A Quote by Diana Abu-Jaber

I heard friends and strangers saying, "You don't look Arab - what are you supposed to be?" It really is a tired old problem for children of immigrants and kids of mixed race, constantly trying to explain yourself. Eventually, you give up and say, "Okay, what do you think I am?" When you're in the midst of it, you come to understand that "race" is a loose social construct, a series of visual impressions, and that your identity can be whatever the hell crazy thing you want it to be, you just have to grow a sense of humor and cultivate selective deafness.

Diana Abu-Jaber

Quote Topics

Am Arab Children Come Constantly Construct Crazy Cultivate Deafness Eventually Explain Explain Yourself Friends Give Grow Heard Hell Humor Identity Immigrants Impressions Just Kids Look Loose Midst Mixed Mixed Race Okay Old Problem Race Really Say Saying Selective Sense Sense Of Humor Series Social Strangers Supposed Supposed To Be Thing Think Tired Trying Understand Up Visual Want Whatever Your Yourself

Quote Author

Diana Abu-Jaber
American - Author
Born: 1960

Mixed-race blacks have an ethical obligation to identify as black - and interracial couples share a similar moral imperative to inculcate certain ideas of black heritage and racial identity in their mixed-race children, regardless of how they look.

Thomas Chatterton Williams

There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race - scientifically, anthropologically. Racism is a construct, a social construct... it has a social function, racism.

Toni Morrison

The backstory to anyone of mixed race is a lifetime spent being incorrectly perceived and choosing either to allow that misperception to continue or to correct it, so I am aware of identity and race as being much more fluid, I think, than someone who is "purely" one thing or the other. And acting does challenge me to address those particular issues.

Wentworth Miller

People ask me what the most important thing to take on the race is, and I always say it's a sense of humor. If you've got nothing but a sense of humor, you will survive.

Phil Keoghan

Your goal is simple: Finish. Experience your first race, don't race it. Your first race should be slightly longer or slightly faster than your normal run. Run your first race. Later you can race. You will be a hero just for finishing, so don't put pressure on yourself by announcing a time goal. Look at it this way: The slower you run the distance, the easier it will be to show off by improving your time the next race!

Bob Glover

The race is your face. Obviously, I come from a mixed background. Who I am and how I look and being black.

Neneh Cherry

I've experienced Islamophobic stuff. But I don't care - you can say whatever you want to say about me, but I am who I am. I think that what I'm trying to fight for and what I'm performing for is bigger than any religion, race, creed, or class.

Hasan Minhaj

I am constantly concerned about being quoted in the press and perhaps saying the wrong thing or having what I say misinterpreted and bringing reproach to the name of Christ. People do not come to hear what Billy Graham has to say; they want to hear what God has to say. Jesus tells us not to be misled by the voices of strangers. There are so many strange voices being heard in the religious world of our day. We must compare what they say with the Word of God.

Billy Graham

I think you grow up on every shoot you do. You do grow up because you're away from home, you're not with all of your friends constantly and in that environment you have to be grown up. You're working with adults and you're sort of expected to be older and that's how I like to put myself across. I don't want to come across as constantly messing about.

Georgia Groome

As stressful as it can be trying to plan out your moves and think about the race, I think I do better when I'm hanging out with friends and family and just jump in the race track and go for it.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

I think that, in America, even though race is a social construct, I mean, we say this in theory, but I think a lot of people don't believe that it really is. And so it's still a very racialized society.

Rachel Dolezal

Husbands come and go; children come and eventually they go. Friends grow up and move away. But the one thing that's never lost is your sister.

Gail Sheehy

In comedy, I often see so many weird race jokes, and it's like, there is no racial diversity in your show to even make those race jokes. The problem is that there is no one in the back to say, 'Hey, that race joke is not really appropriate.'

Michaela Coel

To the trolls on the internet, I want to say: Get your head out of the computer. Go outside and walk around. Look at the people walking next to you. Look at your friends' friends and who they're interacting with. And just understand this is the world we live in. It's okay to like it.

Michael B. Jordan

I'm a radical pro-immigration advocate. I'm not saying we just look at the Muslim world or we just look at China, we just look at India as a source of our talent. But, one thing we know... first or second generation or new immigrants or children of immigrants have started about 40% of the Fortune 500 companies. For me it's always been a really very important issue that I want America to be open to the most energetic and talented people from around the world.

Thomas Friedman

I am in a mixed race marriage myself, and I have a mixed race son....The racial perception interest is probably always going to be there to some extent.

Celeste Ng

A Quote by Diana Abu-Jaber

Quote Topics

Quote Author

Related Quotes

Related Authors