Being Heard
One of the interesting things about being part of fandom online is that you are who you identify with, not who folks assume you to be based on a first visual impression. Your words paint others’ perceptions of you, for good or bad, which also means you have to choose them carefully. That said, the difference between my experiences at fannish/literary conventions varies greatly in many ways.
On the one hand, my online communities are one place I can be seen as I self-identify. Who I am is based on my words and manner rather than on some comparison on the shade of my skin. On the other hand, I spend more wasted time online trying to explain to the clueless simple concepts. For instance, why some words have a dehumanizing effect and basic principles of respect when stepping outside their areas of familiarity. I’m normally a nice person all in all, but sometimes I just wanna slap someone.
There’s a level of expectation not only within the online folks who identify as white, but in the fandom of color community as well. It involves taking sides. When the words are flying, and the conversations between the white fandom and black fandom gets heated, there are assumptions on where I should stand, what side I should take. That’s generally when things have gotten to the point where people stop listening and begin to go on the attack/defensive. That’s one of the most dangerous situations in online discussion in my opinion. When one or even both sides stop listening, which happens far too often, nothing good can come of it.
This discussion usually starts with a white fan sharing his or her fiction or talking about a favorite tv show or movie. The minute a PoC chimes in with a comment, analysis, or criticism, no matter how politely stated, there will inevitably be a backlash of some kind. I believe this is even more apparent when dealing with comments regarding a piece of writing. The PoC mentions an element of the story or article she or he found offensive, and instead of creating a dialogue where the white writer in question can learn from the unintentional mistake, more time than not the author of the writing in question goes on the defensive. This in general leads to personal attacks against the PoC poster, as well as the white writer often calling on other assumed whites present during the conversation to rally to their defense.
How hard is it for some white writers to understand that to call a character “the brown skinned man” or the “Asian woman” in a story rather than using the character’s name dehumanizes that character? These are not cases of liberal tokenism, but often established characters of color in fanfic being dehumanized in this way. When the reader identifies with the character, how does the writer expect that PoC to react to such blatant disrespect? Heck, I could explain this to my five year old and she’d at least listen and try to understand. So why did some of the adults in the Discussion of race at CSI Slash Comm has such a hard time getting the concept on why the words they choose in their fanfic offended certain readers?
Not only didn’t some of the white writers listen, they verbally attacked the PoC, calling her a racist. Why? Because they were too busy getting defensive than just shutting the heck up and listening to what was really being said. The PoC that brought up the issue never once attacked the quality of this writer’s fiction, just the offensive terms that were being used within its pages. Of course when people turn on the offensive, even the most rational person’s hackles will rise in defense. In the end, that’s when any positive result from the discussion is wasted on bickering and bulling tactics, more often than not waged at the PoC who challenged the group’s status quo.
I’ve witnessed these same conversations all over the online communities I frequent. As a WoC I often marvel at the image that pops in my head during these exasperating discussions. A white writer looking at his or her computer screen with blanks stares as a reader of color struggles to explain to them why they were offended. Not only is the white writer often unaware of these issues, nor do they seem to have the experiences to have ever dealt with being treated as a non-person. As we all have witness, this rarely ends in a productive manor and does nothing more that increase the divide between white fans and fans of color.
I’ve lost track of the number of times under the assumption I am white, a white person has pulled me into these discussions. I always read the posts very carefully, but more often that not the white writer/fan ends up pissed when I finally have my say. Whether these author’s faux pas are intentional or not, I’m not being a touchy woman of color by telling the writer of said story it offends the heck out of me. Nor is it unreasonable for me to back up/clarify another PoC statement trying to explain the same darn thing to them. Truth is truth no matter how you slice it, though for the sake of further rational discussion I try to do so as politely as I can manage.
This is not to say all my online experiences are bad. I’ve had some great conversations both with white writers and other writers of color which have been no less than inspirational. Being a writer of multicultural fiction, I made the choice long ago to write outside of my comfort zone. Sure I could write stories with nothing but bi-racial Caucasian Native American women, but then the world itself is not built solely of these people so why would I want my stories to be? My eye for beauty has never been limited in that way.
This brings me to another frustration I’ve had with the online fannish community. Visual Arts, whether popular media or illustrations. I love fairies, mermaids, amazons, all the visions imaginable of strong and beautiful women. I can’t tell you how many times I have wished I could draw and paint just so I could see some variation in the fannish art I see. Why can’t the fae queen have skin the color of warmed maple syrup and dark curls? There a reason all the native images are either some hottie male savage or the demure looking Indian princess?
