Starbucks in hand and Uggs cozying up my toes, it was just another day for this (very) Caucasian writer when a random snicker put a dent in my day. "White girl," the random passersby joked. In truth, the comment did little to offend me, as it is something that one often hears when they fall somewhat on the spectrum of a stereotypical white girl. However, only after recalling this story to a friend, did I stop to think about how intolerable it is to accept racial stereotyping.
Of course, the classification of "white girl" is only the tip of the iceberg on this confounding social dilemma, but the widespread social acceptance of this term does more than afford a few laughs. Choosing to define an individual by their physical features is an open acceptance to participate in racial stereotyping, a plague to the unity (and freedom) of our nation. As seen through some outlandish historical events (or even as recent as the shooting of Michael Brown and the events that followed it) the small decision to define someone can lead to some very big results. An individual is more than the color they wear on their skin, and, as rapper and activist Prince EA put it, it is as relevant to recognize an individual by their skin as it is to buy their car. So then, why do we do it?
As a society, we choose to classify ourselves, bringing out the idea of "us" and "them," rather than "we." We choose to draw lines between neighborhoods and live in a world of individuals, lost within their own world of identity and estrangement. The reality of it is, we aren’t all that different in the first place. The battle of superiority builds walls between the valleys where globalization was building bridges, and instead of a diverse nation, we are left with the fragmented shards of differentiation and hatred. Of course, this has little to do with whether or not I own multiple North Face jackets and binge-watch "Pretty Little Liars" (as per the assumed stereotype), but it is a part of a much bigger problem that is a poison to the unity of cultures.
Unfortunately, we are a society that brands people, classifying them as clone representatives for their ethnic make-up. Subconscious as this may be, a vital analysis and observation of our day to day habits reveals the vile creature hiding between the crevices of habit, and only through observed conscientiousness of our own nature can we hope for a radical change in a world that is too quick to discriminate. This article has less to do with my annoyance at being called a white girl, and more so with revealing how something so arbitrary may lend itself to deeper and more profound social grievances that we may not have known to contribute to.
I am still going to enjoy my Starbucks, and all else that one assumes with the title of my identity as a basic white girl. However, before you choose to judge, keep in mind that there is an incredibly small distance between labeling and racism, and that distance may just be the decision not to judge a book by it’s cover.
