Fascinating, especially your experience with your Jewish friends. I personally didn't know any Jews until I moved here to Atlanta, which has a large population and a proud history of its Jewish population. Back in Dallas-Fort Worth when I was growing up, the problems were among whites, Blacks, and Mexicans. In the late '70s to mid-80s that expanded with the large influx of Vietnamese and Cambodians fleeing Asia, and then with the Arab population's growth.
At any rate, I guess I can understand why fear for your life and livelihood would make you want to hide what you are. Frankly, I'm glad I don't have the option. I'd like to hear more about your being Black and Jewish. Born that way, or a choice made in your adult life? -------------- Original message -------------- From: "md_moore42" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Your comment is interesting because I am both Black and Jewish. I remember having that impression about my white Jewish friends. I've been disuaded from that in talking to them--at least the ones from the South. All of them grew up with this fear of their (mainly) Catholic neighbors. Nervousness that people would realize that they were Jewish; Nervousness that people knew that they were Jewish. Some of the parents had to pull their kids out of schools were they were harassed because they were Jewish. I still have this unbelieving stance about how bad it was for them; I still feel like they could melt into the majority. But I can't ignore their own impressions of their life. It's obvious to me that names mean more in the white community than in the Black community. I've had times when my white writing group told me that they didn't know a character was Black because they had an "Irish" name or some other white name. And I have to keep explaining that Black folks can have almost any name; it's a heritage of being owned. On the other hand, it was initially amazing to me to see that within their own community, they could know a person's heritage based on the name. It never occurred to me to connect the two. So when they tell me that neighbors knew that they were Jewish because of their name, I would think 'uhh?' because I knew Blacks with the same name. I guess that I would assume Muslim with a name like Siddig. But that could be Pakistan (like my former co-worker) or Sudan (like the actor in question) or African-american. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Sorry, didn't mean to imply you were judging at all. You said nothing to > that effect. I was actually speaking for myself, thinking out loud. > I've often thought on those who can change their name--or look--to fit > into the white man's world better. Growing up in Texas, for example, I > went to school with lots of Mexicans whose parents changed the > pronunciation of their names to sound Anglicized. For example, > pronouncing a name like garCIa as GARcia, or marQUEZ to sound like > marKWEZ. Frankly I tended to view that with a bit of scorn. There were > even some light-skinned Mexicans who carefully didn't mention their > heritage at all. Later, marrying into a white family helped cement the > transition to "American" in their minds. I don't know. Maybe if I'd > been able to "pass" in the tough world, I've have been tempted, but you > can't mistake me as anything but Black. > > I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeatig. Years ago, the comic > "Static" dealt with a Black youth and the Jewish girl he loved. His > Black father spoke of how the girl was confused in a world where she > could cover up her heritage (since she basically looked Western > European) if she wanted. He mentioned that many Jews could do so--if > they wanted to. And he wondered if Blacks envied Jews and others who > could at least have the option to "hide" among whites. At the very same > time, the Jewish girl was having a conversation with her father. Her > father wanted her to understand why so many Blacks seemed angry at other > races who tried to blend completely into American white society. He > mused that most Blacks by nature of their skin color couldn't even try > to hide what they were. But, that made them stronger, as they couldn't > run from their problems, couldn't give in. And he wondered if some Jews > didn't even Blacks for the strength they had to show to deal with that > fact. > > So I'm divided on how I feel about those who can change a name, hair > color, eye color, or a history, and then blend in to the general bland > homogeneous "America". > > -----Original Message----- > From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of md_moore42 > Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2005 15:52 > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Alexander Siddig Talks New Movie and Post- TREK > Typecasting > > > I'm not judging. I imagined that was the reason. I was wondering > if the film industy was less accepting than television, that's all. > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Keith Johnson" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Glad to hear it. Syriana's on my list of must-see movies, right up > there > > with another Clooney film, "Good Night and Good Luck". I'm glad to > see > > Siddig getting