Monday, January 12, 2009

Frustrations on Racism Connected to Caucasia

Technically, I do have a race; I’m white… However, I don’t think of myself as “the white guy.” This is probably because I’ve never been thrown into a situation where I’ve felt out of place due to my skin color. Also, I think that if I were to feel slightly out of place due to my white skin color, I’d just hope that people would look beyond my color and into what truly makes me the person that I am today.

Racism is so frustrating to me. I know that it’s impossible to make it completely disappear, but I know that our country has been improving significantly with racism. We have a black president now; I believe that’s clearly enough proof of the country’s improvement… Yet, we can’t help but still find traces and remnants of racism where we go in life. The main reasons for my mauling over my frustrations with racism is because I can’t stand how certain people have the ability to see the color of somebody’s skin and make an innumerable amount of ignorant judgments about them just from the color of their skin. To say it bluntly, it pisses me off.

As we’ve been reading Caucasia, I decided to actually get a jump on the reading due later this week, and I stumbled across a part of the book that I truly enjoyed that connected to my thoughts on racism. On pages 321-322, Aunt Dot began sharing her soulful theories on life in general. One of which was her theory on people’s “invisible color.”


“It’s the color of your soul, and it rests just beyond the skin.”


How very interesting this idea was to me! @.@ I pictured this “invisible color” to be the color of a person’s “true color,” the synthesized product of all the descriptive adjectives, the actions, and thoughts of that person. This “invisible color” would be the rawest and most pure form of that person.

To further extend off of this idea, Aunt Dot then goes on to describe the “colors” of Birdie’s family. As soon as she said that Cole’s color was purple, I was suddenly struck with this feeling that this “invisible color” was connected to the Christmas where Birdie and Cole were given sweaters on page 270 of the book, where originally Birdie’s was purple and Cole’s was red. They did switch, however, leaving Birdie with red and Cole’s with purple.

Anyways, Aunt Dot later describes Birdie as a “deep, dark red.” This was when I knew for sure that the sweaters and this “invisible color” of the sisters were connected. Thinking about it more thoroughly, I could only wind up at the conclusion that Birdie and Cole aren’t very sure on what their true colors are because they are mixed, which is why they decided to switch sweaters at the time. When imagining a person’s “invisible color” though, I would think that they’d be more mixed or multi-colored than just solid colors. In the end, I absolutely loved Aunt Dot’s theology on this “invisible color” and wish we could be more like Dot and see people’s “invisible color.”

And holy crap! Sorry for the long post! >.<

4 comments:

Jenny O said...

I LOVED that as well kyle!! I thought it was interesting this "inner color" and I actually really want to know what my color and what these color represents. It kind of reminded me of an aura until everyone had a different color. Idk just a thought. Nice post kyle :)

Shauna Ohhh said...

I get very frustrated also talking about race. I wish it was something that we all could just agree with and get along together. It's 2009 people. Lets all get along! Nice Bloggg kyle! :)

Becca K. said...

Wow Kyle! Way to make the connection of the inner colors to the colors of the sweater. That's some awesome close reading. I think you're completely right to be angry at racism. I mean, we always say "Don't judge a book by its cover," yet we do judge people by their outward appearance (especially skin color) all the time.

I like the idea of having an "inner color" or "inner race." When the color is inside, people can't just see it if they pass by you on the street. In order to know a person's true color, you would have to get to know who they are and what they have to say. Aunt Dot definitely has put a lot of thought into this concept. I wonder what Aunt Dot sees these colors as representing and why each person is the color she says they are? Maybe we will find out in the end of the book...

Rae Rae said...

Kyle-

I also loved that part of the book. However, I never would have thought to relate it back to the colors of the sweaters. You are so right on that. Now that I think more about that I know that the author did that one purpose. She had to of. That was a very good connection on your part. I also agree with you that some people must be multi-colored. It would only make sence since we are all slightly different to. Like in our personalities and such. I just found your post to be very neat. You did a great job explaining your thoughts on this invisible color thing too!1

-Rachel