My Time Among the Whites (2019)-Jennine Copó Crucet
I was entertained but took very little of substance from the book.
Content Warnings: racism, rape, sickness
Favorite Quote: “My parents know for a fact that going to the more expensive school was the best investment they ever made in me. But I can admit that I’ll never know for sure. And I know enough to recognize my ambivalence as a sign that perhaps proves them right.”
My Time Among the Whites is an autobiography by Jennine Capó Crucet made up of a collection of essays. Crucet is a Cuban novelist and professor of English and Ethnic studies who grew up in Miami and attended Cornell University. This book explores the intersections of these identities in Crucet’s life with a simple, anecdotal approach.
Crucet’s writing style is personable and My Time Among the Whites is a very quick, easy read. However, I didn’t feel that I got much out of it—especially not as much as I expected from the title. Crucet outlines many of the common motifs experienced by Latine/POC people in the US and first gen college students that should surprise no one with any basic exposure to the cultures and experiences of these identities.
A more nuanced discussion, however, does come from her assertion that growing up Cuban in Miami made her a “type of White” through both her light skin and the prevalence of Cuban culture and role models in Miami. Once she leaves the safety of her hometown is when her own marginalization became more pronounced in her life, though her White-passing continues to grant her access to spaces that would not otherwise be welcoming of her—a balance of both privilege and precarity as exposure of her Latina identity could easily burst the bubble of acceptance.
My Time Among the Whites did convince me of Crucet’s credibility as an ethnic studies professor but I think the book would be more appropriately marketed as a personal memoir as it gives far less insight into how interactions and experiences are shaped my race than the title would suggest. I would still say it’s worth the read if you’re looking for something short or particularly enjoy autobiographies, but it is not a must read.