Am I Rachel Dolezal?

[Fireside_Hindu]

I've been reading a lot about her lately as she's given several new interviews. Looking at her life and what she believes about her identity, I began to once again examine whether or not I share too many uncomfortable traits with her.

For some back story: I'm Caucasian and I'm a practicing Hindu. While I've never claimed to be Indian or tried to alter my physical appearance to seem more Indian, I do wear saris and salwar kameez as well as the bindi in the context of attending temple. Clearly, on some level, I'm attempting to connect with the Indian Hindu community through these affectations and honestly, in every community I've participated in, I've received overwhelmingly positive feedback. I internally recognize that the Indian experience in America is not my experience and that my place within Hinduism is different. Also the struggles of Indian Hindus IN India are even further removed from my experience and I have never claimed them as my own.

Still, does that matter when people only have my outside appearance to go by? When they see me - a white woman in a salwar suit and bindi, do they feel threatened? offended? When I help out the Indian children in their Sunday Hindi class, does my race in that space create a positive experience or a negative one?

Now, people who know me have said there is clearly a difference between me and Rachel Dolezal - I'm not anything like her. But is that true? At what point will I have crossed the line? And if I already have, how to I respectfully participate in my religious community without overemphasizing my difference from their ethnic background?

Does any of this make sense?

I'm confused, if that wasn't apparent.

 

[Rival]

IMO you are not like Dolezal.

 

[Tumah]

Am I Rachel Dolezal?

Rachel Dolezal is the background that we are all a part of. We are all Rachel Dolezal and will one day return to Rachel Dolezal.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Rachel Dolezal is the background that we are all a part of. We are all Rachel Dolezal and will one day return to Rachel Dolezal.

It is an interesting idea, Tumah.

 

[VioletVortex]

Hindu is an Indo-European (Aryan) religion first and foremost. It is the Far Eastern interpretation of Proto-Indo-European Paganism, combining it with some native South Asian elements. I am White and very proud of my European descent, but I do like many elements of Hindu, partially because it is a manifestation of the root of my own religion.

 

[Vinayaka]

I've been reading a lot about her lately as she's given several new interviews. Looking at her life and what she believes about her identity, I began to once again examine whether or not I share too many uncomfortable traits with her.

I had to look her up, but no, I don't see the parallels.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

No. I don't see the similarity. You're a Hindu and you're part of Hindu culture. You're not doing it as a fad or anything.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Hindu is an Indo-European (Aryan) religion first and foremost. It is the Far Eastern interpretation of Proto-Indo-European Paganism, combining it with some native South Asian elements. I am White and very proud of my European descent, but I do like many elements of Hindu, partially because it is a manifestation of the root of my own religion.

Is this the 19th century?

 

[Jainarayan]

While I've never claimed to be Indian or tried to alter my physical appearance to seem more Indian, I do wear saris and salwar kameez as well as the bindi in the context of attending temple.

Then you are most definitely not Rachel Dolezal. I think she is deeply disturbed, or at least has an identity crisis of some kind. She truly believes she's black, yet knowing she was born of white parents. I don't see any parallel between you.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Okay- it feels like every 6 months or so this insecurity comes up for me and I need to re-evaluate whether what I'm doing is actually of benefit to the Hindu community as a whole or if my good intentions have lead me a bit astray. With Rachel in the media once again I think it made me paranoid because for a moment I saw some of what she claims as her intentions as my own as well and I started to get lost down the rabbit hole of comparisons.

 

[VioletVortex]

Is this the 19th century?

That was a completely non-racist statement. Everyone has the right to identify with their own heritage, whether or not they choose to feel it. My point was that Hindu is more European than the OP thought.

In your defense, I shouldn't have said "pride", that sounded extremely ignorant.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Now, people who know me have said there is clearly a difference between me and Rachel Dolezal - I'm not anything like her. But is that true? At what point will I have crossed the line? And if I already have, how to I respectfully participate in my religious community without overemphasizing my difference from their ethnic background?

Race is not a problem with Hindus if the person also is a Hindu (especially when one as good as you are). The effect is positive. IMHO, you crossed the line when you understood the Hindu psyche, when you understood us.

We are all Rachel Dolezal and will one day return to Rachel Dolezal.

When will you return to be a rabbi, Tumah?

I had to look her up, but no, I don't see the parallels.

Now that Vinayaka has checked, I have no need to check on her.

