It’s funny that they picked a black person to argue against this when they arguably have less of an understanding about Koreans on this topic than Oli does and that a black voice can be used as the spokesperson for all other races…

@purpleflows5680

2 жыл бұрын

I was also confused that they didn’t choose a Korean person to debate this point. But BP and specifically BW are often used this way.

@hatchibyebye

2 жыл бұрын

The establishment has made the militant black woman the face of the race war

@MiaCarter7

2 жыл бұрын

Understandable. It would be incredibly confusing and probably off base for a Korean to speak on or on behalf of Black issues as well, even if they were making good points…lol

@weego2585

2 жыл бұрын

@@purpleflows5680 same thing I was thinking

@MK-hh1vo

2 жыл бұрын

But it's not a "Korean" issue. Ollie is just like Rachel the white woman who pretended to be Black. In this case a Korean man would have had the same impact as this Black woman.

As a black woman, I don't think trans-racialism is necessarily a bad thing, but I do think that it's miss named. I think "trans-culturalism" fits better because "race" is really just a concept invented during colonialism to help justify treating people who look different as sub-human. (Watch the video by tee noir) The way I look at this concept is more like someone being naturalized in a new country and wanting to engage in that culture. Sure you weren't born into it, but you can learn about it, from it, and participate in it respectfully. I can definitely relate to wanting to engage in a different culture from your own. Growing up I always got teased by other black kids and my family because I spoke "proper," l hung out with the white kids, and I was weird. Honestly none of that has changed, but idgaf anymore. It's only in the past few years, I've begun truly engaging with black culture, but also deconstruing a lot of hypocrisies within it. Anyway, I think that in a perfect world where "race" never existed or one where we moved past the idea of it, "trans-culturalism" would be perfectly fine, but as out society stands today, I can see this further opening up the door for cultural appropriation (not just white people with corn-rows. More like picking out pieces of culture they like and leaving out all the rest) and undermining the struggles of minority groups. Edit: fixed some typos

@luiysia

2 жыл бұрын

yeah one reason there's a huge disconnect in the video bc oli is talking about a specific culture/ethnicity/nationality, whereas the other person is talking specifically about being black. not all black people share a culture, ethnicity, or nationality, the category of "black" only exists because of the global system of racial hierarchy that was invented to oppress black people, so "identifying as black" is very different imo than "identifying as korean", or even jamaican, nigerian, or another specific culture.

@Robin-ty2wz

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I'd agree, but he's had surgery to actually force his body into the Korean mold and I think that is where the difference between trans-racialism and trans-culturalism lies

@justAmood8

2 жыл бұрын

@@Robin-ty2wz I completely forgot about that part. I was just talking about the concept in general, but you make a great point. I completely agree. Cosmetic surgery is pushing it.

@TheSapphireLeo

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Was debating this, when applying the concept of is it "okay to shapeshift into an someone that matches, at least physicality, and/or in an attempt to blend in, better?"

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

Can talk proper trope just stop? Some of yall are just insufferable it has nothing to do with how you talk.

When it comes to Oli, I think I (and probably many other people) would perceive them differently if they actually made an effort to learn Korean well and integrate themselves into Korean society rather than seemingly embodying a caricature of how some people see Korean pop culture. I understand the feeling of loving a culture you weren't raised in deeply and wanting to learn more about it and maybe even one day find a way to integrate yourself into it but Oli shows a lot of ignorance for someone claiming to be transracial and identify as Korean. Their passion appears (and I say appears since it likely doesn't feel that way to them) incredibly superficial for this reason.

@Chelzebelles

2 жыл бұрын

By that logic, those of a Korean genetic origin aren't really Korean if they do not know the language. I think that would be better labeled Transculturism rather than Transracialism

@TheGuindo

2 жыл бұрын

@@Chelzebelles that's not a good comparison because there are different ways of being Korean. You can be ethnically Korean, culturally Korean, or nationality Korean. You can't change your ethnicity because it's determined by your genetic heritage, so people of a Korean genetic origin will always be ethnically Korean no matter what their culture or nationality is. Culture can be changed by adopting the practices of a new culture over your original culture, and nationality can be changed by following the bureaucratic procedures for naturalization in that country (which almost always requires a certain level of linguistic fluency in that country's common language). Oli could become Korean by becoming a naturalized Korean citizen, but as far as I've seen, that doesn't seem to be their goal. They claim they're trying to become culturally Korean, but they only seem to care about the Kpop aspect of Korean culture. All they've really done to "become Korean" is change their appearance and learn a few basic Korean phrases and claim that makes them _ethnically_ Korean, which, obviously, it doesn't. Oli has a very superficial understanding of what it means to be Korean, and that's exemplified in their attempt to "become Korean" on only the most superficial surface level. To be clear, white foreigners absolutely _can_ integrate themselves into Korean society, embrace Korean culture, and correctly call themselves Koreans with Korean citizenship. But it seems that Oli only cares about _looking_ Korean rather than _becoming_ Korean in the way they are actually able to.

@Chelzebelles

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheGuindo I think you misunderstood me. I'm not defending Oli, I was pointing out that by the OPs logic, anyone with a Korean heritage wouldn't be considered Korean if they didn't speak Korean.

@divx1001

Жыл бұрын

@@Chelzebelles and they explained to you why that didn't apply to Oli's case. If you're an outsider claiming to relate to my culture, I'd expect you to speak the language because without being fluent in that language, you will never be able to culturally assimilate. And actually if you didn't know this, Koreans don't consider foreign born Koreans as real Koreans. The culture aspect in Asia is so important that anyone born and raised outside of that culture becomes an outsider. I have plenty of foreign born Koreans friends that took advantage of the Korean relocation program and some of them still aren't intagrated into the society even after 20 years of living there. Most South Koreans call them foreigners and don't actually accept them at all and mind you, these people are 100% Korean blood, but as many of them speak the language with an accent or have a different culture, it's very rare that they're able to fully integrate into the Korean culture. Their kids that will be born and raised in Korea would be a different story. So, for people raised in an outside culture, speaking the language is one of the most essential factors for integration.

@Chelzebelles

Жыл бұрын

@@divx1001 Read again. You jumped to conclusions.

Maybe I missed something but you and individuals like you are very different from Oli. I think most people’s introduction to the word ‘transracial’ was through the Oli’s and Rachel Dolezal’s of the world but I think prior to their viral exposure, it was used to refer to adoptions between races. You didn’t choose to assume your white identity. It was chosen for you at an early age. And I believe you have an absolute right to voice your unique perspective. In my formative years I attended schools with mainly affluent white peers. And only in recent years have I realized the effect that that had on me and how I view with and interact with the world. I can’t imagine being born into it fully and being asked to identify and understand the nuances of a race you share really nothing in common with. But again you didn’t choose that. It’s my opinion that persons like Oli and Rachel should be allowed to observe and appreciate other cultures, but conflating their revelry in these cultures with and identity is just towing the line a bit too far. I think they make a mockery of it. Because at the end of the day they lack the lived experience and wear the race like a costume. How is this anything different from blackface/yellowface? How is this any different from the way racists pluck and choose facets of our features to emulate and enjoy while simultaneously castigating us for those things? It’s strange and unnatural to me at the best. Offensive at the worst. And it is isn’t transracial. That would(I suppose in my opinion) apply only to adoptions and to a certain extent those who were raised as minority among another race at a young age(but that still does not mean they should have the right to say they are such and such race)

@101nka

2 жыл бұрын

Its interesting point you make and my question is do you think these people genuinely believe what they are saying

@101nka

2 жыл бұрын

Does it do real tangible harm in the greater scheme of things. Let's say its a trauma response and this performance of identity brings peace for the individual. If there was real tangible harm I'd agree with you. But in a way you are also allowed to be offended, and feel some type of way about it. But we can't equate it to white supremacy and hate crime.

@hatchibyebye

2 жыл бұрын

I think she is only identifying as transracial to add some flare to the argument. Even in the historical sense of the word, *people* were never transracial. Transracial is the adjective to describe a type of adoption. To say a child is transracial is Luke to say a child interracial because they are s product of interracial relations. In reality the term is biracial

@mew11two

2 жыл бұрын

Rachel Dolezal was actually raised with several black adoptive siblings.

@erikaa8200

2 жыл бұрын

@@mew11two even so, the authoritative figures in her life and her outer world was most likely white. If anything, it’s weird that her siblings retained their blackness so much, despite growing up in a white environment, that she wanted to join in with them and “fight the power” giving herself an all new black identity along the way 🥴

While I often disagree with a lot of your points, the questions and analysis you bring up in your videos are always interesting, and more nuanced than a lot of channels I follow, and I think that's why I continue watching. -- I know little about the initial context of the video, but I wonder why the opposing party in this argument was not an ethnic Korean individual, either a Korean national or a British Korean individual? It seems like both parties are trying to speak on behalf of Korean culture, while I would say neither is really a representative who grew up in that culture.

White privileged doesn’t mean that you never struggle; it means that whiteness isn’t the reason you struggle.

@gingeralice3858

2 жыл бұрын

Being white or white passing can absolutely be the reason you struggle. It depends heavily on class, relationships, and location. I benefit from white privilege in the sense that in the city I currently live in, I'm not perceived as a threat the way I would be if I were black. But I have had black landlords reject me in favor of a black tenant. I have had Latin American bosses and supervisors assume I am lazy and spineless because I am a white passing female, so they give me the toughest role in the job to "prove myself" while other Latin American applicants are assigned easier tasks. I've had black caseworkers assume I am entitled for refusing social programs that I know are corrupt because of lived experience being in various social programs and transitional homes, leading to a reluctance to help me. Because I am white passing and poor, other people assume I must have done something wrong to deserve the situation I'm in. I'm a target in public because I do not live in a white majority area, and when people of other races see my skin color they see "weak, gullible, easy." I've been refused service at establishments because of the way I look and the language I speak. My neighbors perceive me as suspicious because I do not look like them. It doesn't matter how hard I work or how hard I try to assimilate. People will always see my skin color before they see anything else. I'm aware that this is prejudice and not racism. But it has definitely made life harder for me than it would have been if my skin was black or brown like the skin of 90% of the people around me is. I will always have to prove to strangers that my skin color does not inherently define me as weak, lazy, entitled, or guilty of doing something wrong with my life.

