I stood at the counter of a little cafeteria close to our house and ordered a plate of food. The family that runs this cafeteria knows my husband and I fairly well. But this was the first time they had seen our new baby in my arms. The grandmother of the family took my order [...][...]
Posts Tagged ‘race’
I Can’t Say Chino
Chino means exactly what you think it means — I had no need for a dictionary when I first heard this word used, in reference to an Asian friend and fellow volunteer in Chile. She is Chinese-American, a concept which, unfortunately, didn’t always compute. “What, are you Chinese or Americ[...]
June 20th, 2010 - 10:00 am § in Culture, Dominican Republic
A Lesson in History: Race on the Island of Hispañola
Growing up in the U.S., I got used to talking about race or describing someone by their skin color in a careful manner, afraid to offend someone or say something wrong. This inhibition has been eradicated after spending over two years in the Dominican Republic where a person’s skin color is used a[...]
