A while ago a colleague told me they don’t hear race. Often the phrase is “I don’t see race,” in this case the person said they couldn’t hear any difference between what people were saying. The person was trying to tell me their colorblind approach was sufficient for the work done. I understood where the person was coming from but it was frustrating.

Not hearing race allows racism to continue — full stop, no other way around it. We need to train ourselves to understand the deeper context. It takes exposure, deeper understanding, and work to be able to distinguish the difference between what is said, not said, and how it is said.

After the Lāhaina fires on 8 August 2023, a lot of press from outside the state flew in to cover the tragedy. I’m guessing many of these reporters were not steeped in the local customs, culture, and ways of working in Hawai`i. In this clip you can hear a reporter ask a question and continually press for an answer. To many, it sounds like he’s doing his job. To those from Hawai`i it sounded like an outsider being rude, acting ‘high maka maka’ (above one’s station, or stuck up) and not allowing the person to finish his answer. The clip goes on to show Maui’s Mayor Bissen stepping forward and telling the reporter to let him finish talking and almost dared the reporter to stand at the podium to ask his question. When I watched that clip I thought, “That is so Hawai`i – you dare show up at someone else’s house and show disrespect.” I won’t speculate on what the Mayor was thinking, but his language was clear, we’re here to work with you as a reporter, but you will respect my people – you can ask hard questions but do it respectfully. That is what it means to hear race; understanding the said and not said nuances.

If you listen you’ll also hear the speakers using local language and inflections. The speaker says mauka — in Hawai`i there are two directions mauka-mountain and makai-ocean. Mayor Bissen is also clearly using local intonations. Were the reporters picking up on these, and were they expecting a more ‘white’ polished press conference? Even if the reporters would say it didn’t matter, it mattered — they would have had to think harder and work harder to make sense of what was being said; bias is real and our judgments when we have to think get skewed.

Not hearing race is dangerous

When we don’t hear race, we allow the status quo to continue or to favor whiteness. It is too easy to default to the common narratives; the narratives that say “it’s too hard,” or ‘It worked for everyone else so it should have worked for you.’ There have been so many times when a POC person have shared stories about how they had to jump through additional hoops because someone didn’t believe them. There is a tax on Black and Brown people who have to talk in ways to make themselves understood, versus having the receiver of the message work to understand.

POCs often can play games of code-switching where we turn on our ‘professional’ or ‘whiteness’ language so we can navigate places to be understood more easily. If we talked the way we talk to each other would people understand us or would they mock or dismiss us? Probably both.

Listen and Hear the difference

What I wanted to tell my colleague is, you don’t hear race because you haven’t learned how to hear it. It is time to get out of your bubble and begin to learn how to listen. When you don’t hear race you’re missing the deeper nuances, the stories beneath the surface. It isn’t your POC speakers’ job to lay everything out in a neat little novel for you to understand, it is your job to listen with integrity and to listen for understanding. If you need to learn how to listen, first you need to learn to be quiet — let others speak like Mayor Bissen said in his clip (I’m not defending his actions, I’m agnostic on how it went down). You need to listen in ways that allow the speaker to shape your thoughts, don’t just use your white or privileged frames of reference to relate everything to — stretch your thinking to be more inclusive of new understandings. Listen for meaning, don’t listen to take. People with privilege often listen to take in information. Information is currency, it can be used to gain more privilege. Instead, listen to show you care in a way that is humbling; you’re receiving a gift of someone sharing their story, honor that by understanding it in its full form.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

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If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

For nano-seconds after reading good advice columnist I’ve wondered if I could write an advice column too. The answer is no, I do not want to give advice because “TOO MUCH PRESSURE.” That said for today’s Fakequity post, I’ve compiled a few real-life situations, but they are altered, and thought about some advice that might go with it.

Dear Fakequity,

I’m dating a really great dude; except he keeps saying “I don’t see race.” At first, it was cute and I ignored it since we were having a lot of fun. He’s charming and treats me well, unlike some of my past boyfriends. I get along fine with his family, but they also ‘don’t see race,’ and say low-key racist things. I sometimes gently question them about their views, but they get defensive. My boyfriend gets quiet and later asks why I don’t let it slide like I used to. What should I do? I want to stay with him, but unsure of what future we’ll have together. I’m Latina, and he’s white.

