Meet the Addicted to Race intern team!
JC & CVK
We’re excited to introduce you to the five wonderful young men (okay, man) and women who are making up our 2006 Addicted to Race intern team! They’ve already done terrific work, and we’re really looking forward to working closely with them this summer. Here they are, in reverse alphabetical order by last name. (Yes, that was Carmen VAN Kerckhove’s idea. 
)
Shamara Wyllie
Hey everyone, my name is Shamara Wyllie. I am 20 years old. I am a third-year at Sarah Lawrence College and I will be in New York and California this summer. I am African, Jamaican, Trinidadian, American and I grew up in a majority white community. Racism has afflicted me personally since kindergarten; although the forces of evil had been at work long before I was born. Hee, hee. Anyway, I am really excited to be working with the Addicted to Race team and the New Demographic, but more importantly you, the listeners. Talk to you soon…
Alysha Wood
Alysha Wood is a writer, dancer, and daughter of a Thai immigrant from Charleston, West Virginia. She received her BA in Interdisciplinary Asian Studies, Creative Writing and Dance from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA in 2005. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Writing and Poetics from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Jess Motai
Name: Jess Motai
Age: 21
School: Mount Holyoke College, MA
Major/Minor: Architectural Studies/ Women’s Studies
Interests: Traveling! I just returned from studying in Florence, Italy for 9
months
Location this summer: New York/ New Jersey area
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan until the age of 13, when my family decided to move to New Jersey. Being biracial, but having more White physical features than Asian, made me “special” during my time in Japan, since White Americans have continuously been idealized. After my move, this view changed little, yet became more complex: now I was being asked the question “what are you?” as well. Because I was treated as a foreigner in Japan and someone whose ethnic identity is deemed ambiguous in America, I often felt and still feel marginalized. Finally in college, I was able to find a group of people whom I could relate with, and where my interest and involvement in multiracial studies and diversity issues as a whole could thrive.
Athena Mari Asklipadis
My name is Athena Mari Asklipadis, I am 22, and will be recieving my Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications/News Broadcasting from Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) at the end of this summer. I was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, California, but hope to travel around the world. I am Japanese, Greek, Armenian, Egyptian and Italian and because of my mixed background, I have developed a interest and open mind for all cultures. My favorite color is pink, I love sushi and gyros (not at the same time) and I talk…A LOT. I love meeting new people and having discussions on race, culture and identity. I look forward to this internship and broadening my knowledge on race.
Corbin Laedlein
Corbin Laedlein is 19 years old and lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is currently a sophomore at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and is majoring in Africana Studies. At Rutgers he is involved with the Galvanizing and Organizing Youth Activism Project, which works to promote global literacy, and helps facilitate discussions at Bridging the Gap, a retreat where Rutgers students discuss issues of diversity, identity and community development. For fun he plays Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art form that incorporates music, acrobatics and dance. Corbin hopes to help Jen and Carmen change the ways our society views and talks about race as well as promote the acceptance of mixed-race identity. He also hopes to see the day when people stop asking if his hair is a perm.
Merq wrote:
“I am African, Jamaican, Trinidadian, American and I grew up in a majority white community.”
Nice to meet you, Shamara Wyllie, but you do know “Africa” isn’t a country, right?
Posted 18 Jul 2006 at 5:58 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
leave it to merq…ha!
Posted 18 Jul 2006 at 6:26 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
Sorry, Mtevc, but it’s a major pet peeve of mine.
Posted 18 Jul 2006 at 11:54 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Merq: I get your point, but most people of African descent in the Western Hemi, unless they are recent immigrants, don’t KNOW their country or ethnic nationality other than (assumed-West) African.
Legacy of slavery, man…
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 7:18 am ¶
Merq wrote:
Lyonside:
I definitely hear you, but it seems she’s referring to some form of recent heritage. If she isn’t, then why list “African” at all? Seems to me like a case of “Mixed Olympics” (as coined by Carmen & Jen) at work here.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 12:00 pm ¶
brad wrote:
Interns,
Glad to have you. I’m anxious to learn what you will be doing for Carmen and Jen. Hope to be reading your work soon. You
Merq,
Be kind to the young woman. She’s a real human being who is reading what you said. It’s kinda like you’re talking about her while she’s standing right next to you but you pretend that Shmara isn’t there.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 6:11 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
brad,
i believe i directed the initial post at her, so your point is basically moot.
thanks for your input.
