Passing: When People Can't Be Who They Are

by Brooke Kroeger

Despite the many social changes of the last half-century, many Americans still "pass": black for white, gay for straight, and now in many new ways as well. We tend to think of passing in negative terms--as deceitful, cowardly, a betrayal of one's self. But this compassionate book reveals that many passers today are people of good heart and purpose whose decision to pass is an attempt to bypass injustice, and to be more truly themselves. Passing tells the poignant, complicated life stories of a black man who passed as a white Jew; a white woman who passed for black; a working class Puerto Rican who passes for privileged; a gay, Conservative Jewish seminarian and a lesbian naval officer who passed for straight; and a respected poet who radically shifts persona to write about rock'n'roll. The stories, interwoven with others from history, literature, and contemporary life, explore the many forms passing still takes in our culture; the social realities which make it an option; and its logistical, emotional, and moral consequences. We learn that there are still too many institutions, environments, and social situations that force honorable people to twist their lives into painful, deceit-ridden contortions for reasons that do not hold. Passing is an intellectually absorbing exploration of a phenomenon that has long intrigued scholars, inspired novelists, and made hits of movies like The Crying Game and Boys Don't Cry.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my daughters shared this book that she had read in "Passing" a high school class. It's a really interesting topic. Anatole Broyard, the descendants of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, crypto-Jews during the Inquisition all the way up to famous gay celebrities like Rock Hudson passed in real-life and passing is the fictional theme of books and movies including Black Like Me and The Human Stain. People might pass temporarily to "spy" on or get insight into a group they don't belong to, as on online persona (famous in the documentary and TV show "Catfish") or for a long time to avoid persecution or discrimination. Passing can get complicated. Caitlin Jenner was born and raised as male, but one might also say that she passed as a man. Famous and "common" people both pass, and uncovering passing is a public passion.

This book is in the format of six in-depth case studies that run a gamut of types of passing. Some delve into the complicated, and are a little confusing as a result. This book reads strongly as a thesis or scholarly research project converted into a book. The cases are researched thoroughly and expert ethicists consulted and interviewed, significant points are raised (if and when people who pass are lying - if you are biracial why is it lying to claim your white heritage, for example), but sometimes the author seems to get lost in discussing these cases and the arguments circle around but don't really go anywhere. There aren't a lot of meaningful or strong conclusions that result from the author's efforts. This isn't surprising - even as I've tried to briefly outline it above, passing is a huge part of the human endeavor and likely broader than one book of six cases can comfortably contain. Some of the cases seem quite esoteric - perhaps chosen because the author knew the person and found the situation personally captivating, rather than representing the range of passing in a balanced way. The transitions are clunky too. And yet, passing (aka "reinventing yourself") is as much a public passion as uncovering passing, and it isn't surprising this book was so popular when it was published. I recommend it too, in spite of its flaws, for anyone who wants to give a little deeper thought or gain more insight into the mindsets of people who pass across a gamut of situations and reasons.

[Torzilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting stories within about passing, and I wish another person had written about them and given them the sort of attention they deserve. Unfortunately, the author completely loses me with her musings. They do not add to the stories at all--in fact, they detract.

[Sumayyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels like something is missing from the discussion.

[Jasmin Chua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and the stories are well told, but I wish there had been less focus on the "honorable" people who pass to skirt prejudice or circumvent unjust social norms and more about the privileged actors who actively harm the marginalized communities they infiltrate.

[Eli Mandel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly good book.
1st I must mentioned that I didn't notice any typos, great work editors.
The book had a definite Jewish flavor, which I was unaware of when picking it out.
I never heard the term passing and although I knew what the book was about and I knew the name of the book, I didn't realize it was a well known term until I started reading it.
The author is obviously well versed in the world of passing and passers, she mentions so many disparate cases of passing throughout the 6 main narratives that you get the sense you're reading the work of an authority on the subject.
The psychologizing and anthropologizing is neatly interspersed between the story telling, which itself was of a quality to make you fall in love with each of the characters.
You learn about each character slowly but you also learn about societies you may not have known existed; a Southern town where a completely white woman can be assumed black, a world in which a black man can pass for Jewish, a working class Hispanic community where overachieving isn't nourished, encouraged, or enabled, the world of gay for straight passing, and the delightful world of fanzines written by unexpected writers.
The biggest flaw I felt the book had was that I didn't feel the subjects' pain, struggles, fear, uncertainty etc. And I don't mean that it should have been emphasized by use of italics, it should have been describes more, I should have had a glimpse into a day in the life of each of the subjects, I don't want tl be told that there was a lot of crying during those difficult years in an after the fact kind of way, it should have been told as an unfolding story which is current and urgent, rather than as the result of a series of interviews.

[Priscilla Herrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooke Kroeger's Passing is rich in food for thought. She discusses a number of people who have passed in some way, as something other than their own identity. Sometimes people pass to get by, sometimes for profit, sometimes for the adventure of it. Some people completely disappear from their own world while others do it more casually, even moving back and forth between two identities. In some cases, passing is a well planned strategy, yet others find themselves passing almost be accident.

Perhaps the overarching lesson to be learned here is that passing is an old phenomenon, far more common than we might imagine. In this age of the Internet, the story of the male academic poet who passed as a young girl pop music critic undoubtedly represents a whole genre of passing. What started as a way to keep his poetry career separate from his love of pop music and culture apparently crossed a line and there were people who truly believed the critic was a young woman. He is now open about his dual persona, and we might give him a pass because writers have "always" written under pen names for a variety of reasons. But is this deception any more or less benign than a person who passes for another race, or sexuality? And why do we, the public, feel so cheated and personally hurt when we learn someone is not the person we thought him or her to be?

I enjoyed reading this book and thinking about the issues raised - now I hope some of my friends will also read it because I really look forward to discussing it!

[Crckt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long time ago I had the opptunity to speak with Steve Albini. When I finally made my way up to hhim I had but one question that I absolutely had to ask him. Big Black had written and recordse a song titled "Passing Complexion." This was the first time that I had ever heard a reference to "passing" by a white person. For those of you who don't know, to pass is, as it sounds, to pass oneself off as something you are not, its most common and oldest usage refers to blacks of light complexions passing themselves off as white to avoid injustice and engasge in priveleges reserved for those with fairer skin.
Kroeger's book opens with just such a tale however this young black man finds himself passing in the 1990's into the 2000's. The book goes on to explore other instances in which people may have to assume identities in order to accomp[lish goals that they would otherwise be denied. Some examples include Black for white, gay for straight, latina for orthodox Jew and others. The book makes no sweeping conclusions, but does point out the unfortunate fact that despite the feeling that we a society have moved past several types of prejudice and discrimination, that there is still a long way to go, because as long as people are judged by external indicators, and sexual identity, passing will continue to be used as a tool to reach one's aspirations denied to certain groups.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read most of this, and was fascinated by the personal stories that were presented. I was glad to see that the book didn't deal with clear-cut black/white passing, or issued any clear-cut right or wrong judgments. It was the author's musings that i really didn't enjoy, as I didn't find most of those musings very insightful.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've all passed every now and then, when it comes down to it.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six profiles of people who “pass” interesting and insightful.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminds me of what we all do to fit in. Most of it are minor way not described in the book, but it stresses the importance of being true to oneself for a happy life.