When The Asian American Lit Review (AALR) asked if I’d
contribute short stories to their Special Issue on Mixed-Race as part of their
Mixed Race Initiative involving 100 universities worldwide including
contributions by U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey and Afro Cuban Filipino
King of Latin Soul, Joe Bataan, I was like HELLS YES!
Besides that, I thought, I’m black and AALR is a stellar
platform for Asian writers. And since the writers are of all different races,
that must mean “Mixed Race.” But later I found out that “mixed race” is another
term for “biracial" and the like. Like my children. Oh, I thought. A little less excited
about a subject that I thought was a non-issue for me.
What surprised me was how it wasn’t. How the topic was
fuel, and became the subjects of not one but my two stories printed on the back
of cards in this gorgeous deck—a collaboration of writers and painters and other
artists from all over the world. It’s centerpiece is a global conversation on
race.
“It isn’t simply a reexamination of race or a survey
of mixed voices, important as both are. It’s a provocateur, inspiring new
conversations and cross-pollinations, pushing into new corners.”
And since I always go for “the dirty,” I can assure you
that the above quote is true.
If honest discussions on race matter to you, (not the
“permitted” and sanitized version that we see on social media) SUPPORT THIS
EFFORT and BUY A COPY HERE.
Well done, AALR!
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