@denhareikun9034

2 жыл бұрын

@@gingeralice3858 that's it.

@doshpits

2 жыл бұрын

@@gingeralice3858 lol

I agree to an extent with the commentary of privilege. I feel that popular intersectional thought has made privilege in to a one dimensional race thing. Privilege is MUCH more complex than black and white. Your money, friends and your looks arguably matter more more often than your race in the UK. Race is just one type of many different 'privileges'. Racial privilege is easier to experience in the middle class than the working class from my lived experience in the UK. This experience is why I think educated 'middle class types' perhaps over emphasize white privilege's impact in the UK. That and we consume a lot of US media where racial issues are much worse. That's my take though

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

Mmh I have mixed feelings about this because of the rise of nationalist parties such as the Patriotic Alternative which are banking on the grivances of the white working class in the UK. I am yet to see a kind of solidarity that transcends race it probably happens in carnivals though lol

@redmaple1982

2 жыл бұрын

A thing that I have noticed is that the concept of white privilege has morphed as a result of clickbate style discourse: Someone starts with making the uncontravertial statement that a white person has the benefit of not being subject to anti black/Asian/ middle eastern/indigenous/latino bigotry. Someone else then says: oh so you think white people don't suffer?? And then someone responds with: well statistically white people do have more money money etc so they do have easier lives. And then someone else responds with: well I grew up poor so I never had these privileges And now we are so removed from what the original statement was talking about because everyone is stuck debating whether someone has suffered enough or if their connection with povery is real when the subject at hand was the experinece of being subject to a particular type of bigotry as an individual.

@joestendel1111

2 жыл бұрын

I think you’ve got a good take

@picturethis4903

2 жыл бұрын

the racism in the UK is more subtle while the classism is more overt

@lordsneed9418

2 жыл бұрын

being born without disabilities, with rich parents, with both parents lovingly married , with attractive looks, with high IQ are all advantages mostly out of someone's control and are all far more advantageous than simply being born white, and yet white privilege gets shrieked about and used as a battering ram far more than socio-economic privilege, health privilege, looks privilege, mental privilege. When black people shout about white privilege and demand that 30% of new hires and promotions be black, that is simply black people practicing racial chauvinism . When white liberal people give in to those demands and support them, that's white people showing much greater sympathy with a cause that is a much lesser advantage than being born healthy or with high IQ or to a hgih socioeconomic class. Do such white liberals think that undoing the relatively minor advantage of being born white is a top priority, but the fact thatmuch bigger advantages exist is not a big deal? like "oh no, that person was born white and so has a minor advantage. how unjust we have to do something. Oh no , that person was born to a high socioeconomic class and so has a huge advantage. oh well who cares those poors deserve it" ? it seems like fetishisation of black people to consider the minor white privilege to be a much bigger problem than the far bigger forms of privilege that exist in society and are just accepted as the ordinary status quo that aren't worth talking about.

I'm half hispanic but grew up in the UK and still feel I relate heavily to your sense of belonging/non-belonging. The UK is filled with all sorts.

@joestendel1111

2 жыл бұрын

People in between cultures are interesting people

@el_equidistante

2 жыл бұрын

@astrid liliencron yes but it is very frequent that communities grow their own identities, for example they can extract their sense of identity as non-germans and/or create their own "turkish identity" not from the society in Turkey but from the shared experience from the turk communities in Germany. But yeah, not putting too much importance to these identities is the best way to approach it.

@majl9585

2 жыл бұрын

Similar here. I have three older siblings and we all have pretty different relations to our parents' countries and their languages and our "own" country (that would be the country we grew up in). At least we don't have the multi-racial aspect (except our dad looking middle eastern), so most people don't question my identity (I look 95% white I'd say.. what a weird thing to say though) that much. In fact, most people that ask about my "hertiage" based on my looks are people that also have ties to other places and immigrants. But yeah, I really don't identify that strongly with either of these three countries or cultures. Honestly, I identify more with a whole "fourth culture", but I also reject it in many ways and hate many parts of it and hate the experiences I've had in that community. Identity and belonging is complicated. I also have mixed feelings about my gender and sexuality, but I just don't talk about it all because people feel that I fit the straight woman box, so heteronormative people say I'm just confused and queer people say that I'm asking for attention. I don't know if these mixed feelings abotu gender and sexuality come from my upbringing.. but my siblings don't sound like they have the same doubts. Idk, it doesn't really matter. Clear identity is just not a thing in my head. Good for you if you feel like you belong somewhere!

@Jordan-xg4pn

2 жыл бұрын

@astrid liliencron I'm Eritrean but born in Sweden. I usually find a lot of belonging with people born here in the "middle" like me, who is neither very hood or too "swedish"-like. I have tried to rationalize and understand why this is, but I can literally only be friends people with an immigrant background (literally anything!) or international people abroad.

@katykatforeverx

Жыл бұрын

@@Jordan-xg4pn Eritrean people are “hood”? interesting, learn something new every day

The term "transracial" was originally coined specifically for people like you (and myself) who were adopted and raised by parents that are different from their race. It's interesting how the term is perceived, now. I'd call myself "transracial" just for the fact that culturally I'm closer to "white" than "black" but I know I'd get publicly ridiculed. I think that, unlike gender, we haven't truly worked enough to "equalize" racial groups in a socioeconomic sense, and the discrimination that stems from those sorts of imbalances are what push people into holding on super-duper tightly to their racial identity, and so they feel much less open to discussing something "radical" like transracialism and the racial/cultural fluidity. I think we're able to have less...emotionally charged conversations about gender now because of how successful first, second, and third wave feminism has been at empowering women socioeconomically - I don't think the same can be said (at least here in the US) for ethnic minorities. The time will come for the discussion of transracialism, it's just not going to be for a long while.

@schiffelers3944

2 жыл бұрын

And isn't it sad how you have to reclaim the definition from Oli's narration. Also aren't we all human race? Is Oli not specifically speaking about ethnicity, but not even aware of this? The coined term "transracial" does exist, but this does not apply to Oli. The ridicule can be grounded in many different reasons. Also in your text, I my understanding/logic it should be; transracialism and the ethnical/cultural fluidity. USA and their American culture/identity problems. A melting pot, with clumps. Guess some parts have not melted well together, wonder why. Why are you waiting for the discussion, it has been happening, it is happening right here?

@zombiedeathrays8862

2 жыл бұрын

Oh, you said it way better than me 🤗.

@xander_k_

2 жыл бұрын

I consider myself to be transracial but I wasn’t adopted I was just raised by my white fathers parents (my grandparents obviously) in Germany.

@africanayasmin6210

2 жыл бұрын

Is there a white culture and black culture?? What does it even mean?

@zombiedeathrays8862

2 жыл бұрын

@@africanayasmin6210 depends where you are from. Some countries are clearly segregated on a black white divide for historic reasons. In those contexts it makes sense.

there’s a difference between trying to change one’s race and feeling ‘at home’ within another culture. it’s relatively … normal, i’d say, though maybe not typical, for some people to prefer another country’s culture and choosing to relocate and assimilate. within that context there is no reason to change one’s physical characteristics to ‘experience’ the culture - u just live it. when ur changing ur race, specifically, it’s to be perceived by others in a different way. this is especially apparent w oil; they want to be seen differently to the ‘typical’ briton, given they don’t actually try to learn the language nor learn from the countless koreans providing them tips for improvement. fundamentally, the diverge between the trans racialism and trans culturalism (im making this up) is the want to look PHYSICALLY like a different race or wanting to live within a similar culture. only one of those is actually possible. like oli literally did not need to change anything about their appearance to ‘look’ asian if they simply ‘identify’ with the culture. like … there are white korean people. there are black korean people. it’s called being a minority ? lol. this is just foolishness ! it’s attention seeking !

@schiffelers3944

2 жыл бұрын

Hear, hear. I concur.

@chiquitaj3126

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for bringing up the difference between culture and race. I agree with your comment

@sofalvarez

2 жыл бұрын

I get it but why wouldn’t you say the same about transgender people? Women have been historically oppressed too. I’m really trying to understand the difference, but haven’t been able to find a single argument that explains why transgender people feelings are more valid than transracial people. Again, just trying to have a conversation here, I’m not trying to offend anyone.

@tristanfromtx

2 жыл бұрын

@@sofalvarez i would say the same about transgender people that i would about those that are transcultural, but both are different and have similar nuances. instead of having to move and assimilate into a new culture, though it could be apart of it given the limited areas in which u can actually receive gender affirming treatment, transgender people ‘move’ into their proper sex. transracial people, on the other hand, don’t have valid feelings. it’s just for attention ? lol like transgender people don’t want to be stopped and asked ‘are u trans?’ whereas, oli, for example, makes it their personality to try be perceived as korean IN britain, despite being obviously british. they just want to be ‘different’ in a majority white state, unlike trans people just want to be themselves.

@sofalvarez

2 жыл бұрын

@@tristanfromtx But don’t you think, for example, that Michael Jackson also ‘moved’ into his proper race? Do you think every transracial person is an attention seeker? (like the author of the video, for example)

Honey.... new Kidology drop lol one of the highlights of the week

I wonder if you've considered whether your experience of "transracialism" may be better defined as the "twoness" of W. E. B. Du Bois (American sociologist) concept of "double consciousness," potentially reifying your experience of rejection from white society as white and black society as white while maintaining your relationship to blackness and the marginalization therein. Perhaps, you feel like a white woman because you have been told that white woman are different from black women in such specific and distinct ways (ways that you also feel/have been told you are different from black women) that your blackness and your identity can not coexist. I would be curious to know how much you've researched about the concept/study of rationalization, beyond, of course, your own very telling experience. I watch many of your videos and realllyyyy hope you see my comment.. this is the first time I've been compelled to comment, because I'm genuinely in want of an answer!!!

