Speech Story

Jasper Thomas III

Com110b
Jan. 27, 2015

ELON, N.C. Students at Elon University attended Race, Sex and

Tattoos a multimedia presentation by artist Kip Fulbeck. The Jan. 15
program touched on issues of identity regarding age, gender, race and
appearance.

What is your ethnicity? Check only one.

This was one of the questions asked during Fulbecks opening

performance titled Job Application. The performance consisted of a
recording asking interview questions and Fulbeck answering them.
Most of the questions were very humorous like Spaghetti or pizza?
Others were more hard hitting and focused on the issues stated in the
performances title.

Fulbeck, 49, is a spoken word performer, filmmaker and an artist. His

work has appeared in over 20 countries and throughout the U.S.
Fulbeck is a professor of art at the University of California, Santa
Barbara

He has written several books including Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial

Kids, Part Asian, 100% Hapa and Permanence: Tattoo Portraits. He

Jasper Thomas III

Com110b
Jan. 27, 2015
also has filmed dozens of short films including Banana Split and Lilo
& me.

For the most part, Fulbecks presentation was based on his experiences
and how growing up multiracial affected his perspective. He spoke of
how race should not be categorized by boxes.

No one gets to define you. Only you get to define who you are, he
said. I want a world where Dennys serves the black folks first. Muslim
no longer means terrorist. Patriot no longer means redneck, he said.

Annsley Tarver, 18, said the presentation was so powerful that it

caused her to tear up during portions of it.

I thought it was cool that he took stuff from his own life. He was so
passionate about it; that he could make something to share with
others, she said.

Fulbeck focused on his three biggest projects giving insight on some of

the people who participated. Many of the students were able to learn
something new.

Jasper Thomas III

Com110b
Jan. 27, 2015
I didnt know about the special Japanese tattoos and the fact that
they were illegal and could lose their job over it, Tarver said about
Fulbecks research in traditional Japanese tattoos and how they are
viewed in modern society.

Another aspect that Fulbeck focused on was the portrayal of Asians in

film. He said many Asian roles are given to Caucasian actor, which he
thinks is odd.

Many students said they were grateful that Elon University organized
such an event.

First year student Calin Jalynski, 18, commented on how happy she was
that there were opportunities for diversity-oriented events in higher
education.

Where I am from, if the speaker had come and spoke, I dont think it
would have been as positively accepted, she said. The people that I
grew up around were more close minded and wouldnt have been
exposed to this before nor as accepting of what he had to say. The fact
that people are more open-minded here is really cool.