Learn My Name, Not My Ethnicity
Story by Star Diavolikis | Photos by Dylan Hanson | Design by Makayla Zayic
You and your friend decide to go out to eat, as a way to celebrate getting through the week. You stroll in, get seated and a random family you never met before immediately leaves, leaving behind unfinished meals on the table and paying the tab at the front. It is known they leave because you and your friend entered the establishment with an appearance they don’t tolerate: having darker skin.
This kind of thing happens in real life. In fact, Jocelyn Garcia has a similar story.
Discrimination inside of the workplace
Jocelyn Garcia is a current sociology major and American Indian studies minor student at CWU, coming from tribal affiliations Coca and Maya K’iche’. She worked as a barista in the past, and was accused of being a “reverse racist” towards a white customer.
“I had a white doctor telling me that I was a reverse racist, because I spoke apparently in a kinder tone to a customer, who was a woman of color, compared to him. And he complained to my boss,” Garcia says.
Hope Amason, anthropology associate professor and director of the Museum of Culture and Environment, speaks on how those with privilege could help fix any situations regarding discrimination.
“I would say the most important thing, is to not be silent, to name it, and … to be able to bring it to the attention of people who have power in ways that, you know, hold people accountable, hold people with power accountable,” Amason says.
Discrimination outside of the workplace
Diane Pebeahsy, a Yakama Nation and Comanche tribal member, faced discrimination growing up. Pebeahsy grew up in Oklahoma and faced daily discrimination in school. There was a large Mormon population, and teachers would cater to their needs, give them birthday parties and extra attention during class. Pebeahsy received none of this.
Discrimination continued on her walk home, but it wasn’t necessarily targeted at her.
“When I'd walk home from school, I'd see the kids that belong to the local KKK, kind of push around and give [grief to] some of our fellow students that were African American and … they were really quite visual. … I knew that they were the children of the KKK,” Pebeahsy says.
When she moved to Washington, she noticed that those who were prejudiced lacked labels. In Oklahoma, the label of KKK was there. However, in the northwest, people are deceiving, acting without labels and they, “didn’t have their little white sheets on here,” according to Pebeahsy.
Eating, shopping, and breathing in public
Another instance Pebeahsy experienced is shopping in a store where an associate was following her around. Having previous experience working in retail, she knew nothing of her fit characteristics of a possible shoplifter - she simply had darker skin. During this incident, a white lady had walked in, stuffed an item in her purse, and left. As she left, she triggered the alarm; however, the store associate continued to stalk Pebeahsy.
Garcia says she has faced discrimination nearly everywhere. More recently, she has felt discrimination while eating in Ellensburg.
“One time me and my friend were out. Not sure if I can say like, specifically where. We…were out and we were eating and there was a family inside the establishment that we were in. And they left because of us. They left because we were in the same establishment,” Garcia says.
Garcia also says that in grocery stores, white community members have clutched their purse, made small remarks or purposely moved away when seeing her.
Senior Psychology Major and CASA Choreographer Victoria Dennis has witnessed discrimination since moving to Washington at eight years old. Her background is Liberian, and she felt out of place while at school and in public with her family.
“So I feel like as a little kid going to school… it was a little bit like, tough. … I knew I didn't really know a lot of English and I feel like … a lot of the kids who just like, stare us down as Africans,” Dennis says.
An experience in Ellensburg Dennis had was when a shop owner went up to her and her friend immediately when they entered their store, telling them they must buy something.
“...we walked in the door. He was just like staring at us, and he came up to us and told us 'you have to buy stuff.' So I feel like that was kind of aware of him saying that we should not come and steal,” Dennis says.
Though Amason says she hasn’t experienced discrimination herself as she’s a cisgendered white woman, she’s witnessed discrimination within the Ellensburg area. More specifically, the Shady Acres housing area appeared to be dismissed more than the tavern near the Kittitas Valley Event Center grounds during the expansion plan. For context, this housing area is known for primarily housing Latino families.
She also feels marginalized communities are not represented enough in Ellensburg. For example, she pointed out there is no placard for 3rd Avenue being home to a historic Chinese American community. She felt there is not enough representation for those who live in Ellensburg, and marginalized communities aren’t being as included in history as they should be.
Holding on and fighting back
Facing obstacles that are based on things one can’t control can be very discouraging, and holding on to hope is vital. There are different things to focus on in order to keep pushing through.
“Remember your community. Because I feel like my biggest motivator has been thinking about my community and how it's gonna benefit my community,” Garcia says. “Yes, I'm struggling now. But the benefit that will happen in the future, I'd say, is greater than what I'm going through now, because it's gonna have a bigger impact.”
“Don't stop. Just continue to go and fight for what is rightfully yours… And just know where you came from. And know that in your bloodline is full of powerful women who had done this, who will help you to do this or just know that you are intelligent and powerful and beautiful, and you can do anything that you set your mind to,” Dennis says.
Pebeahsy reflected on what has helped her hold on, which stems from when she was younger: her grandmother.
“She'd say, 'Hey, Diane, if you died and you went to heaven, what'd you ask God to come back to Earth as?' I'd smile at her and I'd say, 'An Indian.' And she says, 'That's right. You come back as an Indian.' And so she told me that, she goes, 'What, what? You can do anything in the world, why is that?' and I go, 'Because I'm Indian.' She goes, 'That's right.'”
This was followed by her grandmother telling her she was beautiful because of her dark skin, and to ignore those who discriminated against her. She says her grandmother reinforcing the idea to be proud to be Indigenous made her become the way she is today.
Enough is Enough: My Story
I have faced discrimination ever since I could remember based on my Indigenous background. I come from the Yakama reservation. I am a descendant of the tribe while being enrolled Umatilla, so I have been surrounded by my community since we moved to Washington.
The racism most likely began before I remember, but middle school was really where I learned the stereotypes, microaggressions and discrimination I’d face in daily life.
When mentioning I am Indigenous and come from the reservation, I got passive aggressive mumbles of, “Oh, that’s cool…” If it isn’t dismissing my culture, it is questions rooted in old stereotypes. I had a peer ask me, “Do you still live in a teepee?” I’ve also been asked about my “spirit animal,” and if I could tell somebody what theirs was.
Granted, I have received “positive” stereotypes, like I’m supposed to be wise beyond my years. However, these stereotypes are still harmful. It creates unrealistic expectations of anybody who identifies as Indigenous.
Using stereotypes of Native Americans being lazy or drunk is harmful even for those who don’t lie in those stereotypes. When I persevere and am not involved with drugs or alcohol, I feel fetishized and tokenized for being a minority who beat the odds. I have been overly celebrated for simply keeping up with my white peers or accomplishing small goals.
I’ve either been tokenized or discriminated against nearly my whole life, and it’s saddening there is no medium. I’m trying to enforce that medium, though. If I notice there is a shift in behavior due to my identity, both positive or negative, I make sure to put it in check and ask why I’m being treated differently.
So far, it’s worked, and I encourage people to speak up. We can’t all be silenced.
