Multiracial Cosmotheandrism: A Practical Theology of Multiracial Experiences (Aizaiah G. Yong) --- A Review
MULTIRACIAL COSMOTHEANDRISM: A Practical Theology of Multiracial Experiences. By Aizaiah G. Yong. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2023. X + 206 pages.
We all
face questions of identity. From an early age, we start asking: Who am I? We
wonder what contributes to our identity—gender, ethnicity, etc. So, what if one
is multiracial or mixed race? How does that impact one’s sense of identity? Until
recently, census forms gave people binary choices. You couldn’t acknowledge the
multiple ethnicities that one might have. So, what if you don’t want to choose
between ethnic identities? That is, what if, for example, your parentage is
Chinese and Mexican? What if you want to own your full identity? The question
facing us in places like North America and Europe is whether we’re ready to
affirm the full identity that members of our societies possess. Further, where
do spirituality and theology fit into this conversation?
Among
those who have sought to explore these questions is Aizaiah Yong, who explores
the question of multiracial/multiethnic identity as an expression of practical
theology. Aizaiah Yong is an assistant professor of practical theology at
Claremont School of Theology, where he received his Ph.D. Multiracial Cosmotheandrism is his first
book, which is based on his dissertation. Pertinent to this conversation: Yong
is multiracial himself. His father is Malaysian of Chinese descent, and his
mother is of Mexican descent. In this book, Yong seeks to own and understand
what that means, not only for himself but for others. The goal here is to offer
a pathway to healing and justice for all who are of mixed race.
In
laying out this book, Yong notes that practical theology commonly turns to
disciplines outside theology. Since the reality of racism in our society stands
at the heart of this book, Yong makes use of resources that allow him (and us)
to explore more fully the meaning of race and racism as it contributes to the
question of identity. To do this Yong makes use of critical race theory (CRT).
More specifically, he makes use of the interdisciplinary field of critical
mixed-race studies (CMRS). Using this field, he addresses the black/white
binary that is often part of critical race work, which often leaves mixed-race
persons invisible. As for practical theology, Yong notes that his discipline
adds the goal of empowerment and transformative action to the conversation.
Additionally, he makes note of the importance of spirituality in the process of
social change. Therefore, this is truly a multi-disciplinary work.
Playing
a key role in Yong's effort to develop a practical theology of multiracial
experiences is the life and work of Raimon Panikkar, who was himself of mixed
race. Panikkar’s father was Spanish and Catholic, while his mother was Indian
and Hindu. Yong draws on Panikkar both as a theologian and as a mystic. It is
here, Panikkar’s mysticism, that contributes to Yong's inclusion of
contemplation as a foundation for this work of practical theology. For Yong, Panikkar
addressed the "underrepresentation of nonwestern perspectives in dominant
theological and philosophical discourse, the increasing awareness and
acceptance of vast cultural diversity in the world, and the central role of
mysticism and spirituality in the flourishing of Life" (p. 17).
Summarizing the purpose of the book, Yong writes that with this book he
"prioritizes and reflects on a variety of multi/racial experience(s) and
seeks to support them with the life, philosophy, and mysticism of Raimon Panikkar
and the methods of critical mixed-race studies and practical theology" (p.
30).
After
Yong’s lengthy introduction that invites us to consider the nature of
multi/racial experiences, Yong’s first chapter invites us to contemplate
multi/racial experience(s) in the United States. As he does with each chapter,
including the introduction, he provides an excerpt from his daily journal that
personalizes the discussion that follows. Here he identifies himself as being
cisgender, heterosexual, and both Chinese-Malaysian and Mexican-American. In
this opening chapter he notes his own experience of the first time he was
consciously racialized. It happened on the basketball court as someone yelled
at him "Look, it's Yao Ming!" He realized that this was not a statement
of his basketball skills but because he looked Asian. Over time he discovered
that he didn’t fully fit in either non-Asian or Asian settings because he was
mixed-race. Because he looks Asian, he rarely got to identify with his Mexican
American roots. Thus, in this first chapter, Yong explores the experiences of
multiracial persons, using critical mixed-race studies as the foundation for
this effort. Thus, he writes that this opening chapter “is clear that
multiraciality is a social construction and fluid in nature, consistently
embracing the experience of ‘the borderlands’ as foundational to one’s
self-understanding and actions for social justice” (p. 62).
Chapter
2 introduces us to Raimon Panikkar as a "mixed-race prophet. In this
chapter, Yong presents us with the life and legacy of Panikkar. He points us to
Panikkar's embodiment of his mixed-race identity, which includes Panikkar’s concept
that is found in the book's title—Cosmotheandrism. Regarding
Cosmotheandrism, a concept/word that might be unfamiliar to many (including
this reviewer), Yong writes that what he seeks to do here is reflect "on
the nurturing associations of Panikkar's life as Cosmotheandrick--human in his
intra-and interpersonal relationships, cosmic through his participation in
ecosophy, and divine in touch with the mysticism of Jesus Christ." (p.
65). This is reflected in Panikkar’s own experience of interreligious dialogue
and multi-religious identity. Thus, this leads to Yong’s envisioning what he
calls multiracial Christophany, a “radical and spiritually oriented way of
tending to suffering in the world, particularly racialized experiences and
race-based oppression” (p. 97).
Having
explored Panikkar's life and legacy in Chapter 2, Yong uses Chapter 3 to begin putting
things together. Here he seeks to transform multiraciality through mysticism,
using a program he created as part of his doctoral program that involves what
he calls MCAM, a "virtual, four-week spiritual formation program."
This program involved plenary teaching, introspection through journaling, group
dialogue, and guided mediation. These elements were approached using Panikkar's
cosmotheandric vision. Each participant in this program was of mixed race. Having
laid out the program in Chapter 3, in Chapter 4 Yong builds on that discussion
by laying out more fully his vision of Multiracial Cosmotheandrism, that is, a practical
theology for multiracialtiy. This involves the use of a "triadic
contemplative dialogue between the lived experiences and spiritualities of
mixed-race people (who occupy life at the intersections of racial, ethnic,
religious, and cultural traditions), the cosmotheandric life of Raimon
Panikkar, and the qualitative findings from a newly fashioned spiritual
formation program (MCAM)" (p. 145). The remainder of the book involves
four appendices that provide the background for the program Yong created.
As a
reviewer who is white (European-American), cisgender, and heterosexual, I have
not experienced the kinds of challenges faced by those whose backgrounds are
mixed race or mixed ethnicity. I may ponder what it means to be of English,
Irish, Dutch, and German descent, but at the end of the day, my experiences are
quite different from those experienced by Aizaiah Yong. Thus, this is an
intriguing book because it serves as a reminder of what it means to be of mixed
race. Through his work as a practical theologian, Aizaiah Yong seeks to use his
own experiences as a foundation for helping others understand and own identities
that can be complex. As a result, he asks that these complex identities be honored.
The use of Panikkar is intriguing as well. I look forward to seeing more future
work on this from the author. I need to note here that Yong’s work, drawing as
it does not only on Panikkar’s mysticism but also on Critical Multiracial
Studies (an extension of Critical Race Theory) provides an important response
to those who have purposely misrepresented CRT and intersectionality. It
responds to the belief that to be a good citizen or a good Christian we have to
set aside our full identities. If assimilation means setting aside our full
identities, then it is something that must be resisted so that social justice
can occur as well as healing. It will be interesting to see where Yong takes
these concepts in the future. For now, in Aizaiah Yong’s Multiracial Cosmotheandrism, we have the foundational work so that practical theology
can address important questions of identity and self-understanding.
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