Cicily Wilson and Chaney Sims are the daughters of Karen Wilson and Bill Sims, the interracial couple profiled in AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY, AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE's new 10-hour documentary series about a family in Queens, New York, that debuts Sunday, September 12, 1999 through Thursday, September 16 from 9 to 11 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).

People ask us all the time, "Where are you from?" We always know what that question really means. The wheels are turning in their heads: our exotic features could be attributed to nearly any culture on the globe. We answer "America." The reply disturbs them. The blend our ancestors have created in our appearance is intriguing, and we watch people attempt to unravel the connecting threads. They dig deeper. "Well, where are your parents from?" We know that as soon as they discover our father is black and our mother is white, a world of possibilities will disappear, replaced by a flatland of bias and assumption.

Our parents know that, too. When we were growing up, they did not hide the fact that people are prejudiced. They knew that we would not be spared the same kind of hatred and discrimination they have experienced as an interracial couple. But even they could not have imagined the kind of harassment and social pressures we face today.

We have similar childhood memories of our mother telling us, very matter of factly, that the world would always see us as black. We sat confused, listening to our white mother tell us that a part of us, her part of us, would never be recognized! Can you imagine what it is like to know that as far as most people are concerned, your mother does not exist?

We have learned to shrug it off when people stare at us when we walk down the street with our mother. We have learned to expect that when we introduce her to our friends, their surprised smiles will try to hide the question: were we adopted? And we have learned that when we are with our father, we will rarely receive such odd reactions. So along with suffering through the daily dose of injustice and stereotype that accompanies being African American, we digest another portion of discrimination - the kind that comes from both sides not fully understanding or accepting who we are.
Our black brothers and sisters come in many different shades that seem to create a "hierarchy of color" in the African-American community. Being light-skinned individuals, we have always been made to feel that we were somehow less dedicated to the black struggle, less informed about it, and the least wanted within the community. But as we make friends and try to become involved, our shade ceases to be the issue; it is our background that matters. When they discover we are light-skinned because our mother is white, they cannot understand how we can introduce her proudly. The welcome mat is quickly pulled out from under our feet when we insist on acknowledging ourselves as black and white.

While these reactions sadden us, they also serve to strengthen our spirit. We were not raised to put up barriers; the thought of categorizing someone based on race or skin color has never entered our minds. Yet, we are asked to categorize ourselves everyday: Black, White or Other? We are supposed to choose a box. "Other" may seem like the best choice, but it is a label nonetheless. We do not want to limit ourselves to any box. And as mixed-race people, we do not feel trapped by a lack of boxes to choose from, we feel hemmed in by the boxes themselves! We feel that we are part of a greater community - humanity - and each time someone asks, "Where are you from?," we feel less confident that the greater community can ever really be formed.

Our parents exposed us to as many cultures as possible, and raised us in an open-minded household. In this setting, we not only learned to respect people of all backgrounds, we also learned to respect ourselves, recognizing we are all part of one race - the human race.

Media Relations: Fisher Company 914-674-6164 phone 914-674-6145 fax fisherco@aol.com e-mail

Station Relations: Bunny Tavares/ITVS 413 628-4067 phone 413 628-4656 fax btavares@crocker.com e-mail

July 1999

Additional Press Materials:

PRESS RELEASE

PHOTOGRAPHS

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

A CONVERSATION WITH JENNIFER FOX

WHAT'S RACE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
by Karen Wilson and Bill Sims

BREAKING OUT OF THE BOX
by Cicily Wilson and Chaney Sims

LAWS OF THE LAND
A Brief History of Interracial Marriage and Race Classification in America

LOVE, HOLLYWOOD STYLE