@picturethis4903

2 жыл бұрын

glad to see more people know what 'double consciousness' is

@skyevolmar943

2 жыл бұрын

racialization - not rationalization**** autocorrect!

@seraphina2293

2 жыл бұрын

Hi guys, I hope she responds to your comment too! I’ve never read Du Bois, where’s the best (and probably simplest) writing of theirs to start?

@ajbd4268

2 жыл бұрын

Also Black Skin White Masks by Frantz Fanon is a good one to look into as well

@skyevolmar943

2 жыл бұрын

@@seraphina2293 you can find "Strivings of the Negro People" online pretty easily.. just an article/essay of his (from a larger body of work) that really gets at this concept

Thankyou for putting my thoughts into words. I am 'biracial' and grew up in several different countries so my racial and ethnic identity is pretty much self created and eclectic. this need for people to categorise according to race, gender, ethnicity is all a bit weird to me.

@amay304

2 жыл бұрын

I think it can be a bit detrimental to align your identity so closely to that of race, ethnicity or really any sort of societal label because although it may offer a sense of connection and belonging it can be alienating at the same time and ultimately it leads to generalizations/gate keeping which I feel limits true self expression.

I don't understand why they didn't get a Korean person to interrogate Oli London. . . ?

@lauramartens30

2 жыл бұрын

true! I don't think black people can act as spokespeople for every group that isn't white.

@Alltherestofus

2 жыл бұрын

(This isn’t a rhetorical question) did you watch the original full length video? While I agree with the sentiment that it’s inequitable to treat black people as the spokesperson for conversations surrounding racial injustice, it explained at the beginning that she was brought on because, like Oli, she loves Korean culture, but she is not Korean. I think they tried to make the point of implying “you can love Korean culture, but at the end of the day, you’re still white.”

@lauramartens30

2 жыл бұрын

@@Alltherestofus I understand the point they were trying to make (about loving Korean culture but not being Korean), but the conversation would have been so much more productive if there'd been a Korean person there. She was using the same language and talking points that we use here in the States to talk about black issues-- it was literally going right over his head. In the end, she was personally offended, allowing her black identity to completely swallow the conversation. At that point, it had nothing to do with Korean identity, it was a black person getting mad at a white person. I really don't think she was trying to help him understand anything, she was just mad (which I personally think she was justified in, he was saying some pretty offensive stuff)

I think that, when it comes to problems and/or social questions related to race, one of the difficulties we face is that the predominant discourse comes from the US. I’m not saying racism is only a problem in the US -it’s not. But racism and race dynamics-while structurally the same-take different concrete shapes in different regions of the world. Your example of “white privilege” in the UK is a case of a de-localized discourse not fitting in a localized reality

@lauramartens30

2 жыл бұрын

This is so true! I feel like the term "white privilege" even in America comes across as an oversimplification, but applying it to other cultures makes it seem even more far fetched. I honestly think "white ignorance" might be a better term, but perhaps moving away from assumptions based on race entirely is the best option.

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

@@lauramartens30 I disagree these racial dynamics play into other cultures as well think about the caste system and also think about the after effects of colonialism in African countries for instance

@el_equidistante

2 жыл бұрын

@@ngarumurray I come from a country that had a caste system and I don't think the american way of describing racial dynamics represents at all what these dynamics are in my country

@el_equidistante

2 жыл бұрын

America main export is its stupidity in any coordinate of the political spectrum

@Unkuuu

2 жыл бұрын

Very astute point. As an American watching these clips from the Oli exchange I couldn’t help but notice how the lady speaking to them seemed to be ‘importing’ what (to my ear) are Americanized talking points regarding privilege. This is one of the very unfortunate downsides do globalization. Large superpowers (America) act as a sociopolitical vacuum, sucking other countries/cultures into. Even in the exchange the woman spoke as if Oli was appropriating her culture/race and offending her personally when in reality her blackness had zero to do with the conversation. It would have actually been more productive to have a Korean or Asian “opponent” in the conversation. However, because these conversations originated in the States, and focused on Black (and to a lesser extent Native) American experiences the facilitators just selected a black representative of race theory. At least this is what it appears like to me.

Not entirely related to the video, but here's my story I'd like to share. I'm what they call a "third-culture kid", I was raised in a country that's significantly different to where I was born. I'm not entirely detached from my ethnicity. My parents always spoke our native language while at home, ate our ethnic food, & I was raised with cultural & religious values (tho not in the extreme/strict sense). I decided to move back to the country I was born in two years ago, & I'm still here. But over the past few years, the feeling of "not-belonging" to a specific race truly settled in me. Back when I lived abroad, I behaved/thought/spoke like the predominant ethnicity, especially when I was outside from home, yet I was never entirely accepted by that society since I looked different from everyone there. Now that I am amongst people who look like me, I yet feel mentally isolated since I don't have the mindset that most people here have. I've also realised how I've developed my own set of values that are independent of both countries I'm associated with (probably due to the influence of the internet & being exposed to various cultures). So, ultimately I can't entirely relate to others but at the same time I can empathise with everyone pretty easily. I'm accepted by people but simultaneously rejected due to their various reasons/categories I don't fit into. I can befriend almost any decent human being or a group of peope, yet I never felt a sense of belonging. I've come to terms with that I'll never feel that sense of belonging. I'll be able to set up a tent anywhere in the world & call it home, but I'll have that part of me, that yearns for that belonging, be suspended in an abyss for the entirety of my existence. It's a bitter-sweet experience, & that's life I've succumbed to. (My writing is dogshit but I hope I make some sense LMAO)

@zeeelew1038

2 жыл бұрын

Wow thank you for sharing this. I have been thinking about my lived exprience recently and I could resonate entirely to what you've posted. That feeling of identifying with a few backgrounds but never feel like you truly belonged to any, whilst at the same time secretly yearning for their acceptance. Just like you I am very empathetic to people and could get a long with anyone from all around the world whilst being interested about different cultures (I recently developed a passion for languages). Like you I'm also embracing the fact that I will always exist in a limbo between the backgrounds, but will never be fully accepted in any of them. Although I do find it liberating to be able to pick and choose elements of my lived exprience and form my own judgements and values. 😁 PS: your writing is not dogshit. 😊

@chronic.dementia

2 жыл бұрын

@@zeeelew1038 OMG! I nearly scrapped my comment because I thought it might be too irrelevant to the content in the video & I struggled to put my thoughts into words. Ever since I became an adult & became more introspective, I didn't get to mingle with kids like me. So my thoughts on this specifically got internalised. I'm glad I posted anyway & be able to find people like yourself!! I feel less alienated now knowing that you too experience life more or less like me. Ngl I do have a fantasy that someday I will be able to speak at least 90% of the languages existing in this planet. But hey that's just a fantasy, I doubt it'll be possible unless I sacrifice my life & dedicate myself to learning languages 😂. Much like some monk lifestyle. But I assume why I have this feeling (& probably you too?), is because being fluent in the language of the country I used to live in gave me that edge to communicate with locals & have them accept me as one of them. I struggled with racism quite a bit, but being able to speak & sound like them made them reconsider how they perceive me, to at least treat me humanely. Also now that I'm older I feel I need to know more languages because it helps people to feel comfortable with me, to let them know that I can understand them despite cultural/ethnic differences. Perhaps this stems from the fact that I know how it feels to be in situations where I'm purposefully being alienated by others. & I don't want others to feel the way I did. I am learning a new language these days because I might move to a new country (again!)🤞. So hopefully I'll at least be able to order food at restaurants while I'm there😂. I've read other expats' experiences & how it's better to not stand out in that country (especially in terms of fashion). I'm so used to standing out wherever I go that I couldn't give a damn about what others think anymore (as long as I'm being respectful of course lol). So yeah I totally agree with you, it can be a liberating that we don't need to stick to one culture. Rather the world is within us. Kinda cringy to say this but we truly are citizens of the world!

@britjj5126

2 жыл бұрын

You describe my existance to a tee! I too consider myself to be a third culture kid. I have also moved back to the country of my people and feel that same feeling of not really belonging. Out of curiosity are you in a relationship? If yes is your partner from the same background as you?

@chronic.dementia

2 жыл бұрын

@@britjj5126 I'm currently not in a relationship. Never have been tbh. Where I used to live, I was considered unattractive (yes, people have called me ugly outright). But where I am now, it's the complete oppostie, to the point of getting violated 😩

@britjj5126

2 жыл бұрын

@@chronic.dementia argh sorry to hear you had a crappy experience in the other country. And getting violated because people find you attractive is not right either. The guys I seem to meet in my home country all were born and raised there and never went anywhere else even for a holiday so it's been interesting. Not that anyone should be shamed oe looked down on for not going anywhere else (abroad).

I love your channel bc it really makes me more open minded and aware of how other people can feel differently than me and not have malicious intent. I used to think one way and be completely closed off to other ideas, and only support people who also have those ideas, but watching your videos and hearing about your experiences has really helped me to grow and be able to listen more and hear the whole story before getting upset and defensive. Before watching this, I would’ve been on the defense as soon as I saw the Oly interview, but knowing what you’ve gone through and hearing your take on the issue, I truly feel much more understanding. Quickly becoming one of my favorite channels! Thank you for this, I can’t wait to see how else you dismantle (some) of my rigid views

"My skin color, my ethnicity, my race is not my identity" I relate to this. There are things culturally that make me Arab that I relate to way more than my ethnic appearance. Honestly, I think many Arabs feel this way because Arabs are ethnically extremely diverse - a melting pot of black African, west, east and south Asian, and white European plus people from the so-called Arab peninsula. "Arab" isn't an ethnicity (or a "race" for that matter) except historically - it started getting ambiguous over 1200 years ago with the spread of islam by ethnic non-Arabs who adopted Arabic as a language. The only solid thing tying Arabs together today is a shared language and the cultural trappings that come with that, and yet we see ourselves as a single identity. I think its totally valid, but it isn't a matter of skin color or biological ethnicity like the west sees it. Who knows. Maybe Western people will end up the same in 600 years time or so. Maybe the English "ethnicity" will genuinely be just that - people unified by the fact that they speak English and the cultural trappings that come with it. It's a good thing when something beyond appearences can make up a "people", even if it were only marginally less arbitrary and multitudes more abstract.

