Recently I came across a video clip on Youtube from the television show "Oprah: Where are they now?" The clip was of Raven Symone who is mostly known as being the little girl from "The Cosby Show."
It became a hot topic on the internet following the interview because she claimed to not be an African-American. In fact she stated: "I'm tired of being labelled. I'm an American. I'm not an African-American; I'm an American."
At first I thought that her views were quite progressive, after all how are we to all be equal when we classify people as being one thing or another? It's typical for humans to create different categories for people to fit in, however, and though we express interest in breaking away from these classifications, the reasons they exist are rooted in history and culture.
It's these different categories whether created through race, culture, or other that makes us identify with others. For example, I am Canadian and I therefore identify with other Canadians. There are commonalities and a social understanding that comes with being Canadian.
She expresses her thoughts of America being a melting pot. It is and so is Canada, but I do think race is addressed differently in the two countries.
I shared the clip with a friend and asked her thoughts on the matter. She is originally from Mexico, but has spent over half her life in Canada and is now currently going to school in the States.
She's spoken to me about the differences in how she's approached in the States before, so I wanted her opinion of the video clip.
Before when we spoke she told me about how people ask where she is from. She identifies as both Mexican and Canadian, but upon saying she was from Canada would get a look and another question regarding where she was actually born because she didn't fit the typical Canadian look apparently.
However, while in Canada when asked where she was from, Calgary was apparently good enough for those asking.
Asking her opinion was to contrast the comments on Youtube. Here people expressed a similar view as my initial impression, but I discovered that initial impression was actually a very narrow-minded caucasian view.
The comments on Youtube were that of people stating they were born in the United States but do not call themselves a British American, Hungarian American, Irish-French-British-German American, etc... These people were all of European ancestry though did not identify as a European American, they were simply American.
It's the different histories of people and the differences in which races came to or interacted with America that has developed their opinions of identification within the country.
My friend who is currently in the States expressed the opinion that as an American, Raven Symone is claiming to be colourless, which is only possible to do in the United States with privileges not all people have.
Through saying she is American and not African-American it is through her wealth and social status that she is able to do so, for her it is likely race has not really been an obstacle in life, while for so many people racism continues to be evident. They are in fact reminded of racial differences constantly, through relationships, work, the medical system, etc... On surveys there are even numerous boxes asking for one to identify themselves racially.
My friend's interactions in the United States therefore made her come to the conclusion that life in the United States cannot be colourless because of these constant reminders for people in their lives about racial differences.
Obviously there was a lot more to what Raven Symone was saying than simply stating she is American.
Later Raven Symone claimed what she said had been misunderstood, she was black, but she wasn't African-American. This again made me think about how she was attempting to say she wasn't into identifying race, America is supposed to be a melting pot and so therefore she is American. It was where she was born and is all she knows of herself.
Again, this appears to be the statement of someone who has the weight behind her to say race isn't a factor through stating she is American, she's just a different coloured American and that really what she meant by America being colourless was that America is supposed to be colourful.
Maybe one day equality will actually let America and even Canada be the melting pots they are said to be.
