Please tick the box
What is it with this obsession the human race has to classify everything? To make it fall neatly into one box or the other? For those square pegs that fit through the square hole, I guess it's not even a consideration, but what if you're a kind of funny irregular wobbly shape peg that doesn't fit neatly into any hole?
Being mixed race is confusing. You don't fall into any one category. Last month I decided to register with the library. I sat down at the desk and told the jolly man seated at the counter that I wanted to sign up for a library card. "No problem!" he exclaimed, rummaging through the drawer for the appropriate forms. "What's your name?" I told him my name was Erin. That raised an eyebrow, as it usually does. "Erin? Interesting name, don't hear that often. Isn't that Irish?" And so, from the simple desire to borrow a book, I ended up launching into the spiel about how my father is Irish and my mother is Chinese, so yes, my name Erin is Irish, which incidentally means Ireland, and no I don't have a Chinese surname and no, I don't look like I'm half white. With the explanation out the way, he signs me up for a library card, getting slightly over excited about how I also get a wonderful key fob version with a barcode I can waft under the scanners and a free book mark (I guess librarians have an odd sense of humour and don't get out much… imagine the librarian type in-jokes they have, chuckling about modern literature whilst wearing knitted cardigans… *shudder*). He then holds out a laminated sheet of paper apologetically, emphasising he HAS to ask but I can decline to answer, but which category do I fall under.
That stupid sheet of paper. It pops up everywhere. When I apply for a job, when I apply for a passport, filling out estate agent registration forms, even a simple library card, I have to tick the box… which ethnicity are you? It verges on racist. There's White, African, Carribean, Pakistani, Asian, White/African, White/Indian… but they NEVER have an option for White/Chinese. And so, I routinely tick the 'other' box. I am an 'Other'. That's what an ex used to call me. An Other. I sound like an alien, or something out of the X files! I don't fall into any category. Surely with the process of evolution and the rise of mixed race marriages, the human race is one big racial melting pot and before you know it, everyone will be ticking the 'other' option and those irritating little forms will become redundant? Not in my life time though unfortunately.
Being mixed race is confusing. You don't fall into any one category. Last month I decided to register with the library. I sat down at the desk and told the jolly man seated at the counter that I wanted to sign up for a library card. "No problem!" he exclaimed, rummaging through the drawer for the appropriate forms. "What's your name?" I told him my name was Erin. That raised an eyebrow, as it usually does. "Erin? Interesting name, don't hear that often. Isn't that Irish?" And so, from the simple desire to borrow a book, I ended up launching into the spiel about how my father is Irish and my mother is Chinese, so yes, my name Erin is Irish, which incidentally means Ireland, and no I don't have a Chinese surname and no, I don't look like I'm half white. With the explanation out the way, he signs me up for a library card, getting slightly over excited about how I also get a wonderful key fob version with a barcode I can waft under the scanners and a free book mark (I guess librarians have an odd sense of humour and don't get out much… imagine the librarian type in-jokes they have, chuckling about modern literature whilst wearing knitted cardigans… *shudder*). He then holds out a laminated sheet of paper apologetically, emphasising he HAS to ask but I can decline to answer, but which category do I fall under.
That stupid sheet of paper. It pops up everywhere. When I apply for a job, when I apply for a passport, filling out estate agent registration forms, even a simple library card, I have to tick the box… which ethnicity are you? It verges on racist. There's White, African, Carribean, Pakistani, Asian, White/African, White/Indian… but they NEVER have an option for White/Chinese. And so, I routinely tick the 'other' box. I am an 'Other'. That's what an ex used to call me. An Other. I sound like an alien, or something out of the X files! I don't fall into any category. Surely with the process of evolution and the rise of mixed race marriages, the human race is one big racial melting pot and before you know it, everyone will be ticking the 'other' option and those irritating little forms will become redundant? Not in my life time though unfortunately.
Comments
Tatah!