Is this the 19th century?

Centuries do not matter, Saint. Dharma is 'sanatana', eternal.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Okay- it feels like every 6 months or so this insecurity comes up for me and I need to re-evaluate whether what I'm doing is actually of benefit to the Hindu community as a whole or if my good intentions have lead me a bit astray. With Rachel in the media once again I think it made me paranoid because for a moment I saw some of what she claims as her intentions as my own as well and I started to get lost down the rabbit hole of comparisons.

You have landed in doubt. That is not a problem. Think over it - Manana, ask your heart (er ... brain). It will give you the right reply - Dhyana. There must be a BG verse for such situations, let me check. There is one when the Lord says that undecided people have unlimited doubts, the clear-headed have none. But let me search for another.

"Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir, ekeha kuru-nandana;
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca, buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām." BG 2.41

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

Being certain and having no doubts is a big advantage. Such deliberation is welcome.

 

[Rival]

She is now saying she's transblack

Rachel Dolezal tells South Africans she is 'trans black' | Daily Mail Online

@Fireside_Hindu, are you a transhindu?

 

[RabbiO]

She is now saying she's transblack

Rachel Dolezal tells South Africans she is 'trans black' | Daily Mail Online

@Fireside_Hindu, are you a transhindu?

If I felt like a train, would that make me transportation?

 

[Kirran]

If I felt like a train, would that make me transportation?

There's a fuzzy line when it comes to what is biological and what is a social category. Social categories are based essentially on identification, by oneself and society. Race is largely a social construct, based on ancestry and correlated with biological traits. The question up for discussion is whether that social construct is enough, or if ancestry and biology are also required.

 

[LuisDantas]

I'm not sure there is a line to be crossed. People's rights are not supposed to be reliant on their ethnic origin, and I see no good reason why people should not be allowed to adopt the ethnic identification that they feel best aligned to.

Whether people are properly entitled to speak on behalf of certain groups is IMO very much a separate matter.

I think Rachel Dolezal was mistaken on lying about her parentage, though.

 

[Nous]

I've been reading a lot about her lately as she's given several new interviews. Looking at her life and what she believes about her identity, I began to once again examine whether or not I share too many uncomfortable traits with her.

For some back story: I'm Caucasian and I'm a practicing Hindu. While I've never claimed to be Indian or tried to alter my physical appearance to seem more Indian, I do wear saris and salwar kameez as well as the bindi in the context of attending temple. Clearly, on some level, I'm attempting to connect with the Indian Hindu community through these affectations and honestly, in every community I've participated in, I've received overwhelmingly positive feedback. I internally recognize that the Indian experience in America is not my experience and that my place within Hinduism is different. Also the struggles of Indian Hindus IN India are even further removed from my experience and I have never claimed them as my own.

Still, does that matter when people only have my outside appearance to go by? When they see me - a white woman in a salwar suit and bindi, do they feel threatened? offended? When I help out the Indian children in their Sunday Hindi class, does my race in that space create a positive experience or a negative one?

Now, people who know me have said there is clearly a difference between me and Rachel Dolezal - I'm not anything like her. But is that true? At what point will I have crossed the line? And if I already have, how to I respectfully participate in my religious community without overemphasizing my difference from their ethnic background?

Does any of this make sense?

I'm confused, if that wasn't apparent.

I've recently read a couple of articles about Dolezal, too. I may read her book (when it comes out in paperback). I've come away with a much better impression of her. I didn't really know anything--beyond headlines--about what she had done, and I thought she must be some kind of liar and scam artist. But I've come to think that her identification with the oppressed (African Americans) in trying to reconcile her abusive or at least oppressive childhood isn't such an unusual thing. It is perhaps not so different than an embarrassed American becoming a Francophile.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

That was a completely non-racist statement. Everyone has the right to identify with their own heritage, whether or not they choose to feel it. My point was that Hindu is more European than the OP thought.

In your defense, I shouldn't have said "pride", that sounded extremely ignorant.

Does it matter how "European" (which it isn't, really) Hinduism is? It really doesn't. There's nothing wrong with a white person or anyone else following a South Asian religion.

 

[VioletVortex]

Does it matter how "European" (which it isn't, really) Hinduism is? It really doesn't. There's nothing wrong with a white person or anyone else following a South Asian religion.

I don't care what religion anyone practices so long as they don't expect me to follow the same path.