substantive roles. The only other things I've seen > him in > > since DS9 were an episode of the British series "MI-5", where he > tries > > to stop a young suicide bomber, and "Reign of Fire" and "Kingdom of > > Heaven". > > > > As for his name, Siddig's given name is Siddig El Fadil. If you > watch > > episodes of DS9 from the first couple of seasons, you'll see him > > credited as such. He changed his name during that time, obviously > to > > make it easier to work in the film industry. I read an interview > with > > him at the time, in which he said his parents had some problems > with it, > > but that they just had to understand the realities of the world. I > > guess it'd be easy to sit back and judge him for changing the name > of > > his heritage, but I guess also he has to do what he has to do to > get > > work. At least he didn't completey Anglicize it... > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > > Behalf Of md_moore42 > > Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2005 01:46 > > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Alexander Siddig Talks New Movie and > Post-TREK > > Typecasting > > > > > > I finally got a chance to see Syriana last weekend. Wonderful > and > > challanging. And Siddig was excellent in it. I hadn't read this > > note before and therefore sat next to a friend and suddenly > said...I > > know him! He's from DS9. I went back to imdb.com and I noticed > > that he's changed his credit/name. Which one is correct? Or > rather- > > -did he adopt his western name for film credits where he was using > a > > traditional name for TV? And hey--the boy is still cute! > > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Tracey de Morsella > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > http://trekweb.com/articles/2005/12/04/439363184d509.shtml > > > > > > In an exclusive interview with ComingSoon.net, STAR TREK DEEP > > SPACE NINE actor Alexander Siddig talks about his upcoming movie > > SYRIANA and his feelings on being typecast because of the > character > > of Doctor Julian Bashir. Here are a few excerpts.> > > > > > > CS: What was it about this movie that drew you to do it? > > > > > > Siddig: It would be impossible not to be drawn to this movie as > an > > actor, especially as an Arabic actor or someone who works on the > > ethnic fringe in a small vein of one of the many seams of acting. > To > > pass up or not be interested in someone who seems normal and real > > would be crazy. I end up speaking so grandly, when I don't know if > I > > have the right to, but to pass up the diplomatic potential of a > > character like this would be really foolish. I think whether > you're > > in the Middle East or in Europe or America, you can identify with > > this person. > > > > > > CS: So being in these two movies, you've kind of escaped > the "STAR > > TREK curse". Were you aware that some actors go into STAR TREK and > > never do anything else? > > > > > > Siddig: Yeah, yeah, I'm aware of that. I'm just in a very > bizarre > > niche and there aren't many people you can go to, but I blame > Ridley > > Scott really, because he was the person who went "I love STAR TREK > > and I'd love it if you were in my movie" and people like Oliver > > Stone went "I hated STAR TREK, and I don't want you in Alexander!" > I > > was really lucky there. But it is Ridley Scott's fault, because he > > was the one who put me in a grown-up movie. I mean I've been in > > other movies, but there are different kinds of parts in movies, I > > found out. There are parts that you can do them all your life, and > > no one knows you're even acting, and there are other parts which > > people notice that you're in and you become an actor from the > movies > > and people take you in a whole different way. Whether or not I can > > keep that ball rolling is another matter. But I wouldn't be here > if > > it wasn't for STAR TREK, so it's pretty great, and it means that > I'm > > a relatively friendly face to a lot of Americans and it's > > > useful for that rather pretentious diplomatic trip I'm on. > > > > > > CS: Any idea what's next for you? > > > > > > Siddig: The thing I'm most interested is about HANNIBAL, an epic > > about Hannibal, but it's a low budget one. It's not the Vin Diesel > > one. We've only got one elephant. (Note: That last part was > probably > > a joke.) > > > > > > CS: Have any of the Arab or Palestinian directors come to you to > > appear in their films? > > > > > > Siddig: They wouldn't come to me yet, because I'm very much a > > Western actor. Even though I would love to be all kinds of things. > > I'm definitely a Hollywood person. Not enough yet, but that's > where > > I am. > > > > > > CS: You directed an episode of DEEP SPACE NINE, so would > directing > > be something you'd want to pursue? > > > > > > Siddig: If I'm lucky enough and if I ever get smart enough to > > direct, I'll direct again, but I've gotta write my own stuff, and > > that means reading a book someday. > > > > > > The full interview can be found here > > > http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=12214 > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > _____ > > YAHOO! 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