What the deal with this? Is there some need in art and literature to tame the wild savage or claim the spirited princess? Not all Indian women look like Disney’s Pocahontas. It’s time for the illustrators to look back upon and analyze the inspirations for their images. It’s time for the artists in the famish community to move forward from the old habits and stereotypes and create something new, something truly meaningful. Time for visual and written artists alike to consider the old habits and ingrained racisms. Who do these masturbatory fantasies truly serve, and more importantly who do they harm? I’ve presented these challenges to artist of all types when the opportunity presenting itself. I am hopeful that some of those conversations will bear results.
Since I started writing it seems some of the things I’ve said when I’ve talked of culture and Cherokee medicines have really affected people. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what I said, but now every so often when one of my non-Native friends has a question on those two subjects I get an email. Now, it is true that very often whites assume any person who is a member of a particular ethnic group is an expert on that group. Whereas often times many PoC are well versed in their cultures, some of us have lived apart from our ethnic community for a very long time, even our whole lives.
I’m very glad people do ask questions instead of simply depending on tired stereotypes. There is no exchange of knowledge possible until that first step is taken. I’m no expert, but I do what I can. Outside of my own tribe I’ve researched many other nations for the stories I write, though it gets tiresome sometimes explaining to folks that not all tribes are the same. Not even close.
I remember one day spending hours writing and rewriting a post trying to politely explain to some hopeful writer who sent me bits of the Native American romance she wrote that there were some serious issues in her research. I don’t mind offering assistance to new writers, but sometimes it can be a dangerous prospect. This woman got really mad at me when I pointed out to her that she should pick one tribe and look into it in great detail. You see she had badly mixed styles of clothing and housing in an area where the tribes didn’t even have access to those things. Now you’d think she’d be glad to have a chance to portray the particular tribe accurately.
Not the case. She said things like “what difference does the tribe make” and “any intelligent reader will get the general idea”. I tried to be polite (I swear I did) when I explained that generalizing Indians as a whole was less that respectful. It seemed like a simple idea to me, but no matter how I worded my concerns, she just didn’t see “what the big deal was”. No wonder I see so many books out there with portrayals of Indian that make me cringe (or swear loudly). Sometime I wonder if I’m the only one who wishes more folks would write about modern Indians, rather than “historicals” that spit at the truth as they go by.
It’s not that I mind sharing what I know, if someone is listening. I admit it’s hard to hear so few other tribal voices but mine within the fandom community and the larger writing communities…even within the PoC groups I’m a member of. I can’t tell you how often I receive anthology calls for places looking for Black writers, or Black writers contests, (sweet as it is that when my friends see one of these calls for submissions they think of me). I have seen non-fiction call for Indian authors, but my love is fiction.
It would be such fun to get to be part of a writers of color fiction anthology, or an anthology of modern stories with Indian characters. It’s not that I’m complaining. I’m thrilled to see so many more opportunities for Black and Latino authors out there in fandom then there use to be, all of which I support with as much of my limited fundange as I can. Why? Because if we don’t support these things then they have the tendency to go away.
Now, there are some things going away that I’d not be upset about. There are TV shows and movies that fandom as a whole is wild about. Some I like, while others are the worst examples of dehumanization that I’ve been talking about. Here, let’s give an example. Pirates of the Caribbean (2 and 3). Wonderful effect, sure I’ll go with that. Exciting story full of action, I’m with ya so far. So what the issue?
Here’s my take on this movie. The PoC character is always the one I expect to be killed off first (sigh), and I am generally proven right about it. In fact in this moved it was the ship with all the PoC that got killed off in the most horrible way. The natives in the story? Subservient to the great white god that is Jack Sparrow one moment and cannibalistic later. Give me a break. The mystic WoC is always crazed, oftentimes even evil or letting herself be walked all over, and never gets the guy. In this movie it was no different. She bends over backward to help the white folks, even though she is mistreated and stolen from.
Here’s a place that can explain why I have issues with these movies even better then I can here (without going on a week long rant that is) Pirates of the Carribean II: Dead Man's Chest
Are these issues new? Nope. So, as often as we have seen these old rehashed plots time and time again we try to point these things out to some white fans and you’d think we’d just said bad things about their mamas. Again, what really make me shake my head in bafflement is that some of these same issues my son (eight at the time we saw POTC2) picked some of these issue up and asked me about them….An Eight years old gets it, but the adults can’t? To many white writers in the fannish community, race is an old issue. Yet to PoC it’s still a very important aspect of our experiences.
My hope is that in the future we will see more of a diverse face on the media and writings in fandom. I really believe the PoC online community is the catalyst of much of that change now and in the future. When we recognize problems, for example the way Manga limits the public view regarding the Asian culture, or how so much urban fiction contains limited images of Blacks showing then as a misogynistic and uneducated culture then we can do something about it. If writers become mindful we can use fandom as a platform to come together for change. There’s no doubt that making even white allies recognize the PoC stereotypes portrayals and tokenism in their art and writing isn’t going to be easy, but at least here, on the web, our words stand for themselves, as long as there are people who care enough to listen.
