Writing
Thinking Through Race
a series of mini essays exploring race.
1. Vegan ‘Well, my Indian friend told me that you’re not supposed to eat meat’. I work in an independent, vegan store, fitting for me, being vegan myself. I also happen to be racialised as South Asian. In my own life, these two factors are irrelevant to each other, yet many a customer seem to presume otherwise. In The Good Immigrant, Nikesh Shukla remarks on how ‘Namaste’, a ‘customary greeting’ has become a ‘bastardised metaphor for spirituality’ by ‘white people doing yoga’; often having experienced strangers racialised as white, greeting him with the word, before impressing upon him their knowledge of his culture (Shukla and Suleyman, 2019). Not only have I too experienced random ‘Namaste’s while walking down the street, but some of my choices, like dietary, have been presumed as merely a part of my culture; akin to Shukla’s experiences of presumptuous conversation regarding his. What plays on my mind most though, is that when met with contradictory information to a presumption, not everyone accepts it. Some, as with the anecdotal quote at the start of this piece, have proceeded in a way that suggests they know me better than I know myself. Without tangentially dissecting the nature of culture, these presumptions can, though perhaps non-intentionally, dig at a person’s autonomy. Why is it that my religious stance is questioned at work, when that of my similarly aged, similarly dressed, but white colleagues, are not? What is it about me that suggests self-ignorance? Perhaps in attempting to impress upon me knowledge of what has been presumed to be ‘my culture’, and failing to do so given I have contradicted what is being said, leads to stubbornness to save face, or potentially, misdirected guilt for incorrectly assuming? Regardless, it is objectifying when knowledge such a customer has, pertaining to veganism and South Asia, is projected onto me; ascribing me to an identity I would not consider for myself, therefore aiding in the process of racialisation. An attempt to understand another has therefore fallen short and now I am debating with a stranger the true reasoning behind my choices.
2. Accents The dynamics of certain spaces and who or what is or isn’t allowed in them, has been seen all throughout colonial history. Though alike previously highlighted with the presumptuous conversations regarding my occupation of vegan spaces, this is not something that is solely in the past. In Akala’s ‘Natives’, an exercising of power through inclusion or exclusion is examined through details of skin colour determining positioning within the plantation economy or the right to bear arms in the 1600s, all the way up until the 1960s which saw signage such as, ‘No Irish, no blacks, no dogs.’ (Akala. Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire, 2018). Akala goes on to note how, despite having experienced oppression in Ireland, ‘…once in the Americas, the Irish came to understand very well the benefits of learning to be white…’ (Akala. Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire, 2018). This is also evident in my own life, in reassuring my mother that I would never bleach my skin to make it lighter or with my parents not teaching my brother and I the language of our immigrant grandparents so that we would have ‘nice British accents’; in an effort to lessen the discrimination that we would encounter. Riz Ahmed’s chapter in ‘The Good Immigrant’, is also incredibly telling of pandering to the criteria of certain spaces. Ahmed expresses how minorities are every so often given various labels, ‘neither of your choosing nor making, both constricting and decorative’ (Shukla and Suleyman, 2019), which go on to direct the way in which minorities navigate certain spaces. In his case, he shares of his experiences in airports post 9/11 and being consistently stereotyped in these spaces; to the point where he and a member of the security team in Luton airport became familiar with one another, as Ahmed was frequently searched by him. Upon being asked whether he knows of anyone with intention to harm the United States, Ahmed recalls making ‘Hugh Grant noises, venturing a ‘gosh!’ in there somewhere’ (Shukla and Suleyman, 2019); making use of his British accent in the hopes of lessening experienced discrimination. Furthermore, there is notably an element of classism in the marking of accents. The way I used to speak with my friends, heavily slang-filled and dropped T’s, I would always change in more serious settings. In this way, I would be taken more seriously, right? In an article on the Guardian, David Shariatmadari writes about the ‘glottal stop’, i.e., the non-pronunciation of the letter ‘T’. This linguistic feature is ‘traditionally associated with male, working-class speakers’, deemed ‘markers of an ‘inferior’ dialect’ (Shariatmadari, 2015). In the reinstating of the pronunciation of my t’s, am I essentially trying to pass as higher in the British social class system? This also aligns with immigrant friends correcting each other to learn received pronunciation or the blowback Ed Miliband received after an interview in which he used the glottal stop (Shariatmadari, 2015), or how Lord Digby Jones accused Alex Scott of ‘playing the working-class card’ after she told him of her pride in her accent in response to his criticising comments regarding it (Andersson, 2021). Through the way we speak, it is not only telling of our own stories, but also those which dominate society. I sincerely hope that one day the former will be held to higher regard than the apparent current latter.