Still Dating

Dear Still Dating,

No relationship is perfect, anyone who tells you that is either ridiculously lucky, in denial, or both. I see you’re comparing this relationship to your ex – stop comparing this person to your ex. Just because he’s better than the other boyfriend(s) doesn’t mean you ignore this part of him. Is your boyfriend willing to learn about race and grow? And will he take on the task of wrangling his family? If you plan to stay together his family will be part of the equation in some way and you both need to come to an agreement on how to handle that part of the relationship. You deserve a partner who will grow with you so value yourself too.

Dear Fakequity,

I have a coworker who is competent at his job and friendly, but exceedingly clumsy when working with people of color. He isn’t malicious but he comes off as a white savior. Black partners have complained to me about how he treats them. They like him enough, but they are growing tired of his ways and have started to distance themselves from our work. It makes me sad to see these partners drift away, but I know why they do. All I can do is shrug and tell them I understand.

Sadly Shrugging

Dear Shrug,

It sounds like you’re stuck in the middle and can see the problem, maybe even spotting a train wreck and trying to stop it from happening. You’re also in the place of not wanting to tattle on your coworker but needing to defend your organization from your clumsy coworker. As uncomfortable as it is, it is important to talk to your coworker about his behavior and point out where he’s made your Black partners uncomfortable. Teammates modeling how to effectively partner and talk about race will help him understand the changes he needs to make. Alternatively, as the organization changes and if he’s not going to change he may need to leave. Change is hard, but it is important for him to understand his behaviors are impacting others.

Dear Fakequity,

I have a colleague who keeps saying ableist things. When she wants to disparage someone she’ll say “I bet they are autistic,” when they don’t agree with her. She’ll also use other ableist language like saying “that’s psycho.” My friend is a teacher and I think she wouldn’t say these things directly to students but to know she has these judgmental and ableist thoughts makes me cringe. I know I need to confront her at some point, any suggestions?

Sincerely,

Annoyed with Colleague

Dear Annoyed,

I would be annoyed and pissed at my colleague too for being so rude and disrespectful towards people with disabilities, especially as a teacher. I understand working closely with people can make it harder to confront them on their language and behaviors, but in this case, it really isn’t ok for her to go around saying hurtful things about people with disabilities, especially as a teacher. Have you talked to your colleague about her attitude and hurtful language? She may get defensive when confronted, but hold your ground and make it clear you are not ok with labeling other people after legit health diagnoses. Your team may want to invest some professional development time into learning about disabilities and how to support students and families with disabilities. 1 out of 5 people have a disability, so it is very likely they are part of your school community.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

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If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

It is back-to-school season. I know many of you started school in August and some of you school started this week. It is a great excuse to order new books to read into the fall.

As a bonus, if you are able to order a few diverse books for the teachers in your community please do so to donate them for classrooms and school libraries or books for students to take home. Students deserve new books that have nice covers, all the pages, and are attractive to read.

Adult Books

Yellowface – This was a book I liked and hated. My friend Heidi recommended it after she listened to the audio version. The protagonist is so unlikable it is fascinating. The writer goes deep and dark with this psychological mind-twist, intertwining Asian American experiences.

Jar of Fat – I just got my copy of Seayoung Yim’s Jar of Fat play. Seayoung is an amazing playwright, formerly of Seattle, who won the Yale Drama Prize for this play. In Jar of Fat, she explores anti-fat biases, family relationships, beauty standards, and Korean American experiences.

Abraham Verghese’s newest book The Covenant of Water is an Oprah pick and getting a ton of attention. I haven’t read that very thick book yet (or 31 hours on audiobook). If you’re waiting to get the new book from the library, pick up his nonfiction My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story. He writes about being an immigrant Indian doctor during the start of the AIDS epidemic in rural Tennessee. He’s a gifted writer and it comes out in this book.

