1. I drive way too fast. All the time. Usually 400+ miles per week. 2. I do not get pulled over. Ever. Only once, fifteen years ago, in my entire life. Police regularly cruise by me unconcerned as I push 80 on the highway. 3. Some people (me) are instantly seen as good law-abiding citizens. […]

I don’t like to brag, but it *was* pretty clever of me to be born healthy, straight, and gender-conforming to educated white financially stable parents in a safe suburb with excellent schools. It’s very comforting to know that other children who are experiencing harder lives should have started off by making the same smart choice.

Yesterday I witnessed 400 acts of courage and patriotism. Went to a citizenship fair to check out volunteer opportunities. Saw 300 of my green-card-holding neighbors of all ages and colors, laboriously filling in their 32-page applications which will get sent off to our government asking for the chance to be interviewed, take the citizenship test, […]

Rolled out of bed, into sweats, and out the door to go shopping for clothes and makeup. I tell myself looking frizzy doesn’t matter because my money’s still green, right? But that’s really not the whole story, is it? I’ll be treated with respect anywhere in the mall because I’m a white lady. Today, on […]

This morning at San Vicente and Wilshire – and yet so far away from my LA and my America – I personally saw this hate crime sign that someone carefully painted, brought here, and placed against a bus shelter. I’m putting the pic below so please be careful in scrolling down if you don’t want […]

It’s the fall of 1989. I’m 17 and just arrived at college, fresh from the suburbs with the big hair to prove it. They let us spend the first week auditing different classes. I wander into a literature course called The Myth Of America just in time to hear the professor say, “We will explore […]