TextaQueen as… THE AUSTRALIAN Responds to your question “But where are you really from?” Why do you ask? Is it your curiosity in the ‘origin of my features’? Is it your fascination for ‘other’ cultures and what they have to offer you? Why do you desire an exact definition of my difference? Why do you assume I desire, and am able, to define this difference to you? Do you show the same interest in determining the ‘ethnic make-up’ of every white face that you see? Isn’t everyone from somewhere? Don’t you have a heritage? Why does whiteness make yours invisible yet my brownness make mine subject to your anthropological investigation? Do you believe that I should be delighted to personally inform and educate you? Do you think it is my responsibility to know, and always be ready to impart, the details of my cultural heritage? Do you apply these same standards to yourself? Why do you assume that I’d love to reminisce about what my family, or I, left to come here? Didn’t it cross your mind that we may have left for good reasons that I do not wish to reminisce about, especially with a stranger? Do you believe your curiosity is commendable? Do you think I should be grateful for your ‘tolerance’ and interest in ‘diversity’? Do you believe this is YOUR country to welcome me to? While brownness prompts “Where are you from?” Your whiteness prompts “What do you do?” You wish to define me by my physicality but you expect to be defined by your actions and your intellect. Have you travelled the world and been asked the same question? It isn’t the same experience in a place where you had expected to be treated as a visitor. Perhaps your whiteness provided a fascination, but wasn’t it also exalted? Weren’t you still treated like a speaker at a podium? Or don’t you see this because you are so used to being heard from that position? Don’t you realise that in expecting to discuss my brownness as subject of your fascination you position me as an exotic curio on a pedestal? Do you think I wish to be a talking doll, spilling my secrets each time yet another curious child pulls my cord demanding that I politely answer your question? Image: TextaQueen as The Australian, 2014

TextaQueen as…
THE AUSTRALIAN
Responds to your question
“But where are you really from?” Why do you ask?

Is it your curiosity in the ‘origin of my features’?
Is it your fascination for ‘other’ cultures and what they have to offer you?

Why do you desire an exact definition of my difference?
Why do you assume I desire, and am able, to define this difference to you?

Do you show the same interest in determining the ‘ethnic make-up’ of every white face that you see?
Isn’t everyone from somewhere?
Don’t you have a heritage?
Why does whiteness make yours invisible yet my brownness make mine subject to your anthropological investigation?

Do you believe that I should be delighted to personally inform and educate you?
Do you think it is my responsibility to know, and always be ready to impart, the details of my cultural heritage?
Do you apply these same standards to yourself?

Why do you assume that I’d love to reminisce about what my family, or I, left to come here?
Didn’t it cross your mind that we may have left for good reasons that I do not wish to reminisce about, especially with a stranger?

Do you believe your curiosity is commendable?
Do you think I should be grateful for your ‘tolerance’ and interest in ‘diversity’? Do you believe this is YOUR country to welcome me to?

While brownness prompts
“Where are you from?”
Your whiteness prompts
“What do you do?”
You wish to define me by my physicality but you expect to be defined by your actions and your intellect.

Have you travelled the world and been asked the same question?
It isn’t the same experience in a place where you had expected to be treated as a visitor.
Perhaps your whiteness provided a fascination, but wasn’t it also exalted?
Weren’t you still treated like a speaker at a podium?
Or don’t you see this because you are so used to being heard from that position?

Don’t you realise that in expecting to discuss my brownness as subject of your fascination you position me as an exotic curio on a pedestal?

Do you think I wish to be a talking doll, spilling my secrets each time yet another curious child pulls my cord demanding that I politely answer your question?

Image: TextaQueen as The Australian, 2014

TextaQueen as… THE AUSTRALIAN Responds to your question “But where are you really from?” Why do you ask? Is it your curiosity in the ‘origin of my features’? Is it your fascination for ‘other’ cultures and what they have to offer you? Why do you desire an exact definition of my difference? Why do you assume I desire, and am able, to define this difference to you? Do you show the same interest in determining the ‘ethnic make-up’ of every white face that you see? Isn’t everyone from somewhere? Don’t you have a heritage? Why does whiteness make yours invisible yet my brownness make mine subject to your anthropological investigation? Do you believe that I should be delighted to personally inform and educate you? Do you think it is my responsibility to know, and always be ready to impart, the details of my cultural heritage? Do you apply these same standards to yourself? Why do you assume that I’d love to reminisce about what my family, or I, left to come here? Didn’t it cross your mind that we may have left for good reasons that I do not wish to reminisce about, especially with a stranger? Do you believe your curiosity is commendable? Do you think I should be grateful for your ‘tolerance’ and interest in ‘diversity’? Do you believe this is YOUR country to welcome me to? While brownness prompts “Where are you from?” Your whiteness prompts “What do you do?” You wish to define me by my physicality but you expect to be defined by your actions and your intellect. Have you travelled the world and been asked the same question? It isn’t the same experience in a place where you had expected to be treated as a visitor. Perhaps your whiteness provided a fascination, but wasn’t it also exalted? Weren’t you still treated like a speaker at a podium? Or don’t you see this because you are so used to being heard from that position? Don’t you realise that in expecting to discuss my brownness as subject of your fascination you position me as an exotic curio on a pedestal? Do you think I wish to be a talking doll, spilling my secrets each time yet another curious child pulls my cord demanding that I politely answer your question? Image: TextaQueen as The Australian, 2014

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