Wow thank you thank you good afternoon the topic of this talk was birthed out
the topic of this talk was birthed out
the topic of this talk was birthed out of a conversation I had with my pops you
of a conversation I had with my pops you
of a conversation I had with my pops you see my pops asked me a question that
see my pops asked me a question that
see my pops asked me a question that would forever change my life he asked me
would forever change my life he asked me
would forever change my life he asked me how are you gonna raise your kids 23
how are you gonna raise your kids 23
how are you gonna raise your kids 23 years old
years old
years old the last thing I’m thinking about is
the last thing I’m thinking about is
the last thing I’m thinking about is kids matter of fact the last time I
kids matter of fact the last time I
kids matter of fact the last time I thought about kids
thought about kids
thought about kids there’s about ways to avoid having kids
there’s about ways to avoid having kids
there’s about ways to avoid having kids but let me start off by asking you a
but let me start off by asking you a
but let me start off by asking you a question have you ever had I ever had a
question have you ever had I ever had a
question have you ever had I ever had a piece of mail and on that piece of mail
piece of mail and on that piece of mail
piece of mail and on that piece of mail your name was so butchered I mean how
your name was so butchered I mean how
your name was so butchered I mean how could they put those vowels and
could they put those vowels and
could they put those vowels and constants together and form a name see
constants together and form a name see
constants together and form a name see something like that happened to me I got
something like that happened to me I got
something like that happened to me I got my SAT booklet and they said hey this is
my SAT booklet and they said hey this is
my SAT booklet and they said hey this is the most important day of your life
the most important day of your life
the most important day of your life you’re gonna remember this for the rest
you’re gonna remember this for the rest
you’re gonna remember this for the rest of your life got that booklet I looked
of your life got that booklet I looked
of your life got that booklet I looked on the back I saw my name it was correct
on the back I saw my name it was correct
on the back I saw my name it was correct but in a box right underneath that box
but in a box right underneath that box
but in a box right underneath that box we all seen so much the box was checked
we all seen so much the box was checked
we all seen so much the box was checked Caucasian do I look white do as a
Caucasian do I look white do as a
Caucasian do I look white do as a mixed-race kid growing up in Sierra
mixed-race kid growing up in Sierra
mixed-race kid growing up in Sierra Vista Arizona I didn’t see myself
Vista Arizona I didn’t see myself
Vista Arizona I didn’t see myself anywhere you see my siblings all took
anywhere you see my siblings all took
anywhere you see my siblings all took after my lighter-skinned Olive
after my lighter-skinned Olive
after my lighter-skinned Olive complected father I took after my cocoa
complected father I took after my cocoa
complected father I took after my cocoa queen of a mother my parents raised us
queen of a mother my parents raised us
queen of a mother my parents raised us well you see my mom would take us to
well you see my mom would take us to
well you see my mom would take us to community events like Juneteenth and
community events like Juneteenth and
community events like Juneteenth and Black History Month for you guys who
Black History Month for you guys who
Black History Month for you guys who don’t know what Juneteenth is Juneteenth
don’t know what Juneteenth is Juneteenth
don’t know what Juneteenth is Juneteenth is when the slaves actually found out
is when the slaves actually found out
is when the slaves actually found out they were free and so I was like after
they were free and so I was like after
they were free and so I was like after they did all the labor so around you
they did all the labor so around you
they did all the labor so around you 19th we celebrate as a community you see
19th we celebrate as a community you see
19th we celebrate as a community you see my dad he’s that crazy Puerto Rican at
my dad he’s that crazy Puerto Rican at
my dad he’s that crazy Puerto Rican at the end of the street he would wake up
the end of the street he would wake up
the end of the street he would wake up at 6:00 a.m.
at 6:00 a.m.
at 6:00 a.m. we would hear his music at 6:00 a.m. all
we would hear his music at 6:00 a.m. all
we would hear his music at 6:00 a.m. all the way to when the Sun went down that’s
the way to when the Sun went down that’s
the way to when the Sun went down that’s my dad and he took us to Puerto Rico so
my dad and he took us to Puerto Rico so
my dad and he took us to Puerto Rico so we can meet his family in which I
we can meet his family in which I
we can meet his family in which I learned the phrase Bodhi guac on with a
learned the phrase Bodhi guac on with a
learned the phrase Bodhi guac on with a mo for you guys who don’t know what
mo for you guys who don’t know what
mo for you guys who don’t know what Bodhi Kakuma Thommo means that means
Bodhi Kakuma Thommo means that means
Bodhi Kakuma Thommo means that means without Puerto Rican that’s my family
the first time I ever had to make the
the first time I ever had to make the distinction between being black and
distinction between being black and
distinction between being black and Puerto Rican besides having two check
Puerto Rican besides having two check
Puerto Rican besides having two check boxes that didn’t necessarily fit me I
boxes that didn’t necessarily fit me I
boxes that didn’t necessarily fit me I was on the back of a soccer bus and my
was on the back of a soccer bus and my
was on the back of a soccer bus and my teammates thought it would be funny to
teammates thought it would be funny to
teammates thought it would be funny to put on a McDonald’s bag and emulate the
put on a McDonald’s bag and emulate the
put on a McDonald’s bag and emulate the KKK you see this is what propelled me to
KKK you see this is what propelled me to
KKK you see this is what propelled me to study diversity in college at the
study diversity in college at the
study diversity in college at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
University of Arizona you see mixed-race kids are more likely
you see mixed-race kids are more likely
you see mixed-race kids are more likely to have problems with identification
to have problems with identification
to have problems with identification issues and marginalization
issues and marginalization
issues and marginalization marginalization occurs when you have two
marginalization occurs when you have two
