IBARW: Random notes that turned into a post on discomfort
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 12:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterI'm too tired to actually put together a coherent post right now, so, assorted random thoughts.
(Insert standard disclaimer on not speaking for all POC, not being shining star of anti-racism, speaking from personal experience, being privileged in other ways, being US-centric, etc.)
PSA: If you're trying to be anti-racist, random anti-Semitism doesn't help!
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se_parsons asks what would the un-racist society of the future look like?
My extremely facetious answer is: like my public library.
No, really.
No, really, I'm not just saying that because they let me borrow books.
I walked around there yesterday and noticed that almost everyone there was a person of color, and several of the white people I saw spoke other languages. POC were the majority, for once. There was a racial divide among the librarians; some were white, but most looked like they were East Asian. Almost all were women.
My ideal world wouldn't look like the Home Depot commercial I just saw, in which there was a black guy, an Asian guy, and a whole bunch of white guys. Yay token minorities.
Of course, I bet that my library looks the way it does because of the race-class divide where I live, which puts a huge damper on that whole ideal world idea.
I've seen several people post on their decision not to write entries for Intl. Blog Against Racism Week, which is cool. Some have mentioned that they're trying to listen, particularly to POC, which I really, really appreciate. I'm not sure if anyone wants to listen and still partcipate at the same time, or show support (and if not, that's perfectly fine!), but I was trying to think of good ways to do so if anyone did want to. So here's a thrown-together list, with the disclaimer that it's not meant to make people feel guilty about posting or not posting.
That's my small, IBARW-, internet-specific list so far! YMMV, of course!
With regard to identifying unconscious prejudices, I've found a good guideline for me is to see if something makes me uncomfortable, particularly if it's in that specific, nidgy, can't-quite-get-rid-of-it way that makes me want to not think about it. Not wanting to think about something, as demonstrated by making excuses in my head on why it's ok to not think about said thing, usually means I should think about it, but that I don't. Case in point: some of the comments to this post mention Japanophilia, the "ninja against racism" icon, and how Rock Lee in Naruto is a stereotype.
My very first instinct was "Bah! You lie! I am not a Japanophile! My icon in no way can be construed as racist! Naruto is not racist!" Of course, my very first instinct to people saying that being Asian in America mattered because even if you didn't self identify as such, other people would identify you as such, was "Bah! You lie! Watch me defy stereotypes!" My first instinct to POC saying they feel discriminated against is, unsurprisingly, "Bah! You lie! The system that I am a part of is a fair system! You are oversensitive!"
This is because, like so many other people, I want to believe that I am judged solely based on my own merit, that race and gender and age and sexual orientation and looks play nothing into things. I want to be able to enjoy things without having to stop and wonder if said thing is offensive to people who aren't me. Often, I can do this because I am doing so from a position of privilege. Sometimes, I can't. Sometimes, I don't want to admit that I can't because it means some of my agency is being taken away, because it means no matter what I do or what I think, people will still be judging me detrimentally because of my race or gender. Admitting this, admitting that it is an institution, admitting that it's something I can't magically change by force of will, that's difficult. It makes me feel powerless and angry. Naturally, the whole "playing the race/gender card" thing doesn't make admitting there is racism easier either. It's also easy for me to fall into the privileged worldview and denigrate my own sex or race unconsciously, because at least that way, there isn't the feeling of powerlessness.
From a privileged standpoint, I don't want my privilege pointed out because again, it means I'm not being judged by merit. It means maybe I didn't deserve what I ended up getting, not because I wasn't good, but because other people could have been better, but weren't given something because of their sexual orientation or age or class or handicap. I don't want to have my fun taken away from me. It's easier for me to understand why people are uncomfortable with the thought of privilege being taken away or questioned, so I'm writing less here that I did for unprivileged people to acknowledge their lack of privilege.
So with that in mind, the things that make me uncomfortable, that make me want to stand up and yell, "Bah! You lie! Go away and let me enjoy my things in peace!" — those are the very things that I should be paying attention to. If it turns out that I've given it a lot of thought and eventually decided it isn't true, without using any of the arguments outlined in How to Suppress Discussions of Racism, then that's fine. It's not like that extra bit of thought hurt me. If, however, I find myself saying things like, "But it's just an icon!" or "It wasn't intentionally racist!" or "You just don't get it! It's just a joke!" then I need to think about it some more.
