tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813774273050712407.post5972859456502614094..comments2023-09-26T10:11:12.865-04:00Comments on My Feet Only Walk Forward: The Midwest Social Forum Teach-In: DjembeBrandon Lacy Camposhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17309078871229264081noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813774273050712407.post-30451084374404431372008-03-30T14:12:00.000-04:002008-03-30T14:12:00.000-04:00As I read this entry I was reminded of when I (a w...As I read this entry I was reminded of when I (a white woman) was living in Pakistan. I was teaching Pakistani children, living in community with Pakistanis (as opposed to ex-patriots or American and British nationals who tend to "stick together" when they find themselves on foreign soil). As I learned the customs, languages, and dress codes of the people I was struck by the joy they found in my sharing their culture -- there was no sense that they were threatened by my interest, or that I was appropriating their culture. I wondered - and still do wonder: is it because, being in _their_ country, where _they_ share a common identity/nationality - and one that was not being threatened or usurped by foreign invaders/travelers/or multi-national corporations (at the time, anyway - now almost 15 years ago --and probably more than one might find today) that my interest was so welcomed and taken for what it was: genuine interest in learning about my new home.<BR/>And how different it is when communities have had to _fight_ for their history and identity that has been long-ago usurped and mis-appropriated/re-appropriated and otherwise threatened from outsider-invaders ...<BR/>what a privilege it is to be secure in one's identity - as heterosexuals in a hetero-dominant world find themselves, or white people in US/North American/ Euro culture do. <BR/>What an invisible privilege indeed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com