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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

When I was in first grade,

我記得我在一年級的時候學到顏色。

I remember learning my colors.

We started by learning about the primary colors:

我們一開始先學主要的原色：

red, yellow and blue.

紅色、黃色，和藍色。

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

我們的老師教我們， 它們是構成彩虹的純色。

No two colors could be combined to create them.

無法用任何兩個顏色組成它們。

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

我們的下一個作業，就是 把它們混合成更複雜的顏色：

green, purple and orange.

綠色、紫色，及橘色。

These secondary colors, especially green,

這些二次色非常 吸引我，尤其是綠色。

stood out to me.

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

我覺得好炫，把兩個 原色混合在一起

to create something nuanced and completely unique.

竟然能創造出完全獨一無二 又微妙的顏色來。

當我們的老師告訴我們， 下一個作業是畫我們的家庭，

When our teacher told us

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

I couldn't wait.

我等不及了。

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

我開始先畫了火柴人版本的媽媽、

爸爸，和兄弟，接著 把空白處填上別的。

but then filled in the white space with something else.

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

我用我幾分鐘之前 混合出來的可水洗顏料，

to create the colors of my family.

創造出我家庭的顏色。

I colored my mom yellow, my dad blue

我把媽媽畫成黃色，爸爸是藍色，

and my brother and I green.

我和我兄弟則是綠色。

Every time someone asks about my background,

每當有人問到我的背景，

I'm reminded of that art class.

我就會想到那堂美術課。

My mom is 100-percent Ashkenazi Russian Jewish,

我媽媽是百分之百的 阿什肯納奇俄羅斯猶太人。

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

我爸爸是一半韓國人一半比利時人。

So what does that make me?

那會讓我變成什麼？

How should I describe myself?

我要如何描述我自己？

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

在大家一年級時學到的顏色 色譜上，我屬於哪裡？

By definition, race is a categorization of humans

從定義來看，種族是人類的分類，

based on physical and social qualities.

依據的是身體特徵和社會特徵。

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

這個詞最早被用來意指 說共同語言的人，

or to denote national affiliation.

或表示國家隸屬。

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

但到了十七世紀，這個詞 被用來意指身體特點。

So am I white or am I Asian?

所以，我是白人還是亞洲人？

The question of race has followed me around

從我有記憶以來， 種族的問題就一直跟著我。

for as long as I can remember.

Ever since I started taking standardized tests

從我開始參加標準化測驗， 或填寫線上調查的問卷，

or filling out online surveys,

I’ve been asked to select my race.

我都得選擇我的種族。

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

每次，我都得停下來想想 我該勾選哪一項。

I'm white and Asian,

我是白人也是亞洲人，

but I'm not allowed to click both.

但我又不能勾選兩項。

So which do I pick?

那我該挑哪一個？

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

年紀比較小的時候， 我總是勾選白人。

I simply concealed a portion of my identity

我單純只是隱藏我的部分身分 讓我的人生順遂一點。

to make my life easier.

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

我不用去想那些問卷上 「其他」是什麼意思，

I would compress my identity into one single box.

我只要把我的身分 壓縮到一個選項中即可。

It was a quick and easy fix.

這是快速又容易的解決方案。

But as I got older,

但隨著我長大，

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

我了解到「其他」 更能反映出我的多種族背景。

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

但選擇「其他」是有代價的。

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

雖然我身邊都是慈愛且寬容的人，

every time I go to check that box,

每當我勾選了「其他」，

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

我就被迫把我自己視為 「其他」或格格不入的人，

or someone who doesn't exactly fit in,

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

好像我是某種異常的人 或有奇怪之處。

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

我不希望世界把我視為「其他」 或問卷上既定的選項。

or the given box on those surveys.

I know there's so much more to me.

我知道我遠不只是如此。

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

但很顯然社會不是這麼想的。

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

他們想要用簡化的視角來看每個人。

But these days, are any of us that simple?

但現今，有誰是這麼簡單的嗎？

One of my best friends says it perfectly:

我有位摯友說得非常貼切：

"People are like an entire rainbow,

「人就像是整道彩虹，不應該 用其中一種顏色來定義。」

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

The one-box rule from test surveys

測驗和問卷上的單選規則

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

打從美國人口普查開始時 就讓多種族的人感到困惑了。

For the longest time,

長久以來，被問到種族時， 你都只能選擇一個選項。

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

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

普查局一直到 2000 年 才開始允許勾選多個選項。

until the year 2000.

