N is a staff-writer for an American university. With a Master of Arts in magazine journalism , N focuses on narrative nonfiction. She is also passionate about the transformative power of story, which is fitting given the unique story she has herself. Her perspective on bicultural identities is both valuable and admirable, and we are proud to have N on the staff team.
Two Worlds Collide:
N describes her youth as the formative part of her life. She spent years splitting her time between the a southern African country and the United States, due to her parents’ jobs as biologists. As a result of the many changing norms she encountered, N felt conflicted in her identity. Rather than feeling immediately accepted in both communities, N describes gravitating towards those who also had bicultural backgrounds.
“Moving to America, my main focus was to be accepted. I kept chasing change to accomplish fitting in. In 7th and 8th grade, this meant wearing my roommates clothing and pretending I had seen shows I hadn’t seen.”
“Even though my understanding of race in America was uninformed at first, I did understand identity in terms of race, and identity in terms of being bracketed based on what you look like.”
Recognizing Racial Realities:
I’ve spent much of my adult life trying to figure out how to accept myself despite my unearned privileges, and how to live my values and put them into practice.
N attended a boarding school throughout high school, and there she built on her current values of equality and community. These principles propelled N’s dedication to racial justice, especially in her 20’s. At this time, N met a community of Congolese people(African?!), as well as several ex-patriots from other African countries, who described their own experiences to her. These relationships added to her journey of understanding how race affects not only identity, but privilege.
“My background made me not at all comfortable with the privileges of my position and identity, and I was very aware of inequity. I’ve spent much of my adult life trying to figure out how to accept myself despite my unearned privileges, and how to live my values and put them into practice.”
A Dream of Justice:
“Today, my American Dream has evolved to the point where I don’t worry so much about what is ‘normal’, but I would like to find my way to change what we consider ‘normal’. Every time I travel in the United States I’m blown away by how beautiful the country is; but, it is important to remember the historic lack of accountability, justice, humanity and equality.
When talking about her individual and modern American Dream, N said that she aims to be a pillar of support in any community she is in. She noted the importance of recognizing racial realities and stepping up to the plate, citing her own past tendency to “give herself a pass” due to her background. At the university, we admire this level of self-awareness and commitment to justice, and are proud to have N on our staff team.
N is…
- 42 Years-Old
- Female, Cisgender
- White
- Progressive Catholic Heritage, Friends (Quaker) By Persuasion
- Middle Class
- Heterosexual