My Take on Tanning: Marat Berenstein
date November 10, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Name: Marat Berenstein
Age: 29
Race: Russian-American
From: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Talent Manager
Twitter: @hitmemusic
What’s the racial make-up of your friends?
I am blessed to have very close friends from all different walks of life.
What box do you check for race on the U.S. Census form?
Caucasian, but I think it’s a limiting choice.
What’s your favorite musical mashup of all-time?
“Frontin’ On Debra” by DJ Reset, who mashed up Jay-Z & Pharrell with Beck.
A recent Gallup/USA Today poll found that many Americans feel that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of racial equity has been achieved. What do you think?
I think it’s closer than ever, but far from being completely achieved.
Racial equality still has a very long way to go, especially in this country, which is a melting pot of all races.
What do you think of Jay-Z’s statement that “Hip-hop has done more than any leader, politician, or anyone to improve race relations”?
I agree wholeheartedly because hip-hop brought folks together whom many leaders and politicians spent their careers keeping apart.
What are your musical tastes in terms of genres and artists you listen to and who puts you on to new music?
I love all music even though my passion is hip-hop. I listen to the radio, check out blogs, and pay attention to what my music supervisor friends are listening to, because they’re oftentimes even more plugged in than a lot of tastemakers. I’m a huge fan of what my artist Najee is creating and writing right now. Hopefully it will allow us to put others on to new music.
How important is race when it comes to dating or marriage and do you have a preference when it comes to dating or marriage based on race?
I think people should pursue love and their own happiness over anything else.
Do your parents care if you date or marry outside your race and do they have a preference in terms of race when it comes to who you date or marry?
Traditional folks carry their values with them, which I respect, but I think that sometimes happiness and love is found in places least expected.
How do you feel about others who date outside their race?
When others are truly happy, then all is left to feel is a genuine regard for their happiness.
Does it bother you when people of a certain ethnicity prefer not to date within their own race (i.e. African-American guy preferring white girls, Asian-American girl who doesn’t date Asian guys, etc.)?
It’s a very closed-minded way of thinking and bothers me a little bit.
Do you think that the trends of minorities becoming the majority and whites becoming the minority in this country will have a positive or negative impact on race relations?
I think the impact will absolutely be positive. People will begin to see each other in a different light other than color and connect based on like-minded values instead. Any trend that knocks down social barriers between people is positive.
In what aspects of your life is race still a factor?
I recently changed my last name from Korenkov to Berenstein because my Mom legally adapted the last name Korenkov to hide being Jewish in the former Soviet Union. She couldn’t get a job in a certain school district with a Jewish last name and for me to change it back was a redeeming way of restoring order in my life, where I consider being Jewish an ethnicity/race.
What’s the most racist thing that’s ever happened to you?
Being called the k-word when I was in the first grade.
Do you have a problem with non-African-American people who grew up on hip-hop using the n-word?
It’s a loaded topic of debate. I personally understand why some groups of people shouldn’t use the word, as it’s completely disrespectful, and yet hip-hop managed to flip its meaning into something that’s positive. At the same time, I believe the same rules need to apply for other disrespectful words that target minority groups that have been oppressed by verbal hatred in the past.
What was your reaction to Barack Obama being elected president?
Absolutely elated, overwhelmed with joy, and most importantly, proud to be an American citizen at that moment in time.
What is your tanning moment?
My tanning moment was a few years ago in the Bensonhurst part of Brooklyn. In front of a pizza shop, there was a group of Italian-American boys hanging out with a group of African-American girls. The boys were dressed in Air Force 1′s, Yankee fitted hats, and Sean John t-shirts, standing outside of their car with rims and blasting Jay-Z. Everyone was laughing and having fun. I remember this scene vividly, and what makes it incredible is that in the 60′s, in the exact same place, it would have not been a possibility.
If you’d like to be interviewed for “My Take On Tanning,” please email sophie@tanningofamerica.com
