Students Explore Identity, ‘Passing’

At a discussion Wednesday evening, students explored the dangers of allowing others to project unauthentic characteristics of their identity.

The event, which took place in the Leverett House Fairfax Common Room, was part of the new Co-Existing Self discussion series, which is sponsored by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations and Harvard College Women’s Center.

The small group shared stories about the different roles individuals play at Harvard and the troubles of what they termed as a modern-day version of ‘passing’.

“I would define ‘passing’ as presenting one’s self in a way that may or may not be accurate or authentic” said Grace L. Chen ’15, one of the organizers of the event. Chen said that sometimes an individual will turn certain parts of his or her identity on or off, depending on certain circumstances.

Discussion began with an activity encouraging individuals to display which of four broad categories—academic, social, extracurricular, or residential life—participants felt most comfortable in.

Afterwards, students were asked which of the same four areas they felt that they ‘passed’ most into—which category they felt most compelled to act in certain unauthentic ways because of outside perceptions or expectations others have of them.

Individuals shared stories about assumptions others place on them based on their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation.

Edward Cho ’16 described the balancing act that one must have in deciding to accept identities outsiders assign to oneself.

At certain times, Cho said it might be beneficial not to initially reveal one’s true identity to a group and refrain from objecting to being passed off as such.

“It’s kind of like a subconscious thing depending on the environment I’m in,” Cho said, adding that sometimes passing happens naturally.

In characterizing some of the opinions offered during the conversation, Chen said that the group did not consider passing to always be a bad thing. In fact, she said that group members felt passing is sometimes beneficial.

“[While passing,] certain aspects of myself usually come out that I feel would best mesh with the people present,” Cho said.

At the same time, however, participants in the discussions, including Cho, expressed the danger in compromising one’s identity for the sake of fitting in.

Those who joined in conversation spoke additionally about the fluid nature of the identity a student has at Harvard. They jointly talked about the discomfort sometimes associated with the overlapping of identities from different facets of undergraduate life.

Chen emphasized the importance of sparking further discussion about the facets and difficulties associated with co-existing both at Harvard and at home.

Chen said that the Co-Existing Self series hopes to organize further conversations later this year.