On the one hand, my online communities are one place I can be seen as I self-identify. Who I am is based on my words and manner rather than on some comparison on the shade of my skin. On the other hand, I spend more wasted time online trying to explain to the clueless simple concepts. For instance, why some words have a dehumanizing effect and basic principles of respect when stepping outside their areas of familiarity. I’m normally a nice person all in all, but sometimes I just wanna slap someone.
There’s a level of expectation not only within the online folks who identify as white, but in the fandom of color community as well. It involves taking sides. When the words are flying, and the conversations between the white fandom and black fandom gets heated, there are assumptions on where I should stand, what side I should take. That’s generally when things have gotten to the point where people stop listening and begin to go on the attack/defensive. That’s one of the most dangerous situations in online discussion in my opinion. When one or even both sides stop listening, which happens far too often, nothing good can come of it.
This discussion usually starts with a white fan sharing his or her fiction or talking about a favorite tv show or movie. The minute a PoC chimes in with a comment, analysis, or criticism, no matter how politely stated, there will inevitably be a backlash of some kind. I believe this is even more apparent when dealing with comments regarding a piece of writing. The PoC mentions an element of the story or article she or he found offensive, and instead of creating a dialogue where the white writer in question can learn from the unintentional mistake, more time than not the author of the writing in question goes on the defensive. This in general leads to personal attacks against the PoC poster, as well as the white writer often calling on other assumed whites present during the conversation to rally to their defense.
How hard is it for some white writers to understand that to call a character “the brown skinned man” or the “Asian woman” in a story rather than using the character’s name dehumanizes that character? These are not cases of liberal tokenism, but often established characters of color in fanfic being dehumanized in this way. When the reader identifies with the character, how does the writer expect that PoC to react to such blatant disrespect? Heck, I could explain this to my five year old and she’d at least listen and try to understand. So why did some of the adults in the Discussion of race at CSI Slash Comm has such a hard time getting the concept on why the words they choose in their fanfic offended certain readers?
Not only didn’t some of the white writers listen, they verbally attacked the PoC, calling her a racist. Why? Because they were too busy getting defensive than just shutting the heck up and listening to what was really being said. The PoC that brought up the issue never once attacked the quality of this writer’s fiction, just the offensive terms that were being used within its pages. Of course when people turn on the offensive, even the most rational person’s hackles will rise in defense. In the end, that’s when any positive result from the discussion is wasted on bickering and bulling tactics, more often than not waged at the PoC who challenged the group’s status quo.
I’ve witnessed these same conversations all over the online communities I frequent. As a WoC I often marvel at the image that pops in my head during these exasperating discussions. A white writer looking at his or her computer screen with blanks stares as a reader of color struggles to explain to them why they were offended. Not only is the white writer often unaware of these issues, nor do they seem to have the experiences to have ever dealt with being treated as a non-person. As we all have witness, this rarely ends in a productive manor and does nothing more that increase the divide between white fans and fans of color.
I’ve lost track of the number of times under the assumption I am white, a white person has pulled me into these discussions. I always read the posts very carefully, but more often that not the white writer/fan ends up pissed when I finally have my say. Whether these author’s faux pas are intentional or not, I’m not being a touchy woman of color by telling the writer of said story it offends the heck out of me. Nor is it unreasonable for me to back up/clarify another PoC statement trying to explain the same darn thing to them. Truth is truth no matter how you slice it, though for the sake of further rational discussion I try to do so as politely as I can manage.
This is not to say all my online experiences are bad. I’ve had some great conversations both with white writers and other writers of color which have been no less than inspirational. Being a writer of multicultural fiction, I made the choice long ago to write outside of my comfort zone. Sure I could write stories with nothing but bi-racial Caucasian Native American women, but then the world itself is not built solely of these people so why would I want my stories to be? My eye for beauty has never been limited in that way.
This brings me to another frustration I’ve had with the online fannish community. Visual Arts, whether popular media or illustrations. I love fairies, mermaids, amazons, all the visions imaginable of strong and beautiful women. I can’t tell you how many times I have wished I could draw and paint just so I could see some variation in the fannish art I see. Why can’t the fae queen have skin the color of warmed maple syrup and dark curls? There a reason all the native images are either some hottie male savage or the demure looking Indian princess?
What the deal with this? Is there some need in art and literature to tame the wild savage or claim the spirited princess? Not all Indian women look like Disney’s Pocahontas. It’s time for the illustrators to look back upon and analyze the inspirations for their images. It’s time for the artists in the famish community to move forward from the old habits and stereotypes and create something new, something truly meaningful. Time for visual and written artists alike to consider the old habits and ingrained racisms. Who do these masturbatory fantasies truly serve, and more importantly who do they harm? I’ve presented these challenges to artist of all types when the opportunity presenting itself. I am hopeful that some of those conversations will bear results.
