“White People Can Join Too”: A Critical Autoethnography on the Concept of “Whiteness” in Relation to Middle Eastern American/Iranian American Racial Identity

Authors

Meredith Granmayeh, Chapman Univeristy

Abstract

When discussions surrounding race in the United States occur, the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) ethnic minority group tends to be disregarded and their thoughts and concerns ignored. The classification of MENA people as “white” on all government documents in this country despite backlash from this group has led to a sense of racial confusion/frustration. I explore this issue through the critical autoethnography medium, a newer type of essay that combines personal narrative and academic elements in order to craft cultural commentary on or about a specific social identity. In the submitted work, I begin with and frequently revisit an instance related to my Iranian American background and the concept of “whiteness”. This anecdote is then connected to analysis, supported by a variety of outside sources, of MENA racial identity as a whole. Through this piece, I use my individual experiences as well as the synthesized research to illustrate the significance of language and labels that accurately describe and portray a racial/ethnic group.

Recommended Citation

Granmayeh, Meredith (2023) "“White People Can Join Too”: A Critical Autoethnography on the Concept of “Whiteness” in Relation to Middle Eastern American/Iranian American Racial Identity," RhetTech: Vol. 5, Article 8.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rhettech/vol5/iss1/8