#white presenting

So what does white passing look like in America today? I have largely switched to saying white-presenting as opposed to white passing. The historical context of white passing is rooted in violence and disenfranchisement of fair-skinned Black Americans. However, we cannot acknowledge this without mentioning colorism, when light-skinned Black people and white Americans tend to turn their internalized racism towards darker-skinned Black people. For example, there was a higher monetary value set for enslaved people who were light-skinned, and even historically, Black sororities and fraternities have been known to show colorism in member selection. (Nova Southeastern University). Even today, light-skinned Black Americans are less likely to encounter the same barriers as their darker-skinned counterparts (Time). 

Anonymous submitted:

I’m using my college roommate as a loose reference for a minor character in a satirical fantasy I’m writing. My roommate was ¼ Native Hawaiian, so I planned to write the character as part Native Hawaiian too.

If I’m writing a part Native Hawaiian character, though, I want them to be positive representation. My roommate was white-passing, financially privileged and not super engaged in Native Hawaiian culture.

I’ve considered giving this character a few extra cultural markers so the character won’t read as a diversity cop-out, but my roommate got so much flak for being a “basic white girl” I’m not sure I feel good about doing that. (Some of the POC in the dorm used to “joke” that she was whiter than me, and it really upset her. There was also a rumor she lied about her race- which was awful.)

Do you have any advice for how I can avoid white-washing while respecting the experiences of the person I’m using as a character reference? If it helps, this character is not the only POC in the story. There are several other POC characters, who don’t pass as white, in more prominent roles. 

Hawaiians are Hawaiians are Hawaiians. There is no “right” way to be Hawaiian. 

Definitely do more research on the history of Hawaiian people and demographics, and consult with your roommate more to better write this character. 

If your character is based on your roommate, I would advise sticking to your source material. Your roommate’s experience as a ¼ Hawaiian who does not physically present as Hawaiian and does not connect to the culture is not an uncommon experience for Hawaiian diaspora. Like any identity, there’s a diverse range of how people connect to their culture. As a result of colonialism, most Kanaka are mixed and many are mixed with white. 

If you would like to explore more aspects of a Hawaiian identity, you could consider writing your character as wanting to or in the process of reconnecting with their identity. It may also be important to have this character address their proximity to whiteness and the associated privileges if being Hawaiian becomes a large part of their character and development. For this, is is crucial that you consult with many white-presenting Kānaka in the process of reconnection to understand their varied experiences. 

This post about writing an assimilated character reconnecting to their cultural roots may help you also. 

Lastly, while you may have other POC characters, they are not Hawaiian and are not interchangeable representation for Hawaiians. 

- Ren

let's leave the archaic "if you're white passing, you're white" in the 20th century please!!!!!

via @hankgreengifs

#mixedgirlproblems

•

•

•

White PASSING is when you can be seen as white.

White PRESENTING is when you’re doing everything in your power to be perceived as white.

You can be passing without presenting. But you can’t being presenting without passing.

This is a more nuanced conversation than I can and can’t add to, but it’s. A conversation that needs to be had.

Passing vs. Presenting will changed depending on context. Meaning if it’s in the black community, then the context of ( let’s say) Hasley and Logic being a white passing mixed person will have a different weight than ( let’s say) being passing or presenting as someone’s who’s Filipino and German.

Context matters, and this is a debatable( so to speak) topic. But do remember that these terms are started within the Black community and is rooted in slavery.

Does this make sense?