 |
| Ted Cruz Bobby Jindal |
Rafael Cruz is on the ballot as “Ted Cruz.” Piyush Jindal is on the ballot as “Bobby Jindal.” Conservatives seem okay with the idea of a minority republican candidate, just so long as
A) he pushes an agenda which trumpets the cause of white America while ignoring his own ethnic people, and
B) he changes his name to something more [white]-sounding.
http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/why-does-rafael-cruz-have-to-pretend-his-name-is-ted-cruz-to-appeal-to-republicans/21718/
I know that many people do not understand race as a "social construct." I've also experienced people taking the words "social construct of race" to mean that race isn't real
when the response to race
when the outcomes of racism
are so very real
to those of us that belong
to the group most often on the receiving end
as opposed to the group on the dishing out end.
But it still surprises me, a little, when people are silly enough to think someone like Officer Brian Encinia, who was instrumental in causing Sandra Bland's death, doesn't enjoy white privilege just because he supposedly marked "Mexican" on his voting registration.
Even if one has never heard the words "white" "passing" and "privilege" together the concept and benefits of white-passing privilege should be quite obvious.
All of this is not to say ethnic groups other than white can't be prejudice and bigoted (and racist in my opinion). But paler people of color can "pass" Therefore they most definitely can execute "racism" from inside whiteness.
GOOGLED DICTIONARY DEFINITION
RACISM - the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.
However, the redefining of the word "racism" away from it's basic dictionary definition is a poor use of language.
Poor use of language 1: The googled common definition captured above does not include a power dynamic. That means the "only white people can be racist" thing is not common knowledge. The purpose of language is to communicate. One word cannot have multiple basic meanings when used in a single context. This stops communication.
Poor use of language 2: When people of color outnumber white people will people of color be the racists using the power definition of racism?
Poor use of language 3: With the power definition of racism, will white people only cease to be the only racists when people of color enjoy more financial and political power than white people?
Who will define when this power line has been crossed? How many racial and ethnic groups will have to be across the line before "white people are the only ones who can be racist" switches to "only people of color can be racists?"
Let's pretend it's possible that all people of color band together and we have 51% of the financial and political power by 2050, will racism disappear or will the word "racism" disappear? (White folks are trying to do the latter right now.)
If the word "racism" disappears into the *power dynamic* confusion, will we turn into France erase white or non-white history altogether then refuse to acknowledge differences at the very same time we're making one ethnic/religious group 60 - 70% of the prison population.( In France right now, the prison population is predominantly Muslim)
Poor use of language 4: Donald Trump is probably a racist using most any definition of racism you can find. And in my opinion, he's still a racist if he visits South Africa or if he decides to live in South Africa. He's also a racist if he decides to visit Nigeria or if he decides to live in Nigeria. Donald Trump can be described as a racist where ever he goes and no matter how long he decides to stay there. And this picture of Trump is simpler to hold in one's mind and describe if the definitions of "racism" and "racist" being used are the basic dictionary terms.
All of this is why, in my opinion, the word "racism" (dictionary definition) and racist need to be qualified with the words "effective" and "systemic" when that's what you mean.
Using the basic definition of racism, it's easier to keep the conversation on track when talking about how Sandra Bland's death is an outcome of white supremacy and racism, regardless of whether or not Brian Encinia's marked "Mexican" on his voter registration card. Encinia's police uniform, white phenotype, and white man's name (Brian) allows him to be inside whiteness, as inside as "Ted" and "Bobby" from where I sit. Surely, it's easy to see that Encinia executes behavior just like any other white male sure of supremacy further secured with a badge.
Rafael Cruz running for president as Ted Cruz and Piyush Jindal running as Bobby Jindal shows us how powerful perceived whiteness is in this country as well. However, George Zimmerman changing his appearance from a TV stereotypical Latino gang member that killed Trayvon Martin to a doughy, clean shaven almost-white boy for his murder trial reveals systemic racism's connection to varying degrees of whiteness even more clearly.
 |
| Stereotype fitting George Zimmerman up top Whiter looking Zimmerman on the bottom |
If it had been a latino-looking George Zimmerman out for tea and skittles that night with a crazy Bill Clinton look-alike running around, fondling his gun while looking for someone to stalk, then Zimmerman would have been the one killed and accused of being a thug. It would have been Zimmerman found guilty of his own murder.
Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal, Brian Encinia, and George Zimmerman all have the ability to play the best race card there is in this country, the white one. And from where I sit, they continue to be masterfully played.
No comments:
Post a Comment