CHP. 8 Alien in Aisles: Growing Up Other in America

This episode, Chapter 8 of "Alien in America" by Aaron Gaulding explores the psychological and spiritual impact of being perceived as "other." Through a childhood memory of feeling scrutinized in a grocery store, the chapter examines how everyday encounters, institutional structures, and internalized beliefs produce a persistent sense of alienation for Black Americans. The author discusses how this constant othering creates a lifelong consciousness of surveillance, forces performative harmlessness, and inflicts spiritual violence by denying full human dignity. He highlights Black resilience and creative and spiritual power that endures despite systemic dehumanization.