I am a 19 year old mixed albino woman.
Let's talk about representation.
As an albino there are not many characters I can think of that have actually stated to have albinism. However, there are many characters I have been compared to.
I am an albino, I have the basic features of pale skin, white hair, violet eyes and when I was younger a tendency to wear more conservative clothing to protect my skin.
I grew up watching or reading about characters who had these traits described oddly. As if they were unnatural in their world for their looks and even more unnatural with the usual ice powers given to these characters.
My main comparisons in life were both for characters that fit into this area. Ice powered Elsa or evil/mean spirited Malfoys. Neither had/were claimed to have any of the visual impairment that tends to come with albinism.
I resented both comparisons growing up mostly because I was bullied for the very look that made Elsa iconic; the Malfoys villainous pursuits didn't help when bright cameras and school pictures showed my "evil" light effected red eyes. I was either demonic or lucky.
This wasn't my first experience with my peers' judgment on my name, my skin, my eyes and racial judgments to my person. Those that could "tell" I'm mixed and made comments such as sheeps fur to my dry curls. To late bus afternoon rides where Mya was made into Mayo. I preferred this treatment to that of my peers sudden discovery of my features in some type of content or character that isn't albino or doesn't have visual impairment that comes with it. I hated and resented their ignorance.
I hated how in science class-specifically in 7th grade- all eyes would turn to me as we read an article on albinism. How suddenly my peers had empathy, how I was questioned or interrogated all day by strangers. upi understand now in rural schools where the disabled was few, my peers had even fewer examples of someone who looked like me while having this visual impairment.
My peers and I had the same question: why couldn't I be normal?
One or the other. Disabled or different appearance. Why both?
I experienced a very positive type of representation or open discussion on social media.
I remember the moment very vividly, it was after school where I had a really good day and felt good. Didn't matter in the end. My parents were at work and I was bored. I was scrolling and stumbled on a man's post. He like me, was a mixed person with albinism. My world shifted because finally someone understood in every way possible, even the ways I couldn't comprehend at the time.
In a mere moment I was scrolling under the tag: albinism. Hearing and seeing so many stories that talked about experiences to day to day life. I remember crying very hard. No this wasn't the first time I've seen another albino but in those times it was a project about DNA and repressive traits, YouTube channels about being "unique", articles celebrating differences or someone talking about their favorite or a cool animal. This was talking about the disability or problems that come with the "cool" look from people with albinism. This was people sharing experiences not for some company profiting from speaking on it but for other albinos. This was people with albinism talking about albinism uninfluenced by others. It wasn't being shamed or removed, it was openly talked about.
It wasn't a scientist or researcher talking. It was a basic life experience.
That mattered .
It wasn't a YouTube video on being "special". It was the emotional challenges too.
That mattered.
I felt seen, not in a glass cage seen, not in a studied way but heard.
So when speaking on representation I think back to that moment when I felt seen by another person or algorithm that acknowledged what I experienced as a person because they felt the same. Not similar or alike. The same.
I think for many people who don't notice it, they don't need to. They Don't feel abnormal or "exotic". They blend perfectly into the crowd. They never prayed one day to be referred to as "average" or "normal" . Never thought about the ways one could "fix" their appearance, their mind, their very being. Don't understand the why. The: why would someone deliberately seek something with that particular information or representation.? The: why would you need to?
To that I say, to understand that you are "normal" , that these negative experiences you grow up with are not because of you- yourself- that there's nothing fundamentally wrong with you. That it's an unfortunate common experience for those that fit into minorities no matter how large or small it is. That the "unique" labels they place on you, are not all. To prove to those apart of any minority or community that live in very small or isolated areas they are not the problem. It's to feel that you are not stuck in one category your whole life and that you can do something. To not feel like an outsider, an outlier, abnormal or freakish. To know fully there is someone, many others that are like you. That it is hard for many of us, that we aren't alone. To look through books or TV shows or entertainment and see people like you just living. That the minority they are apart of or born differences are beautiful and ugly and that we are understood. That the category you were made into isn't everything and that you're not alone, that when others have tried to bully, harass, objectify, taunt, mock or generally degrade it is a universal frustration and disgust.
My push for representation, the push for representation from minorities everywhere, is the same push women have fought for to see smart women without male centeredness, the same burst of pride when hearing someone mention your home state, when your alma mater gets mentioned and you can speak of it. It's in everything.
