What Even - Comments

@ pocahontas.

People honestly make no sense to me! We judge for absolutely everything! Skin, hair, friggin weight! Like honestly, I just want to buy jeans without people judging me for it! I have an anthropology degree so I feel like I should have an understanding of people...but nope. We, as a species are so mind blowing to me. Let's just love everyone. Things would be so much better.

I have an art degree too! I could totally design something silly!

*slams fist on my desk* That is what I like about comments! I love solid critiques where someone tells me my mistakes and their opinions. I am also so, SO glad that you enjoyed Anamnesis! Your comment was one of the best comments I have ever received for a story. Like, thank you so much!
I have about 5ish chapters of my HP story so far so I would LOVE for your critique. I will definitely send it your way!

It reminds me of size. Like if you're bigger than a size 7 but smaller than a size 20 you're not skinny enough for the skinny people and not fat enough for the fat people and embracing being fat is somehow an insult despite not being able to find clothes at the mall. (Fuck me right? ) It seems that no matter what, people are always being pitted or pitting themselves against others even when they belong to the same group

That's actually a really good idea! If you're into designing I bet that would be a hit

& yo I go in with a full critique if necessary~ I'm currently commenting on your Leave a Comment, Take a Comment one so you'll see what I mean and can decide if you're into it. Potterheads unite!

@ pocahontas.
Perfectly said. Like, we are purposefully hiding the fact that we're mixed. We can't help how we're born. I've noticed that I have a bit more privilege for being lighter than my family and somehow that makes me white? Nah, I am just not about that. No one has to tell us what we are. We're awesome and that's all people really need to know.

If I had that YouTube channel I would have a guest every video, I'd interview them and even make shirts for them all. They'd probably say something like "POC and Proud" with a thumbs up.

I might take you up on that offer! My beta reads aren't into HP so I mostly just get back "yeah it was good" haha.

Exactly! And it's like no one is saying not to realize the inherent privilege of being ~lighter~ yet so many want to push these things down the throats of mixed people like they're somehow not enough for either side because they're too much X or not enough Y. As long as those of us that do benefit from being lighter don't hide that, there shouldn't be a problem. Not that it's the job of non-POC to tell us this even.

PLEASE DO omg I think that could make a good YouTube channel tbh And interview people. Hold support groups. Idk. You'll get famous doing it.

I'm sure it'll be great! I'm always around to give opinions too, if you'd like

@ pocahontas.

Oh my god, I fully understand that white passing crap. It completely demeans your heritage and strips you of what makes you what you are. My grandmother had that problem growing up since her mother was Cherokee and I now have that problem (more so than my own brother). It is just so frustrating. I honestly wish everyone could accept that we are who we are. We are no less POC than someone who is 100% a different race. This divide is not doing anyone any good.

I'm just going to start a group where I just scream "I ACCEPT YOU, AND YOU, AND YOU" Oprah style or something because people need to hear it.
And it's so nice to hear that other people are going through this. My town is so small and no one understands.

I hope that my marauders story is okay! I am so nervous about posting it. HP is one of my favorite stories of all time. I'm terrified I won't do it justice.

@ coralreefs;

It's so hard to ignore the privilege through! Especially when my brother is so much darker than I am so we get different treatment sometimes even when we are together. It absolutely BLOWS my mind. My brother is the nicest person int he world, I'm actually kind of an asshole, but I will get things above him because I have taken after my mother's side.

It is just so ridiculous that not only is there light skin privilege but there is also people invalidating POC. We can't help our genes, what makes our skin lighter or darker. Your friend will be POC forever. You will POC forever. I will be POC forever. That will never change. We need to stand together. There are so many issues that I am attuned to that people look down on me for because they think I shouldn't understand them.

I wish I could have said more in the blog to be honest. I just get so angry and my mind just goes out the window. But I am so glad that you get me. Also, with the comment about you respecting me for knowing about my privilege, I want to thank you. I have had so many people bring me down because of it and it makes me really happy that someone doesn't... well doesn;t hate me for it (That's not how I want to word this, but what I want to say isn't coming to me right now).