@seraphim108

Жыл бұрын

might take less than 600 years, I remember an article predicting that the US itself will be half mixed/non fully white by 2050. (granted, i didnt look much into the artical)

I think one idea you could have covered was the way in which race and culture have become intertwined. For many people, to accept someone as Korean, they must be ethnically Korean, regardless of their relationship to Korean culture. But I think this idea is inherently cultural and depends on where you are from. People from the Latin America might view someone’s proximity to culture as being a better marker of their identity because they tend not to be monoracial. With this in mind, i think culture plays a big part into why your experience and others who have been transracially adopted are inherently different to those of Ollie. In Sociology culture is usually defined as …”beliefs that people hold about reality, the norms that guide their behavior, the values that orient their moral commitments, or the symbols through which these beliefs, norms, and values are communicated”. You were raised within a culture and you see the world through the beliefs, norms and symbols of that culture. You did not put it on because it suited you in some way but in fact do not know of any other way in which to view the world. When you say you are trans racial, what you are saying is that your physical appearance (race) and your culture are not related. Which, in my opinion is easy for others to believe and accept. Ollie on the other hand has already lived out his most formative and adolescent years within British culture as a white person. Now, in his adulthood he claims to be Korean…but how? Is Ollie, ethnically Korean? No, well does Ollie have any cultural proximity to Korea? Does the beliefs that they hold about reality, the norms that guide their behavior, the values that orient their moral commitments, or the symbols through which these beliefs, norms, and values are communicated, that of Korean culture? We cannot see into his mind so only time can tell…but i am hard pressed to believe that he is able to shed one of the most seemingly natural elements of the psyche. In my estimation, I would say that even if Ollie spent the next 3 decades living in Korea, he still would not be able to claim that he is culturally Korean. I say that because this is what most immigrants will tell you. I am a child of immigrants, who after almost 30 years of living abroad from the country they were raised, still claim to not have fully adopted the new culture. They still view the world through the lens of the culture in which they spent their formative and adolescence.

@-haclong2366

Жыл бұрын

New World people don't see their diaspora as being a part of their group. If you're born in Venezuela to German parents Venezuelans will see as one of them by right of birth and Germans by right of descent, but a Venezuelan born in Germany is neither Venezuelan nor German, (s)he's not a Venezuelan because they're not born there and they're not German because they don't have German ancestry.

I just want to say thank you for putting your neck on the chopping block by speaking about these issues honestly. I'm not surprised you get a lot of messages stating that what you're doing is harmful. I totally disagree though. It's so important for people to understand how this sort of phenomena can manifest. No-one chooses to be born or raised in the circumstances/environment they exist within but have to grapple with it moving forward whilst trying to maintain their sanity. It's ironic that this age is so dedicated to individual pursuits and identity whilst framing it's understanding of others on relatively narrow definitions of what they can/should be. Thank you Zee 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

Side note , you have the cutest nose !!

"nothing offends me, I have no soul" ... I felt that

@sofalvarez

2 жыл бұрын

I wish I was like that

@NicksAreOverrated

2 жыл бұрын

@@sofalvarez 3/10 can't recommend

@kimberlyl3727

Жыл бұрын

@@sofalvarez don't; it's just a front.

@sofalvarez

Жыл бұрын

@@kimberlyl3727 youre right, thanks

@angelic..9906

Жыл бұрын

@@sofalvarez i recommend tho

It's uplifting as well as disheartening to see postmodern human beings choose their identities but also choose to view the world believing in established social constructs? I think the idea of identifying with a race sneakily implies that even the people who belong to that part of humanity are also pretending to uphold values and ideas about who they think they should be. Maybe even their argumentativeness is part of their identities as well. I think it's exceptionally easy to get lost in Identity politics and I think that baggage prevented them from accepting each other's premises.

@Debziiie

2 жыл бұрын

I agree with you, but i do find it odd that people seem to understand this when it comes to being trans racial, but then they become immediate hypocrites when it comes to the topic of being trans gender

@eugenecube3222

2 жыл бұрын

@@Debziiie you make a good point, I think there's a lot more 'propaganda' about what men and women should be. Trans people never get to rebut these narratives that are imposed on them by their families and just about everyone else in society.

@Mutantcy1992

2 жыл бұрын

Yes now just apply this to transgender rather than transracial people, and you've got my view on both topics. If gender is a social construct, then how can you be the wrong one?

@giomar89

2 жыл бұрын

@@Mutantcy1992 I agree. I’m not into denying somebody who’s suffering the help they need, but unncessary surgery (ie, surgery of a healthy body) should be the very last resource. This is what rubs me the wrong way with the current trans discourse: instead of truly tearing down the construct of gender (which, as a construct, can be torn down, refashioned, etc) we rather *literally* mold bodied to adapt to the construct? It’s putting the cart before the mule: reality adapting to an abstract constructed, rather than adapting the abstract construct to better reflect reality

I dont know if someone told you that today but god i love your face, its such a beautiful face. Thank you for providing me with your mimics and voice and information, my relaxing baths + skincare after hard day would not be the same without your videos.

It's interesting how you talk about race. I live in Switzerland where very often I am the only POC in a space and because of the locals' lack of experience with someone who is so visibly different, they reduce my identity down to my race, even though to themselves, they are a combination of many identities (mother, brother, sister, teacher, white, christian, yoga enthusiast etc), because of my very visible difference (race), they think it is the only difference between me and them or that my identity is singularly based on my race, which is extra frustrating because although I am racially Korean, I wasn't even raised there but people like to identify me with the country of South Korea (or just Asia in general because most people don't know the difference). If all things were equal, I wouldn't be bothered, but when people assign value judgements to these identities, and I am forced to take on a certain singular identity, it's feels like I have no agency and that's a kinda shitty feeling.

@denhareikun9034

2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately this is something that happens in any country in the world, all it takes is for you to look different. Human nature natural tendency to tribalism makes it somewhat expected to see the immigrant as "The Immigrant", especially when they do not look like other people from the country. The same thing would likely happen to European people who moved to any inner portion of Korea in which people are not used to dealing with foreigners. Unfortunately it's something many immigrant people around the world deal with…

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

White Europeans kind of prefer Asians though lol considering the immigration policies I have seen being drawn in countries such as Denmark etc. But yeah I hope things get better for you.

Your description of yourself makes a lot of sense. I'm from a very mixed family, and everyone really chooses to BE either some sort of formula, or really identify with one culture only. I look way more slavic than I am, and people tend to just speak Russian to me. Which I do not understand and I also have no connection to the culture 🤣 Life is so strange when people can't immediately read "what you are". I guess I also understand Oli a bit better now. Thanks for your perspective!

It's perfectly understandable that a person who was raised in one dominant culture may not identify with it, and that they may find themselves deeply drawn to a foreign culture. If Oli had just said "I love/identify with Korean culture" or "I am culturally Korean", I don't think many people would have an issue with this (assuming that Oli has put the necessary work into learning the culture). But by saying "I am Korean", they're asserting a right to dictate what it means to _be_ Korean, beyond adopting the culture, and it's inevitable that many people who are deeply invested in their own racial/ethnic identity will feel a strong urge to resist attempts to redraw the boundaries of such identities. It seems very similar to the Twitter arguments over calling transwomen women. I wonder how Koreans who are aware of Oli feel about them...

@Alltherestofus

2 жыл бұрын

This pretty much summed up what I thought as well. Like how can you fault in individual for (culturally) identifying with they’re raised around? That being said, Its difficult for me to extend room for understanding in Oli’s circumstances only because this question still hangs over my head: how can you identify as a particular racial group which you are not accepted in? Would Oli still feel this way if he wasn’t regarded as a famous tv personality with monetary access to transforming himself to appear like another race?

@Albinojackrussel

2 жыл бұрын

Phrasing it like that makes me think very much of when White Americans call themselves Italian/Irish/Scottish/German ect. One of my eternal frustrations with that is basically what you're saying there. It implies a kind of ownership over what it means to *be* those things without ever actually having done so. In a lot of way Oli has put in more work to call themselves Korean, actually visiting and living in the country and learning the language, than those Americans claiming to be whatever. It also sort of implies that a nationality is something heritable, and implies that those who've say moved to those countries as children, or who's parents/grandparents moved here aren't really Italian/Irish whatever. If someone's lived in a country for a time, has learnt the language and adopted at least elements of the culture, then I think it's reasonable for them to say they're from that country. I've got friends born outside the UK and I would never say they're less British because of that. Several of them can barely speak their native language anymore due to lack of exposure. The topic gets a little more complicated when someone comes to a country as an adult, but I think the issue comes to them and how they want to describe themselves in that scenario. I can imagine if I left the UK I'd probably continue to identify as British for the rest of my life as it's where I grew up, but I'm sure there's people who feel otherwise about themselves. The issue may come in calling Korean a *race* rather than a nationality/culture (something both Oli and other western people arguing against Oli do). The line between race, nationality and ethnicity is wavy and wonky and some of those terms are much more loaded than others. I'd also be very curious to hear the take of a Korean born and raised in Korea on Oli, since I imagine conceptualisations of race and nationality are probably different in Korea than they are in the UK.

@MelodiousThunk

2 жыл бұрын

@@Albinojackrussel That's an interesting comparison. I don't personally know any White Americans who attach such labels to themselves, so I'm not sure exactly what they're expressing. It may be that some of them are using these labels as a shorthand for identifying with the American subcultures that were established by their Italian/Irish/etc immigrant ancestors, rather than meaning that they are exactly the same as the people who live in Italy/Ireland/etc. By the same token, it may be that Oli's claim to be Korean is also just a lazy way of saying that they identify with Korean culture. Yeah, referring to Koreans as a race rather than a nationality seemed odd to me too. It seems like the closest thing that people of Korean heritage living in the west have to a racial identity, comparable to Blackness and Whiteness, is labels like Asian and East-Asian, that lump them together with Chinese people, Japanese people, etc.

