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Photo Credit: Amsterdamed

One customer came up and she was really attracted to my book cover. She asked more about Amira Press, my publisher and I mentioned that they are a multicultural publisher. She mentioned thinking that was the case but she had to tell me that my heroine on the cover didn’t really look black. I’ve heard that a lot. My heroine has a caramel complexion—very similar to my own. It’s interesting that we hold on to certain narrow perceptions of ethnic color. I love my dark sisters and brothers, but I tend to envision my characters look like me so my heroines tend to me lighter—for now.  It’s that kind of thinking I am trying to broaden. People come in all shades, not just blacks, but all people.

I went to elementary school with a girl that identified herself as Caucasian. She was so dark, that people made fun of her and called her ‘golden girl’. She was beautiful with hazel eyes and golden head of loose curls like a lion’s mane. Her skin was so dark, but you knew the minute you looked at her that she wasn’t black. Her brother on the other hand was a pretty average looking brown haired Caucasian boy. Being friends with her at such a young age altered my perception of what color is and how it’s reflected in any ethnicity.

Having grown up in predominately starter middle-class Caucasian neighborhoods near Woodbridge, New Jersey and then lower middle-class Caucasian and Hispanic neighborhoods of Mesa, Arizona, it should be no surprise that I am not aware of every facet of African American tradition or history despite being African American all my 33 years. While the those on the fringes of our family were definitely more middle-class with their licenses to teach, practice law and medicine, those in my inner circle worked at factories, automobile plants, grocery stores and the back offices of banks and hospital computer centers. Most having no specialized skills, felt they wanted the world for me just by willing me to step foot on a college campus. I have no problem where I came from or where I am going, but a movie I saw recently proved to me how much I really don’t know about where “we” as a people have come from.
No, the history of slavery isn’t lost on me. No, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and Frederick Douglass are not historical strangers to me. What else is there? There’s so much more. For instance, I had never heard of Juneteenth until about two years ago. Kwanza is still somewhat of a mystery to me. And I had no idea that middle-class African Americans held cotillions and beautillions for their children entering adulthood. Nor could I list all the colleges and universities that make up the historical black colleges and universities.
This isn’t just about being African American either. I want to know the customs and contributions of Native Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Indians, Europeans, Africans and women. Some would say, why do you have to divide this question for knowledge along racial lines? Is multiculturalism about a blending of cultures? It is my goal to recognize, celebrate and understand every aspect of multiculturalism. Not just what makes us similar but what makes us delightfully different as well!

Minority cultures often struggle between losing themselves in assimilation or alienating their communities with acts that suggest separatism. The majority of society assumes that their rituals, morals and traditions should predominate because in terms of sheer numbers they dominate.  As a result, we have a historical discourse that features people of color as a footnote to the generational advancements of this society.

While race relations have improved compared to the experiences of our ancestors, prejudice and intolerance is a rippling undercurrent that taints our relationships and our social interactions, regardless of ethnic background. This state of existence is felt and read about in every sector of life.. It is a source of entertainment, ridicule and violence.

Most recently, I find myself bombarded by this as I interact in my romantic literary circles. In April, I attended two writers’ conferences. At the first one, I was a minority face in the crowd. Many of the reactions I received in response to my multicultural/interracial platform were, “That’s actually cool,” and “That’s interesting.”  However, meeting an editor and a reader grateful for my platform made the time and money I spent worthwhile. The second conference I attended that month was Romance Slam Jam, an African American romance writer’s conference. I felt like one of the girls in this crowd. It was nice to meet others who wrote interracial and multicultural romance as well as many talented women who wrote strictly African American romantic fiction. It allowed me to enhance the relationships I had been forming with many of these women online.

