In a black-and-white society, I am the grey; I am other; I am what cannot be clearly defined.

Posted in Excerpts/Quotes on 2013-09-23 03:52Z by Steven

“I always joked with my friends that I was ‘light’ not ‘white.’ Half Latino and half white. Just what does that mean? When the name Bengochea precedes me, I am always asked to explain. You don’t necessarily guess my Cuban roots by looking at me, but maybe you should look harder. As a person of mixed race/ethnicity, I have always wrestled with my identity. In certain contexts I feel that I am not Hispanic enough, and in others I feel like I am not expressing myself completely unless I reference my mixed ethnicity. As I get older, I become more comfortable in these situations and learn to embrace the fullness of who I am. In a black-and-white society, I am the grey; I am other; I am what cannot be clearly defined.” —Matt Bengochea, Project Coordinator, President’s Office

RISDiversity: Community Narratives Project: 2013 Participants,” Rhode Island School of Design, (Providence, Rhode Island, 2013). http://diversity.risd.edu/participants2013.php.

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Hybrid Hotties: Intersections of Gender and Race in Multiracial Bodies

Posted in Live Events, Media Archive, Social Science, United States, Women on 2011-03-18 21:36Z by Steven

Hybrid Hotties: Intersections of Gender and Race in Multiracial Bodies

Rhode Island School of Design
55 Angel Street, MET Room A
Providence, Rhode Island
Monday, 2011-03-21, 19:00-20:30 EDT (Local Time)
(free and open to the public)
Information: 401-277-4957

Ulli K. Ryder, Ph.D., Visiting Scholar
Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America
Brown University

This lecture and discussion will explore the supposed beauty of mixed race faces and bodies. According to a recent poll in Allure Magazine, most people believe mixed race faces are the most beautiful. Mix-d:UK (based in Manchester, England) is currently casting for their second “Mixed Face” modeling contest. Marketing firms are cashing in on the “mixed race wave” and have begun marketing products using racially ambiguous actors and actresses. While it seems like these are markers of racial progress, we need to question the reality of this supposition. Perceptions of mixed race attractiveness are dependent on a number of factors such as the racial mixture and gender of the individual being viewed. Which mixed race people are “beautiful”? Are some multiracials more attractive than others? Does any of this change or dismantle long-standing notions of beauty based on Western European ideals? And does “beauty” inevitably lead to political or social equality?

Ulli K. Ryder, Ph.D. is an award-winning educator, consultant, writer, editor and thinker. She facilitates discussions of race, ethnicity, identity formation and media to foster diversity and create open dialogue.

Her expertise has been sought by institutions such as the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, University of Rhode Island, Simmons College, Emerson College, and Brown University. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Brown University since 2009 where she has taught courses on ethnic Los Angeles history and multiracial identities as well as acted as advisor and Senior Thesis Editor for Ethnic Studies majors.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Ryder is an expert on diversity outreach and was selected as the Graduate Student in Residence for Diversity Outreach by the University of Southern California’s Graduate School and was Program Coordinator for the Summer Humanities Institute at UCLA.

Dr. Ryder earned her Ph.D. in American Studies & Ethnicity from the University of Southern California, where she was named a Top Graduate for 2008. She also holds a Master of Professional Writing (USC), a Master of Afro-American Studies (UCLA) and BA from Simmons College in English and African American Studies. Take a workshop or class with Dr. Ryder, or invite her to your college or corporate campus.

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