Jul 13, 2018
Imani middle school at a pta meeting today #so exciting listening to her speak to the teacher in Japanese • • • @#dope #blacksinjapan #japanesegirl #blackenese #okinawajapan #okinawa
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
seen from Finland
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Australia
Imani middle school at a pta meeting today #so exciting listening to her speak to the teacher in Japanese • • • @#dope #blacksinjapan #japanesegirl #blackenese #okinawajapan #okinawa
the only selfies I really take be on snapchat. maybe I should take more pictures of my beautifully diverse face.
On being Blackenese
"Umm. . .excuse me. Where are you from?"
"I'm from Houston, Texas."
"Oh...but your parents, where are they from?"
(Hmm. Should I continue to play stupid or just tell them.)
"My dad is from Houston, and my mom is from Okinawa, Japan"
"And your dad is black then?"
"Yup"
"So do you speak Japanese?"
"Some."
"Wow. Say something."
This is not a rare conversation. I cannot count the number of time I've pulled this script out to rehearse with random people who have accosted me.
And thus begins Mitzi Uehara-Carter's essay on being Blackenese. In this short essay she explains her experience being both Japan and America with a Japanese mother and Black father: people trying to force her to pick one ethnicity and offensive conversations like the one above.
You can read the rest of the essay here.
AMBERS STILL ALIVE ?!??!