Christian Cooper and Amy Tan got me into birding. Recently while visiting family, I pulled out my phone and popped open my newly downloaded birding app to learn more about the birds in Hawai`i. I now plan to read Christian Cooper’s new book Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World. On my ‘to read/order’ list is Cooper’s Represent, a graphic novel from DC Comics where birding and superheroes come together.

Family Lore was just recommended to me by a friend. I have it on my too read list, especially since Hispanic Heritage Month starts on Sept 15.

Middle Grade and Young Adult

In a rush to finish my summer Book BINGO board, I searched for a 90-minute or less audiobook so I could complete another square — Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler filled the spot. I walked the dog extra long that day so I could finish the audiobook — it sucked me in and the dog loved his extra long walk. I learned a lot about Octavia Butler and was captivated by Ibi Zoboi’s poetry.

Children’s Book

Crowned is gorgeous. This is a collection of short fairy tales, some well known like Hansel and Gretel and others new short fairy tales with an African American and Black twist to them. The true genius is in the photographs accompanying the stories. The artist took great and loving care to get each picture just right, including hiring Black hair and makeup artists and Black costume designers. This is a gift-worthy book. It should also be in school libraries and classrooms for young children to discover.

While visiting family in Honolulu, I dragged my family to several Native Hawaiian owned bookstores – it was great. I loaded up on new books; my bag coming back was very heavy. Hi’iaka and Pana’ewa: A Hawaiian Graphic Legend is a short new graphic folktale. It is perfect for a lesson about Indigenous stories, good and bad, and possibly myths. It is perfect for beginning independent readers. I also oogled over the author’s other books Maui and Pele which did not come home with me, but I will order or borrow from a library soon.

I will stop here with the book recommendations. I have so many more diverse titles to share in future posts. I hope you enjoy some or all of these titles.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

It is Hawaiian History Month — be sure to check out Hawaii Pono`i for their schedule of events (see graphic) and other website resources.

I hope you’ll take some time to learn about Hawaiian history. For those of you who are thinking, but whhhhyyyy? I’m not Hawaiian, I don’t live anywhere close to Hawai`i, or some other excuses, here are a few reasons why:

1. Hawaiian history is American history. Did you learn about American history in school, but they forgot to teach you about Hawaiian and other Indigenous histories? Well, they left out critical pieces of American history. Now is your chance to learn more.
2. Learn about Hawaiian history from Native Hawaiians, not the white dudes (mostly white dudes) who like to write about Hawai`i. A lot of what people think they know about Hawai`i comes from the dominant culture or from what tourism and media want us to think about Hawai`i. Hawaiian history is way deeper than beaches, coconuts, and pineapple on pizzas (I like pineapple on pizza).
3. Hawai`i has a lot to offer around race learning. Growing up in Hawai`i race is and isn’t a thing. The diversity of Hawai`i allows race to be a more fluid, complex, and nuanced concept. Hawai`i isn’t a racial utopia, but race and ethnicity are more complex conversations. Learn more in this NY Times opinion article; despite the title – don’t move to Hawai`i.
4. Learn about pre-Captain Cook history. Before Hawai`i was ‘discovered’ the Kanaka Maolis were doing just fine. Learn about their culture, society, and ways of being before white influence.
5. Follow the Hōkūleʻa. The Hōkūleʻa is a traditional Polynesian vessel and the crew of it are using traditional Polynesian wayfinding knowledge to navigate. They are doing this to preserve the art and techniques of Polynesian wayfinding so it isn’t lost to modernization and technology. Hōkūleʻa just started a new journey around the Pacific, follow the journey here and if you are lucky maybe you’ll get to visit Hōkūleʻa.  
6. ‘Ōlelo – Hawai`i has a language all its own, it is an official language of the state. ‘Ōlelo, Native Hawaiian, preserving the language is critical to preserving Hawaiian culture. ‘Ōlelo Kanaka Niihau is a dialect of Hawaiian that has been continually spoken from pre-missionaries times and still going. There is a movement to save and pass on the dialect.
7. Lāhaina still needs us. On 8 August 2023, a massive wildfire ripped through Lāhaina, Maui. Kula, also on Maui also had devastating wildfires. The list of people confirmed dead is 115 people, many more still missing. Many in Hawai`i probably know of someone impacted by the fires — a friend, a cousin, a cousin of a friend, a classmate, and so on — we’re all connected. Be generous and help them recover, grieve, and honor their dead and missing. See this post for ways to give, I’ve updated it since it first came out.
8. Live Aloha. Hawaiian history is living and breathing. A kapuna (elder) taught me aloha literally translates into breath. Breathe and live aloha.