Since I started writing it seems some of the things I’ve said when I’ve talked of culture and Cherokee medicines have really affected people. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what I said, but now every so often when one of my non-Native friends has a question on those two subjects I get an email. Now, it is true that very often whites assume any person who is a member of a particular ethnic group is an expert on that group. Whereas often times many PoC are well versed in their cultures, some of us have lived apart from our ethnic community for a very long time, even our whole lives.
I’m very glad people do ask questions instead of simply depending on tired stereotypes. There is no exchange of knowledge possible until that first step is taken. I’m no expert, but I do what I can. Outside of my own tribe I’ve researched many other nations for the stories I write, though it gets tiresome sometimes explaining to folks that not all tribes are the same. Not even close.
I remember one day spending hours writing and rewriting a post trying to politely explain to some hopeful writer who sent me bits of the Native American romance she wrote that there were some serious issues in her research. I don’t mind offering assistance to new writers, but sometimes it can be a dangerous prospect. This woman got really mad at me when I pointed out to her that she should pick one tribe and look into it in great detail. You see she had badly mixed styles of clothing and housing in an area where the tribes didn’t even have access to those things. Now you’d think she’d be glad to have a chance to portray the particular tribe accurately.
Not the case. She said things like “what difference does the tribe make” and “any intelligent reader will get the general idea”. I tried to be polite (I swear I did) when I explained that generalizing Indians as a whole was less that respectful. It seemed like a simple idea to me, but no matter how I worded my concerns, she just didn’t see “what the big deal was”. No wonder I see so many books out there with portrayals of Indian that make me cringe (or swear loudly). Sometime I wonder if I’m the only one who wishes more folks would write about modern Indians, rather than “historicals” that spit at the truth as they go by.
It’s not that I mind sharing what I know, if someone is listening. I admit it’s hard to hear so few other tribal voices but mine within the fandom community and the larger writing communities…even within the PoC groups I’m a member of. I can’t tell you how often I receive anthology calls for places looking for Black writers, or Black writers contests, (sweet as it is that when my friends see one of these calls for submissions they think of me). I have seen non-fiction call for Indian authors, but my love is fiction.
It would be such fun to get to be part of a writers of color fiction anthology, or an anthology of modern stories with Indian characters. It’s not that I’m complaining. I’m thrilled to see so many more opportunities for Black and Latino authors out there in fandom then there use to be, all of which I support with as much of my limited fundange as I can. Why? Because if we don’t support these things then they have the tendency to go away.
Now, there are some things going away that I’d not be upset about. There are TV shows and movies that fandom as a whole is wild about. Some I like, while others are the worst examples of dehumanization that I’ve been talking about. Here, let’s give an example. Pirates of the Caribbean (2 and 3). Wonderful effect, sure I’ll go with that. Exciting story full of action, I’m with ya so far. So what the issue?
Here’s my take on this movie. The PoC character is always the one I expect to be killed off first (sigh), and I am generally proven right about it. In fact in this moved it was the ship with all the PoC that got killed off in the most horrible way. The natives in the story? Subservient to the great white god that is Jack Sparrow one moment and cannibalistic later. Give me a break. The mystic WoC is always crazed, oftentimes even evil or letting herself be walked all over, and never gets the guy. In this movie it was no different. She bends over backward to help the white folks, even though she is mistreated and stolen from.
Here’s a place that can explain why I have issues with these movies even better then I can here (without going on a week long rant that is) Pirates of the Carribean II: Dead Man's Chest
Are these issues new? Nope. So, as often as we have seen these old rehashed plots time and time again we try to point these things out to some white fans and you’d think we’d just said bad things about their mamas. Again, what really make me shake my head in bafflement is that some of these same issues my son (eight at the time we saw POTC2) picked some of these issue up and asked me about them….An Eight years old gets it, but the adults can’t? To many white writers in the fannish community, race is an old issue. Yet to PoC it’s still a very important aspect of our experiences.
My hope is that in the future we will see more of a diverse face on the media and writings in fandom. I really believe the PoC online community is the catalyst of much of that change now and in the future. When we recognize problems, for example the way Manga limits the public view regarding the Asian culture, or how so much urban fiction contains limited images of Blacks showing then as a misogynistic and uneducated culture then we can do something about it. If writers become mindful we can use fandom as a platform to come together for change. There’s no doubt that making even white allies recognize the PoC stereotypes portrayals and tokenism in their art and writing isn’t going to be easy, but at least here, on the web, our words stand for themselves, as long as there are people who care enough to listen.