Desperately Sikh-ing Stigma

Through a delightful series of events I found my head being wrapped in a turban yesterday. It turns out UC Davis has a vibrant Sikh Student Association who were eagerly exhibiting their mad turban skillz at an activity fair. Aside from the normal enjoyment I get when people pay attention to my head (ask anyone, I love haircuts) I was especially excited to finally expose the town of Davis for the racist cesspool that it is. In the vein of "Black Like Me" I would undergo a near complete transformation (putting on a turban) and be the object of intense prejudice until I got bored or had to go to work a few hours later (whichever came first).

Turbans are actually pretty comfortable, as it turns out. My head didn't get hot at all, despite it being definite t-shirt weather, and the wrapping of the cloth around my dome felt snug, but not unpleasant. Kinda like a turtle neck for your head. Fast head movements took a bit of getting used to, since I was balancing a bit more weight than before, but it was nothing terribly comedic. All in all, I'm pretty much pro-turban, with the sole caveat being that by the time I finally took it off my head was itching like crazy and I had one serious case of "turban hair."

Okay, so walking around on campus there was a definite lack of hatred tossed in my direction. If I got any looks at all, they were mainly based around the incongruousness of my outfit. Jeans, polo shirt, white skin, turban. I think it might've been the last two that threw people, but they also could've been shocked by my well-fitting Levi 529s. You never know. Even so, being a turban-wearer while white around Davis is still nothing in comparison to being a person while white in Malaysia. I quickly realized that if I was going to illicit some really juicy, racist, Pulitzer for Blogging type of responses, I would have to leave this (apparently) accepting/indifferent university campus and venture out into downtown shops. That's where all the real racists are, I'll wager.

But my quest for religious intolerance and hateful behavior hit yet another snag. Try as I might, I could not get anyone to be an asshole to me. I crossed the street, causing cars to stop and they just waited politely until I passed. I went into a bunch of different stores, asked for things that they didn't have and everyone was still extremely courteous. It was... eerie. Because while people were being nice, I had the distinct feeling (though this could've been just me) that they were actually being a little too nice. Like when you meet your ex's new girlfriend and you want them to think you don't hate her so badly that you come off seeming way nicer than you really are. There was a shakiness in their courtesy and behavior that I wasn't accustomed to. While this wasn't the discrimination I was looking for, it would have to do.

Oddly enough I kept on getting nods when I made contact with Indian people. They weren't wearing turbans, but they made eye contact and there'd be a recognition of something that they thought I was, which they'd acknowledge with a smile or short nod. Stranger and stranger.

So at the end of the day the score was:
Hate crimes: 0
Hateful epithets: 0
Hateful gestures: 0 (or at least none that seemed explicitly directed at me)
Uncomfortable friendly people: 5
Undeserved acknowledgments from strangers: 3

When I saw that things were going badly for my hate-quest I briefly entertained the idea of provoking people a bit more... acting like a huge jerk, yelling in a foreign language, using my iPod earbuds as wires sticking out from under my shirt... but I realized that that sounded more like entrapment than a fair and unbiased experiment.

Still, I can't say how weird this niceness was that I was on the receiving end of. If I had urinated in any of the stores I was in, I don't even think they would have asked me to stop. It felt like they were a little afraid of offending me. So if you ever want to get away with something in Davis, go ahead and put on a turban first. Assuming, of course, that you're white. Otherwise, I really can't guarantee your safety.

Comments

Annie Fox said…
Really interesting experience you had, Ez! For me, I'd take overly kind to overtly hostile any time. In fact, when folks are being overly kind to people in wheelchairs, or blind people being lead by seeing-eye dogs, etc. they are feeling good about themselves. And their heart is likely to be open. Sure they're acting a bit, but it's good to feel good about the choices you make. And when your choices (even those with a tinge of pretense in them) result in a positive interaction with a stranger... then just maybe, the next time you encounter someone wearing a turban, you're kind reaction will be more natural.
I think we need to make an uncomfortable scale where the end is "white person in malaysia" and the beginning is "white person in the US"
This sounds like a vast conspiracy. You walked into a cover-up my friend. I say keep upping the ante until those racist bastards break!

seriously though I agree with Annie about the wheelchair people etc - but does that mean those friendly people view a turban as a disability? I for one would love a turban to insulate my head from the patronizing "head patters". They make me want to hump their leg and chew holes in their shoe.

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