Take some time to appreciate Hawaiian history and modern practices. There is a lot to learn and to understand. These are some very surface-level observations to hopefully invite you to do deeper learning.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

Note, added 8/11: No blog post until September. I’m taking a few weeks off before the start of the next school year. Mahalo.

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Maui and Hawai`i have been on my mind this week. I’ve been riveted by the news of wildfires devastating parts of Maui and the Island of Hawai`i. People who know me even mildly know I have deep ties to Hawai`i. I grew up there and still consider it home. While I didn’t grow up on the Island of Hawai`i or Maui, they are deeply embedded in our family story, and in times like this regionalism evaporates – we are all connected to the people and places.

I’m using this platform and blog to amplify, give some context, and direct resources to a place many visit but may not understand deeply. I still have a lot of learning to do, especially learning from diverse Native Hawaiian perspectives.

“Cry for the people, Cry for the land that was taken away, And then yet you’ll find Hawai’i” — Hawai’i 78, sung by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

It is cliché to say Maui will rebuild. They will, but for the moment, people are stunned. Many of us not on the island but connected to Hawai`i are reading the news, internet-tab hopping and social media scrolling to look for new video clips, seeing where the grassroots fundraisers are happening, and texting with people back in Hawai`i to make sure they are safe and ask how we can help.

For many Hawai`i is a vacation spot visited for days or if lucky longer amounts of time. It is a place where life is a little easier for a short while and the sun, glorious beaches, and a laid back welcoming attitude are in abundance. Now Maui needs that aloha and kōkua back. This isn’t a matter of charity, if you’ve ever vacationed in Hawai`i, contributed to climate change, eaten a SPAM musubi or Hawaiian plate lunch, watched Moana, contemplated naming your child or pet Malia, or romanticized about Hawai`i now is one of many times for you to give back to the Kānaka Maoli and the ‘āina.

Here are ways you can help:

Donate to reputable organizations, see the list below. If you have friends or family on Maui pass them funds to use at their discretion. They might need temporary housing or know someone who is displaced and needs money to make life more bearable. Grassroots help is often quicker and nimbler than government aid.   

Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement

Maui Food Bank

Hawai’i People’s Fund

Maui Humane Society — please consider fostering a pet to make room for others

Pacific Birth Collective – added 8/11

Public Schools of Hawai’i Foundation — added 8/11, an Instagram post from the Hawai’i Dept of Education said all gifts made through 10/1/23 will be designated solely for Maui students.

Chef Hui — added 9/1 feeding many on Maui right now

Hawaii Farmers Union United — added 9/1

If you have a second house on Maui that is vacant (vacation homes, ADUs), allow someone to rent it. Housing is already tight in Hawai’i and with the thousands of people displaced and needing to rebuild it will become harder to find rentals. The Governor of Hawai’i has already put out a call for people to open their housing to others. I remember after Hurricane Iniki (Kauai), many had to find rentals while they rebuilt their houses.

Donate blood. Burn victims need a lot of blood products to recover. While there hasn’t been an official call for this yet, it doesn’t hurt to donate at your local blood bank anyway. Many of the blood banks work in concert with each other, so while your blood may not be sent to Hawai`i it will backfill for other important needs.

Learn about Hawai’i. For many Hawai`i is a vacation destination, but it is more than that. For a very quick primer that doesn’t do justice to the important history of Hawai`i start here. I also encourage you to read Detours, a Decolonial Guide to Hawai’i. I just pulled out my copy tonight and re-read parts of it to give more context and meaning of what is happening on Maui. Lāhainā, the town on Maui that burned, has a very deep history tracing back to the Hawaiian Ali’i.

Follow the lead of the Kānaka Maoli and the Kapunas. This is their āina and their ohana.

