I have so many things I'd like to post in response, but I don't like to take that kind of time and space on someone else's journal.
I grew up in Tennessee, late 50's through early 80's. I saw a lot of bad, bad things that have made me want to do all people right.
I have noticed, as a side note, that certain areas of southern California, where I live, don't fall into the standard stereotypes for various ethnic groups, which makes it especially difficult for me in writing non-white characters.
My kids have no white friends, so I'm exposed to a wide variety of cultures not only through my neighbors and associates in the work place, but also through their friends and their respective families.
We've spent holidays together, shared foods and customs together, shared beliefs together, and there are a lot of us that have kinda naturally drifted over boundries and become part of one another's families.
I worked in one of the local schools when my kids were young. We lived in a lower class area and we were a minority, but everyone accepted us (the cholos even promised me protection after dark since I was a maestra) and we accepted them. I learned so many wonderful things, met so many wonderful people. But, the more you're exposed to others, the more they become a part of you.
At that point, certain aspects blur together and I tend to write the people I know, the people I spend time with, the people I love and admire. They're NOT stereotypes. They're real people and we often like a lot of the same things.
So, my fear, in using these people I know as influence in my writing is that I will somehow do dishonor to people who are far different to those people I know.
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Date: 2009-08-06 04:25 pm (UTC)I have so many things I'd like to post in response, but I don't like to take that kind of time and space on someone else's journal.
I grew up in Tennessee, late 50's through early 80's. I saw a lot of bad, bad things that have made me want to do all people right.
I have noticed, as a side note, that certain areas of southern California, where I live, don't fall into the standard stereotypes for various ethnic groups, which makes it especially difficult for me in writing non-white characters.
My kids have no white friends, so I'm exposed to a wide variety of cultures not only through my neighbors and associates in the work place, but also through their friends and their respective families.
We've spent holidays together, shared foods and customs together, shared beliefs together, and there are a lot of us that have kinda naturally drifted over boundries and become part of one another's families.
I worked in one of the local schools when my kids were young. We lived in a lower class area and we were a minority, but everyone accepted us (the cholos even promised me protection after dark since I was a maestra) and we accepted them. I learned so many wonderful things, met so many wonderful people. But, the more you're exposed to others, the more they become a part of you.
At that point, certain aspects blur together and I tend to write the people I know, the people I spend time with, the people I love and admire. They're NOT stereotypes. They're real people and we often like a lot of the same things.
So, my fear, in using these people I know as influence in my writing is that I will somehow do dishonor to people who are far different to those people I know.
Does that make sense?