My guess is, if anyone wants to be anti-racist, they're going to end up feeling uncomfortable. This is not the happy comfort of thinking that your parents always told you to treat people how you'd like to be treated. As a lot of people are saying already, racism is an institution. It's self-perpetuating. Beverly Tatum likens racism to one of those moving walkway things at the airport. Actively racist people walk forward on the walkway and go even faster. Passively racist people stand still on the walkway; they think they're not contributing, but they're still moving anyway. Anti-racist people walk backwards at a rate faster than that of the walkway, meaning they are actually going in the opposite direction. Anything less than that is racist. Walking takes effort. Walking at a rate that gets you going in the opposite direction is a lot of effort. And the walkway is always there, always moving people along.
By this definition, blogging against racism shouldn't just be a brief acknowledgement of what you've done. That's just walking in the other way a little, then stopping and letting the walkway move you forward again. It's not a look at your own stance on racism. It's an action that should be ongoing and continual. Stances matter, but in the long run, given the inertia of society, they don't matter as much as action. And, of course, getting somewhat back to my point, action is uncomfortable (especially if you don't like to exercise, like me!). Action means the possibility of tripping, of falling, of energy being wasted.
So how do you tell if you're just standing still, or if you're walking fast enough the opposite way?
Er. I wish I knew! If you do know, tell me the secret, and I will market it and sell it to people and steal all the profits!
More seriously, I figure, it can't hurt to ask some uncomfortable questions! I don't know if it works or not, but trying to move in the right direction is something. So ... uncomfortable questions for everyone!
Hey, if I've got to think about ninja icons, I demand on inflicting the same pain on everyone else ;).
Er, also, I'm not demanding answers from anyone, nor is it a way to make people not blog about a certain topic. I think there can be racist and anti-racist answers to each question. And, as emphasized above, these are uncomfortable questions that are meant to make you feel defensive, and they apply to white people and people of color alike (though they are hopefully aimed at racism as an institution).
I could probably go on for quite a bit ;). Lots of things make me uncomfortable!
I'm asking these questions not because the activities/posts mentioned in the questions themselves are somehow wrong or racist or irrelevant. I'm asking because these are the things that make me uncomfortable. And there are lots of answers, some of which are anti-racist, and some of which are not. For example, you could be not posting because you think people should blog about racism all the time. You could have nothing to say. You could want to listen to other people. You could have six million things to do in RL. You could think it's stupid. You could be giving any one of the above reasons but actually feel too guilty. You could not want to post but not want to be called racist and come up with other reasons. You could not want to derail the discussion to talk of whiteness. It could be anything, really, and it's up to you to decide if your answer is anti-racist or passively racist or actively racist. You could be trying to make an anti-racist point. You could be practicing aversive racism. I don't know.
For example, in the above link to comments on the ninja icon and being a Japanophile, I responded and let people know what race I was. I felt weird about this (and still do). Was I "pulling the race card"? Was I trying to wiggle out of being called an Asiaphile? Etc. Right now, I think yes, it is relevant in a discussion on race, particularly one in which the subject of Asiaphilia comes up (possibly not Japanophilia though, but I'm still thinking about that). But... I still don't know for sure. This is, by the way, not trying to get people to reassure me or whatnot, or tell me that I am or am not a Japanophile/Asiaphile/etc.
If I'm answering one of those questions and getting a nidgy feeling, then I figure there's probably some guilt or discomfort involved, something that indicates I'm not being entirely honest with myself. I don't know how it works for anyone else though. But I figured I'd toss it out there!
IBARW link round-up
(Insert standard disclaimer on not speaking for all POC, not being shining star of anti-racism, speaking from personal experience, being privileged in other ways, being US-centric, etc.)
PSA: If you're trying to be anti-racist, random anti-Semitism doesn't help!
se_parsons asks what would the un-racist society of the future look like?My extremely facetious answer is: like my public library.
No, really.
No, really, I'm not just saying that because they let me borrow books.
I walked around there yesterday and noticed that almost everyone there was a person of color, and several of the white people I saw spoke other languages. POC were the majority, for once. There was a racial divide among the librarians; some were white, but most looked like they were East Asian. Almost all were women.