Posted 19 Jul 2006 at 11:45 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Merq: I throw it back to you, then, what SHOULD she have said? Black? African-American (if that’s true?) African-Carribbean? Should she ignore it simply because she can’t pinpoint the exact tribe, region, or country (which we all know the majority are arbitrary lines that were chosen by colonial powers)?
One of MY pet peeves is when someone tells another mixed person how to identify, or demands “proof” in a situation where there is no monetary or social gain.
Personally I list African-American and Bermudan as seperate in my lineage, because the experiences of those two familial lines HAS, up until the last 1-2 generations, been different as a result of that cultural/ethnic heritage. And because I still have familial ties to the island (no really, you can’t throw a hibiscus bush without hitting one of my family members).
But if someone told me to drop the African-American because I didn’t know the EXACT location of my ancestors on either continent (all I could ever say is West Africa and Somewhere In Virginia), I’d fight them tooth and nail.
Posted 20 Jul 2006 at 8:27 am ¶
Merq wrote:
Lyonside:
I don’t remember telling her how to identify, but rather how NOT to identify. I don’t know what her history is, so why should I suggest a “designation” on her behalf? Have fun doing it if you want to.
But if you’re claiming to be “African,” then I imagine you have some idea of where on the continent you’re from. If, as you say, she’s like the millions of North American decendants of Africa who have no idea where they’re originally from, then I must ask why ALL African Americans don’t simply identify as “Africans.”
The Africa-as-a-Country (or sometimes, even a CITY) line of rhetoric is still far too prevalent today. And of all places, I would imagine an intelligent arena like MMW would be an exception to this rule.
stay golden
Posted 20 Jul 2006 at 6:09 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Merq:
You said, “Then why list African at all?” To which I said, “What should she say then?”
Seems like it’s either be ultra-specific or throw the entire thing away. I disgree w/ the all or nothing approach. That’s all.
And no, I’m NOT saying what she should say - that’s actually my point…
*sigh* I know, Africa is a big ol’continent with what, 54 countries, for now anyway. And if someone can’t at least divide that up into general regions (north, subsaharan west, subsaharan east, south, central), then it can be confusing.
As for why African-Americans in the US don’t all say African or whatever, the main reason I’d bet is that up until fairly recently, black was the accepted term (and still is for many - I’m not going into the common terms before “black”) - African-American is in use, but it’s modern, and if you’re listing a lot of things, I can see people skipping on the “American” part, either out of convenience, or obviousness, or even some kind of solidarity or pride. Doesn’t make it necessarily accurate, but when you’re listing several things, I can see it happening.
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 7:30 am ¶
Merq wrote:
I definitely hear you, but I have one final question, then.
If it’s a matter of omission for convenient listing (and we’re assuming here that she is, in fact African-American), then why drop the “American” over the “African?” Yeah, solidarity is cute and all, but it would seem that the identity she’d have more access to, and identify more closely with, would be American.
But hey, that’s just me.
And as far as your “hibiscus bush” reference goes:
DAMN, that took me back! Haven’t seen one out here.
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 10:04 am ¶
justin wrote:
America is a continent somtimes it bugs me when one nation monopolizes that term.
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 11:13 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Hunh.
Merq: Lemme just say that for most African-Americans, while they are usually quite proud to BE an American, will be aware of the idea that they are perceived as AFRICAN-Americans first. The dominant (read: white) culture that attempts to (and often succeeds in) dictating who and what an average, middle-class “American” (or rather, US Citizen, Justin) looks like….
Nine times out of 10, it WON”T be an African-American.
Same goes for most visible minorities in the US - we may be included for the sake of diversity, but we are still not the visual ideal of an “American,” as seen by TPTB.
Taking all that and history into account… I find it eminently more plausible that a US citizen of African descent (beyond the second generation of immigration) someone consider themselves African or African-American first, rather than generic American. If one doesn’t feel particularly average or standard, then one is less likely to lable oneself as average or standard.
