In the book Citizen by Claudia Rankine, she shares her experiences as a woman of color in society. The stories Rankine shares in chapter one highlights her experiences with microaggressions and how these incidents create a feeling of invisibility.
The book opens with a story from when she was a kid and was helping the girl behind her cheat on tests. Rankine says, “You never really speak except for the time she makes her request and later when she tells you you smell good and have features more like a white person” (Rankine 5). This is the first time we are introduced to the character as not white. She goes on to discuss how she was never caught helping the girl cheat, possibly because the nun did not even see her sitting there. Rankine was clearly a young kid at the time and from a young age was having to wonder whether the teacher knows she is there or not. She was worried about being caught, but also confused as to why the teacher never said anything about the cheating; even when she thought it was obvious. The teacher’s failure to acknowledge her could easily damage how she views herself. It could also make her feel like she is not seen like the other kids in class, just like the study we looked over in class on how minority voices are often silenced in classroom settings. In this case, not only is she helping another girl, but in return, the “compliment” received from her was erasing her identity and make her feel like her only valuable qualities were her “white” features. Although disguised as a compliment, the negative assumption was there. Especially at a young age, it can be very damaging for a little girl to be led to believe she is pretty if she looks white. It is also presumably her first experience with racism which sets up the rest of the book and its stories.
Another incident she shares is with a friend. She opens the story by explaining her physical reaction to the comment. Then, we learned how this friend “messed up” speaking when Rankine says, “Haven’t you said this to a close friend who early in your friendship, when distracted, would call you by the name of her black housekeeper?” (Rankine 7). Her friend would mix her up with her black housekeeper and assumes it is because they are the only two black people the girl knows. It seems like it gave her a feeling of invisibility, feeling like she is being grouped by race and not looked at as an individual person, but as just another black person. It is not exactly specified what age this occurred at. Though she lets this moment slide in time, it still lingers in her memory since.
Later in the book, Rankine references how a friend compared people having a “historical self” which is your background and where you come from, and a “self self” which is who you are as an individual with likes and interests. Usually, people with similar interests turn out as friends, but can have different views when it comes to being black or white in America. In the two instances from the book shared, both individuals that made comments were not apparently trying to hurt her feelings but did so because of their lack of understanding about race and the world. They were unaware that their “historical self” was peeking through their “self self” and because of this they may not have realized their actions were demeaning to Rankine and her place as a black woman. Rankine goes on to share more experiences with microaggressions and shares her frustrations through these quick stories. For most of the stories, she finds herself unable to speak up for herself because nobody directly made a racist comment toward her, but the comments can assume a racial undertone. By putting us in her shoes and telling the story as if we are on the receiving end of the comments, we can better understand how microaggressions can damage someone’s sense of self. Rankine also touches on John Henryism which is a term used to refer to the response people of color experience when dealing with racism and trying to compensate by working harder. She attempts to stop the trend by not saying anything or speaking up.
Ultimately, Rankine shared these experiences in attempt to put the world in the shoes of a woman of color who frequently experiences microaggressions. Her experiences highlight how people’s comments were trying to damage her identity and made her feel invisible. Even from a young age, she had to question if she was being seen and determine whether or not to stand up for herself. My two discussion questions are:
- Why do you think the title of the book is Citizen?
- What did you think of the artwork in the book?
Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: An American Lyric. Graywolf Press, 2014.
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