it happened to me…
this blog is making me laugh. so. hard.
let me explain. i am a white girl (woman). and i have had the experience of being the ‘exotic’ one. and it sucks! so good for you for pointing out how exoticization is wrong! it took personal experience for me to understand this.
this is what happened. i went to high school in south america, in a region where almost no one was blonde and blue-eyed (like i am — yes, i really am a whitey). so i was a racial minority for the first time in my life (i am from the american midwest originally….95% white tribal territory).
note: i understand that is it very different to be a white american living in south america as a minority vs. a PoC minority in other parts of the world. there is a privilege that comes with being white, no matter where you are. i am not saying that what happened to me is equivalent to being exoticized as a PoC in the U.S. i give these examples because, after they happened to me, it allowed me to understand why PoC in the U.S. get so pissed (and rightfully so) at similar comments. and i give these examples because even though your blog is satirical, it’s as if so many of your posts actually happened to me! so i thought i’d share.
[..]
emma in nyc
Mod note: I personally found this both interesting and relevant. I’ve received quite a few messages about how white people are exotified in other countries, and it does happen. This is us acknowledging that fact.
Interesting. Comments? Regardless, I’ve found a new fave blog! http://exoticwhitegirls.tumblr.com
As far as I am aware, this happens a lot in Asia, especially Japan. They find white people exotic and such. If they date a white person, it’s considered an act of ‘rebellion’. Not too sure with PoC that arn’t Asian however, be nice if we could learn more about that side.
They do this everywhere, with everyone, but in a different way. I know my South Asian friends (or other PoC) that go to Korea and Japan, if they’re pretty, the Korean girls treat them like exotic pets. “Oh! So beautiful!” In Bangladesh, if you’re anything other than Bengali, a lot of the city people will stare like they have never seen a white/black/be-deshi (bengali that lives elsewhere) in their life. Well…some of them haven’t. But it’s almost how one would like an alien for the first time. I imagine you’d get over it eventually.
But for OP’s story, I would say it’s more awkward, than an experience that shames you for your background, or, well, I can’t quite articulate it at this point…
Ahhhh ok then. :]
Anyone else know of similar stories? Or perhaps can articulate the different types of experiences better so than I can at the current moment.
