A Story about the “Where Are You From?” Conundrum…
A what appears to be a “black” guy discreetly steps into a room full of “white” people. Well, as “discreet” as a “black” guy can be in a room full of “white” people. Presumably, and rightfully so, the first thing they see is his “blackness”. But wait, there’s more… The next thing they hear is his “accent”. So, the “black” guy knows what comes next. They will try to discover just what kind of “black” he is. He notices a “white” guy coming his way with the usual disarming wide grin he’s come to know so well designed to lower the defenses. The “black” guy got a twisty feeling in his gut. He knows that this is NOT going to go well or maybe it’s brought on by a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“Hi there, I’m Dick!” The “white” guy exclaims with exaggerated gusto.
“Hi! I’m Jean-Pierre,” says the “black” guy. “I used to know a Dick …” The “black” guy says wistfully.
“Oh, is that riiiight?!” The “white” guy trails off, rapidly batting his eyes, as is somewhat caught by surprise. Then quickly proceeds to his original intention of interrogation style questions, which could be interpreted by some as a form of microaggression among non “whites”.
“So….where are you from? The Caribbean? He asks with the widest grin on his “white” face. Notice how he attributes the name Jean-Pierre to the Caribbean when, in reality, it is of Franco-European origin. Had the “black” guy been a “white” guy, he would most likely attribute the name to France.
Jean-Pierre displays an equally disarming wide grin and blurts out what he’d rehearsed in front of the mirror at home many times over.
“Thank you for your curiosity. Naturally, I come from Mr. Semen and Madame Ovary. I was born in South Central Vagina. Any other explanation would be an exercise in fertility…” He accentuated his response with a guffaw, leaving Dick in a germinative stupor…
Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and a literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at: http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–
