Everyone wants to be somebody special that everyone would like and want to be with. In reality, what makes people special depends on society and its biases. In these chapters of Fairest, Talusan struggles to accept travelling to America with her parents and siblings. She wanted to stay behind and live in the Philippines with her grandmother. Yet, her grandmother is the one to tell her she should go, which sent her down a path that not everyone can go down. While she is similar to other immigrants that travel to America for a chance at a better life, she found an advantage in her white skin.
Talusan was treated special and it shaped path. The first example would be Talusan’s grandmother, when Talusan writes “…who may have loved me regardless but favored me over everyone else because she connected my color to the wealthy, powerful Americans who had conquered our land.” (Talusan, 2020, pp. 91). Anyone would assume that her grandmother’s favoritism was just the matter of her love for Talusan. It is true she loves Talusan, however, she always brought up her skin being fair and beautiful. Her grandmother had believed that the ability to be perceived as white gave her the edge over everyone else. She thought one of the reasons Talusan will prosper is her skin. Her grandmother favored her, told her she’s special, and encouraged her to pursue a life in the U.S. It’s sad to even think that being white was a reason for it. It’s sadder that her grandmother wasn’t entirely wrong. She was seen as white and it helped her avoid discrimination against Asians.
Being treated special shaped Talusan’s decisions. Being praised for her whiteness made her try to be seen as white to everyone. She sometimes seems to forget that she isn’t white, such as when she was at a party and she said to herself “At least I’m not Asian.” (Talusan, 2020, pp. 120). She worked on her accent, her story, and even her clothes and hair to match other white people. She made sure that what her family said (that she would be seen as white) became a reality. It almost seems like she abandoned her old poorer self to be with the rich white Harvard students. This is significant because race has always been controversial and if being white means you’re special, would that make the rest of us not?
Moody, J. (2021). In fall 2019, 82% of accepted students enrolled at Harvard University in Massachusetts [Photograph]. U.S.News. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/universities-colleges-where-students-are-eager-to-enroll
Talusan, M. (2020). Fairest: A Memoir (pp. 83-149). Penguin Books.
