Could the world Ever Be Completely Racist-Free?
In the Jackson et al article they discuss the concept of
“othering,” which is using a derogatory term that stems from a race or group of
people that was at some point or another not accepted in society like “being
Jewed,” something being referred to as being “gay,” or making fun of White
People Problems (WPP) (2013, p. 349). People have a tendency of separating
themselves from those who are different, but why? And why is the world obsessed
with categorizing everything about a culture, saying if you’re Mexican you have
to be these certain things? Take for example what popped up this morning on my
Facebook feed from Cosmopolitan that can be seen through this link:
28 Signs You Grew Up Mexican by Krystyna Chavez.
What is this teaching people? Ok, so perhaps I, as a
Mexican, fall into some of the signs, but what does that mean? Reading some of
the comments under the Facebook post, people are arguing whether it is racist
or not. I can understand the point of view of people saying it is funny and
just a good joke, but not everyone is going to see it as a joke. It’s upsetting
to me because people of other backgrounds will go ahead and read this article
and immediately assume all Mexicans have to have these signs. Sorry for my
language but this is total bull****. If society keeps accepting stereotypes and
dismissing them as a funny joke, we will never get anywhere, racism will never
cease to exist.
Resources
Jackson, R.L.
& Moshin, J. (2013). “Identity and difference: Race and the necessity of
the discriminating subject.” In
T.K. Nakayama & R.T. Halualani (Eds.), The
Handbook of Critical Intercultural Communication (pp. 348-363).
Wiley-Blackwell.
I was struck by the title of this post. When I think about the possibility of a racist-free society I can't help but see it as minuscule. I do not mean to say that the mutual understanding that is necessary to erase lines based on race is not possible, but rather that in a world that puts so much focus on power, it is unlikely that those in power would allow for this to happen. This may sound incredibly pessimistic, but the inability for people to cross over these lines makes it easier to segment populations and use this information to maintain the status quo.
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ReplyDeleteBeing from the South, I encounter this too. There are so many preconceived notions about what it means to be a Southerner and equally as many notions that put restrictions on what Southerner’s can and cannot do. Growing up, if I left the state, I always encountered the “jokes” that come with being from Arkansas. No, I am not married to my cousin. Yes, I can read. Yes, I have all my teeth. No, I am not a member of the KKK, nor have I come across any meeting. I do occasionally walk outside without shoes, but to be fair I have seen others do this too in cities and countries around the world. Even here in Denver, people continue to confine me within their preconceived notions and stereotypes of the South. The ideas that have been propagated are doing a disservice to many Southerners. The truth is, the South is a smart, tolerant and globally minded region, which does harbor pockets of ignorance, just like everywhere else in the world.
ReplyDeleteFor me the question 'could the world be racist free?' is so difficult to imagine. What would the world look like? How would we respond to each other? Can we ever make light of differences between us without abusing, or creating, power relations? Part of me says let's blindfold ourselves and in a way it will do away with racism, as it is largely predicated on skin color. But I know there is a place within the human mental construct that would then marginalize based on voice, or smell. Is there any hope for a world without racism? I suppose the first step is realizing this apparent tendency in all of us and staying committed to avoiding cheap beliefs which make racism possible.
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