*Note – I purposefully did not put English translations next to ‘ōlelo words. Doing so would make it easy to default to Western meanings versus the intent and spirit of Hawai’i.

A few definitions here:

Kānaka Maoli or Kānaka Oiwi – Native Hawaiians, Indigenous people of Hawai’i

Kapuna – Elders

Āina – Land or water, not just a physical place but also the spirit of the land

Kōkua – contributing selflessly as part of a community

Ohana – family, often seen as inclusive of others not just blood family

Ali’i — Royalty

Finally, Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono, Hawai`i state motto May the Life of the Land be Perpetuated in Righteousness.

Additional note, Hawai`i is written with the ‘okina. The ‘okina is not an apostrophe. The ‘okina adds an emphasis, glottal stop, in the written Hawaiian language.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

Would you rather

Here is a game to play with yourself to help clarify your social justice values.

Imagine these are double-sided cards, you have to choose one – no middle ground, no waffling and saying ‘Well if I do this, I can have both’, you can only choose one.

A special thank you to Vivian for giving me this idea a while ago. We should get together to write another version based on school budget choices, yes?

How to play: You can only choose one option, either the choice in Column A or Column B. Rationalize with yourself why you made that choice — there is no right or wrong, but thinking through why is important.

Column A Column B

Listen to community members	Listen to ‘experts’
Fund a popular exclusive music program that has allowed many students to go college on music scholarships or at the very least access high quality music instruction	Fund a remedial reading program needed by students close to failing
Free lunch for public school students in low-income Title 1 schools across the state	Fund three student health centers in rural areas without access to medical centers
10 shelter beds	10 slots in a drug treatment program
Fund a school counselor or social worker	Fund a school resource officer (SRO) (law enforcement in school)
Continue an advancement placement class that only 12 students take but helps to propel them into top colleges	Start a new language class targeting newer immigrants potentially serving 30+ students
Fund school construction in an area that is overcrowded but affluent	Fund school construction in a heavily POC neighborhood for a building in desperate need of repair
Move fast and try different solutions	Slow down and listen to community members before trying something new
Scrap existing systems or programs to start over completely	Work at incremental changes and build on what is already in place
Create an emergency fund for families in need	Continue funding an afterschool program in an affluent part of town. If you take it away, you’ll face political backlash.
Work from the inside to make change	Advocate, agitate, organize from the outside to put pressure on an organization to change
Fund a youth program that continually deficits but is targeted at POC youth in lower income communities	Fund a profitable STEM program funded by corporate foundation money that is inclusive of POCs but open to all
Hire a staff member with excellent formal credentials (e.g. college degree, references from well-connected people, etc.) and is competent but not from the community being served	Hire a staff member who knows the community and has already done the job informally, but doesn’t have a degree
Provide staffing for a popular sports program that brings in donors and funding to the organization but most of the funding is restricted to sports, 20% of the donations can support other programs	Fund and staff an intergenerational learning program asked for by POC communities
Hire a company that is cheaper and fast	Hire a company that charges more and will take 3 days longer but is POC owned
Create a program on your own and launch it because it is faster and easier and force it on people	Take a longer time planning but include other voices in the process
Require staff to come back to an office because it promotes community and coming together	Invest in technology to allow people to work effectively remotely because it allows for geographic reach and it is what the staff want

As you were reading through these choices were you thinking about the potential racial implications of your choices? Were you thinking about who is impacted most by the decision? What about the political side of decision points – there are always political considerations, such as who will you hear from and not hear from, what are the power differentials, who has the time and energy to advocate for their side.

While I set this up as a binary choice, often these choices are multi-faceted and there is more information associated with the choice. You may have organizational culture or guiding principles to help a decision point become more clear, or there may be a set of other laws or policies that force a decision point.

I hope it was an interesting tabletop/computer screen activity to help you think through your values and nudge thinking a certain way.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

This is the final week of Disability Pride month so I thought I’d close out the month with a second BINGO card on Disability Faux Pas BINGO. It is always more fun to play with two cards and to see who gets to BINGO first, or in this case loses cause they fill their card with faux pas.

