Why Do We Pass?

_{“I’m beginning to believe that no one is completely happy, free, or safe.”- Irene, Passing.}

For those who have not seen Passing on Netflix yet, it is a white and black film, produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi, based on the 1929 Nella Larson novel with the same name. Two childhood friends reconnected years later. Both women. Both black women. Both are light-skinned women. Both are passing.

I have only heard of passing when used to describe someone trying to be another race, and for the most part, succeeding in it. But it was not until after watching the movie that I viewed the term passing in a different light.

On one hand, we have Irene. We are introduced to Irene, played by Tessa Thompson, whose white-passing to get into a toy store and a high-end tea restaurant, only to run into Claire. Irene contradicts herself on several occasions, especially when talking to Claire about hired help and their children’s skin tones.

Then there is Claire, played by Ruth Negga, who is white-passing and married a white man who does not know that she is a black woman. Claire claims that she is happy with the choices she made, but viewers can see how the tone of her voice betrays her words.

It seemed as though both women wanted what the other had. Irene, says that she does not have a problem with how she is living but craves for a world without racism. A world where her young boys would not have to grow up in a world that did not like them. In a way, Irene wishes to be more carefree like Claire.

Claire wishes to be back with her people. Black people. Constantly, she says that she wishes to be back home. Not only in New York, but with the friends and family that knows who she is and do not have to pretend to be someone she is not.

But in the end, do Irene and Claire get what they want?

At one point, the film stopped being one-dimensional on passing in the realm of racism and uses the term in everyday life.

In a way, we all are passing in one shape or form. I know for me, I’ve passed for having my life together in front of everyone, when I do not. Some people pass for being happy when sad, rich when not having a lot, and the list goes on.

One of the main lessons that I took away from this film is that life is not always what it seems. When we live a life where the “lie” becomes the truth, it is hard to find yourself again because you have to maintain the lie. And to a point, it gets exhausting.

Another lesson that I took away from this film is envy. Both women envy the other, but the lengths Irene and Claire took to either hold on to their actual life or try to grab onto the life of the other was strong. It bears the question of “how far are you willing to go to keep your life yours.” The answer varied for both women, and the answer varies for all of us.

Why do we pass?

Do we pass to be more like Claire? Pass to get opportunities to a point where it becomes our life, and we are stuck in a shell that is not who we are anymore?

Or do we pass like Irene? Only passing when necessary, but often wonder if life would be more simple-like if we put up the facade all the time.

So ask yourself, are you passing? And if so, does it make you truly happy, or are you still missing something?