Rhi-Mixed Views

Recently, I left a student leadership role at my institution. This was not because of a lack of capacity This was not because I was not capable of doing the job to a high standard And this was not because I necessarily wanted to. I left because the environment was draining. The space itself did not allow my personal activism to flourish and grow the way it deserves to, and no space should ever make you feel this way.  But, this is not a time to be sad, but a time to feel empowered.  Leaving a job post, or leaving any position that is situated in a negative, toxic environment can be an empowering experience, that reminds you of your power, and how you have autonomy over who you surround yourself with, and what you expose your body and mind to.  I always refer back to the life-changing work of bell hooks, who writes about love, space, and relationships in such a beautiful way.  She writes how you need to love yourself in a way that helps you spiritually grow, and your...

“You can DEI your way into equality, but you cannot DEI your way into justice" I saw this quote from Dr T. Anansi Wilson @blaqueerflow on twitter the other day and it really resonated with what my friends and I discuss quite often in regards to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI/DEI) work and justice work  You can DEI your way into equality, maybe even equity, but you cannot DEI your way into justice. Justice is not inclusion (into a violent system), but r/evolution into a new way of organising and living and dying; resources and care; power and deservability; accountability & rest.  (This is also a thread on Twitter if you would like to see more of it) What I love about this quote is that there is a difference between EDI work and justice work. Just because someone states they are committed to justice does not mean they do the work to implement what that really means. I think it’s important to distinguish in order to carry on the conversation of who is promoting activ...

This blog is the first (technically second) of a series where I will be discussing my mixed heritage experiences through things that have been said to me, and why they are wrong.  I first wrote about my experiences with being told " you're not really Chinese then, are you " by a member of my polo club, unknowingly setting in motion my entire race equity activism. I received a lot of feedback from that blog from individuals who related to it, connecting to a shared experience.  From that, I want to start a series of blogs that discuss particular racial microaggressions that on the surface, might seem okay, but in these deep dives will uncover the racist undertones.  So, lets start here. I went on a date a few years ago, nice man, seemed kind, no issues. Then, rather than asking about my heritage, he simply stated, " you look so exotic ".  At first, I took this as a compliment. I thought, oh hes saying it in a nice way, he must mean it in a good way, surely? Safe ...

I see both worlds so clearly, and I skip and jump and dance and fall between, never seen. I belong in the spaces between. Check all that may apply. - Ginny and Georgia S1 E8: Check one, check other Ginny and Georgia is a Netflix series that focuses on the two main characters, 15 year old Black mixed-heritage daughter Ginny, and her white southern mother, Georgia. It follows the story of the two with their son/brother, Austin, as they move to a predominantly white rich neighborhood to start a new life.  There are many themes within this show, such as socioeconomic status, romance, coming of age, friendship, sexism, sexuality, revenge, mystery and more, but the theme I want to discuss in this blog is how they represent racial identity.  Ginny and her parents  As mentioned, Ginny's mother, Georgia, is a blond, beautiful, white southern woman, who uses her charm and sexuality to survive through the harsh life she has been handed. Her father, Zion, is a Black man who met Georg...

  "Everyday spaces are rife with diverse social dynamics, power, and subjectivity, much like Gregson and Rose suggest: ``performed spaces are not discreet, bounded spaces, but threatened, contaminated, stained, enriched by other spaces'' - Mahtani (2002) Tricking the border guards: performing race . Back in March, I was made to feel I could not eat lunch. We meet at 12pm in the same building we always do, we sit down in the room we do every week, with the people who typically show up, with a few new faces.  We finish our lunches and were about to leave the room, when someone makes a comment about 'what Chinese people do'. I turn around as, I myself am Chinese, and just question what they have just said. I say "well I am Chinese and I don't do that" to assert the falseness of their general comment about the Chinese community. To visualize the room, I was stood between this white woman and a table of Chinese PhD students having lunch, with a white man r...

I have been feeling so inspired recently, so I am writing in a way that brings me joy. I am feeling grateful, so I am writing in a way that appreciates those around me. I feel a new rush of motivation, so I am writing to hopefully pass that feeling onto at least one person. Inspiration comes and goes, but passion stays forever . What keeps people going? This is a question I first started answering for my PhD research ' career trajectories of racialised minority staff and alumni in UK higher education ', questioning what enablers and barriers are present in the higher education environment.  I then started to explore this question in my own life, in my own activist work: Why am I here? Why do people do this work? Its so difficult... so whats the point? Stats Statistically, it is very unlikely I can become a successful academic. Looking at HESA data for myself, out of 21,920 UK Female research and teaching staff in full-time employment, only 2.3% are 'Mixed'.  And let me...

“We all skinwalk - change shapes, identities, from time to time, during the course of a day, during the course of our lives. I think about how we create these identities, how they are created for us, how they change, and how we reconcile these changes as we go along.” -  Scales-Trent, 1995 .  I think about this quote a lot. I think about how racial identities are socially constructed, deconstructed, moved, and created depending on the space, place, and people.  As discussed in my last blog, I identify as a Chinese Mixed-Heritage woman. My family has a rich history filled with empowerment, pain, knowledge, and beauty, and my racial identity is something I am not only proud of, but empowered by.  I understand that the concept of the 'Mixed' experience is not something many people are aware of, it requires a complex understanding of how racial identities are constructed and revealed, and asks you to unlearn a lot about what you think race is. Here, I will share my exper...