Who Am I

IM'ing a web friend, lives in SF. Known him casually for a few years now. We've obviously never met.

Me: Hey *****, know any good $10 black haircut places?
Him: What?
Me: A good black haircut place in Oakland/Berkeley that doesnt cost more than 10 bux..
Him: Youre black?
Me: Yup. You didnt know after all this time? Whadja think?
Him: Uhmmmm... asian?
Me: Nuh-uh. Jamaican.

And so forth and so forth.

The misunderstanding is understandable, as I tend to write/speak in the neutral, not emphasize my skin color and pictures of myself arent very common.

Plus....

julez: whoa!!!!!!!!!!!
julez: trippy!!!!!!!!!!
JPennant: Now, Im trying to figure out the appropriate transition point
julez: even if he didn't know you were black, your last name would kinda give it away, wouldn't it?
JPennant: My last name is welsh ;-)
julez: would give it away that you're *not* Asian at least :-)
julez: at this point in the narrative I would be tempted to say But Asian???
JPennant: I know a few asian folk with the last name Johnson and whatnot :-)
julez: in Jamaica?
JPennant: and America
julez: hapas or married name? or adopted korean orphans?
JPennant: How about given name?
julez: no way!!!!!!!!
JPennant: yes way
julez: now you're gonna tell me how an Asian signs up for the last name Johnson, right?
JPennant: Their parents married into it
julez: so they're hapa?
JPennant: What is the full name of ***** ***** kid?
julez: *** *** ***** or something
JPennant: Nice scottish name, aint it
julez: but he's hapa, that's how he got it
JPennant: He is 3/4's asian
julez: nod
JPennant: at what point does he become full asian again?
julez: so if (the child) marries an asian girl, they'll have 7/8 asian babies with a scottish last name
JPennant: see how it works?
julez: so mostly asian people named johnson
julez: heh
JPennant: yup
julez: okay, at least that makes sense
JPennant: Thought I was makin stuff up eh ;-)

julez: i was thinking full on chinese folks outta china whose names get terribly mangled by immigration officials, hehehe
JPennant: many "chinese" folk are themselves of different racial heritages
JPennant: chinese/russian
julez: yeah, i just haven't met any that admitted to it
JPennant: chinese/polynesian
JPennant: chinese/white
JPennant: chinese/black
JPennant: and yes, even some of THOSE folk pass for full asian
julez: chinese/iranian/mexican
JPennant: yup

And so forth and so forth

I was gonna write about the diversity of my friends, how I treat them as people, and how for my real life friends, my race isnt an abstract thing, my honorable ancestors from West Africa, the British Isles, India, China etc etc.. but ferkit.

I am what I am. I am who I am.

And if its easier to say "Big Black Guy", so be it.

--------

I'd ask him to marry me if it didn't mean moving halfway across the world.

Pammy. Sweetheart.

That is one of the nicest things anyone has said about me in a long time. Thank you dear. :-)

I treasure the sentiment deeply and feel the same.

However.

I would take you more seriously, but you said you wanted to have ernie's love child too..

Love always ( even after divorce court )

Joey