2000. That was only 22 years ago.

2000 年，那不過是 22 年前。

Every multiracial person living in America before the year 2000

2000 年之前，住在 美國的每個多種族居民

had to, at some point, fill out a form

在某個時點都必須要

用單一種族來陳述他們的身分：

stating that they identify as one, singular race:

white, Black, Asian, Indigenous, Pacific Islander.

白人、黑人、亞洲人、 原住民、太平洋島民。

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

在那種處境下的人， 可能就得從中挑一個，

reducing your racial makeup into one box.

把你的種族組成縮減成單一個選項。

Or you chose "other," like me,

不然就跟我一樣選「其他」，

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

因為你有意識到 自己是彩虹的二次色。

So what does "other" mean?

所以，「其他」 是什麼意思？它的定義

The definition is, literally,

someone who is different than one already known about.

就是和已知選項不同的人。

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

但選擇「其他」的人並沒有不同——

我們是把蘋果拿來和橘子做比較。

we're comparing apples to oranges.

10 percent of the American population is multiracial,

有一成的美國人是多種族的，

which measures out to about 33.8 million people.

換算出來大約是 3380 萬人。

Within that number,

在這些人當中，有好多 不同文化和種族的組合，

there are so many combinations of cultures and races,

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

但我們都被迫要塞入一個選項當中。

Not only is a multiracial person's experience

多種族的人和單一種族的人 不僅會有不同的經歷，

different from those who are of one race,

but that experience also varies from person to person.

每一個人的經歷都不盡相同。

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

一個很廣泛的色譜，被強迫 放進了一個小框框中，

an effect that minimizes the racial experience.

這個效應會將種族經歷 變得微不足道。

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

看看剛才這個狀況：同樣的 顏色，但有五種不同的方式。

Categorizing all multiracial people as "other"

把所有多種族的人都歸為「其他」，

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

就如同是在說海軍藍 和長春花藍是同一種藍色。

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

且在美國，多種族人數 每年都在快速增加。

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

在過去十年間，

身分認同為多種族的人

of multiracial-identifying individuals.

增加了 276%。

At some point in the future,

在未來某一天，

there will be more people choosing "other"

在這些問卷上勾選「其他」的人 會比其他幾個既有選項更多。

than the handful of given boxes on those surveys.

Though this everexpanding rainbow is a beautiful thing,

雖然這種不斷擴展的彩虹很美麗，

having all of those people have to categorize themselves

讓所有這些人在社會上 必須要將自己歸類為「其他」

as "other" in society is not.

就一點也不美麗了。

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

這就是為什麼我要提出 一個種族分類的新點子：

in the form of an open-ended question.

用開放式問題的形式。

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

那就能認可我們現今世界 很缺乏的色譜。

One study, done by scientist Alicia Tran and others,

科學家艾莉西亞‧特拉安 等人做了一項研究，

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

研究發現，過去在被問及種族時 因為只有幾個選項

when being asked about race with only a few options.

而導致被剝奪的體驗， 改用開放式問題就能夠提供。

An open-ended question would give people an opportunity

開放式問題能給大家機會

to express pride in their multiracial backgrounds.

表達他們對於自己 多種族背景的驕傲。

As our world continues to racially intertwine,

隨著我們的世界在種族上 持續交織連結，

we will reach a point where it will become impossible

遲早有一天，我們將不可能

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

用少數幾個過時且預先 決定的選項來將人分類。

Even now, we're seeing a declining population

就連現今，我們也能看到 紅、黃、藍的人數在減少，

of reds, yellows and blues,

and an increasing community of oranges, purples and greens.

橘、紫、綠的族群則在增加。

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

因此，我們無法再期待大家 單純用選擇原色的方式

by simply checking a primary color.

來定義他們是什麼人。

Although race is a social construct

雖然種族是一種社會建構，

built on a structure of assumptions and stereotypes,

立基在假設和刻板印象的架構上，

we cannot simply get rid of race altogether.

但我們不可能直接 把種族擺脫掉就好。

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

然而，開放式問題的簡單又易用，

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

能夠真正領導我們的社會 邁向更包容、接納的世界，

that acknowledges the spectrum of racial identities,

這個世界承認種族認同的色譜，

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

在這個世界中， 各種綠色、紫色，和橘色

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

能夠和紅色、黃色， 和藍色得到一樣的認可。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Cheers and applause)

（歡呼及掌聲）