The Singular Power of Writing
My maiden name is Irish in origin. At one time, Irish Americans were an othered group. Now, they are just a subset of white.<p>I have a German immigrant mother with very olive skin. Her skin color is very close to that of some light skinned blacks. But, of course, she&#x27;s &quot;white&quot; because she&#x27;s German.<p>I have been told my father was 1&#x2F;16th Cherokee.<p>I tend to not really fit in with white middle class Americans. I never really have. I&#x27;m too culturally different from them.<p>Of course, people of color don&#x27;t want to claim me as one of theirs. Natives are extremely critical of people like me. I&#x27;m not really welcome by them.<p>I&#x27;ve started checking &quot;decline to answer&quot; the race question when filling out forms. The options they provide just don&#x27;t seem to fit my reality and there isn&#x27;t enough space to explain it. If I did, no doubt whoever read it would promptly conclude that I&#x27;m white and my discomfort with the question is neurotic and not legitimate.