Week 5, ASA 115, Ben Alto

In week 5 of ASA 115 “race traitors” we are asked to look at the positive responses of mixed races to the continuous prejudice they experienced. The weekly assigned cards on the mixed race box portrayed varying points of views on this response of mixed races from being “race traitors” to becoming “race saviors”.

Beginning with oppression, the 7 of clubs card (Muslim Community: Everyday Life In Buttetown), portrays a group of mixed race people in Britain in 1920 as well as the prejudice people had of these groups. The explanation attached to the card states that people in Britain feared for the morality of the Muslim men moving to Britain as well as the women who partnered with them. The King of spades card (Pedigree No. 4 series “De Lobo Y India Sale Sambaiga”), also shows the prejudices faced by mixed race people but in Spain instead of Britain. The art piece in this card is meant to simulate the sketching of mixed-race people as well as creation of offensive terms as Spain tried to classify these people.

In response to this oppression mixed race people instead found self-pride and became a popular rather defamed population. This can be seen in the queen of spades card (Christina), which states how Quadroons (1/4 black people) became a popular target for mistresses in the United States. Another card that shows this is the queen of hearts (Tomika) portraying a famous hafu (half-asian) model. In the statement attached to the card it states how the model believes she is popular because she can bridge the world between Japanese and white women.

After experiencing persecution and judgement by both parent cultures mixed race people’s had to adapt to not become suppressed. In response to this mixed race people became bridges that helped join together the separate cultures that they represent.