@MelodiousThunk

2 жыл бұрын

@@Alltherestofus Speaking of Oli's transformation, it's interesting that out of all the hairstyles they could have adopted, they chose to have cornrows in this video. I wonder if Oli realises that K-pop stars with cornrows are imitating Black artists...

@maggiescarlet

2 жыл бұрын

@@Albinojackrussel that's a really interesting angle and comparison I hadn't considered. I suppose the most common format for referring to one's race/country of origin and nationality is in that order, for example Black British or Italian American. I've never heard someone call themselves British Korean, but arguably if Oli continued living in South Korea and especially if he got citizenship, he logically could call himself British Korean. That doesn't seem to be what he's claiming for himself, but it was interesting to consider other ways migrants (and their descendants) can describe their identity around the world.

I saw your original transracial adoption video when it first aired. I thought of it on and off for weeks but didnt quite have the words to articulate my thoughts. Honestly, I thought it was very brave in this climate to say out loud and on record that you envision yourself as a white woman (more in line with the white Brit/SA/Afrikaans culture). Yes, I will admit it was shocking to hear that stated so plainly, but at the end of the day it makes complete sense. If you are raised by white South Africans and British people who else are you really meant to identify with? I honestly that video and this one made me self-reflect on identity as a first generation immigrant. I do not speak my parents' native language, as of now my diet is primarily American fusion (foods that are NOT native to Nigeria, although I eat those as well) and most of my friends and those closest to me (except immediate family) not Nigerian, native born or otherwise. For all intents and purposes my daily life reflects that of a typical American (dare I say white, or even Asian) person than anyone else. Thats to say, if I were to write a description of my hobbies, education and profession most people would not think I was black immigrant (I've seen this personally, catching the look of surprise when I explain about my life and experiences). That being said, I would not go to the extent of saying I "identify" with anything outside of being black (Nigerian-immigrant) in America. I would call myself Nigerian and people born and bred in Nigeria would say 'no, you are an American', which is fair. I wasnt born in Nigeria, never lived there and dont speak any of the languages native to my familial homeland. This upset me when I was younger but I understand and embrace it now. I am Nigerian American. I say all this to make the point that for a lot of people identity on a collective level is not as cut and dry as one would think. These new conversations about identity and self-expression are creating a deeper schism than we as society would expect. As you stated, on one hand we are lauding this right and freedom to choice as a win for modernity. However, we are now having to contend with the extent to which we can embrace such practices without leaving the realm of observable reality. As for me I do respect the choice of any person to self-identify and express as they see fit. I cannot stop them and do not have intentions of doing so. However, I do not believe people can pick and change what they are biologically/genetically and 'racially' (perhaps region/continent of origin is more accurate). Fundamentally biological sex can not be changed, although one's gender presentation can be. Likewise for race, one can dress and adorn themselves as the see fit but that does not change the fact that are fro white British stock. Again, they have the right to do as they please but certain things just cannot be changed. Regardless, this topic is fascinating and I am eager to read others' opinions on it.

@Daft_Sage

2 жыл бұрын

Hey fellow Nigerian. How you dey?

@ellagardener538

2 жыл бұрын

You have articulated many good points.

a certain privilege comes with white skin, and that is a fact; especially in america where the police shoot at particularly young unarmed black youth because they "look dangerous" but i do understand what you're saying. i was born in a country that is nearly 70% muslim, with extremely dominant turkish heritage and culture because during the mediaeval times this territory was won by the ottomans. everyone here is white skinned, not a single darker skinned person. and often people don't believe the culture we carry since the 16th century. racial experience is odd. but also, nobody native to this country thinks about it until someone outside of the peninsula asks us.

I think the primary issue is that the “Korean” that oli identifies as is not real. It’s a caricature of Korean that they invented based on pop culture and not at all rooted in reality. It feels much more like a mockery of Korean culture than actual Korean culture. If they spent actual time living in Korea, dealing with the societal issues real Koreans face, learning the language correctly (which they absolutely are not) and spending time with real Koreans, they may be being taken more seriously. If even say Rachel Dolezal, for this reason, arguably has a better argument for her position for this very reason (though I am in no way qualified to make that call ultimately.) I’m from the uk but I live in Korea, have a Korean partner, work in Korea, eat Korean food, experience life as someone surrounded by “Koreanness” in a far more authentic way than Oli ever has, and I have experienced both the good and the bad of Korean culture and society, BUT I will never be Korean. Even if I get a Korean citizenship, from the perspective of people who were born into Korean families and raised in Korea, I will never be Korean. This is the reality that Oli has to face no matter how they feel.

I always appreciate your nuanced takes on difficult subjects. You continue to make great content. :)

He claims he a Korean man yet can hardly speak the language to the point he couldn’t even pronounce a simple greeting. Showcased only surface level knowledge of the culture and couldn’t even expand on what he likes about the culture without references kimchi and BTS. Spent only 1 year in the country, yet there are KZreadrs who’ve been making content about living in South Korea for over 5 years plus. Even the content creators who moved migrated back still make video about introducing Korean culture back home. Oli wanting to be label a Korean man is coming from a fetishisation. He couldn’t even differentiate that there is a difference between Japanese, South Korean and Chinese culture.

@nelliebellie2222

2 жыл бұрын

Seriously?! And him not realizing that what he is doing is shameful is extremely saddening. I hope he gets serious therapy soon. Its even more shameful that these so called pshycologist arent even putting these kinds of things as mental issues. They seriously need to put some kind of boarder or boundary when it comes to these transitions whatever it may be. Because I believe there are some ppl that can go way too far. As they are mentally unstable and hense the reason why they want to escape reality and change the genetic makeup they were born with.

i understand identifying with a different culture and wanting to be immersed in it. i do not understand this entitlement to be perceived as if you are from that culture at the same level as people who are born into it. and it seems like a disservice to the culture that you seem to want to be a part of by reducing a culture to its aesthetics etc. as oli london seems to be doing.

@majl9585

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. There was a similar case (although not involving race) with Hillary/Hilaria Baldwin. She had a close connection to Spain and loves the culture (which is of course acceptable and she should make as much paella and talk as much Spanish as she wants), but the problem for me there, is that she pretended to be Spanish even though she and her parents are from the US and grew up there. Like, just say you really appreciate the culture and love visiting and have great friends there or whatever! Don't understand the necessity to delete your own past.

After some more thought, I do think being transracial exists... but not in the way Oli London does. I think it's based off of life experiences more than anything else, that influences your internal self. Are surgeries necessary then? Being transgender can be explained through gender dysphoria and medical terminology, but at the end of the day the most common reason why many people transition (especially in the older generations before the recent surge in popularity) was simply because they "felt themselves to be a woman/man"-- the same way Kidology (I'm sorry I don't know how to spell your real name) feels herself to be white. Internal identity. One difference that I can see is how being transgender can be related to the physical performance of your body (ex. trans men with more dominant personalities who used to be butch lesbians), whereas transracial seems more centered around culture, ethnicity, language and less related to physical characteristics. I don't think someone is transracial if they don't like the shape of their eyes and want monolids-- that's just aesthetic preference, and I think they should be allowed to get whatever surgeries they want to. But to truly assimilate yourself into another culture, to take the step beyond understanding the food and the language and the beliefs and the art of that culture, that could be transracial.

@estefaniaboujon6830

2 жыл бұрын

When you say that transgender identity is more internal because and you give the example of "a trans man with a more dominant personalitie" you are saying that a dominant personalitie is something that a male would have, and that is pure culture. So its a cultural mismatch. Also when you say that if a person could be totally and really inmerse in another culture that could be transracial you are confusing culture and race

@lauramartens30

2 жыл бұрын

@@estefaniaboujon6830 Just to clarify, when I say "trans men with more dominant personality" I'm referring to the fact that typically males and people with more masculine personalities tend to be more dominant. Of course there are always exceptions to this rule (I'm a pretty feminine person who can be VERY dominant), oftentimes there is a correlation between masculinity and dominance linked to biology. This isn't just culture, although I am sure culture does play a role in some cases. In terms of culture and race, I have intentionally linked them-- this is commonly known as ethnicity. Race refers more to the physical aspects of a group of people, which I consider to be surface level and insubstantial. The conversation of "transracial" is less about physical attributes and more about a group's shared culture and history and an outsider's desire to be part of that story. I used "race" instead of "ethnicity" because the conversation is about transRACIAL people, but I am well aware of the differences between culture and race. Perhaps the term should be transethnic instead?

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

@@estefaniaboujon6830 I find your last argument disingenous because try telling ppl that black ppl existed in Egypt and contributed to its development even though they were not a majority and see how ppl will react to you. Sometimes there is an interplay between race and culture. Think about the way ppl harp on black on black crime and not white on white crime.....outside this make believe kidology mushy gushy space and academia ppl innately associate race with culture.

This should be fun, o-ho-ho :) **edit after I've seen the entire video**: I appreciate you pointing out Oli's, albeit *very* strange, position, not that I personally empathise much with him nor like him, but I feel this little bit of humanity/humane treatment, that you so graciously extended to him, should be granted to all.

Hasn't identity always been complex? Almost everything, if not everything, that happens around you, affects your identity. Why must we define it so clearly? People are trying to get to the bottom of something, that has no bottom. We are constantly changing and everything that has added up to our current identity is probably too complex for us to figure out anyway. Yet we insist that we know and then boldly proclaim it. Then we try to find definitive labels for ourselves. For what reason? We should stop treating ourselves and each other as if we could be simply and holisticly described by these rudimentary describtors. Privileged, black, minority, etc. People might say it's a fantasy land in which everybody appreciates the complexity of one another (or at least tries to) and then acts in a manner that reflects that. Well, I think assuming you know exaclty what you are is more of a fantasy than that.

I think it makes sense that someone being born with one nationality can later identify with a new nationality (because they moved countries and they like the new culture better, for example). I just don't really understand why's Korean a race? Mixing up race and nationality I feel like if you're born in Italy and are white but moved to Japan when you were little and live there all your life it makes complete sense that you feel Japanese, cause that's your culture.