My ideal world wouldn't look like the Home Depot commercial I just saw, in which there was a black guy, an Asian guy, and a whole bunch of white guys. Yay token minorities.
Of course, I bet that my library looks the way it does because of the race-class divide where I live, which puts a huge damper on that whole ideal world idea.
I've seen several people post on their decision not to write entries for Intl. Blog Against Racism Week, which is cool. Some have mentioned that they're trying to listen, particularly to POC, which I really, really appreciate. I'm not sure if anyone wants to listen and still partcipate at the same time, or show support (and if not, that's perfectly fine!), but I was trying to think of good ways to do so if anyone did want to. So here's a thrown-together list, with the disclaimer that it's not meant to make people feel guilty about posting or not posting.
- Read all the posts being collected
- Find other blog entries on Intl. Blog Against Racism Week and add them to the link list
- Let other bloggers know you're reading their posts (haha! A shameless appeal for comments! Even though I'm woefully bad at replying to them...)
- Read up on Racism 101, if you want. Googling "white privilege" usually works, or "aversive racism." One favorite link I found today is How to Be a Real Nice Guy, which is more on men in feminist spaces, but applies to white people in POC spaces as well.
- Even if you're not speaking out, you can always post links to things that you've found thought-provoking. Or choose to highlight posts by POC. Or deliberately try and read anti-racist posts that make you very, very uncomfortable.
That's my small, IBARW-, internet-specific list so far! YMMV, of course!
With regard to identifying unconscious prejudices, I've found a good guideline for me is to see if something makes me uncomfortable, particularly if it's in that specific, nidgy, can't-quite-get-rid-of-it way that makes me want to not think about it. Not wanting to think about something, as demonstrated by making excuses in my head on why it's ok to not think about said thing, usually means I should think about it, but that I don't. Case in point: some of the comments to this post mention Japanophilia, the "ninja against racism" icon, and how Rock Lee in Naruto is a stereotype.
My very first instinct was "Bah! You lie! I am not a Japanophile! My icon in no way can be construed as racist! Naruto is not racist!" Of course, my very first instinct to people saying that being Asian in America mattered because even if you didn't self identify as such, other people would identify you as such, was "Bah! You lie! Watch me defy stereotypes!" My first instinct to POC saying they feel discriminated against is, unsurprisingly, "Bah! You lie! The system that I am a part of is a fair system! You are oversensitive!"
This is because, like so many other people, I want to believe that I am judged solely based on my own merit, that race and gender and age and sexual orientation and looks play nothing into things. I want to be able to enjoy things without having to stop and wonder if said thing is offensive to people who aren't me. Often, I can do this because I am doing so from a position of privilege. Sometimes, I can't. Sometimes, I don't want to admit that I can't because it means some of my agency is being taken away, because it means no matter what I do or what I think, people will still be judging me detrimentally because of my race or gender. Admitting this, admitting that it is an institution, admitting that it's something I can't magically change by force of will, that's difficult. It makes me feel powerless and angry. Naturally, the whole "playing the race/gender card" thing doesn't make admitting there is racism easier either. It's also easy for me to fall into the privileged worldview and denigrate my own sex or race unconsciously, because at least that way, there isn't the feeling of powerlessness.
From a privileged standpoint, I don't want my privilege pointed out because again, it means I'm not being judged by merit. It means maybe I didn't deserve what I ended up getting, not because I wasn't good, but because other people could have been better, but weren't given something because of their sexual orientation or age or class or handicap. I don't want to have my fun taken away from me. It's easier for me to understand why people are uncomfortable with the thought of privilege being taken away or questioned, so I'm writing less here that I did for unprivileged people to acknowledge their lack of privilege.
So with that in mind, the things that make me uncomfortable, that make me want to stand up and yell, "Bah! You lie! Go away and let me enjoy my things in peace!" — those are the very things that I should be paying attention to. If it turns out that I've given it a lot of thought and eventually decided it isn't true, without using any of the arguments outlined in How to Suppress Discussions of Racism, then that's fine. It's not like that extra bit of thought hurt me. If, however, I find myself saying things like, "But it's just an icon!" or "It wasn't intentionally racist!" or "You just don't get it! It's just a joke!" then I need to think about it some more.
