As children, our father used to take my siblings and I to the annual Dayton African American Cultural Festival (DAACF). I remember buying my first Africa-inspired jewelry... a red, black and green continent of Africa on a black leather cord. I think it had beads. I also remember being timid about wearing it in public. I longed to own a "100% Black Queen" t-shirt or a variation that I spotted at the festival, but I was worried that I would be called out as a poser or a fraud. It was the "100%" that troubled me as a child of a Black man and a Korean woman. My young mind couldn't reconcile what I believed was the exclusion of my Korean heritage from the celebration of my Black pride. Our father taught us that we were Black, regardless of what society labeled us. And though I secretly wished that I was 100% Black, the Africa-necklace stayed in my jewelry box and I never asked my daddy to buy me the "100% Black Queen" t-shirt.

My story is not unique. In elementary school, when taking standardized tests, I was sometimes forced to choose a race or instructed to "check all that apply." When I did have to choose one, my teachers and my parents said I had to choose Black. When I was teased by other children, it was because of my "slanty eyes", so Black felt safe...it felt strong. By the time I got to college, I was more militant than mild, to the point that my dad asked that I "tone it down," at least in public. Another layered lesson.

Years later, with the rise of social media, it became easy to connect with others who shared a similar heritage. At first, it was exciting to connect and swap stories of our bi-racial, bi-cultural experiences. It was a bittersweet mix of experiences... of immigrant parents worried their children wouldn't assimilate and find success in America... shame from not being able to speak our Mother tongue... unique blends of soul/seoul food at family meals... the embracing of our labels of "half" or "hapa"... Then I noticed how some of my fellow "Blasians" felt that by being "mixed" they were somehow the envy of all others. Just enough drops of Black, but not too much cause good hair and all.

Well, damn. Should I spoil the party and tell them that the "hateration" they feel may not be because of jealousy but due to their anti-blackness and self-hatred? That being called "exotic" was not necessarily the compliment they thought it was...? I did not want to confront the anti-blackness of my Black friends, regardless of their percentage of Blackness. I was not equipped and I was tired, so I pulled back.

“How you gon’ win when you ain’t right within
How you gon’ win when you ain’t right within
How you gon’ win when you ain’t right within
Come again
Come again, come again, come again, come again”

— Lauryn Hill, Lyrics from "Doo Wop (That Thing)"

Fortunately, I've discovered some thought-leaders who are working hard to combat anti-blackness and white supremacy in the Asian community, among other battles:

Ranier Maningding, Writer, Love Life of an Asian Guy (LLAG)
Alice Wong, Founder of the Disability Visibility Project
David Shih, Professor, professorshih.blogspot.com
Kathy Khang, Writer, Speaker, Coffee Drinker, kathykhang.com
Jason Fong, Student, Writer, @jasonfongwrites
Asians4BlackLives, a4bl.tumblr.com

If you have more to add, please let me know via twitter @onjena

So, what have I learned? I am not required to choose. I am 100% human.

And... I can say it loud. You don't have to be Black to celebrate Blackness. What the hell is 100% Black anyway? No, seriously, is there a test? Do we get a certificate? Is that what the race card is for? Or maybe, the 100% is about keeping it real.

carbonfibreme_sayitLOUD_black_and_proud_black_power_fist_header.png

carbonfibreme_sayitLOUD_black_and_proud_black_header_redbubble.png

FUTURE TOPICS: Celebrating vs Appropriating Blackness. Queen/King/Monarchy/Imperialist/Colonial shit must end.

~ Onjena Yo

Share your #MultinationalPATRIOT story with us by participating in our PATRIOT SURVEY SAYS!!! blog series. Click the pic below to learn how to share your story!

carbonfibreme_patriot_flag_link_world_patriot_survey_says_wide_banner_blue_bg.png

Why we are even debating the displaying of the Confederate flag on public buildings... but here we are. It is 2016, and I came across this classy t-shirt design:

We fixed their typo.

Lest we forget:

I don't want to take anything away from Hitler and his Nazis, but I want to give credit where credit is due.

“...the concept of a white, blond-haired, blue-eyed master Nordic race didn’t originate with Hitler. The idea was created in the United States, and cultivated in California, decades before Hitler came to power. California eugenicists played an important, although little-known, role in the American eugenics movement’s campaign for ethnic cleansing.”

— SFGate, "Eugenics and the Nazis - the California Connection"

Gives new meaning to "California blonde"... I'm not sure if the American pioneers of eugenics branded their movement so, I suppose the swastika and the confederate flag will have to do for now. [Source: SFGate, November 9, 2003]

[In an effort to make sure some folks #neverforget, all images are available at high res for non-commercial use. If interested, tweet @MultiPATRIOT. Please share.]

So, let's talk heritage. I read this on @aboutdotcom about the origins of the Transatlantic Slave Trade:

*Unreliable* Native Americans. Unsuitable climate for Europeans & lazy Africans... *correction. Africans that could be "worked very hard." Damn Natives kept dying of European diseases. [Who wrote this mess?]

I read that prenatal care included digging a hole in the ground to accommodate pregnant bellies during whippings (If my memory serves me correctly, Toni Morrison wrote about this). And "special needs" children were abused [even more than the average enslaved baby and child] (e.g., used as alligator bait). #childcare And what happened to the people who "aged out" of slavery? #eldercare? At least our ancestors could rest in peace after death, right? #africanburialgrounds

Some female slave owners only whipped female slaves because it was seen as "unladylike" for them to whip male slaves. Oh, these Southern Belles... #legacy #mindyourmanners #butnothumanity

The decision to abort or to give up one's child for adoption is hard for any parent. And to sell your own child into slavery? I can't. And before there was "take your child to work day," there was "take your child to a lynching." I guess it was work for the lynchers. #Howarethechildren?

EJI documented 3959 racial terror lynchings — EJI documented 3959 racial terror lynchings

Is it true that the origins of "policing" were rooted in American slavery? So any person with Black skin was targeted to protect the ruling class...back then... #massincarceration

But why focus on race, some argue. Why's it gotta be about being Black or anti-Black? Don't other efforts to combat the ISMs of the world include the fight for the rights of Black people?

Ok. It's just a few misguided but well-meaning actors, you say. Not a good example to use as evidence of an agenda to invalidate our movement or in general as "people of color," right? [Prince of Persia, Exodus, Gods and Kings, Goku: Dragonball: Evolution, Akira (no, a backlash after the leaking of a whitewashed cast made Hollywood reconsider)... *sigh... more at ScreenRant]. #oscarssowhite #itsnotdiversification #itsnormalization (h/t Shonda Rhimes) [And for the white supremacists, "diversification" is not code for "white genocide"... one of few instances where "white" is not the default...]

Message heard, but not always loud and clear. Erasure from history, the present and the future... signed #multimedia

And what's that popular presidential slogan? "Make America Hate Again"... Yeah... that's it. #2016

Similar to other deniers/revisionists, I am tired of having to prove the continued impact of our dark histories. Many would like to move on to discussing solutions but it must begin and continue with acknowledging the truth(s). Some say we inherit trauma in our DNA (here and here). Black history did not begin in America, however, 400 years of "trauma" in one of the most powerful countries in the world must have a lasting impact... #neverforget