Hazards of Walking the Political Line with Russians

1. Overt racism. I work at an ethnically European-American organization that works with Ethnic Russians, Indigenous Peoples of Russia, and Asian-Russians. They have their bones to pick with eachother, but they are all pretty comfortable with European-Americans (hereafter "white people"). The white people they know are like the people I work with, often working in segregated circumstances, where the US NGO staff is primarily or exclusively white (due to traditional NGO elitism plus the nonprevalance of people of color with Russian skills). So not in ANY contact or circumstance do they have prior interaction with people of color from the US, and then they come to Oakland, San Francisco, Washington, DC, to visit. They are overtly amazed at the many different and often dark colors of peoples' skin, and will innocently ask for photographs with people who are exotic looking to them. Really! And really innocently. But to the grave discomfort of the well-trained well-intentioned white people that are trying to wrangle them.

Last night an Ethnic Russian visiting from absolute bumfuck nowhere Siberia was entranced with these two children the color of the darkest night sky sitting on a white bed in the bedroom display section of Ikea. He asked me to take his picture with them. I wouldn't, but I asked the Ikea employee who was talking to the kids, and who was African American, to stand for a photo with our guest. She was puzzled but not offended and hopefully I've averted a future disaster on this trip, since he now has his desired souvenir photo of himself with an African American. This definitely puts me in political grey area, as someone trying to live an anti-racist life, but I really felt like this urge of his to be photographed with exotic-to-him looking people could end VERY badly if it wasn't taken care of in safe circumstances. So, hopefully the young lady at Ikea thinks he spontaneously wanted a photo of someone who works at Ikea, and doesn't suspect the reality of the situation. Although, if I were her, I'd be suspicious. I apologized a little too much.


2. The reality that you might start fitting in with the Ethnic Russians. The questionable pedigree that Ethnic Russians have with regards to so many things-- treatment of minority ethnicities, minority religions, women, the environment, their neighboring countries-- leaves you with this question in your head when inevitably someone says "you're REALLY Russian now." Yes, working with a group of a certain language/ ethnic group you do try to fit in and not assert your own cultural expectations on the group. But do I REALLY want to thought to be REALLY Russian? This question comes up for me-- I try not to dwell.

Last night I briefly lost my car keys in the Ikea parking lot-- they fell from my hand into my trunk and got buried under some bags. So, I went from talking with my guests about my Swedish grandmother to being just at a loss-- here we are! Stuck in the parking lot! Oh well! As I unpacked things and eventually found the keys one of the Russians piped up-- "You're not Swedish-- you're Russian!" I know he didn't mean it in any way other than playful, and even complementary (see, you're just like us!), but it does leave me wondering if it isn't finally time to visit the land of my FarMor. Get in touch with some roots OTHER than my adopted Russian ones.

3. Of course the inevitable confusion with the Spy Names. And the Spy Rocks, getting clear transcriptions from our moles in Moscow.

KIDDING!