Welcome to Racial Identity in the American Imagination's class blog, Who Are You? I look forward to reading your responses to the readings.

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How do get "the right to difference"?

The following is a letter written to Willow S. Lung-Aman, author of “Trespassers? Asian Americans and the Battle for Suburbia.” Dear Ms. Lung-Aman, After reading your book “Trespassers? Asian Americans and the Battle for Suburbia,” I was intrigued by your call for respecting “a right to difference.” You suggest that people of different identities should have to right to express one’s difference without exclusion or discrimination. In principle, I do not dispute that one should have genuine freedom of expression, but I am concerned how this can be realized. The first problem relates to the difficulty in convincing privileged communities to let go of their vested interests, which has existed since the beginning of human history, so I’ll move away from that. The second problem, related to the first to some extent, is how can we ensure that institutions can remain dynamic enough to allow for change. Just a few thoughts. Sincerely, Kare...
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Control

Dear Claudia Rankine, Thank you for Citizen . Before even opening the book, the cover struck me as I examined the torn, limbless black hoodie, now a symbol for racial profiling and police brutality. I was reminded of Ta-Nehesi Coates who writes about the lack of control black people have other their bodies, their lives, that can be taken from them at any moment because of microagressions and racism- all down to a hoodie. A black hoodie stands in for a black man, its presence seems to alert and warn the white viewer to stand armed. Upon reading the book, I fell in love with the way you structure prose poetry- it flows through memories and emotions which are not organized neatly and clearly. You place the reader as the "you" as they explore everyday racism (also known as microaggressions) and its detrimental impact on the person; we are forced into the crippling, disorienting minds of an annoymous person. You powerfully portray how racism deteriorates the psyche of a black p...
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Black Rage

Dear Ms. Rankine, I thought the piece on the cultivation of an angry black man or woman was especially interesting to me. It stood out because of the music I hear on the radio all the time. Rappers on every radio station channel this angry stereotype of what black males should be. Rage and anger are hard to channel into these rap lyrics over and over again, so I assume the rappers contrive this anger to fulfill audiences' wishes. I think it is sad that although this behavior perpetuates this idea that black men are violent and angry, it's the reason albums sell.
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