Special thanks to Carrie and G.B.N. for helping with this BINGO card. They provided so much good material last week I had enough to make a second BINGO board. They’ve both taught me a lot about disabilities and disability justice over the years.

Since the graphic isn’t screen reader friendly, the text of the BINGO card is below. Please make sure to see last week’s BINGO card too. If you’re wondering about why some of these phrases are on the BINGO card poke around on the blog for past blog posts about disability. The more we learn the less we’ll trip up.

BINGO Board

Overshares with disabled people

Says they will ‘pray’ for a disabled person

Is surprised to learn a disabled person is a parent

Is even more surprised to learn a disabled person is their boss

Segregates disabled people, e.g. they belong in Special Education classrooms

Complains about how long it takes for a bus to load a wheelchair

Asks a disabled person “What’s wrong with you?”

Not being direct in asking about a disability

Excluding people with disabilities from decisions that impact them

Compalings about captioning blocking the screen

Only talk about disabilities with people with disabilities

Calls people with disability ‘brave’

Calls caregivers ‘selfless’

Blames bad events on mental illness – “The shooter must be mentally ill.”

Thinks people with non-visual disabilities are ‘faking it’

Will only hire people with disabilities for entry level jobs

Dismisses accessibility requests as ‘asking for too much’ or ‘inconvenient’

Disaster plans do not take into account disabled people

Believes willpower can override a disability: “They can XXX if they try hard enough.”

Labels people with disabilities as uncooperative

Calls in sick or books a meeting during the anti-ableism training

Believes they can diagnosis disabilities with what they learned on Instagram and TikTok

A few more book recs to help you learn more

Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally

Read This to Get Smarter: About Race, Class, Gender, Disability & More

For a bit of fun and not to learn about disability, but for a middle grade novel where disabilities are intertwined in a story but not the central part Sal & Gabi Break the Universe. I share this title because we should expose young readers to disabled characters, especially where their disability is not the main focus.

Here is a picture book about the history of the American with Disabilities Act: All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything.

More titles on the Fakequity Bookshop page. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The commission goes into purchasing books by POC authors or about disabilities to donate to high-poverty public schools.

July is Disability Pride Month. To reflect and learn about disability pride I put together a BINGO board on things not to do wih and around people with disabilities. We’ve all slipped up, but knowing and learning is part of being an ally and growing. If you’re wondering why some of them are on the board take a moment to learn about it. A special thank you to Carrie and G.B.N. for helping with this post. They are both connected with different parts of the disability justice community and I’ve been fortunate to learn from them and with them.

Since Canva is horrible at visual accessibility, I’ve put the text below. When I find a better solution to Canva I’ll make the jump to a new platform for visual graphics, in the meantime, Canva do better.

BINGO board text:

Special needs

Does not say disability

Pets a service dog

Event site is not wheelchair accessibility

Doesn’t provide access information

Calls everything crazy

Praises Temple Garadin and Helen Keller

“But you don’t look disabled”

Refers to disability justice as being “PC”

Puts their chihuahua on the disability seating on public transit

Shushing kids when they ask about disabilities

Asks invasive questions about a person’s disabilities

Tells random disabled people they’re inspirational

Uses the word suffering when referring to disability

[Believes] ramps and curb cuts are for babies in strollers and rolling luggage

Discussed disability in terms of severity or “functional level”

Uses euphuisms like disAbility, special needs, differently abled

Refers to their hip replacement as the same suffering

Touches people’s mobility aids

Shouts at a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Person

Shouts at a Blind person

If you’re looking for some good books to learn more about disability justice here are a few to consider, bypass Temple Grandin and/or about Helen Keller and try some of these:

Heart Berries a Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot

Year of the Tiger by Alice Wong

Disability Visibility by Alice Wong

Fighting for Yes!: The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann (picture book) by Maryann Cocca-Leffler (Author)  Judith Heumann (Afterword)

Stay tuned, I may have enough material to make a second BINGO board on this topic.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

It feels like it is finally summer. Including the longer days for lounging with paper books or audiobooks. Summer is also when I hit my public library to pick up a summer book bingo board and challenge myself to find some new and interesting books to fit their categories. Some of the categories on the Seattle Public Library and Seattle Arts & Lecture bingo board include: Joyful, Includes a Recipe, Recommended by an Independent Bookseller, Translated, Manga or Graphic Novel, Audio or E-Book, and so many other good categories.