@Dtzeo503

2 жыл бұрын

Well you are right Korean isn't a race. Yes anyone born in Korea or has citizenship there is Korean by nationality. But lets not disregard that the majority living in Korea is of the Korean ethnic group also Korean is a ethnicity. People often do get Nationality and Ethnicity mixed up aswell.

@Bianca_Toeps

2 жыл бұрын

I once had an interesting conversation with someone who said that a white person could never become (for example) Japanese, not even when getting a Japanese passport. But then this person would definitely call immigrants who came to The Netherlands Dutch people, and would find it totally racist to NOT call them Dutch.

I'm so glad you made this video, thank you! This has truly been a topic I've been thinking about a lot. I first heard about Oli London before they 'came out' as 'transracial' and just wanted to look like BTS Jimin. But what really intrigued me was their more recent headlines. I took a class in my community college this last fall about race and ethnicity, particularly focused on the U.S. aspect in a sociological lens. And it has truly made me see aspects of our lives so differently and how our perceived race and ethnicity impacts us. I've been waiting a long time for a video regarding this topic in particular, not to clown them but to actually analyze what is being said and why. Not really to defend them but to detach ourselves and our personal feelings and try to make sense of what are the bigger works going on. Again thank you for making this video, I hope we have more, not necessarily on this subject but I enjoy all the content you put out.

During Chapelle's recent "transphobic (1.0)" Netflix comedy special he shared a story about the transwoman he knew and that ultimately what she wanted was not for people to fully embrace every aspect of her, but to acknowledge that her experience is part of the broader human experience. I think this video further expands on that point and I appreciate you for talking so openly about your lived experience.

finding your channel was the best thing that ever happened to me, finally someone who has enough empaty and compassion to understand that nothing in this world is 100% good or 100% evil.

I find it difficult to adequately justify the fundamental difference between “transracial” and “transgender”. I feel that the former isn’t valid and the latter is; but that’s mostly just a feeling and the rationale behind it feels weak.

@yltraviole

2 жыл бұрын

I definitely get those difficulties. I won't claim that my reasoning for why transracialism (in the Oli London sense of the word, not the "adopted by parents of a different race" definition) and transgenderism are the absolute, 100% truth, but this is how I understand it: I think that race/cultural is fully a social construct, whereas gender is probably partly a social construct and partly inherent to someone's psyche. I can't prove this scientifically, but it aligns with what I know about transracialism and the conversations I've had with trans people. Usually, transracial people say their identification with another race is because they feel a connection with the culture, the community and the people. There's often very little recognition that races, nations and even cultures aren't homogenous and that cultural traits aren't inherent. And that you can form those connections without feeling like a different race. Meanwhile, the trans people I know are often very critical of gender roles and stereotypes (which in this situation would be analogous to "culture"). Even if they do connect with the gender roles/stereotypes of the gender they identify as, they don't see this as what "makes" them a man or a woman. They understand that as something deeper, more inherent, related to their gender expression, but not caused by it, if that makes sense. Transracial people (again, in the Oli London sense) often seem to see culture and race as something inherently connected, which is not the reality, whereas trans people know that gender expression and internal gender identity aren't the same, because they often are deeply aware of the disconnect due to living as another gender for so long. So, that's how I understand the difference. I do feel a lot of sympathy for transracial people, though. I don't really know a lot about Oli London's story, but with what I know about Rachel Dolezal's youth I can definitely understand her feeling more connected to the Black community and her desire to fully be a part of that community and "belong" with them.

@hatchibyebye

2 жыл бұрын

I commend you for recognising this discrepency. The difference is that one has the backing of corporate and mass media to guilt and/or bully you into compliance. And the other does not. Also transracial as it pertains what Rachel Dolezal stands for is something that impacts men also, whereas transgenderism only has negative implications for women, thus it is tolerated. The moment it impacts men, it will not be widely endorsed.

@Alsyoutubeaccount

2 жыл бұрын

@@hatchibyebye the idea that transgender identity doesn’t impact men is laughable. Conservative media has had a field day with the notion that society is calling men bigots for not sleeping with trans women.

@hatchibyebye

2 жыл бұрын

@@Alsyoutubeaccount I said what I said. The trans lobby got too big for their boots and set their sights on straight men, it immediately backfired and they were humbled. That was nothing compared to the continued sexual harassment lesbians receive from the trans lobby.

@RagingThroughSpace

2 жыл бұрын

The easiest and quickest way I've found to explain this is: "race" is something you inherit from your parents; gender is individual.

I find this so interesting because I was also fostered and all the families I lived with were Jamaican, so when people ask me where I am from I say Belize but I relate to Jamaican culture.. so what do I identify myself as? Like you, I really dont care but to people who have been brought up in family dynamics, you realise how much it is a big deal to them as makes up a large part of their identity and insanely anchoring in terms of how they feel/ choose their approach when they move through the world. So hearing Oli even though I think it is are DUMB, I understand the ease it is identify with something else.

I'm so glad you've covered this topic! As someone who is genderfluid I end up racking my brain when thinking over transracialism (specifically cases like Oli London), because something that seems wrong now for various reasons (of which I agree) may become socially acceptable when I'm an old person.

@schiffelers3944

2 жыл бұрын

So if race doesn't really exist we; are all from the human race - how will his non-logical make more sense in the future? So Oli is transethnic, not transracial - wrap your fluid mind around this, and let me know... if this makes sense. On the other hand maybe I am just an aged fart, and what does my logical brain know/understand.

@NameLessSayLess

2 жыл бұрын

@@schiffelers3944 stop trying to big yourself up on the Internet :) out of respect for the creator who wanted to keep things all good in the comment section imma leave things at that

@schiffelers3944

2 жыл бұрын

@@NameLessSayLess What a communication style - with this attitude no wonder the world is as is. Please enlighten me; what is race and what is ethnicity? What is the coined term of transracial. What is Oli?

@NameLessSayLess

2 жыл бұрын

@@schiffelers3944 Hahaha and perhaps you can enlighten me as to what my "communication style" is indicative of? This is the Internet sweetheart, not a university dissertation. Wrap your mind around that 🙄

@schiffelers3944

2 жыл бұрын

@@NameLessSayLess 🎁

I really appreciate your input and unique outlook on things. Thank you for that. Can’t wait for the next video!

Oli London is a troll. I don't understand why everyone is taking him seriously. At first he tried to become famous using his plastic surgery addiction but he was too forgettable. It isn't a coincidence if he started to "marry" and "identify" as Jimin, a member of BTS, the most popular kpop group. And now he "identifies" as a woman, Rosé, another korean singer. I'm struggling to see the difference between him being transracial and transgender. What's the difference?

In the most calm tone: "Whether I'm black or not, I'm still gonna have sex with people" I am deceased

i love listening to you, i find peace in the way you put your ideas because it's so respectful and kind and just, so different from what i'm used on my experience online, specially coming from places like tumblr or twitter where everyone just tries to make other people look evil, so thank u so much for ur videos!!

You have such excellent quality in your videos 🔥🔥

Always appreciate a unique and nuanced take. Here’s one for you - I’ve been to South Africa quite a few times, and completely fell in love with white (especially Afrikaans) South African culture after getting to know some awesome people there. It’s interesting how our personalities can really connect with a different culture. Honestly I do feel a real connection with them, they’re fun, hospitable, and good spirited. So in a way, I really get where someone like this could come from. If Afrikaners weren’t white my deep appreciation might be viewed as odd. That said, Oli does feel like quite a step. Interesting stuff.

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

I dislike some of them. Some of them are so racist, especially Afriforum types. But hey you are white

I've always felt weirdly about how we tie etnicity and culture toghether, they just often have a common cause, geographical location, but there is no causation between the 2. Also being korean, or italian, or nigerian, what does that mean really? (having the citizenship I guess but I'm asking about something less burocratic), the only answer that makes sense to me is to be part of that culture, to learn how that place works, to interact with people that come from that place, maybe to move there, to learn the language, slang, customs and so on, it is an acquired characteristic which means not only that anyone can be any culture, but that anyone can mix any culture.

@MelodiousThunk

2 жыл бұрын

Practically speaking, the things you've listed should be the most important aspects of national identity. But a lot of people feel that having long-established ancestral roots in a country is also an important part of their national identity. To be fair though, ancestry does often influence a person's culture, regardless of where they are raised. E.g. I've spent my life living in England, but my parents were Nigerian immigrants. So although I'm culturally more British than anything else, my parents' culture has still influenced me in ways that prevent me from _fully_ identifying with British culture.

@quakquak6141

2 жыл бұрын

That makes perfect sense, but it can be incorporated into my line of thought, you learned (at least a part of) nigerian culture from your parents, and when we are young and growing up we have no choice but to learn from what's around us (which sounds like a bad thing but it isn't necessarily)

@MelodiousThunk

2 жыл бұрын

@@quakquak6141 Yes, so it's the cultures that I learnt from my family and the broader society that I was raised in that have influenced the extent to which I am Nigerian and the extent to which I am British, culturally speaking. I didn't complete the point I was trying to make though, about the value that some people place on ancestry. I occasionally meet people in the UK who assume that I'm not "truly/fully British" because they can see that my ancestry isn't like theirs. Although in my case that assumption just happens to be culturally correct, these people have no way of knowing what my cultural identity is when they make the assumption. While it's not unreasonable to guess that a person who looks like me is likely to have some non-British cultural influences, they do often seem to think that having long-established British ancestry is a _necessary_ part of being _fully_ British. I don't agree with them, but my point was just that some people do see this as an important facet of national identity.

