So, the blogging community has already adopted the label ‘Diverse blogger’, and it’s something easy to remember and anyway, it’s already accepted as the phrase that describes a blogger who isn’t either white, or able-bodied, cis-gendered, or any of the other ‘default’ characteristics.
But a lot of people are having a hard time identifying that way because of its wide connotation.
I was inspired to write this sort of response post from Jo, at Once Upon a Bookcase’s post about finding it difficult to call herself a Diverse Book Blogger.
This was my comment on her post:
I feel this way too a lot of the time. I mean, in the sense of the word, diverse usually just refers to anyone who isn’t the default, even though the actual word shouldn’t refer to an specific group of people. But anyway, the way we use it, it would seem like it would include me, a blogger from Ecuador. But I just don’t feel like I should label myself that way. Because I, like you, have a lot of privilege. I’m white, able-bodied, and I LIVE in Ecuador, and therefore, have never experienced direct discrimination from being latina.
So, I don’t know if we fit in the ‘diverse blogger’ label, but I do know we’re diverse, if that makes sense.
Yes, this is an inclusion vs diverse sort of post
I feel like the label ‘Diverse blogger’ is counterproductive if this is the effect it’s having. If it was a white, cis-gender, able-bodied and all the other things blogger saying ‘diverse bloggers label is discriminating me!’ then, it would be like… Umm… We’re not discriminating you, we’re just trying to support minorities and people who aren’t being paid attention to. Which ‘Diverse Book Bloggers’ does marvelously!
But, we find ourselves with people, including myself, who even though we kind of ‘qualify’ as ‘Diverse bloggers’ aren’t quite sure we should identify as one. It’s not as clear as it seems haha.
Because the term, in spite of the definition we attribute to it, isn’t just that. Beyond and above everything else, it’s about privilege.
I think that’s the thing. That’s why some people embrace the label, and others don’t feel like they ‘deserve’ it.
Like I said in my comment to Jo’s post. I live in Ecuador, I’m latina, but I still feel very privileged because unlinke latinx living in the US, or other countries, I haven’t experienced the racism and all the stupid shit some of them are subjected to daily. It feels wrong to pretend I could be grouped with them under the umbrella of ‘Diverse blogger’ when it’s supposed to support them, not me.
It’s not like latinx in general don’t have their own problems about being a minority in literature, about representation problems. That’s another thing that I feel very strongly about. But for now, I just want to focus on the ‘Diverse blogger’ thing.
We’ve accidentally made the world ‘diverse’ a bit discriminatory*
*Edit: ‘Othering’ works best rather than ‘discriminatory’
When talking about books
I prefer if we used the word inclusive books. An inclusive book doesn’t discriminate. It represents the world as it is, with all its diversity. Now, please, don’t get mad. But like it or not, and as privileged as they may be, white and all the other default characteristics people are part of this world too, and like we’ve explained to them again, and again, The point is not discriminating them. We’re just trying to see ourselves in books too. To include ourselves as well!
But through the use of the word diverse, we’re saying: This is our group: diverse people, and this other one is yours. Stay in your lane, stay in your group.
Which is all good and well, until we come across intersectionality. What about white people who aren’t able-bodied? What about the person with anxiety who does happen to have enough money for treatment and while their life isn’t perfect, it’s way better than other people who don’t have their privilege?
What about them?
How do they, or even we, decide who gets to be called ‘Diverse’, and who isn’t?
When talking about people, it’s going to be harder than that
When talking about people for the love of everything that is holy, I hate labels. Labels defined my life for 16 years. I’m not very fond of them. They’re useful, but this label in particular is slowly crumbling from the inside and it’s sad, because the idea was amazing. And I hate it that the people outside, who mock us and are waiting for it to fail (I see you Bre Facheux) are smirking gleefully.
The truth is, we’re all diverse. Because we’re all different. If it’s going to be about supporting LGBTQ+ people, then let’s do that. If we’re going to support latinx bloggers, I’m so in. People with mental health issues? Where do I sign up?
But trying to divide us according to whether or not we’re privileged is going to be damn near impossible because, newsflash, 99% of us have it.
The very fact we’re able to read books? That’s some BIG privilege right there. The ‘small’ fact that we can speak english? You have no idea how privileged that is, even if it may not seem so.
Okay, so, no ‘Diverse Bloggers’. Then, how are we supposed to call all these people we want to help?