3. Model ‘I just put Koreans and nails together’ In chapter four of ‘The Managed Hand: Race, Gender, and the Body in Beauty Service Work’, Millian Kang theorises about the intricacies of the concept of the ‘model minority’ in relation to nail salons. Southeast Asians are often seen to occupy the jobs in these spaces, in fact, ‘Seventy percent to 80 percent, of salons in the city (Manhattan) are Korean-owned, according to the Korean American Nail Association’ (Nir, 2015). Kang looks at how the manicure is not just about the physicality of it, many customers also require some sort of emotional care too, for example, with ‘engaged conversation’ (Kang, 2010). Kang highlights this aspect with an example from a Seinfeld episode, whereby a white American customer finds out that her Korean manicurists are making fun of her. She is then conflicted about continuing her custom because the physical element she cannot fault, but the emotional element is evidently lacking. Not only does this give an insight into the nature of the manicure, but it is also reflective of expectations of Asian manicurist behaviour; namely, that they will behave subserviently, are hard-working and accommodating (Kang, 2010). These characteristics align too with that of the model minority. The ‘model minority’ describes productive, yet passive minority groups whose assimilation into a society validates the society as open and accessible to all. This therefore suggests that an inability to gain access to certain spaces is due character flaws in the minority group rather than systemic racism, for example. This is reflective of a racialised understanding of labour. It can be also seen in other sectors, alongside further gendered associations, for example, the association of the technology and India, or how cleaners tend to be minority women, or that security guards are usually men. What is not usually considered though, is why these dynamics came about in the first place. ‘Nailed It’ is a documentary in which Vietnamese American filmmaker Adele Free Pham explored why all the nail salons around her were Vietnamese run, why so many Vietnamese people are in this industry and why she, herself, was pushed by her father to work in a nail salon, even just as a side-hustle (Garcia - Navarro, 2019). In the 70s, actress Tippi Hedren visited a Vietnamese refugee camp in the US. The women there really admired Hedren’s nails, and so Hedren started to bring her nail technician with her to teach them. Pham concluded that this was the initial reasoning behind the nail industry being dominated by Southeast Asian women (Garcia - Navarro, 2019). This heart-warming origin story is very much a far cry from simply just putting Koreans and nails together. It also gives much insight into the fragility of the model minority concept; circumstances out of the individuals hands evidently play a large role in producing particular behaviour. In other words, Hedren could just as easily have decided to visit a group of refugees from somewhere other than Southeast Asia.
5. Gesture I don’t feel connected to my Indian origins very often; having been raised by parents who were not born or raised in India either and having only set foot in the sub-continent for about three weeks in total. When I visited, it was very much noticed that I was raised elsewhere, and the connection I was hoping to feel, didn’t manifest. This disconnect has oftentimes left me feeling unable to embrace this part of myself. There is, however, a particular instance that undercuts this. I see it in a subtle yet meaningful look or slight smile when passing someone else also with these origins, in a setting where we are very much the minority. This exchange feels so natural. It is, in itself, an acknowledgement of our shared experiences; certainly making me feel less alone, regardless of whether my being a minority was something on my mind beforehand. For once, this part of me affords me a sense of belonging. In an article on The Medium, Musa Okwonga writes similarly about ‘The Nod’. He notes how this almost elusive lowering of the head is exchanged between Black people, similarly in settings where there is a white majority. Okwonga goes on to theorise the wider context of this gesture, pinning it down to an acknowledgement that those exchanging are in a social setting, ‘bars, nightclubs, boardrooms, sometimes entire countries’ that was once deemed inaccessible to them (Okwonga, 2014). Being there is reflective of success. He goes on to say though, converse to my one-note perspective at the sense of community, that ‘sometimes… it’s bittersweet, reflecting how far Black people have yet to go to feel at home in their surroundings.’ (Okwonga, 2014). While there is much amiability amongst strangers who find this kind of commonality between them, it is also true that a ‘look’ or a ‘nod’ is indicative of being in a society that does not yet claim you completely as its own. In a way both taking and giving a sense of belonging all at once. Maybe one day such connection will not be as meaningful, but for now, and for me, I still find more comfort in the depth that comes with such a gesture.
