Author: Olivia Lucas

Mount Holyoke College ‘18. International Relations major. French minor, Law, Public Policy, Human Rights Nexus minor.

NPR: People Of Color With Albinism Ask: Where Do I Belong?

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Link to article: People Of Color With Albinism Ask: Where Do I Belong?

An acquaintance of mine from back home was recently interviewed by NPR with her mother who has albinism. This article on living with albinism as a black woman is an interesting parallel to the reading we’ve been doing in class on Visible Identities.

“That deep, internal struggle felt by many with albinism often goes unnoticed by others. Because they often don’t look like the people within their racial group, the question is: Where do they fit?”

 

Ariana Miyamoto: the Black Miss Japan

In March 2015 Ariana Miyamoto became the first half-black Japanese woman to be named Miss Japan. This video feature by Al Jazeera America explores the varied reactions to a mixed-race woman, or what the Japanese refer to as a “hafu”,  being crowned Miss Japan.

“I don’t think the equivalent word for ‘hafu’ exists overseas; but in Japan, you need that word to explain who you are.” — Ariana Miyamoto

Furthermore, the video communicates to viewers the often misused and mislead power of assigning meaning to bodies and outward appearances as opposed to acknowledging individuals’ ethnicities or nationalities .

“My appearance isn’t Asian, but I believe I’m very much Japanese on the inside.” — Ariana Miyamoto

This piece connects well with our discussion of what it means to talk about race, how we use or misuse the term ‘race’ to assign meaning, and the significance of the language we use in race-talk.

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/live-news/2015/9/miss-japan-challenges-the-norm.html