Just thank you very much!

I respect that you acknowledge your light skin privilege (which is honestly a real thing) because there is still and probably always will be A LOT of colorism in our society. I seriously respect that you realize "hey I'm mixed with black but I'm very light and that seriously differentiates my experience as a POC from my darker brothers and sisters". There's not many people who want to accept that light skin privilege is a fucking real thing. Anyways, that being said, I'm sorry that those imbeciles around you constantly invalidate your race and the fact that you ARE a POC. That kind of thing really bugs me. My best friend is Chicana and she's quite lighter than what the world perceives a Mexican person "should be" or "is". People are constantly invalidating her personhood as a Chicana just because she's light. She's just as Mexican as her family and she speaks fluent Spanish - she's just lighter than them. And solely bc of her light skin, people tell her she doesn't keep up with Chicano social issues enough or she doesn't know what discrimination feels like. Both of these things aren't completely untrue. She's very in-tune with her race and culture. So I can definitely sympathize with you on this particular issue. I really appreciate you writing this blog and venting because it promotes better solidarity amongst POC - even if it is just over the internet at the moment. I know how it feels to be in a small town with little diversity. I'm a dark skin black girl, and I love myself and my dark skin, but being around so many people who aren't POC and who just don't "get it"...can be soooooo overwhelming sometimes. Hang in there.

Yes, this

It irks me to no end when people say I'm not a POC or that I don't know struggle. "And how is someone not POC enough?" And this especially. I was always made to refer to myself as white passing, and then I realized that the term is colonialist speaking to invalidate my status as a POC. It's to make me feel like less and make others regard me as less. Even worse is POC that do it. Like """literally go f*ck yourself"""" (generalized you, not you) you know? It's like, """as a POC can't you see what this type of thinking and action does? Don't you understand that it's to create a divide between POC and "white passing" POC, lightskin and darkskin?""" But too many people don't see the wrong in this type of action, whites and POC alike - though it is more common from the former, in my experience.

But ugh, I can't wait to read your Marauders story. I love me some Harry Potter.

@ louis.

I am so glad someone understands! It is honestly very frustrating to be biracial sometimes. I'm not black enough but I am also not white enough for most things. But you and I are both part of a plethora of races and should be able to make comments on the issues at hand. We fully understand these issues, whether it's caucasian issues, black issues, or arabic issues.
Sometimes I feel like I'm not a true person with the way I am treated.

Someone once told me that I didn't even "talk black" which makes no sense to me at all. I mean I understand that they meant AAVE but my dad doesn't speak like that either. '
I feel we get stereotyped so much for being biracial.

Just, thank you for your comment because honestly, everyone I know has no idea what I go through and I am so glad that someone else understands!

Also, fanfic for life. Am I right?

oh my good lord, i feel you 100%.

i'm also biracial – black and arabic – and i'm either "not black enough" to comment on something or "not arab enough" to comment on something else. it's either all or nothing with some of these kids i encounter; i've said something about the way kids talk about arabs in my school and someone literally told me, "you're only half, you don't count." ??????? and what you said in your blog about someone stating you couldn't understand the issues other races face? what? bye? ?? ?

i've had countless people tell me that i'm not one or the other, like interracial marriages/couples don't exist and don't have children??? like i'm the equivalent of a unicorn??? or i only exist to be fetishized; it's like mixed girls are either sucked into the void or akin to a trophy.

i can't stand when someone tries to erase who and what i am. being biracial doesn't make me any less of a poc, my guy, no matter how pale or dark my skin may be. miss me with that. for years, people have made me doubt if i'm black enough to say something or if i'm arab enough to worry about something else, but i've grown up and i'm done with that. and you'd think this wouldn't happen, or at least not much, in and around detroit because i'd like to think it's a pretty diverse city (mainly downtown but), and yet! blah. i don't think i'm making much sense at this point, either.

tl:dr i completely feel you and feel for you and fanfiction will never let us go.