Does changing your race influence the way you are treated in Second Life or will avatars treat you the same because of the anonymity of an avatar?  When I changed my avatar from a Caucasian to an African-American I was indeed treated differently; in fact no one talked to or acknowledged my presence.  However, when I returned to the places I visited as a Caucasian, only half of the people talked to me whereas before, no one talked to me.  This leads me to believe that although racism is part of Second Life there may be additional reasons for treating an avatar poorly.  Some of these reasons could include the how new an avatar is to Second Life or fears of atomicity.  All of these things may lead avatars to treat other avatars in SL poorly.

This is a picture of my transformation into an African-American avatar.

I had to visit four places and try to ask an avatar three questions.  These questions were:  “What in Second Life is worthwhile to do?”” “Where can I find good free items in SL?”; and, ”What advice can you give me on a topic in Second Life that interests you?”.   The places that I chose to visit were the Morris Welcome Area, Orientation Island Public, Memory Bazaar, and Dublin.    When I visited all four places, I was ignored completely and no one answered my questions.   Although everyone ignored me, there were some different ways avatars ignored me in each place.   In the Morris Welcome Area, every avatar outright ignored me and did not acknowledge my presence.  Furthermore, in the Orientation Island Public when I sat down near two avatars, one girl put her hand up to her face and turned her head away from me.  I did not fare any better in Memory Bazaar when the man I tried to introduce myself to also turned away from me and walked in the opposite direction.   Finally in Dublin the man that I tried to talk to would not turn around and answer any of my questions.   This led me to believe that although there is racism in Second Life, not everyone is discriminatory towards African-Americans. 

Here is my avatar getting ready to talk to people in the Morris Welcome Area: 

 This is my avatar in the Memory Bazaar, where the guy turned around and walked away from me: 

Here I am at Orientation Island Public, where the girl avatar held her hand up to her face and looked away from me: 

Here I am in Dublin, where the guy avatar would not turn around or acknowledge me:

Since I did not believe that the majority of avatars in Second Life were racist, I decided to go back to the same places I did as an African-American to determine if I received the same reactions as a Caucasian.  The first two places I returned to, the Morris Welcome Area and Orientation Island Pubic, I was ignored just as before.  Nonetheless in the Memory Bazaar and Dublin, avatars were very welcoming, answering all of my questions.  In Memory Bazaar I talked to a blond haired man.  He was very helpful and said if I was looking for something fun in SL I should go to a dance party.  We continued to talk and when I asked him about where to get some free things he replied that I should visit Milky 9.  Finally, I asked him about families in Second Life, he answered that he was not part of any family and most people he met were not either.   Finally I went to Dublin where I struck up a conversation with a dark haired lady.  Like the avatar from Memory Bazaar, she suggested that I go to a dance club. For free clothes she suggested Sarah Nerds.  When I asked her about families in SL, she said she was not part of a family but had a boyfriend in Second Life.  The second visit to the places helped confirm my belief that racism does occur in Second Life.  However there may be additional reasons for treating an avatar poorly.

 After completing trips to the Morris Welcome Area, Orientation Island Public, Memory Bazaar, and Dublin as both a Caucasian and African-American, I now believe that while I was treated poorly as an African-American woman.  I believe that ethnicity was not the only reason that avatars are treated poorly in Second Life.   Some of these other reasons could include that people discriminate against new avatars, or they are more concerned with talking to people they know then communicating with avatars they do not know.   Thus, Second Life is a place where one can be any ethnicity or race and are not usually treated poorly.  Also, because SL is a virtual world where one can be whatever they want to be, everyone will find a group where they fit in and are treated like they want to be treated.  Additionally, SL gives one the opportunity to change their ethnicity or gender whenever they desire to secure anominity, thus giving other person doubts as to who are they really talking to.  As is evident in my case, when I changed from a Caucasian to an African-American.  This anonymity could affect the way people are treated due to the fact that no one really knows if they are talking to a beautiful woman or merely a random person who is really not as beautiful as she is portraying herself to be.  With all of these other reasons why avatars could be treated either good or bad, my claim becomes very complicated.

 Subsequently with my own experiences as both a Caucasian and an African-American woman and the exploration of other reasons of why racism or discrimination could exist in Second Life, I believe that although avatars are treated poorly in Second Life that is not the only reason for discrimination.  Other reasons could include now new avatars are to the virtual world, or fears of who people are really talking to.  Although discrimination and racism does exist in Second Life, avatars are still able to do what they want and be whoever they want to be.

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