I have no idea. So it’s probably not going to change anything because, like I said, this label is already accepted and I doubt it’s going to go at this point. I just wanted for people to be more aware about this, and to be alert about how we use this label. Just be sure of not hurt the every same people we’re trying to help.
Thank you for reading. I’d like to believe I was very careful with the phrasing, but I could be wrong, and if I offended any of you in some way, I apologize from now, and feel free to point it out so I can fix any words or phrasing that did the deed.
I love this!
I think it’s something a lot of people are struggling with right now, because it’s not cut and dry, exactly like you’re saying!
I remember once going to use the hashtag #DiverBookBloggers, and I hovered, and deleted it. Because while I’m queer, I’m also middle class and white in the US. So of course I’m a very privileged woman.
Regardless, I’m so happy we have so many kinds of people blogging about books.
I’ve experienced that hesitation sooo many times. I want to feel like I belong there, but… not very possible. And of course! Having all sorts of people in the community is awesome! It’s one of my favorite things because new interesting people + books is the perfect combination!
You are so spot on about this. It’s definitely a bit discriminatory. Like, I can be called out about being white, although I live in a country where there are literally no PoC, because historically we just didn’t have any and we’re too poor to have any immigration (nobody wants to live here). But I’m still privileged! How, exactly? I don’t live in America 😀 the wages in my country are less than the poorest people make in the US! But I look white on my profile picture. Totally privileged. #notdiverse at all.
And, considering, I guess I could be diverse, cause I live in a tiny country, blog in English which isn’t even my own language, and my country is sometimes made fun of in books/media? Yet I don’t feel diverse at all. Cause I’m white and straight. Who cares where I’m from. Everyone assumes it’s the same as being American and white/straight.
So yes, you are right – I don’t feel like I could “count” as a diverse blogger. At all. Well, maybe for the fact that I’m pretty much a spoonie. But then again, I am not diagnosed. I don’t count! Not diverse. Not included in any of the categories. Meh, right.
You are so right about labels. Although this seems to be labels designed to help us, I feel like some of us are being kicked in the butt by it. These labels kind of only work for those who CAN scream loud enough. Not all of us want to or are able to do that. And then, sometimes it even goes as far as “hating the other side”. For example, hating on men in books, how is that feminist? But I’ve heard of it, seen it. How is that helping anyone? How is it diverse if we just turn the hate around to the other side? It just creates alienation.
Totally sharing your post.
I agree. People make a lot of assumptions, and our culture and stereotypes in general are to blame. In my case, latinx are supposed to look a certain way. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I look from the US, but I don’t fit into the latinx mold perfectly either. I don’t like labels, as you and other people don’t either, but it’s true, we want to belong. We want to be included, specially if it’s a group of people that shares traits with us!
I hadn’t heard about the men hating thing, though. Men are always saying feminism is about hating men, so this definitely wouldn’t help our cause. At any rate, the point should always be inclusion, not division.
Yeah… Reversing the stereotype won’t help. We need to get rid of them altogether 🙂
I think you make a great point her about how we sometimes force ourselves into corners when we try to label. Diversity is such a broad term and can carry so many connotations that in some ways it becomes unhelpful. I definitely understand the spirit of the term, but I think that labels can sometimes make it harder to find truths.
Yes, it’s a really difficult subject because the intention is so GOOD. The cause is necessary! But this fixation we have for classifying people usually does more harm than good 🙁 It’s not about ‘not seeing color’ or any of the things that erase the pain of people. We ARE different, but if we learned anything of Divergent is that we can’t put people in boxes.
It’s not something I’m ‘happy’ so many people identify with, but I’m glad we’re not alone and that there’s still some acceptance and support for folks that are sort of like in the middle of things.
Thank you!
This is a very interesting post! I thought I would refer to myself as a Diverse Blogger but also at the same time, it feels like I’m Othering myself? Does that make sense? I mean, I am not white, able-bodied, cis. I’m Indian, I’m a minority in the part of Asia I live in (because I don’t and have never lived in India), I have experienced racism, but it is not as overt as the racism can be in other countries. I’m not the “norm” and I use that term very loosely, because again, it feels like I’m Othering myself. I have no problems referring to myself as an #OwnVoices writer (though I am not published, some of my stories do feature Indian MCs), but Diverse Blogger? Not so much…
I probably just talked myself in circles, but yeah, this is an interesting thought. I want to come up with a term to describe myself that I feel comfortable with…
Yes! That’s exactly what I mean. I think ‘Othering’ is better than saying discrimination because it conveys exactly what I mean. Don’t worry, I totally get what you’re saying!