Being called “American” can be used in a negative sense that could mean being void of culture or not knowing where you are from originally. These are all harmful assumptions that are hurtful towards white people and people of color alike. These assumptions can be summarized into one word: “whitewash.”
Whitewash is a derogatory term that refers to a person of color (POC) who has assimilated into “white” culture. It is a term often used to describe POC who are at a perceived distance from their cultural identity. According to the Pew Research Center, about one in five Asian Americans say that they have a hidden part of their heritage, including language, food, clothing, and cultural traditions, because of wanting to fit into the American culture, fear of judgment for sharing their heritage, and lack of understanding from others.
In a predominantly white school like SPA, where it is already hard to find people with the same cultural or ethnic background, calling a person “whitewashed” is disrespectful and pushes the person into a box. When a student of color does not follow stereotypical aspects of their identity, they are called whitewashed. It seems as if there is no in-between. This is unfair because everybody grows up in different environments that influence how they behave, speak, and interact, and everybody has a different way of connecting to their culture.
Cultural heritage consists of many aspects, but one of the most common ones that comes to mind is language. Not knowing the language does not make the person entirely estranged from their culture (a common negative connotation of being called whitewashed) because there are other ways to build cultural connections, like through family, food, art, and history.
Although the U.S. is known as the “melting pot” of culture and people, there is a stigma around openly sharing one’s heritage for fear of being ridiculed. When the environment is not welcoming, it is simply easier to forget and hide parts of one’s identity to fit in. For example, not bringing ethnic food to school because it might be considered “weird.” It is already extremely frustrating not knowing enough about one’s heritage as well as avoiding being called “whitewashed.” On the other hand, some suppress their own identity to avoid hearing comments like, “Oh, it’s the [insert race here] kid talking again.”
Do not use the term “whitewashed” to refer to another person because people should not shame someone for not being as connected to their culture. It is also insulting to people who are strong in their identity but express it in different ways than might be the “norm.” Instead of thinking of someone as whitewashed, appreciate how aspects of culture might be different for other people. Anyone should be able to show up to a place, whether that be school or anywhere else, as their authentic self.
