse caused trouble and ran away.

So, one school and one group of students doesn’t usually get me feeling hopeful–I know how quickly things can change once things get tough.

But–at the same time, I trust the California activist community like crazy. California is the home to Xican@s, Zoot Suiters, the UFW, the Alcatraz protests and so many other amazing movements and people. I am hopeful that the response to these very serious demands will be other students throughout the U.S. taking up the call to action.