@ngarumurray

2 жыл бұрын

@@MelodiousThunk With parties such as Patriotic Alternative in the UK I wonder what Britain politics around identity will be like in the next decade after Boris lmao. Will we see a return of African diasporans to Africa? I see extremist politics slowly brewing

@MelodiousThunk

2 жыл бұрын

@@ngarumurray I hadn't heard of Patriotic Alternative before, but nationalist groups like that have been coming and going for a long time, e.g. the National Front, the BNP, the EDL, UKIP. As far as I can tell, UKIP is the only one that's had a lot of political influence over the past 40 years, in that the EU membership referendum and Brexit seemed to be a Tory response to the growing support for UKIP. It seems unlikely that nationalist groups will make the environment hostile enough for us African diasporans to put many of us off the economic benefits of staying here any time soon. But perhaps economic developments in Africa, or growing awareness of the opportunities that already exist in certain sectors there, will lead to more of us returning.

Voice = Amazing

Thank you for voicing everything that I didn't know how to say. It's strange, but I feel like you're my friend. The logical side of my brain says that this is just the internet, that this is just a recorded voice and pixels on a screen. But I still feel like I know you, that we would be friends in real life. We look completely different, have different life experiences, come from different places-- I'm a white woman from America with blonde hair and blue eyes-- but when you talk about your inner self, your inner life, it's strange because that's how I see MY life. Even your room, the objects you physically surround yourself with, looks eerily similar to my room. The quaint town in England where I imagine you living is the mirror image of the place that I've always wanted to live. Anyway, I'm so grateful you decided to start uploading videos on KZread with your own unique perspective-- it's so nice after hearing the canned arguments from the left and right for so long. Your videos actually challenge me and help me develop a deeper understanding of issues. Thank you!

8:45 I'm not sure if someone saying "trans-racial does not exist" "completely erases [your] existence", when what they mean by "transracial" is different from what you mean by "transracial". Some words have many meanings and you don't just mush different meanings together. Just as it wouldn't make sense to say "transhumanism" means someone who identifies as something different to human because "transgender" means someone who identifies as a different gender than they were born with, or assigned at birth. "[trans-racial] [does not exist]" meant "[someone who identifies as a different race than the one they were born with] [is not a valid identity to have]" (which isn't a nice thing to say) not "[someone who was adopted across racial lines or backgrounds] [is not a thing that happens]" (which does show the speaker's lack of knowledge of the latter's existence).

I freakin love your perspective on so many various topics! You're way ahead of your time, and I feel your perspective will only be appreciated mainstream in a good few years. Wow, please don't stop sharing your voice.

is there a difference to cultural dysmorphia and racial dysmorphia? because "trans racial" almost sounds like it could be a racial dysmorphia brought on by culture

You're fantastic! Im new to your channel but please keep doing what youre doing.

I think it's sad that whoever set up/filmed the discourse between Ollie and the interviewer just wanted to watch them argue. They probably didn't do it with the intention of having the individuals reach a peaceful conclusion together. Instead, getting people even MORE fired up and divided for the sake of likes and views. BTW I just found your channel and I think it's amazing. I'm sorry you have to deal with comments that attack you personally just for being who you are.

I think my main qualm here is when you list things like being a native English speaker or music interests etc as being "white", it quickly snowballs into just relying on racist stereotypes as signals for being 'transracial'. Also what is "white culture"?. Gender and race, while both are social constructs cannot be compared in the context of transition because we know that race is only a phenotypical difference. Personally, I wanna hear more about you seeing yourself as a white woman.

I get particularly uncomfortable with conversations like this because I am mixed race (white, mexican, and japanese). The line between me identifying with all of these cultures and London identifying with Korean culture becomes incredibly blurred because the arguments used to discredit London are true of me as well. I do in fact identify with all these cultures but I look mainly white, and grew up in a white area where I was surrounded by white people and culture (where if I am honest I was singled out often for being the most "ethnic" person in the room). The only language I speak at home is English. I was raised singularly by my mother, who is not japanese, and yet the one culture other than a blanket "american" which I identify with most strongly is Japanese. I didn't start learning Japanese language until I was 18, and I've only had the privilege to visit Japan once in my life for a week-long trip. In this way, I may be considered less Japanese than London is Korean, given that they lived in Korea for some time. There are a lot of white people who live in Japan and have for longer than I have been alive, and who understand the culture and language much much better than I do. So what gives me the right to identify as Japanese when they cannot? The thing that sets me apart is simply a "blood tie," yet I really do my best not to subscribe to the idea that one's blood can determine one's identity. Personally I think the whole conversation is rather pointless and a misdirection of priorities when we get too too heated about it. Ultimately I have found that regardless of how I identify, there will always be plenty of people to tell me that I am wrong. In such cases all I can do simply carry on, because the fact of the matter is that this is the way I exist regardless of how someone outside of my self perceives my existence. The main issue I see with London identifying as Korean is that they told other people about it (and therefore opened the door for excessive judgement). If no one knew about London's identity, and they simply lived the way they pleased, no one would care.

This is a beautiful and much needed commentary about nuance. Thank you🙏

That video quality looking CRISP

Fascinating insight as ever!

I think Oli would benefit greatly from finding something outside himself to focus on. He's so self-absorbed, he has convinced himself that by becoming another culture it somehow helps the world. I don't see it benefiting anyone but him, and he's disfiguring himself in the process.

The shots fired at Doctor Strange. I hooted with laughter.

Your personal backstory and relevance made this topic even more interesting. Thank you for sharing.

Having some privileges because you are white does not mean that by being white you are defacto living a very privileged lifestyle. Yes, a lot of white people live very hard lifes. Being white is not a guarantee to having it nice. I don't know why people frame it that way. The question is whether or not the color of your skin is the reason behind any of that suffering. Alot of the issues that poc face have their roots in racism. For white people that just isn't true. I think the main problem is that people act like white privilege and the color of your skin are the most defining factors of your life/identity. That isn't true. The no1 defining thing about you, that ultimatelly decide if you are privileged or not, is your class. And yes in a lot of places your race plays a significant factor as to why you belong to a certain economical class. But that doesn't change the fact that if you are for example white and lower class, you will identity and relate more too others who belong to the same class more than you ever will to an upper class white person. And any person who is poc and is higher class 100% lives a much, much more privileged life than a lower class white person. Like duh. Like yes you will have certain privileges if you are white no matter your class, but the majority of them will never make your life into a privileged one. I don't think people understand what white privilege/privileged is in general. Plus they greatly underestimate how defining your economical status really is.

Kidology *does anything* I drop everything and watch

Concerning your critics that you mentioned at the start: I find you remarkable, I feel like you are a great example on how a modern person should carry themselfs in the middle of this schizoid political climate. Keep doing you, this Channel is awesome!

I am a dog from the dwarf planet Pluto. 👽 I am living here to study the human race. ❤️

The way Kiddology appeals to whiteness and civility bores me so much, but ill be here next video cause her perspective is one I find valuable. Much of what she says usually irritates me (her coupling of hyper-individualism with an elementary understanding of most socio-political and philosophical issues is terrible and in some cases overtly harmful ) but her ability to empathize and humanize various issues can at times be surprisingly heartfelt and wise. I've never had such a contradictory relationship with a content creator like this before. Love from South Africa

@el_equidistante

2 жыл бұрын

saying we are ultimately individual, which means that are experiences and thoughts are lived individually, is not hyper-individualism. I would also like to know which philosophical issues understanding from her are terrible?

@ZebraForceKid

2 жыл бұрын

@@el_equidistante Hey, No problem. On an atomized and perceptive level, experiences and thoughts are indeed lived individually but on a functional level, it shares a dialectical relationship with the world. It's something Kiddology herself recognizes and how that relationship has impacted how she identifies herself (her "transracial" experience is a consequence of her "exclusion" from blackness which she feels hard done by and her adoption ). The reason why I state hyper-individualism is that in previous videos she states explicitly "I prioritize individualism over everything else " and this seeps into many of her positions overtly and covertly (see video reacting to tik tok's which highlights her philosophical leanings ) This political-philosophical libertarian understanding is further complicated by the simple fact that she is black. Her individualism will be innately contradicted by the fact that she will be forever "Racialised". So instead of finding solidarity in her blackness (maybe due to her past experiences with it ), she would rather actively and understandably appeal to a racial identity/structure that inherently despises her humanity.

@denhareikun9034

2 жыл бұрын

@@ZebraForceKid she clearly disagrees with many of this supposed "black solidarity", which is mainly superficial and just politically arranged to make profit out of racial tension. That's why talking about "whiteness" and race centered conflicts is so much endorsed by every kind of media in the US or some other western countries. However, we fortunately don't live in 1900 anymore. If the media and the elites want to make it seem like race and racism is everywhere, it doesn't mean that is true. In many countries most people don't dehumanise black people. If some do, that's their problem, and Kidology doesn't seem to feel like she needs to live according to these people. There are many more good things in this world other than arguing and stereotyping race, that's why she tries to give a much more human perspective to this whole issue. It's really sad that you see the world like this, but I suppose that may also be due to your childhood. But there are people who suffer a lot when they are young and they choose not to perpetuate the hate by agreeing and continuing with this racial hate speech that today is normalized in many parts of the west.

@el_equidistante

2 жыл бұрын

@@ZebraForceKid I don't think being apolitical or putting the individual over the collective implies libertarianism. In any case I don't see why that's a contradiction, the importance about individualism is not the presumption that you can avoid being put into categories, that's just a human thing to do, the relevant thing here is how much you derive your sense of self from those categories or how you create overarching narratives based on those categories (ideology) in which your own life only makes sense within that framework. This is also precisely what many philosophies have criticized or intend to dismantle in the past, Zen budism, Daoism, Cynicism, Stirner's egoism, and in a way postmodernism. Also I find it very strange how you just assume this "identity/structure" despises her humanity, that's quite an abstraction bundled together with raw emotion and I don't see that as a good combination, in fact, I would argue that's the problem with, lets say, some bad movements in history.

