A Colorful Case for Outside-the-Box Thinking on Identity | Olivia Vinckier | TED

翻译人员: Jessie Jiang 校对人员: Yan Li Xiao

When I was in first grade,

上一年级的时候，

I remember learning my colors.

我记得我们学各种颜色，

We started by learning about the primary colors:

最开始我们学的是三原色：

red, yellow and blue.

红、黄、蓝

Our teacher taught us how they were the pure colors of the rainbow.

老师告诉我们说三原色 是彩虹所包含的纯色。

No two colors could be combined to create them.

三原色不能由其他任意 两个颜色混合而成。

Our next task was to mix them into something more complex:

接着我们学习把三原色 混合构成其他颜色：

green, purple and orange.

绿色、紫色和橘色。

These secondary colors, especially green,

这些次生色（混合色）， 尤其是绿色，

stood out to me.

让我觉得眼前一亮。

I was fascinated by how two primary colors could be mixed together

我有被深深吸引到，因为三原色中的 两个颜色竟可以混合在一起

to create something nuanced and completely unique.

然后形成有细微色差 但又完全独特的新色彩。

When our teacher told us

当老师告诉同学们

that our next task was to draw a picture of our family,

接下来大家可以画一幅家人的图画时，

I couldn't wait.

我简直等不及了。

I started by drawing my stick-figure mom, dad and brother,

我先描绘出妈妈、 爸爸和我哥哥的轮廓，

but then filled in the white space with something else.

然后再给空白处涂色。

I’d used the washable paints I had mixed just a few minutes ago

我打算用我几分钟前 就调好的可水洗颜料

to create the colors of my family.

来给我们一家人涂色。

I colored my mom yellow, my dad blue

我把妈妈涂成黄色，爸爸涂成蓝色，

and my brother and I green.

然后我哥哥和我是绿色。

Every time someone asks about my background,

只要有人问起我的家庭

I'm reminded of that art class.

我都会想起这堂美术课。

My mom is 100-percent Ashkenazi Russian Jewish,

我妈妈是百分之百的德系犹太人，

and my dad is 50-percent Korean and 50-percent Belgian.

我爸爸一半韩国一半比利时血统。

So what does that make me?

那我应该是什么血统呢？

How should I describe myself?

我该怎么描述自己？

Where do I fit in among the color spectrum we were all taught in first grade?

我该归属于大家一年级 就学过的色谱中的哪一种颜色？

By definition, race is a categorization of humans

根据定义， 种族是基于生理特征和社会属性

based on physical and social qualities.

对人类进行的分类。

The term was first used to refer to speakers of a common language

这个词最初 是用来指说同一种语言的人

or to denote national affiliation.

或表示民族归属感。

But by the 17th century, the term referred to physical traits.

但是到 17 世纪， 种族这个词指的是生理特性。

So am I white or am I Asian?

那么我是白种人还是亚洲人呢？

The question of race has followed me around

种族的这个问题

for as long as I can remember.

自我记事起就一直让我很困惑。

Ever since I started taking standardized tests

从我开始参加各种标准化测试，

or filling out online surveys,

或在网上填一些调查报告，

I’ve been asked to select my race.

我都得选择我的种族。

And every time, I take a pause to think about which box I should choose.

每次我都得停下来想想， 我该选哪一个选项。

I'm white and Asian,

我既是白人，又是亚洲人，

but I'm not allowed to click both.

但是又不能双选。

So which do I pick?

那我该选哪个呢？

Well, when I was younger, I would always choose white.

我年纪更小一点的时候， 我选的一直是白人这个选项。

I simply concealed a portion of my identity

我仅仅是隐藏了自己身份的一部分

to make my life easier.

来我的生活更容易些。

Instead of having to think about what "other" meant on those surveys,

我没有考虑调查报告上的 “其他”选项是什么意思，

I would compress my identity into one single box.

只是把自己的身份 都压缩在一个选项栏里。

It was a quick and easy fix.

这样又快又省事。

But as I got older,

但是我长大了点后，

I realized that "other" better reflected my multiracial background.

我意识到“其他”这个选项能更好的反应 我多重种族的身份背景。

But that choice of "other" comes at a cost.

但是选“其他”这个选项是有代价的。

Even though I'm surrounded by loving and understanding people,

虽然我身边的人都有爱且宽容，

every time I go to check that box,

每次我要选那个选项的时候，

I'm forced to think of myself as "other,"

都会被迫认为我是个“他者”，

or someone who doesn't exactly fit in,

或是不能与社会相容，

like I'm some sort of anomaly or evidence of something strange.

感觉就像是我是不正常的， 或者就是个奇怪的存在。

I don't want the world to see me as "other,"

不想让其他人认为我是个“他者”，

or the given box on those surveys.

或是调查报告里某个特定的选项。

I know there's so much more to me.

我知道我有更多的特性。

But clearly, society doesn't see it that way.

但显然，这个社会不这么认为。

They want a simplified view of who each of us are.

他们就想要 我们每个人都有简单的属性。

But these days, are any of us that simple?

但是在当前， 我们当中谁又能那么简单呢？

One of my best friends says it perfectly:

我一个最好的朋友说的非常好：

"People are like an entire rainbow,

“人就像一个完整的彩虹，

and shouldn't be defined by any one of their colors."

不应该由某一个单一的色彩来定义。”

The one-box rule from test surveys

测试题和调查报告里 规定只能选一个选项

has confused multiracial people since the beginning of the US census.

