Worn Out with Holes

This storyteller describes their experience of constantly being told they were not "mixed enough" in Lane County. 

You can read more about the project, about Wordcrafters in Eugene, about our sponsors and community partners, and send in your own Lane County, Oregon stories at StoryHelix.Wordcrafters.Org.

Thanks for listening!

Transcript

[00:00:00] Leah Velez: You're listening to Story Helix: intertwining stories, past, present, and not yet imagined in Lane County, Oregon. What's up, earthlings? I'm Leah Velez, and I'll be your host. 

[00:00:24] The story we're about to hear was recorded by a young interviewer at a Eugene Alternative High School. They chose someone in their community to ask questions and sent in their recordings as part of a class project. Some of them are folks that worked in the school, some are community members, they know, some are siblings and some are friends. 

[00:00:43] Let's open up our ear nuggets and give it a listen.

[00:00:49] Storyteller: I think that Eugene, Oregon would probably be a really worn out old piece of clothing with a whole bunch of holes in it. And why I think that is because I feel like Eugene, Oregon is in a very good town and it's like really run down and it does have a lot of holes in it, like bad things. I guess when I tell people that I'm mixed, they don't believe me.

[00:01:20] They think that I'm lying about being mixed because of how pale I am, and the only reason why they do believe me. Yeah. That's the only reason why they believe me is because of my curly hair, and they still have hesitation then. 

[00:01:34] I hope that someday Eugene, Oregon will become a better place for people to feel comfortable and proud to call this their home, and proud to say that they lived here their whole life and not a, a smidge ashamed of it by making the community a whole, instead of having it separated. Into separate... I don't really know how to say that, but I think that should just be a whole community instead of being split. 

[00:02:09] Interviewer: If belonging were a photo, what do you think that would look like? 

[00:02:14] Storyteller: I think that it would be a really happy, joyful photo. Bright colors and people smiling and everybody happy to be around each other and comfortable to be around each other.

[00:02:34] Leah Velez: Thanks for listening. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you've got your own Lane County story to tell, we'd love to hear it at storyhelix.wordcrafters.org