English 115
Quyen Tran
Fall 2021
QUYEN 'S SPACE
Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric's Impact on People of Color!
People of color's lives matter! As an Asian moving to the United States, where implicit biases, microaggressions, and other forms of discrimination are already in place, there were many times I have been discriminated against because of my skin color. Even though it hurts to admit, after reading Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric, I can confidently tell you that everyone has their own biases, and they may have been consciously or unconsciously stereotyped by those false biases. When I read Claudia Rankine's book, there were many times I questioned myself whether people of color are too sensitive to those implicit biases and microaggressions or if it's because most people don't volunteer to put themselves in people of color's shoes, so they don't understand that "sensitivity." Undoubtedly, Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric is effective because it brings awareness of how White Americans hold implicit biases and microaggressions in their everyday lives against people of color as well as a sobering reminder of the never-ending systemic racism in America and the negative effects it brings to people of color.
Consequently, as a result of being an Asian moving to the United States, I completely understand what it feels like being the victim of prejudice; and I could tell that Rankine's book is very effective in bringing awareness of implicit biases and microaggressions that White Americans hold in their everyday life against people of color. After reading Rankine's book, I realized that there were many times that I got judged by White Americans' words and actions just because of my race. For example, there was one time when I was in my math class waiting for the result of the final exam that I took a week ago. My friend in the seat behind me asked for my score and told me that I must be good in math since I am Asian, even though she hasn't seen the result yet. The surrounding space suddenly becomes silent and tense. Even though I have heard every word clearly, I c ould not do anything but ask, "What did you just say?" And she cannot repeat what she has just said. On account of that, I learned that the power of language could strongly identify who you are in the world, and when things have been said, they can never be taken back. Absolutely, "Words work as release–well-oiled doors opening and closing between intention, a gesture" (Rankine Section V). Words are so powerful as they can tell everything and hurt one’s feelings. For me, I used to think that words help to connect people. But after all, I realized that words can also harm and strongly impact how people think and what they believe in. Even though they don't express their implicit bias outright, these implied messages were shown through their actions and it can hurt people's feelings and break them apart.
Although years have passed, and I thought that time healed my wounds from being segregated, Claudia Rankine's book reminded me again of what happened and brought recognition of the importance of implicit biases and microaggressions that are happening in our everyday lives. One example is when Rankine talked about a situation when a neighbor called the police after "watching a menacing black guy...walking back and forth talking to himself and seems disturbed" ( Section I). White Americans often view people of color as associated with crimes. The neighbor's action on calling the police was maybe well-intentioned since he called the police because he merely believed it was a thief or something. However, deep down in his mind, implicit biases regarding people of color were there since he referred to that Black American as threatening based on his skin color. Besides, in Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D.'s article "Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life," he gives a story of a third-generation Asian American "complimented by a taxi cab driver for speaking such good English." Indeed, people frequently misunderstand and hold implicit biases or implied judgments against people of color. Racism and mistreatment are still happening every day, and people are unable to control their biases against people of color. These experiences of racism and prejudice bring awareness of how White Americans hold implicit biases against people of color and often view them as they are not citizens of the United States.
In addition, the experiences of being racist and stereotyped can strongly affect people of color mentally and physically. Many people give biases to people of color through words or actions that they believe are "well-intentioned." But whether it was "well-intentioned" or not, we cannot ignore the fact that it hurts people of color. These experiences would be long-lasting memories that hurt people when they think about them. In fact, memory "is a tough place," and everyone "like[s] to think memory goes far back though remembering was never recommended" (Rankine Section IV). We are more likely to remember negative experiences than positive experiences, and memories can cause us to live in the past. The memory of the past can strongly affect racialized groups who are trying to escape out of the darkness of racism to find their true identity. According to Rankine, "The past is a life sentence, a blunt instrument aimed at tomorrow" (Section V). People of color, in general, cannot escape the prison of the past where they experienced racism. The experience of racism can damage the memory and perception of racialized groups, preventing them from moving on and finding their true identity.
Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric is not only impressive because it brings awareness and the impact of implicit biases and microaggressions, but it also rings a straight warning of the never-ending systemic racism in the United States. Talking about America, the first things that jumped up on people's minds maybe was about its wealthy and friendly people. However, behind that flashy appearance was a series of racial segregation that was rooted in most White Americans' minds and caused death for many Black Americans. In Claudia Rankine's book, the speaker talks about the Hackney riots that happened after "Mark Duggan, a black man, a husband, a father, and a suspected drug dealer, was shot dead by officers from Scotland Yard's Operation Trident" (Section VI). In truth, the criminal justice system in America also has biased and placed unjust actions against people of color. After Mark Duggan's death, the government officials and media mainly focused on the images of the riot and looters, displacing the fact that an unarmed Black American man died by the police officers. Also, Rankine's book points out that "Because white men can't / police their imagination / black people are dying" (Section VI). People of color are paying with their life because of the biases and injustice actions in the United States. They were often victims of racial profiling and more likely than Whites to be harassed and arrested. Frequently, Black Americans' deaths ring the warning bell about the importance of discrimination and prejudice that never ended in the United States.
Although Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric was written from a second-person point of view and structured with different stories and images, it was complicated and confusing to read. However, her unique formatting style and the special construction give us a deeper understanding of how White Americans unconsciously or consciously impose biases against people of color in their everyday life as well as a sobering reminder of the never-ending systemic racism in America and the long-term effects it brings to the people of color. Rankine's book explicitly changed my perception of the community around me after I read the text. America is inherently a country in character and in a culture where implicit biases and microaggressions have remained stable from the past and continue entrenched in society until the present day. If we don't take action and instead keep ignoring racism and biases, more people of color will pay their life for it!
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Works Cited
Derald Wing Sue Ph.D., “Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life.” Psychology Today, 5 Oct. 2010,
Rankine, Claudia. Citizen an American Lyric. Penguin, 2015.
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