jercys:

i like how riordan immediately sets the stage for the kanes’ experiences as a biracial family and how he tries to capture the points of view of both carter and sadie’s individual experiences. like for instance: because sadie’s white-passing, the museum curator has trouble computing that she is julius’s daughter, because she looks white. it’s the same attitude that forces a lot of white-passing biracial kids to feel disconnected from certain parts of their family, as if they don’t “belong” because they don’t “look the part” (which, the same can absolutely also be said for biracial kids who can’t pass as white who are surrounded by white or white-passing family as well. you can definitely see this happening with carter and his racist af grandparents).

and there’s something to be said about how sadie dresses like a punky teenager and actively puts out that kind of attitude and how when the curator leaves them alone, he glances at both of them “like we were troublemakers.” even though carter has done absolutely nothing to warrant such a look, and even actively tailors his personality and his wardrobe to combat that sort of stereotype?? like i know the dude could have just been nervous about having a couple kids around an important artifact, but the way carter says that “like we were troublemakers” raises a lot of red flags because sadie is the only one who looks and acts like trouble. aka she is the only one who actually warrants such a look.

and it just sort of emphasizes the idea that so many have these preconceived notions about people of color and white people; namely that both are not only inherently separate from each other, but that those who are not white are inherently lesser. and, as in this case; “trouble.” 

and i know this was just one line, and this issue is shown in a lot of different depth throughout the book, but these kinds of microaggressions are still harmful. they’re noticed and felt, and are often the most overlooked.