Here are a few summer reading recommendations that might fill your summer reading goals too.

*The links below take you to my Bookshop affiliate page. If you order Fakequity gets a small amount back which goes into buying POC authored books or books about disabilities to donate to predominately POC schools or youth programs.

Sal & Gabi Break the Universe – This book is filling the ‘joyful’ square on my summer book bingo board. It is a hilarious middle grades novel featuring two Latine students who are not likely to become friends but circumstances and a bit of magic bring them together. Sal and Gabi explore alternative universes, a bit of magic, a dead chicken, Sal’s diabetes, and Gabi’s odd-family arrangements. I listened to it on audiobook and it made my walks very enjoyable. I can’t wait to read the second book.

Chinatown Pretty – Gotta love the Asian elders and their fashion. The book also touches upon cultural neighborhoods, which helped me appreciate Seattle’s Chinatown/International District even more. CID is now labeled a threatened cultural neighborhood and this book helps to remind us why we need to preserve neighborhoods for their rich history and more importantly the people of the neighborhoods. This will fill my recommended by a bookseller bingo box since I saw it on display at Third Place Books.

Miracle & Wonder by Malcolm Gladwell was another audiobook. I scoured a list of good audiobooks and had put this on hold at the library, when it popped up as ready to borrow I thought “Why did I put a book about an old-white-singer on my list,” but decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did. Malcolm Gladwell wove together a fascinating story about how Paul Simon grew into his music and has stayed relevant as a musician for decades. As an audiobook, it is fascinating since it includes their conversations and music. It is truly a book only Gladwell could weave together.

I wanted to eat Mayumu, like I wished the cookbook was in 3D and edible. The Filipino American desserts in this cookbook are colorful, playful, imaginative, but yet still down to earth. The recipes look doable and delicious. I also appreciate the author is practical in a way more bougie cookbook authors have moved away from. Such as in the opening Abi Balingit included a line about sharing a kitchen with roommates – I’ve never seen any other cookbook author acknowledge they have to share a kitchen with non-family members.

‘Olelo No’eau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings is filling my translated bingo book box. I found it while wandering through the library. I saw it and flipped through it and decided it had to come home with me so I could study it more. ‘Olelo – Native Hawaiian language, is having a resurgence after being nearly wiped out due to missionaries in Hawai’i and white influence. Seeing this book and reading it helped me have a deeper appreciation for indigenous languages and gratitude for the movement to keep them alive.

For the Indigenous author square I have Project 562 on that box. This book is gorgeous and so much more than a coffee table book. It tells so much about Indigenous people in the US and the diversity within Native communities. This is a book only a Native person could bring to life and we’re lucky the author did it for us to learn from, it is a gift we don’t deserve.

I can’t get this picture book out of my head, Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? I picked it up at a bookstore and read it while standing at the shelf. I then came home and googled the title and found the author started it as a poem that became a book. The premise of the book is exactly what the title says and takes us into an alternative universe that should be much more of a reality in modern America. I’ve used it with groups to demonstrate how we can envision something different and the language we use to talk about race is important. Pick it up and read it, so good.

My kid LOVES graphic novels and manga. She’s given me assigned reading this summer. On her list of graphic novels I have to read are: City of Dragons Book 1, Tidesong for the sea creatures square on the bingo board, and Parachute Kids. All of these are by Asian authors. I may assign her (which never works, but if I covertly leave it lying around) When Stars are Scattered she may pick it up. When Stars Are Scattered is a very good graphic novel sharing the author’s immigrant journey from a refugee camp in Kenya and his brother’s disability.

Sí, Se Puede: The Latino Heroes Who Changed the United States isn’t released yet, but I was lucky to see a preview copy online. It is a great book talking about Latino history in the US in a graphic novel format. Once it is out I plan on borrowing it from the library or buying my own copy to really read it more deeply. I wish it was out now so I could read it during the summer but I’ll wait.