marginalization occurs when you have two check boxes that don’t necessarily
check boxes that don’t necessarily
check boxes that don’t necessarily pertain to you that’s me do I check
pertain to you that’s me do I check
pertain to you that’s me do I check black do I check Latino and Hispanic but
black do I check Latino and Hispanic but
black do I check Latino and Hispanic but I can’t be back black if I check Latino
I can’t be back black if I check Latino
I can’t be back black if I check Latino and Hispanic and if I choose black I
and Hispanic and if I choose black I
and Hispanic and if I choose black I can’t choose Hispanic or Latino do I
can’t choose Hispanic or Latino do I
can’t choose Hispanic or Latino do I choose that box that says two or more
choose that box that says two or more
choose that box that says two or more races two or more ambiguous races do I
races two or more ambiguous races do I
races two or more ambiguous races do I look ambiguous while studying that I
look ambiguous while studying that I
look ambiguous while studying that I decided to call my pops
decided to call my pops
decided to call my pops you see I called Pop’s for everything
you see I called Pop’s for everything
you see I called Pop’s for everything cuz he’s my best friend he’s kind of
cuz he’s my best friend he’s kind of
cuz he’s my best friend he’s kind of like Puerto Rican Santa and mr. clean
like Puerto Rican Santa and mr. clean
like Puerto Rican Santa and mr. clean cuz he’s got this really shiny bald head
cuz he’s got this really shiny bald head
cuz he’s got this really shiny bald head and he’s got this big ol white beard and
and he’s got this big ol white beard and
and he’s got this big ol white beard and that’s when my dad asked me the question
that’s when my dad asked me the question
that’s when my dad asked me the question he said how are you gonna raise your kid
he said how are you gonna raise your kid
he said how are you gonna raise your kid you see my wife is the cream to my
you see my wife is the cream to my
you see my wife is the cream to my coffee and one day our kids are gonna
coffee and one day our kids are gonna
coffee and one day our kids are gonna have to answer that question are they
have to answer that question are they
have to answer that question are they gonna be two or more ambiguous racist
towards the end of this conversation my
towards the end of this conversation my dad said something that would forever
dad said something that would forever
dad said something that would forever changed my life
changed my life
changed my life he said mijo
he said mijo
he said mijo I didn’t raise you to see yourself as
I didn’t raise you to see yourself as
I didn’t raise you to see yourself as half of anything you see because it
half of anything you see because it
half of anything you see because it takes two human beings to create one
takes two human beings to create one
takes two human beings to create one human being you are a hundred percent
human being you are a hundred percent
human being you are a hundred percent black and you are a hundred percent
black and you are a hundred percent
black and you are a hundred percent Puerto Rican I was 19 years old in
Puerto Rican I was 19 years old in
Puerto Rican I was 19 years old in college that was stupid to me it didn’t
college that was stupid to me it didn’t
college that was stupid to me it didn’t make sense it’s not what I needed to put
make sense it’s not what I needed to put
make sense it’s not what I needed to put in that piece of paper at the time so
in that piece of paper at the time so
in that piece of paper at the time so then I went to my second best friend I
then I went to my second best friend I
then I went to my second best friend I went to Google so um when I started
went to Google so um when I started
went to Google so um when I started searching Google I found Donna Jackson
searching Google I found Donna Jackson
searching Google I found Donna Jackson akazawa you see Donna Jackson akazawa
akazawa you see Donna Jackson akazawa
akazawa you see Donna Jackson akazawa wrote the guide to raising multicultural
wrote the guide to raising multicultural
wrote the guide to raising multicultural kids in this guide she talks about how
kids in this guide she talks about how
kids in this guide she talks about how mixed-race kids exist in a world in
mixed-race kids exist in a world in
mixed-race kids exist in a world in which they don’t really exist unless you
which they don’t really exist unless you
which they don’t really exist unless you comment on their looks they’re forced to
comment on their looks they’re forced to
comment on their looks they’re forced to check boxes that don’t necessarily
check boxes that don’t necessarily
check boxes that don’t necessarily pertain to them that was me I was the
pertain to them that was me I was the
pertain to them that was me I was the black kid who has curly hair so he could
black kid who has curly hair so he could
black kid who has curly hair so he could be Puerto Rican so let’s take a second
be Puerto Rican so let’s take a second
be Puerto Rican so let’s take a second let’s take a deep breath because talking
let’s take a deep breath because talking
let’s take a deep breath because talking about race identity and culture can get
about race identity and culture can get
about race identity and culture can get a little tough
a little tough
a little tough matter of fact backstage I to give
matter of fact backstage I to give
matter of fact backstage I to give myself a pep talk and a week ago I told
myself a pep talk and a week ago I told
myself a pep talk and a week ago I told my wife that I don’t know if I should do
my wife that I don’t know if I should do
my wife that I don’t know if I should do this but talking about race and identity
this but talking about race and identity
this but talking about race and identity and culture isn’t something that should
and culture isn’t something that should
and culture isn’t something that should be discouraged I was able to find my
be discouraged I was able to find my
be discouraged I was able to find my 200% identity by my community rallying
200% identity by my community rallying
200% identity by my community rallying behind me in teaching me that it’s okay
behind me in teaching me that it’s okay
behind me in teaching me that it’s okay to find myself race identity and culture
to find myself race identity and culture
to find myself race identity and culture is something that someone should not
is something that someone should not
is something that someone should not deny judge and so I’m asking my
deny judge and so I’m asking my
deny judge and so I’m asking my community to help me find help me help
community to help me find help me help
community to help me find help me help people find their 200 percent identity
people find their 200 percent identity
people find their 200 percent identity thank you
”
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