i get this. i’m Yu’pik and Athabascan, so Alaska Native. natives to most people look asian. i feel like im playing russian roulette with others when i talk to them because i know the question is coming.
“So! Where ya from?”
i tell them im native and i get three responses (one or a combo lmfao)
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wow! so you’re asian? because natives crossed the land bridge, so you’re asian, right? - no, we have different cultures, different languages, and highly different histories. i am Alaska Native.
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racism. not gonna list any specific ones here but its common.
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wow! nice! - and then the conversation moves on. this is acceptable.
its gotten to the point where i dont want to interact with just anyone, and that makes me sad :-// i used to love to talk to different people. but you can really only take so much before it takes a mental toll on you. i hope you get some peace, op.
that is very nice to hear! i’m more in tune with my Yu’pik side, my great grandmother was fully Athabascan. she spoke no english, only her language and the local Yu’pik dialect. we don’t know much about her, she refused to tell us why she moved away from her family/ community. i’m thankful for all the research done, i know theres been a lot of Yu’pik collaborations with academics/ universities. my grandpa is in a couple archival videos, and my grandma is pictured (in a group) in the Alaska Native Museum here in anchorage :) i have also learned Yu’pik here at the local university, under Professor Mary Meade, a Yu’pik elder. im proud of all the work my people do to keep our culture well and alive. we have native olympics, native dance meets, native gatherings. all very well documented/ archived on youtube!
im also happy to see people curious and excited about our cultures here. i just wish i knew who was genuinely curious and excited to learn vs people who want to know about you one second and put you down the next. its a weird life. but thank you for taking time to tell me about the Sapir-Whorf hypotheses. i should look into it lol 👀