Comments | zhai: On writing the other

zhai

On writing the other

Mar 12, 2009 22:14

This is going to be my one and only contribution to the conflagration that shall not be named, mostly because it's too ironic to resist. If you want more details, Mary Anne Mohanraj has a wonderfully thoughtful post on it, which also links to this great video. Most of the remaining bases have already been covered. I wish we could just be people. ( ( Read more... )

internets, race, philomath, game design, publication

Comments 20

zqfmbg March 13 2009, 05:42:51 UTC

A little embarrassing to see "Georgia Straight" and think of, well, Georgia the state. I mean, I used to live in Vancouver, and still visit fairly often. To completely forget about that paper... man.

zhai March 13 2009, 05:45:35 UTC

Yes, the name of the paper was never explained to me. I don't know why it is Georgia or why it is Straight.

zqfmbg March 13 2009, 05:48:13 UTC

That one's pretty easy to explain. The Strait of Georgia separates Vancouver Island from the mainland.

zhai March 13 2009, 05:52:20 UTC

Somehow I'm now more confused than before you told me that.

Thread 9

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zhai March 13 2009, 06:09:36 UTC

Glad if they were helpful. I certainly found them so. I don't agree with all of it -- I think, for instance, that part of the problem is the disparity in perceived significance of the term "racist", and that it's in fact a good thing that people consider it Very Bad -- but on the whole I found it quite helpful. (Correspondingly to the above, I think the whole notion of 'privilege' means different things to different people, and I'm not sure who has the authority to define it. In fact I kind of wish this whole thing was a lot less about authority.)

What it occurs to me as a personal question now is where my privilege lies if white people think I'm asian and asian people think I'm white (which is 100% of my experience). :)

elenuial March 13 2009, 20:11:49 UTC

What it occurs to me as a personal question now is where my privilege lies if white people think I'm asian and asian people think I'm white (which is 100% of my experience). :)

To be that sexy, sexy, exotic catgirl/LOUD FOREIGNER WITH GIANT... of their dreams.

(been there; done that, from both sides.)

That crackling noise? That was my soul burning a little.

zhai March 13 2009, 20:49:42 UTC

Ha. Yes. To the sentiment and the soul burning. =P

I guess what gets me in a lot of this is the focus on alienation and separating people into groups. It can go too far. I'm pretty sure they're all human underneath.

Is it too late? eggsniper March 13 2009, 06:31:59 UTC

Don't miss the 10k day mark. I completely spaced on mine.

Re: Is it too late? zhai March 13 2009, 06:38:26 UTC

Whoops. Yep. Spaced it by nearly half a year. Didn't realize it was significant. :)

brennye March 13 2009, 09:39:52 UTC

Veddy interesting read, veddy interesting. I shall go through it again later, at home, when I have time to do more than just skim.

So whot else you been up to?

zhai March 13 2009, 21:42:16 UTC

Sounds good. :)

All kinds of things, or maybe just same old. :) I've been trying to catch you online, but I think our schedules are flipped. :(

How are you?? What have you been up to? Maybe this should be in email... :)

brennye March 13 2009, 23:06:56 UTC

Schedule? do I have a schedule? OOOH You mean that awake time around the snatches of sleeping time. I see.. Hmm. :) How late you stay up? *Laugh*

Email anytime. I'm in my email for most of the day.

kmarkhoover March 13 2009, 11:00:22 UTC

As usual Mary Anne has got it exactly right. More people need to read what she's written and take it to heart. Good link, thanks for posting it.