这从最初的美国人口普查开始 就让多种族属性的人深感困惑。

For the longest time,

长久以来，

you could only select one box on being asked about your race.

被问及你的种族，你只有一个选项。

The Census Bureau didn't start to allow choosing more than one box

直到 2000 年， 人口调查局才开始允许

until the year 2000.

有多个选项。

2000. That was only 22 years ago.

2000 年。 仅仅是 22 年前才开始的事。

Every multiracial person living in America before the year 2000

2000 年之前生活在美国的 每一个多种族身份的人

had to, at some point, fill out a form

在某事某刻，都得填一个表格，

stating that they identify as one, singular race:

表格说他们只能被认定为单一种族：

white, Black, Asian, Indigenous, Pacific Islander.

白人，黑人，亚洲人， 原住民，太平洋岛民。

For everyone in that situation, you probably chose one of those,

那种情况下的每个人， 可能都只选一个选项，

reducing your racial makeup into one box.

把所有种族属性 压缩进一个选项栏里。

Or you chose "other," like me,

或者像我似的，选择“其他”，

because you're an aware secondary color of the rainbow.

因为你也了解 彩虹的次生色（混合色）。

So what does "other" mean?

所以“其他”到底是什么意思？

The definition is, literally,

定义所给的字面意思是，

someone who is different than one already known about.

某人和别人已了解的不一样。

But these people who choose "other" aren't different --

但是选择“其他”的 这些人并没有什么不一样--

we're comparing apples to oranges.

像是我们在比较苹果和橘子。

10 percent of the American population is multiracial,

美国 10% 的人口都是多种族的，

which measures out to about 33.8 million people.

这么算来大约有 3380 万人。

Within that number,

这个数字里，

there are so many combinations of cultures and races,

有很多不同文化和种族的结合，

yet we're all forced to fit into one box.

但我们却只能被迫选一项。

Not only is a multiracial person's experience

不仅是多种族的人的经历

different from those who are of one race,

和单一种族的人不一样，

but that experience also varies from person to person.

多种族人的经历也是因人而异。

There's a wide spectrum forcibly contained into one small square,

范围很广 却被迫被限制在一个小方框里，

an effect that minimizes the racial experience.

这就把种族经历最小化了。

Look what just happened: the same color, but five different ways.

来看看发生了什么： 相同的颜色，但五种不同方式。

Categorizing all multiracial people as "other"

把所有多种族的人统一归类为“其他”

is just like saying that navy and periwinkle are the same shade of blue.

就像在说海军蓝（深蓝色） 和长春花色（蓝紫色）都是色度一样的蓝色。

And that number, in America, is rapidly growing each year.

在美国，这个数字每年还在快速增长。

In the last 10 years, there was a 276-percent increase

过去十年间， 多种族身份人群的增长率

of multiracial-identifying individuals.

达到了 276%。

At some point in the future,

未来的某个时候，

there will be more people choosing "other"

会有更多人选择“其他”

than the handful of given boxes on those surveys.

而不是调查报告里 列出的那些特定选项。

Though this everexpanding rainbow is a beautiful thing,

虽然彩虹（多种族人群） 的不断扩大是件美好的事，

having all of those people have to categorize themselves

让所有这些人把自己分类

as "other" in society is not.

成为社会上的“其他人” 并不是美好的。

That's why I introduce a new idea of racial categorization

因此我有了这个新的种族分类的想法

in the form of an open-ended question.

就是用开放性的问题这种形式。

It would recognize a spectrum that's lacking in our world today.

这样就能识别出 如今我们缺乏的那一范畴。

One study, done by scientist Alicia Tran and others,

有一个研究，是由艾丽西亚 和其他科学家一起做出的，

showed that an open-ended question provided an experience once deprived

研究显示了开放性问题 提供了以往没有的体验，

when being asked about race with only a few options.

相比只用几个选项 来问人们的种族属性。

An open-ended question would give people an opportunity

开放性问题给人们提供了一个机会

to express pride in their multiracial backgrounds.

去表达对他们多重种族 身份背景的自豪感。

As our world continues to racially intertwine,

随着世界上各种族的相互交织，

we will reach a point where it will become impossible

早晚有一天我们会发现

to categorize people by a handful of outdated and predetermined boxes.

用一些过时的、预先设置好的选项栏 来给人们分类是不可能的。

Even now, we're seeing a declining population

即使是现在，我们已经看到

of reds, yellows and blues,

红色、黄色、蓝色数量在减少，

and an increasing community of oranges, purples and greens.

而橘色、紫色、绿色的群体在增加。

As such, we can no longer expect people to define who they are

因此，我们不能 再指望人们能定义自己是谁

by simply checking a primary color.

仅仅通过在一种原色上打钩。

Although race is a social construct

虽然种族是社会建构出来的概念

built on a structure of assumptions and stereotypes,

基于假设和刻板印象，

we cannot simply get rid of race altogether.

我们也不能把种族完全抹掉。

However, the simplicity and ease of an open-ended question

但是，简洁明了的开放性问题

could truly lead our society into a more inclusive and accepting world

可以真正推动一个包容性更强的社会

that acknowledges the spectrum of racial identities,

一个认可多种族身份范畴的社会，

a world where all the shades of greens, purples and oranges

一个绿色、紫色、 橘色的所有不同色调

are just as recognized as the reds, yellows and blues.

都能像红、黄、 蓝一样被认可的社会。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Cheers and applause)

（欢呼和掌声）