Am I Too “White” For You?
When you’re not cultured enough for your own culture.
There’s a huge problem with the word “whitewashed.” It’s something that I’ve heard thrown around far too much.
You don’t dress in customary garments? You’re whitewashed.
You don’t watch movies from back home? You’re whitewashed.
Your mom packed you a sandwich for lunch? You’re whitewashed.
You like country music? You guessed it, you’re whitewashed.
Funny enough, it’s a term that you’re more likely to hear from a person of colour than from a white person.
In a world where Eurocentric social standards are, often times, still the standard of choice, it’s interesting to see how people are now ridiculed for their “whiteness”. Why do we associate the embracing of another culture with the abandonment of our own? What makes a person “not enough” of his or her own culture? There isn’t one answer, but there are many contributing factors.
Language is a huge influence on the way we see our coloured peers. If English is your first language, you may find it daunting to speak your mother tongue with just anyone. In fact, you may not speak your mother tongue at all. Guess what? That’s cultural points off for you. In some cultures, it’s seen as nothing but shame that this generation cannot speak the language fluently.
Elders can be the most unforgiving. I have a relative who refuses to speak to me in English, despite the fact that he can speak it perfectly fine. He patronizingly asks questions, expectant of not the content of my response, but of how I choose to respond. Why does he do it? Because whatever I have to say would be of far less value if I say it in English.
Then we have the issue of “talking white.” Since when did we start to equate being articulate with any particular race? Since when did whiteness become a point of reference for intelligence? There seems to be a preconceived notion that language is confined to the stereotypes and slang that pertains to certain ethnic groups. Anyone who breaks these confines is apparently less of their own culture.
It’s sad how easy it is to mock and belittle those who have trouble managing their English. And yet, our eloquence is sometimes our downfall in the eyes our own people.
Let’s talk about national pride.
We all show it in different ways. Whether you rep your country’s jersey during sporting events, or have a pair of boxing gloves with a flag hanging at the front of your car — anyone can show pride. But be careful! Don’t show too much pride. Otherwise, someone might be quick to call you a FOB (fresh off the boat).
But wait! You still need to show some pride. Because for some strange reason, not showcasing your culture can give others the perception that you’re too whitewashed to care about it. Apparently, you’re too content with your Canadian status to remember where you came from, which is obvious bullshit.
You don’t necessarily have to flaunt where you’re from to assert the gratification you have in yourself and your nationality. Don’t put your culture on display if you don’t want to. Pride isn’t something we have to show; it’s something we feel.
I’ve realized that those of our very own culture harbour a sort of disdain towards the imbalance between tradition and acculturation that can make it hard to be a first-generation Canadian. It can make you question which part of you is more important than the other.
The truth is, you don’t have to pick one over the other. Remember that culture is powerful, but it should not dictate what we do or say, and how we act. You never have to fulfill anyone else’s idea of who you are. You are not whitewashed.