The separatism and assimilation question came up when I got back from Slam Jam. When I went to my local Romance Writers of America meeting, I reconnected with a few women who had been absent from the most recent meetings. I reluctantly told them about Slam Jam. They had no idea what I was talking about. The women, one Caucasian and the other Hispanic, listened with mild interest.  The woman of Hispanic decent began to show a growing interest as she asked if you had to be Black to attend. To be honest the question took me off guard because it highlighted the reason for my reluctance to discuss it in the first place. Of course, you don’t have to be Black to attend, but it is a natural presumption that non-Blacks make. I’m not sure if it’s because they think we don’t want them involved or if it’s because they don’t really have an interest in being involved. Yet, it is expected that we want to be a part of whatever it is they are doing. In reality, we have fought long and hard to be included. However, the existence of separate but equal activities and organizations makes me wonder if our struggle has more to do with equal opportunity, respect for our culture and our existence as human beings rather than truly being involved in the activities of the majority. Many members of the majority say, “See, they are being separatist. They want us to include them but then they create their own organizations.” This was never been clearer to me than when I stumbled upon the debate over the Black National Anthem. African Americans on the blog condemned it for perpetuating separatism. Many Caucasian bloggers agreed, stating this is America and a Black National Anthem was disrespectful. So much for being a melting pot of ideas. Can we be a part of the majority and still claim some things as our very own?

This notion confronted me again when I picked up the latest RWA Romance Writers’ Report. In this issue, there was a quarter-page announcement for the recipients of the Emma Awards that took place at Romance Slam Jam. There was no information about the conference or the history behind the awards. The announcement also came three months after the awards ceremony, despite the fact that there were RWA representatives at the conference. Please note the Romance Writers’ Report, RWA’s industry member magazine, is published monthly. Hey, I guess better late than never, maybe they have really long lead times. There was also a very interesting interview about the experience of multicultural authors in the romance writing industry. It indirectly spoke to the idea of assimilation and separatism when famed author Beverly Jenkins spoke of the emergence of African American romance novels. It was clear that the publishing industry didn’t think black female dollars were significant enough to warrant a book line catering to the life and loves of African Americans. Nor did they think it was necessary, after all black women have been reading about white love stories for ages. Isn’t the point of these novels to provide fantasies and a glimpse into the lives we couldn’t possibly have the chance of living ourselves?

These occurrences have lead me to realize that my multicultural platform is more than about people of differing cultures and persuasions living, loving and interacting with one another. I don’t desire to create a fondue pot where the contents melt to create a blended product, but a crock-pot where all the ingredients of the stew are still distinct but the different textures compliment and coexist together.

Following a dream is not always easy, but for the courageous, it is a necessity. Pursuing a dream often requires paring down the extraneous details and focusing on the root of the desired result. Such was the case with WNBA star Becky Hammon, a girl from South Dakota with dreams of playing basketball on the U.S. Olympic team. A blonde-haired person with a beautiful smile and a strong belief in God, Hammon set out to make her dreams come true. She played ball throughout high school and college resulting in many honors. She played for the WNBA New York Liberty and most recently the San Antonio Silver Stars.

After eight years of professional play, at the age of 31, Hammon knew her chance to realize her childhood dream was dwindling. When she found herself absent from the 23 names listed on the National Olympic team pool, Hammon responded when Russia called. She signed a contract to play with team CSKA Moscow with the chance to go to the Olympics. After signing that contract and becoming a naturalized Russian citizen, Hammon will play on the Olympic basketball team for Russia.

Some view this as a betrayal of our country, citing that Hammon has no Russian ancestry and no other ties to Russia, therefore having no legitimate reason for making this decision. However, Hammon contends that her pride in America is unwavering and no matter whose jersey she wears, she will always be an American. It is through this choice that Hammon will live out her dream and possibly change the perceptions Americans and Russians have of each other. 

Sometimes the path to our dreams does not present themselves in the way that we expect. As a result, it becomes necessary to see beyond the norm in order to realize our dreams.

While not generally the type of multicultural story I write, it spoke to me on the same level. Thanks to the Internet and the global economy, the pursuit of our dreams and personal acceptance is not limited to the country in which we live. Regardless of our backgrounds, we are people. True multiculturalism is more than just race; it is religion, ancestry, orientation, generational and gender.

In order to have a true multicultural platform, we must explore it all. That exploration brings us a step closer to understanding the world’s people.