Writing On a Different Ethnic Race
Conservative, Moderate and Liberal Approaches for the Novice
This article guides the beginner writer through the three categories of conservatism, moderation, and liberalism in the context of writing about race.
The issue of writing about ethnicities other than the author’s own is not a new one, but for novice writers, it is something to be aware of.
There are three separate attitudes circulating in the writing industry pertaining to what is the ‘right’ approach. These three could be categorized much like any other social concern: liberal, moderate, or conservative.
It is the trend of Western civilization to grow more liberal with time, but the boundary surrounding race issues is more of a barbed wire fence than a free for all. In other words, more people lean towards the conservative.
Two reasons people gear their writing towards the conservative: one, they truly believe that boundaries should exist and mustn’t be crossed; and two, they are scared of upsetting the true conservative individuals but whether or not they believe the boundary should remain, they take this safe route via conservatism.
The conservative writer strongly believes in barriers. His motto might be something like, “You don’t bother me, I won’t bother you.” He will write only about his own race, particularly when writing about an individual in a less than admirable light.
Liberalism is generally trendy but often dangerous ground to tread. It is the liberal writer who believes that writing about any race in any way is acceptable, but there is a difference between the liberals and the extreme liberals.
Liberals understand the social issues and pressures that bind the fragile emotional reactions of writing about a race other than one’s own, but write about it anyway. The extreme liberals are aware of these social issues and pressures, but ultimately dismiss public reaction, traveling the original path despite consequence.
The liberal writer does not adhere to any set or assumed boundary. He often believes his mode of thinking is progressive and a necessity on the cultural landscape. This type of writer tackles the issues pertinent to his characters, despite a potential upheaval by groups of readers. His main concern is authenticity to what his characters need and finds that changing their opinions could be detrimental to the story as a whole.
Between the conservative and the liberal is the moderate. This writer functions just as the title suggests, moderating each end of the spectrum, finding a balance between. And often this balance is like sailing a boat—in order to go straight, the sailor must go a little left, then a little right, and so on. Here, in order to please both sides, the moderate utilizes a little conservative technique, then a little liberal technique, and so on.
The moderate writer reaches for a balance in an attempt to either please everyone or bother everyone. Either way, everyone feels the same and no single race is isolated. He could be an African American and write negatively about a Filipino, and in order to create some abstract equilibrium, the author will also write negatively about an Indian or a Puerto Rican. Then he might tiptoe around the conflict by allowing another character to have an opposite point of view, perhaps be part of an interracial marriage.
As you can see, there is no right or wrong when writing about race in the 21st century. As a writer, you cannot please everyone, and many writers don’t even want to. It is your call how you tackle the issue of race in your writing, but it is your ethical responsibility to always be aware.