My guess is, if anyone wants to be anti-racist, they're going to end up feeling uncomfortable. This is not the happy comfort of thinking that your parents always told you to treat people how you'd like to be treated. As a lot of people are saying already, racism is an institution. It's self-perpetuating. Beverly Tatum likens racism to one of those moving walkway things at the airport. Actively racist people walk forward on the walkway and go even faster. Passively racist people stand still on the walkway; they think they're not contributing, but they're still moving anyway. Anti-racist people walk backwards at a rate faster than that of the walkway, meaning they are actually going in the opposite direction. Anything less than that is racist. Walking takes effort. Walking at a rate that gets you going in the opposite direction is a lot of effort. And the walkway is always there, always moving people along.
By this definition, blogging against racism shouldn't just be a brief acknowledgement of what you've done. That's just walking in the other way a little, then stopping and letting the walkway move you forward again. It's not a look at your own stance on racism. It's an action that should be ongoing and continual. Stances matter, but in the long run, given the inertia of society, they don't matter as much as action. And, of course, getting somewhat back to my point, action is uncomfortable (especially if you don't like to exercise, like me!). Action means the possibility of tripping, of falling, of energy being wasted.
So how do you tell if you're just standing still, or if you're walking fast enough the opposite way?
Er. I wish I knew! If you do know, tell me the secret, and I will market it and sell it to people and steal all the profits!
More seriously, I figure, it can't hurt to ask some uncomfortable questions! I don't know if it works or not, but trying to move in the right direction is something. So ... uncomfortable questions for everyone!
Hey, if I've got to think about ninja icons, I demand on inflicting the same pain on everyone else ;).
Er, also, I'm not demanding answers from anyone, nor is it a way to make people not blog about a certain topic. I think there can be racist and anti-racist answers to each question. And, as emphasized above, these are uncomfortable questions that are meant to make you feel defensive, and they apply to white people and people of color alike (though they are hopefully aimed at racism as an institution).
- What point are you trying to make if you're blogging about your childhood experiences with racism?
- What point are you trying to make if you're figuring out how many POC are in your icons/books/fic?
- Why are you telling people you aren't racist/don't know anyone racist/have enlightened parents/live in an enlightened and racially diverse area?
- What are your reasons for talking about/to white people?
- Why are you recounting an experience with a POC who is your friend/spouse/significant other/family member/neighbor/co-worker/random person?
- Why are you writing about POC prejudice against other POCs?
- Why are you mentioning the time you felt discriminated against?
- Why are you saying you've never felt discriminated against?
- Are you trying to justify something that someone else has termed racial discrimination?
- Why are you posting about the time you felt guilty?
- Why are you questioning the focus on race instead of gender/class/sexual orientation/age/ability/religion/all prejudice?
- Why are you angry?
- Why aren't you angry?
- Why are you uncomfortable?
- Why aren't you uncomfortable?
- Are you only linking to/reading/commenting on posts by white people?
- Why are you doing a headcount of POC in your school/workplace/neighborhood/community/church?
- Why are you talking about the time you saw someone being racially discriminated against?
- Why are you posting/commenting?
- Why are you not posting/commenting?
- Why are you mentioning your own race/gender/class/sexual orientation/age/ethnicity/religion?
- Are you being more hostile to posts by white people?
- Are you being more hostile to posts by POC?
- Are you being defensive?
- Are you overcompensating? For what?
I could probably go on for quite a bit ;). Lots of things make me uncomfortable!
I'm asking these questions not because the activities/posts mentioned in the questions themselves are somehow wrong or racist or irrelevant. I'm asking because these are the things that make me uncomfortable. And there are lots of answers, some of which are anti-racist, and some of which are not. For example, you could be not posting because you think people should blog about racism all the time. You could have nothing to say. You could want to listen to other people. You could have six million things to do in RL. You could think it's stupid. You could be giving any one of the above reasons but actually feel too guilty. You could not want to post but not want to be called racist and come up with other reasons. You could not want to derail the discussion to talk of whiteness. It could be anything, really, and it's up to you to decide if your answer is anti-racist or passively racist or actively racist. You could be trying to make an anti-racist point. You could be practicing aversive racism. I don't know.
