10 Things I Wish My Outdoorsy White Friends Knew About Me
Puyallup land, Mount Rainier National Park (Photo credit: Eugene Pak)
Do you love the outdoors? Do you have a lot of outdoorsy friends? Are most of them White? Well, you might relate to the following experiences. Eugene Pak lays out ten things he wishes his outdoorsy White friends knew about him..
1) Have you ever been to [insert an outdoorsy spot in a white rural area]?
a. No, because I feel hypervigilant in areas like that and would consciously or subconsciously fear for my safety
b. No, because I feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in those spaces
c. Hell nah; traveling through predominantly white rural towns to get to that perfect backcountry camp site is not worth it. I’ll stay local, thanks!
2) Why won’t you go on this awesome outdoor adventure with us?
a. Sorry, I didn’t grow up skiing, mountain biking, or paddling etc. and I feel too self-conscious about my outdoor abilities
b. I literally don’t understand what you’re saying—are we hitting the pow or kicking it?
c. I have immigrant parents
d. I can’t afford it
e. I don’t want to spend an entire weekend surrounded by privileged white people. That’s outside of my comfort zone.
3) Why don’t you speak up in conversations about race?
a. I’ve had this conversation so many times
b. I’m tired of talking to you about all of this
c. It can be challenging and traumatic to talk to white people about racism
d. There are many things I’d like to say, but you will probably take it the wrong way
4) Why don’t people of color spend a lot of time in the wilderness by ourselves?
a. Some of us do, but anyway, refer to question 1, answers a and b
5) Why do people of color self-segregate in the outdoors?
a. Wait, don’t you exclusively hang out with other white people in the outdoors? Why is it only called self-segregating when people of color do it?
b. We need a break, we are tired of code-switching and race-splaining and also just tired in general
c. We feel a sense of community, solidarity and safety around other people of color
d. Refer to question 1, answers a and b
“We need a break, we are tired of code-switching and race-splaining and also just tired in general”
6) Why are there almost no people of color living in these beautiful mountain towns?
a. These lands have a violent history of white supremacy, racism, queerphobia, lynchings and land grabs that have not been addressed and that still exist to this day.
b. Rural communities actively engage in violence against Black & Latinx people, people of Asian descent and the queer community
c. These all-white rural areas are not safe for people of color or for queer hikers.
d. Refer to question 1, answers a and b
7) Why do you tune out when we start nerding out about [insert outdoor activity]?
a. I’m new to the sport and your overly technical language is a turn off
b. Code-switching to white outdoorsy language takes energy
c. Sometimes it’s hard, as a person of color, to relate to gear talk when I’m worried about the headlines and the safety of my friends and family.
8) Why aren’t there many people of color in the outdoors
a. Please refer to question 6, answer b and question 2, answers a through e
b. Learn your history
9) Can I ask you a semi-racist question about your culture/ethnic background?
a. We know you probably will but please don’t
b. The answer is still no; the outdoors is not a safe space for people of color and it doesn’t automatically give you the space to ask
10) How can I help?
a. Support people of color who are already creating safe spaces online and IRL and who are providing valuable mentorship for other POC in the outdoors
c. Learn the actual history of the land you recreate on
d. But honestly though, you really can’t. Use your platforms to support and signal boost POC leaders who are already doing the work. This isn’t a moment for you to take the the lead.
As knowledge of the outdoors tends to be handed down generationally, this broken chain has denied today’s black youth the tools they need to be able to tackle the outdoors with any degree of confidence […] we have effectively become an urbanised people.