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 1:49 pm ¶
kelly wrote:
wow! i must say that you guys are really bothered by this chick,damn you would have thought she something like “i’m black but not really see what had happen was back in the 14th century my 10th great-grandmother was a ——–(fill in the blank),so there for i’m mixed by way of this or that,the chick just simply stated what she know’s so what,what’s the big damn deal you guys are going off as if she has the “uncle rukus” diease i.e- dispite obvious apperance i’m not that black,and another thing i find it very insulting that you guys are insinuating that because of her obvious skin color that some how she feels the need to compete in the “mixed olympics”,what the chick named athena she listed many ethnic backgrounds,but you guys have nothing to say about her,is it because she represent racial ambiguity in apperance or the fact that her list is more “progressive” or her “look” is more “progressive” and less of a threat? what is it?,it seems to me that everytime a monoracial person of african descent gets involved in a more progressive circle there presence is always ?uestioned or their belittled everytime they make a mistake i.e-”oh she’s not that “progessive” because she did x,y,z,” or “she said this because she felt like she had be more progressive or at least give that appearance of being more than because she is x,y,z, or maybe it’s just me, but thats what i get from the tone of your comments, by the way haven’t you thought maybe she was trying to explain the many different variations of her black identity,but just didn’t articulate it in a way where you can understand what she was trying to convey,because i for one knew exactly what she was saying from the jump! so before you make a judgement make sure that it’s a sound one,because you could hurt someone by not doing so that all i’m saying. as in the words of carmen-”this has been my rant”! PEACE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-P.S- congradulations to all the new interns,(i wish i were in the fold!!!!!hahaha!) knock em’ died,cheers to the progressive movement!!!!!!!! one love!!!!!!!
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 3:59 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
Lyonside:
“I find it eminently more plausible that a US citizen of African descent (beyond the second generation of immigration) someone consider themselves African or African-American first, rather than generic American.”
I definitely agree that white America isn’t to keen on lettting non-whites become acceptable representations of the “All-American” standard. However, I must say that:
a.) For many African/Asian/European-Americans, North America remains the most accessible culture, despite any oppression they may face within its borders.
b.) To help them “fit in” better into the American mainstream, they had to find a new scapegoat group. The assimilation history of any cultural group has always included the identification of a group “we can, at least, be better than.” However, in most cases, that group was made up of African-Americans.
Now, you’ll notice that there have also been interesting cases of African-Americans scapegoating blacks from Africa and the Caribbean in the media, and one can only assume it’s merely history repeating itself.
Just so I’m clear, I’m not attacking African-Americans, or assuming that this is a representative “trend” in present-day “Af-American culture,” but I’m challenging the notion that their oppressed history has led to a greater identification with the African continent.
Kelly:
The paragraph is your friend.
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 4:22 pm ¶
kelly wrote:
“kelly the paragraph is your friend”,merq,whats that suppose to mean?
Posted 21 Jul 2006 at 4:57 pm ¶
Mark La Roi wrote:
I’m “Black-American”!
Posted 23 Jul 2006 at 3:24 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Merq: You’re right, and I’d say that many African-Americans (not this intern, or anything, just saying) are as aware/ignorant regarding the actual issues and history of the African continent as the REST of mainstream US.
I think what I meant to convey that many African-Americans may feel that they are expressing solidarity, or that they are seen as African first, then American. Of course that doesn’t mean they actually know MORE than the average US citizen ABOUT Africa
Yes, I’m aware of the current scapegoating issue - I’m from Philadelphia, where this became an issue last year. A West African immigrant teen was attacked by African-American teens in what was a combination of retribution for possibly witnessing and reporting drug use or sales AND ethnic bias. There was a lot of discussion about the difficulties faced by recent African and Carribbean immigrants in historically “black” neighborhoods.
*sigh* I dunno, it’s a muddle…
Posted 24 Jul 2006 at 6:45 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Kelly,
Merq was just reminding you in a fairly nice way that using “return” can help your posts be more readable.
Posted 24 Jul 2006 at 6:56 am ¶
Merq wrote:
kelly:
what Lyonside said.
Posted 24 Jul 2006 at 5:38 pm ¶