Why do people pass? Fifteen writers reveal their experiences with passing.
For some, “passing” means opportunity, access, or safety. Others don’t willingly pass but are “passed” in specific situations by someone else.
We Wear the Mask
, edited by
Brando Skyhorse
and
Lisa Page
, is an illuminating and timely anthology that examines the complex reality of passing in America.
Skyhorse, a Mexican American, writes about how his mother passed him as an American Indian before he learned who he really is. Page shares how her white mother didn’t tell friends about her black ex-husband or that her children were, in fact, biracial.
The anthology includes writing from
Gabrielle Bellot
, who shares the disquieting truths of passing as a woman after coming out as trans, and
MG Lord
, who, after the murder of her female lover, embraced heterosexuality.
Patrick Rosal
writes of how he “accidentally” passes as a waiter at the National Book Awards ceremony, and
Rafia Zakaria
agonizes over her Muslim American identity while traveling through domestic and international airports. Other writers include
Trey Ellis
,
Marc Fitten
Susan Golomb
Margo Jefferson,
Achy Obejas
Clarence Page
Sergio Troncoso
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
, and
Teresa Wiltz
.