@el_equidistante

2 жыл бұрын

@@denhareikun9034 I also disagree with this, this is a super oversimplification of social and race dynamics in the US

I don't like that I had to read that name again in 2022, but it serves me right for clicking a video about transracials

Thank you for sharing your perspective on this! I wonder if it might be helpful to have a lexical distinction between the "transracial" of "transracial adoption", wherein, through partially or wholly external forces, a person is acculturated and socialized in a community/society in which their racial phenotype is different than most of the community's members, and the "transracial" identity of people like Oli London, in which the impetus seems to be primarily internal. There is definitely a bit a of spectrum/nuance there, but it feels like these two experience being lumped together might be obfuscating. That being said, transracial identity of the Oli London ilk is definitely a complex knot of identity politics and racial justice, with lots of raw nerves bundled up among the strands. :D

@Alltherestofus

2 жыл бұрын

I love this comment 🤭

@schiffelers3944

2 жыл бұрын

We could also have the discussion on "race" and what this is and if it even exists in the terms/context of how the majority uses it. Transethnic is what Oli might claim, not transracial that is a coined term for something else, which shows me he is not in this with professional help or guidance. Then we can debate on weather this is what Oli is having.

I think the surgeries are what are throwing people off. Without that, we have a case of cultural appropriation, which is received different depending on the culture. I've seen a video on japanese women who enjoy a lot Latino and chola culture, and the comments were full of Mexicans saying that they loved it, and would feel so honored to include these women into their culture. Some societies welcome people who enjoy their culture, feel flattered and honored.

The trans-racial experience of someone raised in a culture different from their ethnicity is not comparable to a k-pop Stan with more money than sense. You were actually raised in a white British family and society, Oli went to Korea once. Whether someone feels they benefit from white privilege or not, they still do. My mother and brother are brown Romani, but I took after my German-Irish father. I remember the first time I went to the store without my mother and how differently I was treated. I remember my brother getting "the talk" about how he had to act in front of police and how it was my responsibility to step in for him when he needed a white presenting advocate. Those experiences aren't co-opatable. No amount of staying indoors or sunscreen will make people see my brother as white even though he self-identifies as such. Just like no amount of kinship between myself and my brown family will make me not white. Race may be a social construct, but it isn't one we have any control over as individuals. I speak Japanese, it will never make me a Japanese person. What Oli is doing is colonialism of Korean bodies.

@user-nz9nf9ug2q

2 жыл бұрын

Agree

Thank you for making this video. The Olli London thing, specifically this debate video, is so messy and to me was a total flop when it came out like they were just yelling at eachother and going nowhere. Debate like this just makes everyone upset

Half the reason I am proud of my culture is because I love my parents and grandparents and the people that raised me

You’re great and I appreciate your content

This girl looks like a very childish grandma. She looks both 60 and 13. Don't take this comment too seriously

Love you, Kidology! You are so rational and calm....unlike most African-American commentators on Oli London who just rabidly attack him with no nuance or understanding of the difference between "Race" and "Ethnicity".

@yeetlol3537

2 жыл бұрын

Thats very microagressive. Like you shouldnt care about a person's tone if tgey are trying to tell you to stop doing a thing that hurts them

One can walk like a duck, talk like a duck and identify as a duck but that doesn’t make it true.

Fantastic topic! I dont think you can change your race or gender, but you may live a life that is aligned with your beliefs. Others may not agree with your choices but I like the idea of living in a world that makes us all question our learned ideas of the world. The more we ruthlessly live out our beliefs the more we shatter the illusion so many have that our beliefs are objective.

Great video!

Keep making content for your own entertainment. I, too, find myself entertained!

"Genuine minorities in the world don't matter." Brilliantly, succinctly put.

Wow great content! 💙

I think you brought up some interesting points, especially "two ships passing silently in the night" 15:49.

Love the video !!!!!

I think it’s over tolerance. It’s polite silence gone polite FORCED agreement and encouragement. I can’t be black no matter how cool it think Dave Chappel or the Boomdock are

16:15 I really related to this part of the video: the idea of understanding both sides. I've always been like that myself, first of all because I'm quite an emotional and empathic person, and secondly because I've never been truly part of either side of the political spectrum (be it left, right, liberal, libertarian, conservative, whatever political party/view). I'm a Romanian currently living in the UK. In the UK I'm seen quite conservative by people and in Romania I'm seen as "woke" or "too westernized" as some might say. I'm baffled by both their views, because I never felt either, I was never enough of either. I feel like I don't belong anywhere and that used to make me feel alone and a bit disappointed, because everyone else seemed to have their group in which they fit in so well. However, I grew to love it now and it made me realise that this unique experience that I have makes me more tolerant and understanding of multiple perspectives, which seems quite rare nowadays, especially online. Anyway, not sure why I'm writing this for everyone to see, I guess I just felt the need to share... Thanks for reading if you got this far!

What an interesting video!

@Lene-ib7qz

2 жыл бұрын

Love the point of 14:38

Sometimes I wonder if my body identifies with me.

9:18 "we are a minority ... considerable minority ... I've come to accept that genuine minorities in the real world don't matter" I believe I get that. It's something anyone who is not limited to the labels of "[insert race]" or "[insert gender]" or "[insert religious views]" realize sometimes, because you see that for those people, they actually have quite a number and actual effects on what policies are sold by politicians to them, and that for others (you) it's not as much. But you saying that when presented with a possible transgender person -debating- -conversing- with a "transracial" person, it seems to say that transgender people aren't actually minorities, and that they actually have a lot of say and power, and that is very ignorant. Especially so coming from the UK where the rights of transgender people are in danger and regressing along with the wake of JK Rowling among other things. Edit: She doesn't look transgender. If you actually meant Black I totally understand that.

hi zee! this might be a silly question, but i'm curious as to when you imagine yourself as a white woman, how does that look like? is it like a vague composite image of different white women, or your own appearance, but with its features anglicised? also, when you look in the mirror, race aside, do you like the way that your face looks? i find you incredibly pretty and i hope that you feel the same way too when you look in the mirror.

@lauramartens30

2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking about this too!

@naradmn459

2 жыл бұрын

I don't think she was talking about "physically" identifying as white, but strictly culturally.

@ellagardener538

2 жыл бұрын

What she means is she behaves, thinks and views the world as a westerner she doesn’t physically see herself as one. Often time in my own community people describe me as a white person as I act, talk and behave as a white person not that I look white or identify as one. Many people don’t identify strongly with the culture they grew up in and often adopt other cultural elects to their individual personality and worldview while being in their own culture. Olinlondon started to physically deform himself as a kink in my opinion. Many people like certain cultural clothing, music and books without feeling insecure physically.

@bunnybunnyhophophop

2 жыл бұрын

Zee discussed in some of her other videos that she finds that she unwittingly pictures herself as a white girl when she visualises herself as a being in the world in considerations of past memories and future scenarios, as well as experiencing a sense of disconnect when catching glimpses of her reflection in the mirror. This is the context from which I am asking. Cheerio internet pals :)

@DiaryofDeans

2 жыл бұрын

This video gives me a little more clarity on how Zee feels when she describes her experience as feeling like a white woman. I understand that racially black people are often othered and called "white" or "Oreo", however, it's important to note that no matter how one may feel or identify, they will still be seen based on appearance. So regardless of feelings, Zee may be seen as a black person anywhere she lives no matter what comes out of her mouth. It can be a little jolting to hear someone who looks somewhat like me, say that they see themselves as a white person because we don't have that privilege, but I don't jump at people's throats for their choices and I'm comfortable with watching Kidology anyway. I stan an Oreo queen lol. Just jokes.

So this is an interesting topic for sure, and most likely one worthy of attention and discussion going forward. However, one difference between Oli's and your experience with transracialism is the fact that while you were raised with 'white' values and have more experiences with white people than black people (if I remember correctly from your past videos. Correct me if I'm wrong.) Oli does not have any sort of 'Koreaness' within them, apart from a one year lived experience and popular culture. While I don't want to outright deny their experience and identity, it's also extremely difficult for me to accept that they are, in fact, Korean simply because they say so. They have none of the lived experiences of actually being raised in that enviroment, they don't share the cultural memories, they most likely don't meet the linguistic 'requirements' (for a lack of a better term) to culturally understand nuances within that particular culture and society. Indeed, I would assert that they are in fact suffering from some sort of 'white saviour complex', although not intentionally, as they say they're actually helping Korean people? Like, how exactly does you saying you are Korean help the oppression of for example Korean women and transpeople? Or the issue of comfort women and other cultural trauma that still affect the Korean people. Or the threat of North Korea? Oli, no longer living in Korea have no actual cultural connections to that particular nation and ethnicity, apart from the internet and a very short one year experience, I guess? But that's an incredibly skewed image of a culture and incredibly shallow. To me this reeks of Orientalistic thinking, which is actually harmful instead of helpful. Oli does not deserve to be ostracized for their identity. They do however need therapy. They are not Korean even if they identify as such, because they do not possess the cultural trauma, knowledge, memory or linguistic experience of such an ethnicity, wheras I would argue that Kidology in fact, does possess such experiences in regards to their own transracialism.

As always, I wasn't expecting something too deep but you are always so insightful, I ended up realising a few truths. I lived in the UK for 25 years, originally from France and the class divide was the biggest shock.I often associated with working class whites ( I had a middle class type background from birth) and while this happened in the 80s, post New Labour in the 90s , working class made way to an underclass and even less"White privileges." That underclass has no colour as the group itself experiences the same misery, and rejection.

It feels like Oli, in a pursuit of authentic individuality, in some way loses or misprioritizes an important trait of individuality. Or maybe just a trait many people (myself included) value. That being that my individuality is more important than my belonging to any group. It seems like Kideology and many of the commenters have had experiences that complicated their own senses of racial identity, but those racial identities are not their primary identity. How they feel and how they look is less important to them than the fact that they are them. It seems like an Oli that was this way could maybe just be a guy that moves to Korea and has a lovely life, rather than having to BE Korean.

Not rally related to the video, but the laugh at the start was really cute :)

I relate to feeling like one's skin colour is the least exceptional/interesting thing about one's self. I feel that way about my sexuality and gender. I don't care about labels so much. I'd rather just love whoever I love and relate to my gender any way I choose. I don't need anyone to validate those things.

It's so weird because being korean is also a nationality. Oli could've just gone the "easy" way and try to become an korean citizen instead of going on about this bullshit. But tbf I doubt South korea want them.

We love you Zee!