Author Archives: Christopher Huerta

The meaning of Fairest

With Fairest coming to an end in chapter 17 (no title), the audience is met with an even more curious Meredith Talusan, who is seen reading for The Vagina Monologues in October of 2001. After having read aloud to a group of undergrad women, one of the producers had bluntly asked her what reason she had for participating in this show, which Talusan had answered honestly. This experience led her to be more open with strangers, although, not everyone appreciated her honesty. For example, when discussing with other transgender women in an online chat room called, “TGForum”, she noticed that most women there believed that if they passed as a woman (physically), then they should be shut about being trans, which Talusan did not concur with. “A lot of the girls there took that as judgment of their choices, which left me isolated even among trans people. But I couldn’t help feeling that withholding my history not only implied I was ashamed of it but also sacrificed too much of myself and my life,” (Talusan, 2020). Though her stance wasn’t taken in with open arms by others in that part of the trans community, the way Talusan expressed herself in that brief moment was integral to the meaning of transgender. This read was definitely worth while, and while I don’t feel the same way they do, I respect them for what they are.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/plume-is-building-a-healthcare-service-specifically-for-the-transgender-community/

Separation and Distance in Fairest

As we enter chapter 13, “LADY WEDGWOOD, 2000–2002,” Meredith Talusan discovers a predicament that occurred by not having gone back home in 10 whole years. When she returned to the Philippines, she was greeted by bittersweet tears from her family, especially from her grandmother. Although this was a fond memory to take note of, Talusan realizes how long she hasn’t kept in touch properly with her family, and what effect it could have on their relationship. “It was Nanay Coro’s voice I picked out among the relatives who called my name, and my grandmother greeted me with a gush of tears, lamenting that I had not seen my grandfather before he died. As we hugged, I wished I’d kept in better touch, but I was too busy earning the life she wanted for me, too focused on notches of achievement instead of sentimental letters or expensive calls.” (Talusan, 2020). After being told of the news of her grandfather’s passing, Talusan could see how distant she was, but as it goes without saying, nothing comes without risks. I’ve had quite a few distant relatives of my own, and as tenacious as they were, they all ended up severing ties with me and other relatives of mine. Obviously, this doesn’t compare with Talusan, but with the right mindset, this type of action can have positive effects that outweigh the negative in life, even if it means not keeping in touch with one’s own family for a while, I’ve definitely been there myself.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/technology/coronavirus-how-to-live-online.html?smid=url-share

“Fairest” of them all

Moving onto chapter 7, “Harvard Man, 1993-1997,” Talusan is headed towards Harvard Square, and starts with an interaction with a taxi driver. While she is speaking to him, she begins to realize that he may be from a foreign country. Interesting enough, Talusan is able to speak French with the driver, and tells the reader about her ability to comprehend other languages. “It was true I had a good ear and didn’t need much practice to make sounds like those around me, whether in English or French.” (Talusan, 2020). Personally, as a bilingual person, I feel as though she makes a point, though it may come with a risk of being judged by others, such as people saying, “You sound white,” or something similar. In the following paragraphs, the interaction gravitates more towards her personal life, which the taxi driver is curious to know about. As the interaction comes to an end, Talusan is ready to explore the Harvard area, and hopes to feel welcome there.

After reading this paragraph, I began to realize that it feels as though I was living these experiences alongside her, and now that she is getting to the point where she is able to move forward with her life, it inspires me to do the same.

http://www.themistrading.com/

Meredith Talusan’s, “Fairest”

At the start of the book, we’re introduced to the first chapter, “Sun Child, 1980-1990,” and I noticed that the title is connected to the first paragraph, which speaks of a child who’s born with pale skin. Though, this was not seen as a good thing, as it was usually a warning to mothers not to stay in the sun for too long.  Miraculously, Talusan wasn’t completely blind, which was what allowed Talusan to read, which is why she enjoys reading to begin with. Later in the text, she quotes her grandmother, who had felt much appreciation for her granddaughter, and somewhat discontent with the skin she was in herself. “‘This is because you are fair and beautiful,’ she said, ‘not dark and ugly like me.’” (Talusan, 2020). This would imply that her grandmother has a different view of people compared to those around her, and challenges the idea that a child with pale skin is not something that should be labeled as ‘taboo’, but rather should be revered as part of one’s community. While this can be seen as discrimination towards oneself, I feel as though it’s more related to the idea that she was tired of the views her people had, and forced onto others, because of her ‘normal’ skin color.

After getting a brief look into who Talusan is, it’s safe to assume that she’s gone through much struggle within the start of her life, and will most likely have issues to overcome in the future (which will be seen in later chapters of the book). 

How it all started

Talusan, Meredith. Fairest: A Memoir. Penguin, 2021. Print.

Racial Justice Reads: Thoughts and post

  • I like how Meredith Talusan is praised by her grandmother in the prologue, but I don’t understand why the grandmother refers to herself as, “Not dark and ugly like me,” when comparing herself to her granddaughter.
  • I don’t like how Mercy treated Jaquira Díaz as less than because of her physical appearance, especially blaming her and her father for her looks.
  • I like that Kiese spoke about issues he wanted to overcome in his passage, specifically about wanting to take back what white people owed the black community, as well as wanting to fight them and not lose to them ever again.
  • I hadn’t ever thought about literary lineage before, so its interesting to hear the responses from the three authors about how it related to them.

My reactions are informed by my previewing actives due to the nature of their relationship towards the authors, and their pieces of writing. Such as the library assignment, which instructed me to write about a summary I chose, which relates to a book I decided to choose, and I picked Fairest. I feel like my reaction to Meredith Talusan’s prologue is filled with confusion, followed by questions regarding skin color, and I believe that reading Fairest will give me a better idea of what the author is trying to say. After I read, “La Otra,” “The Cover of my Face,” and “Quick Feet,” I found myself annotating to each text, hoping to discover more about the issues described in each story. These stories definitely gave me a better idea of what to expect from the book I chose, especially since I have no prior knowledge to go off of. Based on what I said so far, I expect this book to be filled with stories, pain, sorrow, dreams, and accomplishments.

I feel like these discussions and previewing readings set me up for more than I bargained for, which is great since I’m hoping to learn more about myself, whilst also understanding someone else’s experiences.

Racial Justice Reads: Kiese Laymon, Jaquira Díaz, Meredith Talusan. Dir. RC. Perf. Kiese Laymon, Jaquira Díaz, Meredith Talusan. Racial Justice Reads: Kiese Laymon, Jaquira Díaz, Meredith Talusan. Race Forward, 17 July 2020. Web. 18 Sept. 2021. <https://youtu.be/D4BQuha4jA4>.

Expectation

My expectations for this class are for everyone to be respectful, on time, and to come to class prepared. My expectations with the instructor would be to establish a connection based on trust and guidance. Expectations I have to each other should be to learn in a safe space, listening to one another when someone is speaking, and to begin to know one another. During high school, we are taught to be responsible for our learning, especially since our education is defined by our ideals and efforts. Based on past connections with my teachers, I found that it was easier to establish a connection by speaking a little bit about ourselves to each other, such as giving a secret and getting one in return. When it comes to learning alongside my peers, it is imperative that we do not judge each other for trivial reasons, especially when we are learning together and individually, not one or the other.