Matters of Race and Witness (5)
- Author(s):
- Melody Ashworth
- Issue:
- On Neighbors (September 2019)
- Department:
- Letters
Dear Friends:
I used to think of “Where are you from?” as a friendly type of getting-to-know-you question. But I have learned that for people of color, it can have a very different feel. This is especially so if – as related by one Friend – it is asked as a means of figuring out a person’s racial or ethnic identity. Friends, it is okay to learn where others currently live. But it is not okay to ask their help in finding out how to pigeon-hole them.
– Melody Ashworth, South Mountain Friends Meeting, Ashland, OR (NPYM)