HowlRound: On a recent playwriting submission, I was asked to check a box, yes or no, am I a playwright of color? I have always struggled with this term because I am a very light-skinned Mexican American. I have no problem checking the box that says: yes, I am Latina. But a playwright of color? Unless you’ve spoken to me about my race, or have met anyone from my mother’s side of the family, chances are you will assume I am white. Most people do. And if we break down the phrase “playwright of color” it seems apparent that the question is only interested in defining a person based on skin color. So it seems an obvious answer: no, my skin is white; therefore, I can’t possibly be a playwright of color. And I understand the utility of such a clear-cut binary. I’d have to be completely ignorant about the world we live in to not understand that my whiteness comes with advantages.
4 comments:
This was fantastic insight into just how multifaceted the overall complexity of the playwright diversity issue is. I had never considered the disparity between a "playwright of color" and a "technically a minority playwright but also one who happens to look as if they're the majority". I can imagine how that could bring on intense feelings of guilt (white guilt?) from Ms. Ramirez, and I also feel as though her input is greatly appreciated. I'm also glad that she pointed out the fact that in reality, her perspective is still very critical, but just may not fill the "racial diversity quota" many regional theatres are desperate to fill after endless articles about the race problem that exists in today's theatre. I definitely feel as though her experiences and her plays should still be considered from the perspective of a Mexican-American, as she definitely has insights into the world of the minority, particularly if half of her family if Mexican and dark skinned. It's an interesting idea though that someone can be "Mexican in disguise", and privy to privilege that white people enjoy.
I think this article is really indicative of the fact that being part of a specific group doesn’t dictate a specific experience, even though people like to assume it does. Being perceived as a person of color has a major impact on what someone’s life is like, and those impacts are a big element of what people think about when they think about what it is like to be a person of color in America. I think the problem Ramirez Puckett is discussing could be resolved to some extent if the place she is submitting plays to were to specify why they are asking if she is a person of color. If they don’t have a reason to ask, then they shouldn’t be asking, and if they can articulate why they need to know, she can decide if she feels like she fits within that group for that context. That being said, from my perspective, I don’t think it would be wrong for her to check the box, regardless of the situation. Overall, I’m really glad she wrote this article. As someone who doesn’t face many issues in relation to my race, it was great to read her perspective on this very specific yet common situation.
This article was very insightful and interesting to read. I think the author definitely brings up an important and relevant issue - not everyone of the same race/ethnicity have the same experience. Some may be first generation immigrants forced to move in order to make a better living, some might be adopted by birth and have no actual experience with their own culture and thus don't really identify with their physical race at all, while others of the same race may be filthy rich and moved to the United States simply because they're rich and they can do so (for instance, daughters & sons of Chinese government officials with high positions). The social/economical standing of an individual (or in the author's case, her lighter skin color) can determine whether that person experiences racial discrimination or, at the other end of the spectrum, opportunities. Although each of these instances mentioned are all valid parts that make up the minority experience, the simple question "Are you a playwright (or any other profession) of color?" reveals nothing about the person. If this question is purely for statistical purposes, then it should be indicated next to the question. If the question is not for statistical reasons, then this definitely should not be the only question asked.
This article brings up a lot of issues I’ve faced in my own life. I’m half Puerto-Rican, and half Italian, but I look as white as the next girl. I’ve almost never faced discrimination because of my race, especially not in an institutionalized way. I may have even benefitted from my status as a white passing minority, since organizations can use me to fill their diversity quota yet still preserve that ‘all-white’ feel they were originally going to go with until those pesky diversity laws go in the way. So the issue to call myself a ‘person of color’ has been a struggle. And my skin color isn’t the only consideration either. I don’t feel like I’m as in touch with my Hispanic origin. Sure, I speak my fair share of Spanish, but I’m not fluent. And I’ve been at odds with my father’s side of the family for a while, which really forces a separation between myself and my heritage. This has always made me conflicted about whether I should even consider myself Latina at all. Applying for college really brought the issue to a head. My chances of getting into good schools, of getting scholarships, went up if I checked the little box that said I wasn’t white. But is that really fair? Those quotas and scholarships weren’t meant for me. They were meant for people who struggled to get an education, who would be easily dismissed for their skin color. In the end, it was split for me. On applications I checked of the little box labeled ‘Hispanic’, but I stayed far away from minority scholarships. This kind of thing has been on my mind for a while, and it’s something I’m still trying to figure out. I’m glad I’m not the only one who shares in this predicament. I hope soon it won’t matter if I’m considered a person of color or not, since there will be enough Hispanics of every color that my voice won’t have to represent them all.
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