Noise clutters the room as you and your peers scribble through registration forms for a test that will ultimately decide the future. Name, age, and gender? That’s a walk in the park. What about your ID number or your address? You pass that with flying colors. Then, you get to the race section. The usual options are there: American Indian, Asian (including Indian subcontinent and Philippines origin), African American, White, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. And, as usual, they only let you choose one.

    This is for the people who actually have to think about this section. This is for the people who have to ask their teacher which race they should prioritize because somehow only one part of you really matters. This is for the defeated, who’ve already marked one because they learned it’s easier to bear the system if you mark the paper like you’re a dog, a purebred. This is for the Chinese-Mexican-European child that the school calls white despite them being the color of peanut butter because their european descent somehow is more important and “oh honey don't be bothered by it, it's just easier for the paperwork.” This is for the children who were created from the generations of people all over the world coming together in harmony, the people who are the fruit of our labors to join the world together, and the first thing they’re asked at a new school or workplace or neighborhood, is what race they are, because apparently that’s the only unique thing about us.

Why don’t people understand that we are more than a brown girl or a red boy or a yellow girl or just an “oddly-colored” child? People are tired of others asking why their name doesn’t “fit their race.” Children should not be praying to whatever god or goddess they believe in, asking why they’re being called a terrorist because of the way they dress or look. There are siblings who are angry at you because you were surprised that they were related simply because one “looks” Chinese and the other “looks” Hispanic.

We are not a helpless minority that needs your saving, we are not yours to label as whatever culture you please, we are not your dogs to label as “mutts” or “half-breeds,” we are not your proof that you are not racist, we are not your “[insert race] friend,” we are not your disgusting fetishes,  we are not yours.