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Not a label-
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Not a label-
Not a label-
I really hope I'm not spamming this place with threads and comments... I guess I apologize too much though.
Anyway, I just wanted to share something that I felt was important. I've noticed this happening to other people and perhapse myself, actually. I probably seem like I'm stating the obvious, but just the fact that this still needs to be brought to light means that it isn't completely obvious yet. It's about having things assumed about you, by another person, without them even getting to know you.
It's about your physical charactaristics determining, in the eyes of other people, what you are, and what you should be. And I think I've had just enough of sitting around passivley dissmissing these labels that are slapped on us the moment we wake up every day.
Even if you think this doesn't relate to you, I bet it does. I bet absolutely everything about us is labeled in some way, that even only subtly changes peoples perceptions of us. So I composed this:
Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm meek
Just because I'm girlish doesn't mean I'm weak.
My eyes may be narrow, narrower than yours
But that shouldn't have to close any doors.
I am still a child, so I must be naive
And my heritage somehow determines my path?
How many of these things do people actually beleive?
I'm meant for art and writing, not math.
I'm not a label.
Anyway, even if CB doesn't do hashtags, I'll make one to state my message: #NotALabel
submitted by Pooki P, age -30, #NotALabel
(June 15, 2018 - 10:55 am)
(June 15, 2018 - 10:55 am)
Oh! Huh, I never knew that about African Americans. Thanks for clarifying, St.Owl!
And, also, whoops! Yes, I meant Caucasians. Sorry about that!
(June 17, 2018 - 6:37 am)
But isn't this kind of discriminating against Asian Americans? If they worked harder than an African American, shouldn't they get a place in a top college instead of the African American who didn't work as hard? This is kind of like making race an aspect of a college application, isn't it? But race shouldn't determine your life path at all. If it did, it would be racism.
(June 18, 2018 - 7:46 pm)
This is exactly what I'm talking about, guys.
Just on a lighter note, remember that you aren't a label, no matter how many people shove down your throat.
<3
(June 16, 2018 - 3:19 pm)
Thanks for this thread Pooki!
Cardinal says "ouiy" Oui is yes in French, so she agrees!
(June 16, 2018 - 5:56 pm)
No problem, Kate! Pooki does what he believes needs to be done.
(June 17, 2018 - 12:43 pm)
I don’t feel like stereotypes affect me, but that’s partly because a lot of people don’t know about my race (Asian Indian isn’t a very commonly talked about race, even though there are a lot of us) and partly because I go to a school with a lot of multiracial and Asian Indian kids. Sometimes I feel that people might not see me as me, just as occasionally the purple haired kid. I feel that being stereotyped is something a lot of us can identify with, whether it’s race or orientation or labels like “jock” and “nerd”. #NotALabel.
(June 16, 2018 - 8:30 pm)
Admins, did you take out part of my comment?
Yes, because we don't support discussion of that issue pm Chatterox and deemed that what you said qualified as discussion.
Admin
(June 17, 2018 - 12:23 pm)
Especially the labels like "jock" and "nerd" in my opinion. Just as you get dumped into one bin based on your race or gender or something like that, you get dumped into another, based on how you do or don't conform to that bin. Like, for me, when I wasn't at-home schooled, I felt like I had to be either a girly kid or a boyish kid, with no middle ground whatsoever, because I felt like I needed to be a label.
In all honesty, it's dishonoring the beautifully complex nature of human beings.
Banba said hecx. Heck? Yeah, it's surprising when you think about it.
(June 17, 2018 - 12:53 pm)
For those of you who aren't homeschooled, I have a question. Do people at your school group others into cliques with labels (such as "jock" or "nerd")?
I've always felt that that kind of thing only happens in movies, since at my school there are definitely friend groups and a popularity ladder, but not much of that labeling. Like, one of the most popular guys in our grade is terrible at sports but is a math genius. One of my best friends is slated to be the only freshman on the varsity basketball team (if you think we're popular... that's hilarious).
We have theater kids and artists and writers and jocks and people who care a lot about academics... but they don't tend to "clump." For example, I do theater, and the kids that do are really spread out over the entire social hierarchy. It's something that transcends cliques, but in movies and stuff, there's always a "theater kid" clique. Does that whole "jocks and cheerleaders" teen movie thing really happen to people?
(June 18, 2018 - 10:42 am)
I go to a public school, and I would say it kind of happens, but not to the intensity or degree that it happens in movies. For example, there are some Caucasian popular girls who do cheerleading at our school, have bad grades, and go on dates. (ewwww) And the boys are much, much worse at schoolwork/grades than girls. But other than that, not really.
On another note, I don't know if you guys experience this, but so many people can Caucasian people "Americans." WHAT? I'm Asian American, but just because I am not Caucasian, with brown or blond hair, brown or blue eyes, brown or blond hair, that doesn't mean I'm not "American!" I was born and raised in AMERICA! But people still think I'm a "foreigner," and if I don't talk, they'll assume I don't know English. It drives me nuts.
(June 18, 2018 - 7:37 pm)
I KNOW. I SWEAR. THIS HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME.
"Do you speak Chinese?"
"Can you read this?"
"Where did you come from?"
No, I don't speak Chinese. I'm not even Chinese. No, I can't read that. I came from my house, which is pretty near by. Is that good enough? I'm American. Even if I may have foreign influence, I'm American. And you are too.
Also, ever been asked stuff like "Is your Mommy strict?"
I have.
I hate it. Mommy loves me and she's barely strict. And my pursuit of music is my choice, not my Mommy's.
(June 19, 2018 - 8:08 pm)
My school doesn’t really have cliques, but kids are defined for stuff. Saul is “the weird kid.” Ellis is “the sports kid.” Chase is “the annoying art kid.” Ruby is the “slightly and dangerously insane kid.” I’m the “purple haired gay kid.” Anya is “the cool kid.” Gage is “the funny kid.” Otis is the “car-obsessed kid.” Piper is the “shy kid.” You know, not really cliques but still stereotypes.
Not really, (I don’t look that different, just like a tan Caucasian kid) but I have had people assume
1. I’m Native American. I do have a similar skin tone to many indigenous peoples, but I don’t have to be Native American to have my skin color! Also, when I say “I’m Indian,” that’s what people assumed. Last I checked, being Indian means being from the subcontinent of India, and I don’t want to have to say “Asian Indian.” I’m not even sure if India is totally a part of Asia.*
2. I speak Hindi and believe in the Hindu gods/god. This one doesn’t bother me as much, because, well... I speak Hindi and believe in the Hindu gods. Still, it’s like what you were talking about.
(June 19, 2018 - 10:44 pm)
I think India is part of Asia in the same sense that Russia is part of Asia- part of it's there, the rest isn't. Then again, I could be wrong. Point is, you have the right to choose your own labels, as much as I hate the word.
(June 20, 2018 - 10:29 am)
Admins, did you delete my comment?
We decided not to publish a poem you submitted yesterday because the theme was not one we want to promote on Chatterbox.
Admin
(June 19, 2018 - 6:08 pm)
Oops. So sorry about that. It was mostly a rant anyway.
(June 19, 2018 - 7:11 pm)