In Junot Díazs’ “How To Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or a Halfie,” you can tell straight away just by looking at the title that this story was going to have some sort of racism in it. This story is a how-to manuel, narrated by a boy whose name is not given, and he details how he would go about dating a brown girl, a white girl, a black girl, or a “halfie”. The narrator draws the reader in by speaking to the reader themself, putting the reader in his perspective, making the story feel almost relatable. But as the story goes on, the more the author highlights an interesting note on racism and stereotypes.
The narrator bases his ideas and actions on stereotypes, trying to fit one person into the idea that he has created. For example, he describes a dinner conversation in which a girl tells him about how her parents met: “A halfie will tell you that her parents met in the Movement,” (Díaz, 404) implying that no matter how many “halfies” you date, they will all share that same story. He bases not only his own actions, but the girls’ actions on what their race is. His stereotypes are a bit racist as well, saying things like, “The white ones are the ones you want the most… the out-of-towners are black, blackgirls who grew up with ballet and Girl Scouts… If she’s a halfie don’t be surprised that her mother is white,” (Díaz, 403).
Another interesting thing that the author does is emphasize how the narrator also changes himself to fit in and to manipulate the situation into one where he knows what is going to happen, going to great lengths to hide his background, social status, and even his own racial characteristics. He does this by hiding things like his government cheese (hinting at his possible lower-class status), hiding it in certain places depending on the type of girl who’s coming over, or taking down photos of his family, as well as the photos with him with an afro. The narrator even refrains from asking certain questions that he feel might give away more of his racial background.
I believe the message of the text is that you cannot reduce a person to a specific stereotype or characteristic, that humans do not all fit into the same mold based on their race, social status or upbringing. Trying to fit an individual into a specific stereotype is not possible, because all humans are vastly different, and trying to change yourself to fit a specific image will create a mask from which the real you resides behind, and both of these things make it hard to maintain any kind of relationship. The author does a good job at forcing the reader to consider how they might reduce certain people to a specific stereotype, and whether it changes the way they act or present themselves around others.
