Friends, book, future, race and ethnicity

[sabrinamari]

Some mornings feel much better than others, and this is one of them. I had a great time last night hanging out with a surprise guest and talking about all kind of things: inner city dynamics, what it's like to be a researcher-anthropologist, and how that differs from being in law enforcement in the city. I threw together a last-minute meal of rice, beans and quesadillas (the emergency meal of this household) and it was well-received and even much enjoyed. That's always nice. Michael had to leave early in the evening, but our friend stuck around and even did the dishes afterwards.

He has promised to read my book and do an Amazon review. I'm really psyched about this because of all the years he spent policing in an inner city environment. If anyone outside of HIV/AIDS research can evaluate my history chapter, it's him. I am deadly curious about what he has to say. Where will he see holes? Where will my experience match his? What did I miss? Law enforcement is a whole different ball game, but I'm curious about what his eyes will catch that I have missed.

The last week has allowed me to focus on my book again. Between the NJWAN conference, my talk to Edgar's class and post-conference networking, I'm starting to wonder where I can go with this. What can I do to apply my knowledge in way that's useful to women and men who are infected/affected today? How can I apply this NOW?

I'm poking at it persistently to see what unfolds.

Next month I'm stopping in here, at SMART University: http://smartuniversity.org/?p=328

I'm going to meet the women who run it and try to figure out what I can do to help. And in the back of my mind is this: what can I learn here that I can bring back to Newark? How can the resourceful women I worked with and their younger peers benefit from this? Is there any way I can connect the Urban Systems class I'll be teaching next semester with what's unfolding in places like SMART University, where women and youth are busily rescuing themselves and each other?

I wonder. I really, really wonder...

****

The other thing that stuck with me: at one point our friend said, "Wait, you're Hispanic?" And I said, "Uh, yeah...you didn't know?" He proceeded to explain that I really don't look Hispanic, and I pointed out that our usual categories of race and ethnicity don't work well for Hispanics, who come in every color of the rainbow. He knew this intellectually, but had somehow missed that I strongly identify as Latin.

It reminded me of something that happened with Michael an entire year after we met for the second time. In the course of a random conversation Michael turned me in shock and said, "Hey...you don't think of yourself as white?" and I looked back and said, "What, you thought I was white?"

Weird, the way our identities don't always match up with the way others see us.

Comments

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Mom is from Costa Rica. Dad is from far western Kansas.

[evaelisabeth.livejournal.com]

It's interesting I've been thinking about the definition of Latina/o over here in Europe it wouldn't occur to a Spaniard to consider himself a different race to a German. In America what is the criteria of being Latina/o? Does it depend on descent from Spain? does it require mixing with the Southern American native tribes? You've really got me thinking on this one :-)