4. Whiteness ‘In most respects, whiteness defines the normal and defines difference’ Malory Nye states in an article on Medium (Nye, 2017). The concept and emergence of ‘whiteness’ as a racial identity is not something I have previously thought to analyse in relation to the process of racialisation. Perhaps it is not something I am saying or doing, but more the nature of ‘whiteness’ that fosters this process. Looking into the nature of this identity, means looking at its origins. Nye writes about whiteness being used to unite England and Scotland, with it being a commonality to override any differences between them. This is what aided in the creation of the British Empire that proceeded to colonise countries around the world under the premise of being ‘the superior white British civilisation, making the rest of the world a better place’ (Nye, 2017). This therefore suggests that those who are not racialised as ‘white’, as well as those who are not British, were considered inferior to those who are. Not only does this idea of inferiority alter perspectives of minorities, but it also alters perspectives of the white self. The ‘white saviour complex’ is the term given to those racialised as white intending to help BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour), but ultimately making the situation worse, or failing to address ‘the real work that needs to be done’ to combat systemic problems (Murphy, 2021). Further to the intention though, those racialised as white in this position, act due to believing themselves to be in the position to help, regardless of whether that is true; ‘…many white Westerners believed that they inherently had the knowledge, skills, and ingenuity to the solve problems of other people all around the world’. It is a ‘centuries’ old concept’ that is still prevalent today (Murphy, 2021). There can be very dire consequences to this. Renee Bach has been accused in this way, portraying herself as a doctor during missionary work in Uganda, even though she did not have these qualifications. She administered treatments at a US missionary organisation there, which later saw over one hundred children die after their treatment in the centre. The organisation now has numerous court cases against them, demanding accountability for these deaths (Mwesigwa and Beaumont, 2019). ‘NoWhiteSaviors’ is an Instagram account with 900 thousand followers that address the issues surrounding this superiority complex. There is information regarding everything from racial slurs and adoption to medical treatment inequality and education. This is an account that I have personally learned a lot from and continue to do so. As an anthropologist, I question whether the white saviour dynamic comes into play in this field too.
Essay References ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Akala., 2018. Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire. Great Britain. || Andersson, J., 2021. How Accent Discrimination Has Impacted My Life. [online] Refinery29.com. Available at: [Accessed 1 January 2022]. || Garcia - Navarro, L., 2019. 'Nailed It': A Documentary On How Vietnamese Workers Took Over U.S. Nail Salons : NPR. [online] Npr.org. Available at: [Accessed 30 December 2021]. || Kang, M., 2010. The managed hand. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp.101 - 120. Murphy, C., 2021. White Savior Complex Is a Harmful Approach to Providing Help—Here's Why. [online] Health.com. Available at: [Accessed 8 December 2021]. || Mwesigwa, A. and Beaumont, P., 2019. Did children die because of 'white saviour' Renee Bach?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: [Accessed 9 December 2021]. || Nir, S., 2015. The Price of Nice Nails (Published 2015). [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: [Accessed 30 December 2021]. || Nye, M., 2017. The British construction of whiteness: unionism, imperialism, and the United Kingdom. [online] Medium. Available at: [Accessed 7 November 2021]. || Okwonga, M., 2014. The Nod: A Subtle Lowering of the Head to Another Black Person in an Overwhelmingly White Place. [online] Medium. Available at: [Accessed 28 December 2021]. || Shariatmadari, D., 2015. Why have we got it in for the glottal stop?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: [Accessed 1 January 2022]. || Shukla, N. and Suleyman, C., 2019. The Good Immigrant. [S.I.]: Little, Brown and Company. ||