Culture in IRR (It's not always about race)

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I ponder the issue of culture within and outside of race a lot. This is very good fertile ground for interracial stories, in my opinion. And the focus tends to stay on the color issues, when culture is equally an issue.

How do the writers you enjoy incorporate cultural issues into their stories?

For instance: Midwesterners versus Southern Californians. Puerto Rican meets Irish. Upscale, urban person interacting with rural person.

I hope we can have a friendly dialogue in which we can share ideas without any accusations or criticisms on points in which we differ. It's really okay if we don't agree on this. It's all a matter of people not feeling like they are put on the spot for their opinions. Some people enjoy debate, and others don't. There is enough room for both kinds of people on this group.

I love this group, and I love talking about these subjects. One of my goals is that everyone feels comfortable talking about their thoughts and stays respectful to each other's differences.

[Roslyn]

I like culture clashes. LA rocker in a small southern town. Military guy, latter day hippie girl. Fish out of water stories are fun.

[Chaeya]

One of the biggest issues I have is with diet. I don't eat red meat, not a lot of dairy, and I'm a big pusher of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and outside of the occasional fast food, I won't eat anything out of a box or frozen because I don't like preservatives, which I think causes a lot of health and weight issues in Americans. This has clashed heavily with my family, who are Southern black folks. I got made fun of because of what I ate or my "health $#@$," as my mom used to call it. When I first gave up red meat and I visited home over 25 years ago, my parents sat me down and seriously asked me if I was also using drugs. LOL. I smoked more weed when I lived at home and had stopped by the time I moved away, but it takes a change in diet for my parents to want to have a talk. However, traveling is much better than it used to be. I can usually find a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods wherever I go, but I remember having to explain food I ate to my parents like I was an alien coming to visit. I noticed my cousins are more consciencious and open to better health choices than my older relations.

And diet issues happen with all races because I have Hispanic friends who clash with their traditional cooking family.

And my alternative spiritual beliefs and my belief in energy healing like Reiki and Healing Touch, music and light therapy, that I get people who give you that blank stare (like their conscious mind got up and left the room) and they go "oooohhhh." Or they'll proceed to tell you about one of their other friends who are "into that." One would think because I live in California that a lot of people are open to it, but that isn't true.

I really don't have any other issues. I think most of your clashes will come from people who are well-read, open-minded and intelligent, and there'll be heavy conflicts with those who aren't, especially by way of politics and religion.

Chaeya

[Stacy-Deanne]

I don't have any issue with stories centering on culture clashes if it's done with respect and accuracy. I am sick and tired of the stereotypes about southerners in books and movies from folks who obviously has never ever been to the south or have no idea how southerners really are.

As a Southerner AKA Texan, I have to say a lot of authors have disappointed me with the way they portray us in stories. I am sick to death of people not knowing enough about the modern South to be able to write it realistically. Reading a story of a Southerner or Texan being portrayed as a stereotype is a lot of times more offensive to me than stereotypes people write about black people or women. I love being a Southerner and a Texan and it just really burns me when I read books written in this day and age by authors who obviously know nothing about the south and are too lazy to research so they rely on the same old tired stereotypes of how us southerners really are.

So I guess you can say I steer away from stories with southern themes a lot of times because I found so many offensive.

If I read another southern book where folks are sitting on the porch with mint julips, line dancing, wearing cowboy hats, drinking sweet tea, riding horses, making moonshine, chewing tobacco, eating grits, having missing teeth, being racists or saying "yonder" or "sugar" all the darn time, I'll scream. There are many different layers to southerners and I wished more movies and books portrayed that instead of always the, "small town backwards south".

Do people realize how many huge cities it is in the South? Everyone doesn't grow up in a city with a population of forty with only one store in the town.

Sure some of this stuff happens in the south and yeah some of us do talk southern slang but not everyone from the south or Texas is the same or acts the same. There are millions of different types of southerners yet we get the same old tired stereotype. It's when the generalizations pop up about all southerners or Texans, that's gets to me.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

[Robin]

Truthfully, I don't mind culture clashes. I think they're great. It just proves, in my opinion, that race isn't always an issue.

And I agree with you, Stacy on the Southerner thing. I'm from GA, and I can not stand cowboy romances. Having an accent, I can take it. Liking hearty, "Southern" food, I can take it. But cowboys, I just, I can't do it. I've gotten a little better with it; I'll at least try a Cowboy Romance now and then before I quickly pushed it away without second though. However, I'm still not....entirely, I guess, keen on the idea of it. Haha.

[TinaNoir]

Oh, I love books that look at the intersection of both culture and race. Mainly because my family alone could be the poster family for 'hey these people don't fit any stereotype.' There have been many a holiday when the turkey & collards were snuggled next to Plantains, Red Beans & Rice and sauerbraten on the buffet.

I especially love when a writer creates a character that subverts all gender/race/geographic expectations. A living example could be Mia Love. She is a black Mormon who lives in Utah and is poised to become the first ever GOP black congresswoman having gotten 70% of the vote in her primary. Talk about somebody who totally out of stereotype. LOL.

[Robin]

And that's fine. By race, what I tend to see is the "He-won't-understand-me-because-I'm black" from the girl and "My-family-won't-like-her-because-she's-not-(enter race here)". And while I know someone should know or does know more often than not most likely that their family has racial issues, and I understand that. And them knowing that might affect who they pick(or try to pick) for a partner because they want their family's approval(or at least, they don't want disapproval). It just seems like it's done a lot. That's all. (The example I gave I mean). And I mean I really don't have a problem with it. But like I said, it's done a lot.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I like looking at culture over race because I think defining people merely by skin color misses some huge issues. My family on my mother's side is Irish, Scottish, Native American, African, Southern, Northern, Midwestern, you name it. Personally, I see a lot of Irish in my family by temperament, even though some might just see me as a black person. Just because we are all the same family doesn't mean we see things the same way. More importantly, just because all blacks are lumped together doesn't mean that a Haitian thinks like a Jamaican. I grew up in Illinois, and when I moved to Texas, talk about culture shock. I am usually around Latinos a lot, and believe me, they don't see themselves as all the same at all, and would be very offended if you lumped a Puerto Rican in with a Mexican. So to me, it's never just about race.

[Nadine]

I prefer culture over race also getting past the different skin tones is the easy part it is the individual cultures that smacks us in the head.

Lady Danielle I understand all about the Latino issue Puerto Ricans don't want to be Dominicans, Cubans don't want to be any of them etc. Same for West Indians.Jamacians and they all are different from Americans.

The South gets it bad but so does New York we are all not street, sassy and kick ass.

[Robin]

I like culture over race as well. I apologize if that didn't come across in my previous posts.

[Bluecreek]

Since I am in a interracial marriage and even lived oversees a large portion of my life, I love romance novels that have the added dimension of cultural or social issues. So, IR romance novels are a natural gravitation for me.

When the author uses race to add a cultural dimension to the story and relationship, the book tends to feel more meaningful and satisfying.

But if the author just tosses in race as a quick description for one of the characters, often to make them appear more "exotic" I guess, then I find it pretty disappointing...like a wasted opportunity to add depth to the relationship.

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I think it depends for me, Bluecreek. Culturally, my background might not necessarily be that different from another white American. On the other hand, a friend of mine who was born in Mexico, we can have some pretty interesting discussion on how it was for his family and growing up there. But be on the same page as far as how our parents raised us, values-wise.