Blog 5: Passing

One of the more integral parts of our class discussions this week was the issue of passing. Passing refers to an individual being able to be thought of as a member of a social group that they actually aren't. An example of this may be found in reading 49 in our book, in which the author details how even though she wouldn't really classify herself as being Indian, she was still viewed in this way by her white peers. When people ask her where she's from, they expect an exotic sounding name of an Indian state, rather than her reply that she's originally from Phoenix, Arizona. This is an example though, of passing that's unwanted, as the author would rather just be known as American, since America is her homeland. Passing that is wanted, on the other hand, would include blending in with a group that one isn't normally a part of for some gain. An example of this would be someone being invited to a Superbowl party even though they aren't a fan of football. They may quickly read over details from the season about the teams and pick one to support. When the party comes, they may then appear to be an avid football fan like the rest of the party, when in reality they are just successfully passing for one.

This is a clip of Peter attempting to pass as an Italian, but he is in fact failing. From his point of view, all he would need to pass is a mustache and to speak in "boops" and "beeps" in order to be perceived as being a part of this social group. Many times, attempts at passing may end up failing. Another example of this would be if in my previous Superbowl example, one of the party goers had been able to find out that the individual was trying to pass for a football fan. Along with their interest in football being found to be a charade they may also face social embarrassment and be remembered for this event for the foreseeable future.