For example, in the above link to comments on the ninja icon and being a Japanophile, I responded and let people know what race I was. I felt weird about this (and still do). Was I "pulling the race card"? Was I trying to wiggle out of being called an Asiaphile? Etc. Right now, I think yes, it is relevant in a discussion on race, particularly one in which the subject of Asiaphilia comes up (possibly not Japanophilia though, but I'm still thinking about that). But... I still don't know for sure. This is, by the way, not trying to get people to reassure me or whatnot, or tell me that I am or am not a Japanophile/Asiaphile/etc.
If I'm answering one of those questions and getting a nidgy feeling, then I figure there's probably some guilt or discomfort involved, something that indicates I'm not being entirely honest with myself. I don't know how it works for anyone else though. But I figured I'd toss it out there!
IBARW link round-up
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 08:14 am (UTC)What's the deadline to post? Tomorrow? Sunday? OMG, if I don't post during IBARW, I can't post about racisim at all ever again!! ;-)
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 09:25 am (UTC)Ooh - it could be a cunning strategy! At the end of the week, declare a week's extension for all the people feeling guilty that they haven't posted this week, like in a ficathon! Then the guilt and relief gets people posting next week, too. Then the ripple effects spread, and people will be demanding to be allowed to post the week after that as well!
Finally, in a gesture of exceptional graciousness, the IBARW founders can declare that people will be allowed to post about racism all year *g*.
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 03:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 03:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 03:23 am (UTC)And hey, you could always write the inaugural post of "Guess What? It's STILL Intl. Blog Against Racism Week! Neener!"
Well, maybe without the "neener."
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 08:57 am (UTC)I'm not sure I'm not worried about feeling insufficiently nidgy.
Maybe it's all that time doing non-violence training, and feminist stuff, and queer stuff, maybe you get a bit broken to harness; I mostly catch myself feeling like, okay, this is hard work ... shouldn't it have got easier by now? I don't think that makes me so much nonracist as possibly just really used to the idea that you have to follow the nidgy things. It's a bit of a reflex by now, and I'm grateful for that.
I'm staying out of most discussions by USians cause I don't feel like there's any useful contribution I can make there. Feeling kind of frustrated by the comparative lack of International in International Blog Against Racism week. Trying to find ways to engage with the sitation in the US over my own stuff about that.
And in the middle of it all, grief. A friend has died, an Native Rights activist. An Elder in this community as well as in the Native one. Lots of pain in my circle right now.
Writing about ethnicity and religion and class and nationality as well as race in Ontario, not because I think it's the same but because I think it's relevant. Wondering if it's what I should be doing. Quoting POC voices. Thinking a lot. Sleeping too little.
So how are you doing?
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 03:34 am (UTC)Yes, very much so! I found that even after the Great Cultural Approrpiation Debate of DOOM, I'd wander past the African-American literature section of Borders and automatically think, "Nah, not interesting," then smack myself.
I'm really just starting to figure out that I've got to follow the nidgy things instead of dismissing them. And of course, not everything that makes you nidgy is right, and not everything that makes you nidgy is wrong, but that's much easier for me to figure out after I stop trying to just make the nidginess go away and accept it.
I need to post on international anti-racism things as well! I haven't dragged in Taiwan yet because I didn't want the conversation to become "But people of color are also racist!" but I think I will anyway.
*hugs* I'm really sorry to hear about your loss.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 03:49 am (UTC)You know, if we're talking about being queer or being female or (as I was doing and I hope in the right way) inter-ethnic tension in the group now constructed as 'white', or whatever, then absolutely, I think we have to guard against that stuff creeping in.
OTOH, one of the things I was thinking about today was how... strangely satisfying it was the day i found hard proof that almost every single racist trope in use now against people of colour was common currency PRIOR to European contact with the rest of the world.
You know, we all get accused of, roughly, the same shit. Whoever the group perceived as a threat, or whose oppression needs justifying.
It's like a checklist: mentally inferior, sexually voracious, manipulative, deceptive, dishonest, religiously suspect ...
That doesn't make our situations the same, or even necessarily similar, but it's worth knowing and using.
I may have to repost Macauley's Civil Disabilities of the Jews...
The international thing ... that would be cool, but there's also some shit of mine in me saying that.
You know, I looked at "African-American section" and thought God, AMERICA.
(Here it's Black Studies. But most of it is imported. Not all, but most.)