I hope you find some good new POC authored books or books about disabilities to fill your summer reading list. There are so many more I didn’t list, stay tuned I’ll share them in the future.

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Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving pays for back-end costs, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe I’ll appreciate it.

Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra, Alessandra, Alex E, Alexa, Aline, Alison FP, Alison P, Allison, Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy K, Amy P, Amy R, Andie, Andrea J, Andrea JB, Andy, Angelica, Angelina, Ashlie, Ashlie B., Aya, Barb, Barbara, Barrett, Betsy, Big Duck, Brad, Brenda, Bridget, Brooke B, Brooke DW, Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carolyn, Carrie B, Carrie C, Carrie S, Catherine, Chelsea, Christa, Christina C, Christina S, Clara, Clark, Courtney, Dan, dana, Danielle, Danya, Debbie, DeEtta, Denyse, Dennis, Dennis F, Diane, Don, Ed, Edith, Edith B, Eileen, Elizabeth, Emily, Erica J, Erica RB, Erin, Gene, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather H, Heather M, Heidi and Laura, Heidi, Hilary, J Elizabeth, Jaime, Jake, James, Jane, Janet, Jelena, Jen C, Jen E,  Jen H, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer, Jess, Jessica F, Jessica G, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon, Jordan L, Jordan S, Josie, Julia, Juliet, June, Karen, Kate, Katharine, Kathryn, Katie O, Kawai, Keisha, Kelly, Kiki, Kim, Kimberly, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura, Lauren, Leah, Leslie, Lily, Liora, Lisa C, Lisa P-W, Lisa S, Liz, Lola, Lori, Lyn, Maegan, Maggie, Maile, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marilee, Mark, Matthew, Maura, McKenzie, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Misha, Molly, Nat, Natasha, Nicole, paola, Peggy, PMM, Porsche, Rachel, Raquel, Rebecca, Robin, Sally, Sandra, Sarah B, Sarah D, Sarah H, Sarah KB, Sarah R, Sarah S, Sarita, Selma, Sharon B, Sharon Y, Shaun, Shawna, Siobhan, Steph, Stephanie, Su, Sue, Sue C D, Susan, T Wang, Tania DSA, Tania TD, Tara, tash, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy G, Tracy TG, virginia, Vivian, Ward, Wendy, Willow, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

No blog post next week. I’m taking the week off to rest my brain and enjoy the holiday week.

Today was a crap day for many. The Supreme Court ruled to reject affirmative action in college admission. The ruling will hurt us all, especially Black, Latino, and Indigenous people who want to attend their choice colleges. I’m not going to write about this tonight but encourage you to learn more about it. We now have to work 100 times harder to rebuild and outsmart racism.

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Tonight’s blog post was written by my kid who just finished middle school. He offered to write something so I gave him the challenge of writing about what he learned about race in middle school. The essay is very much his voice with some light editing by me to clean it up and clarify in a few places.

What I learned in middle school about race

In my three years of middle school, I learned much about race identity and how it defines but is also confining to each one of us. These stereotypes are such a widespread thing. Stereotypes are common even among kids as young as middle school. During my middle school years, I have been introduced to many stereotypes and my views on stereotypes have evolved for what I believe to be the better.

While in middle school I have seen and heard some racist stereotypes that were just ruled as a joke and no further thought was given. Examples are “Straight A-Asian kids,” assuming if you are an immigrant you immigrated from certain countries, and other more harmful stereotypes. Many people do not see this as an issue, but this could turn into a problem if other racist policies are turned into jokes like these.

However, I don’t believe this will be the case because among my school’s community if there is even a hint of racism the kid perpetrating it will be hunted down and will never live down what they did. While this may be the case in my school I can not say the same for other schools and how they deal with their stereotypes and racism.

Because my school is proactive about squashing racism where rears its head, I have not been exposed to it to the extent that many people in other schools have. Stereotypes are a quick way back to a much more racist world. In middle school I learned how they can harm people and how harmful they can be to people firsthand; I would not wish this on anyone for any reason. If elected education officials were to make quashing stereotypes a number one priority, then it would eliminate many other problems. As a student please work at eliminating stereotypes in schools.

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