Making a HOME
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Making a home in a whitened space is a deep process. Embodying one's roots is in large part about embodying the body. It's where our spirit and heart resides. How does space inform that? Already being perhaps immigrants or children of immigrants or from a lineage of displacement comes with the cost of a form of estrangement. Ways I think individuals affected by this figure it out is by means of connecting with one's own community, whether cultural/ racial or otherwise. This can also include connecting to one's culture through music, literature, media, and expression in one's mother tongue or chosen form of slang/speech. There's levels to this process. Being in a whitened space can feel violent, even if it's a subtle form of violence as its not discernible unless you are attuned to the energetic and structural dimensions of white supremacy and its institutions /spaces. There is a strong, vital importance to being around people, culture and energies you can connect with on all levels or on some levels, but the spiritual force of kinship is most integral to well-being. Embodiment is also not integrating fully, as a form of resistance. Despite having to adapt in various ways, not adapting the most important parts of ourselves is key. Unfortunately if we are children we will most likely naturally try to be like others. But with age, knowledge of self and discernment we can embody and therefore move differently despite the space not reflecting our needs.
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@kaeli_asha said in Making a HOME:
Embodying one's roots is in large part about embodying the body. It's where our spirit and heart resides. How does space inform that?
Your post beautifully captures the complexity of navigating whitened spaces while striving for authenticity and connection. I’d like to expand on the themes of estrangement, community, and resistance you’ve raised.
The sense of estrangement that comes with being an immigrant or part of a displaced lineage resonates deeply. Whitened spaces often impose an unspoken expectation of assimilation, subtly—or overtly—demanding that individuals suppress parts of themselves to "belong." This is where the violence of such spaces lies: it is not always overt but is felt in the ways they fail to reflect or accommodate the fullness of diverse identities. As you point out, being attuned to the structural and energetic dimensions of white supremacy is essential to understanding this experience.
Your emphasis on community and cultural connection as a source of grounding and resistance is vital. These connections provide a spiritual force, as you say, that reaffirms one's identity in spaces that might otherwise seek to erase or diminish it. Whether through shared language, cultural practices, or artistic expressions, these acts of reconnection are powerful forms of self-preservation and defiance.
I also appreciate your point about embodiment as resistance—not fully integrating or adapting as a way of holding onto the most essential parts of oneself. This is a radical act in spaces that demand conformity, especially when we’ve often been socialized as children to mimic those around us. As adults, reclaiming and embodying our roots becomes a process of healing and self-assertion. It’s not about rejecting adaptation entirely but choosing what parts of ourselves we refuse to compromise, even in the face of structural pressures.
The profound importance of cultivating spaces—physical, emotional, or cultural—where kinship and authenticity can flourish is what makes a home. These spaces not only help us navigate whitened environments but also strengthen our ability to "move differently" with resilience and purpose.