On being an unlikely Leo
Cal in Color
From a young age, I was afraid of being expressive and taking up space. I learned to make myself smaller and quieter so white people would feel comfortable.
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I am my Brownness
Cal in Color
Obviously, I knew that I was Brown. But in their attempts to make me feel included, my Ukrainian family made me feel even more othered.
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Transfer pride
Cal in Color
There’s an initial pinprick of fear that makes me wonder whether knowing that I transferred from a community college would make people see me differently.
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‘Bold of you to assume I’m straight’
Cal in Color
For some immigrants and BIPOC like me, being expressive with our identities can be more challenging than it is for white, non-immigrant people.
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What your neighborhood says about you
Cal in Color
She’d assumed I was a cleaning lady rather than a kid doing a chore for her parents. I wondered if she would have assumed the same had I been white-passing.
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Crossing the line
Cal in Color
As a biracial, multicultural immigrant, I am always drifting across these lines, not quite belonging on either side, perpetually gliding over boundaries.
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‘Are you together?’
Cal in Color
Skin color is deterministic in our society. Though we walk side by side, my white family and I walk through different worlds.
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Deconstructing my own privilege
Cal in Color
Being a BIPOC who had a traditionally white upbringing, I come from an odd position: I am both racially privileged and not privileged.
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Slipping through the cracks
Cal in Color
As much as I enjoy the opportunity of sharing the wonderful tangle of my background, multiracial people are expected to constantly explain our existences.
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When ‘sorry’ becomes a catchphrase
Cal in Color
Even in this community aware of mental disabilities, it can be difficult for BIPOC to feel comfortable taking up space and asking for what we need.
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