It is terribly frustrating to be bombarded with so much information about a bad situation I can do nothing about. This is not, of itself, a reason not to read and learn, but it's a bit of crap I have to deal with.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:27 am (UTC)One of my favorite things about Beverly Tatum's book and Frank Wu's book was that both emphasize the need for POC-POC discussion and interaction and allies, along with the need for POC-white relations. Frank Wu especially, since his book is more on Asian-Americans and how we can join in the discussion on race without taking attention away from black and Hispanic and American Indian issues.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 07:12 am (UTC)*hugs* Courage, mon ami ...
One of my favorite things about Beverly Tatum's book and Frank Wu's book was that both emphasize the need for POC-POC discussion and interaction and allies, along with the need for POC-white relations.
As we used to say in non-violence training, if your coalition isn't making you a bit uncomfortable, it's probably not broad enough?
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 10:46 am (UTC)A friend of mine is disabled and has personal care assistants (PCAs) coming to help her function fairly often. Many are non-white, most are lower class; it's an unskilled, low-paying job. She says that one of the hardest things to do is to get them to go to the library for her to pick up and drop off books.
Most of her PCAs are afraid of it.
Afraid of the library. They don't find it unpleasant or distasteful or boring, but actively frightening. It can take months of coaxing to get them to simply go put books in the drop-box, much less pick up holds. And this has happened with a lot of them; it's not an isolated incident.
I'm not sure quite why, or what it means. But I thought I would mention it.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 04:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Tue, Jul. 25th, 2006 04:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 02:28 pm (UTC)This one I can answer -- it's because I come from a milieu where it's considered good anti-racist etiquette to personally situate yourself before you say anything. It's a kind of academic/po-mo thing -- idea being, since lack of bias isn't possible, the most constructive thing is to indicate your biases up front as far as you can -- and it's frequently and justly parodied, but I still see value in it.
Of course, employing the anonymity of the internet can also lead to interesting results, and evoke things that might not otherwise be evoked (e.g. that latest outbreak of random anti-Semitism), so there's something to be said for that as well.
As for the icon, I have tremendous faith in the power of self-mockery to carry me through my life.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 04:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 12:22 pm (UTC)And yes, it is a very good mental list. (It reminded me a bit of a questionnaire that a Croatian friend of mine put together for people wanting to do humanitarian work in the Balkans. I tried to use it on an East Timor volunteer mission and the other coordinators overruled me because they were afraid it would scare all the volunteers away ... I should see if I can pull it out from somewhere in my files, actually).
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 02:31 pm (UTC)This led me on to thoughts about economics, and the possibility that capitalism requires both sexism and racism, at such a fundamental level that eliminating racism may not be possible without a tremendous change in the economic system. Which would be easier to contemplate if any of the other models for an economic system were working out in practice.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 12:06 am (UTC)I was kind of starting to think a little about this too. Mostly it's still swirling around in my head with vague thoughts about one town we used to live in, that discouraged apartments because the city leadership wanted to encourage wealthier property owners to move in; and that even if education was across-the-board good at a school itself, there are still all those component parts that cost money, field trips and uniforms for band and sports equipment.
...and mostly those thoughts are stalling out because I don't have an economist's background. Gah.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:34 am (UTC)And of course, it's all interconnected with white flight and the formation of suburbs and inner-cities.
I wish I knew more =(.
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 04:45 am (UTC)Oooo, ouch. I sincerely hope that's not the case!
I have read arguments saying that sexism and racism isn't economically practical, given that it's a waste of human resources. But that may be in one of those ideal thought experiment societies...
(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 12:31 pm (UTC)Scandinavian-style social democracy has proved somewhat effective in reducing sexism, but not racism, though there may be a variety of reasons for this.
It doesn't explain everything (there's your basic fear of the Other involved, among other things), but it does go some way towards maybe explaining what sexism and racism are "good for".
(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 02:57 pm (UTC)I'm sure I'm defensive because I've been accused of being an Asiaphile too, and there doesn't seem to be any way to answer that other than, "OK, I won't watch any more anime or eat any more dim sum." Or to get into some long, self-absorbed, embarassing explanation of how I separately started liking different Asian things, and how I like non-Asian things too, and a list of Asian things I don't like, which seems kind of ridiculous.
However, to reply to the specifics.
1. I think Rock Lee is intended as a tribute to Bruce Lee, not a mockery of him. I am basing this on him being an incredibly sympathetic-- and cool-- character who gets his own storylines and flashbacks and so forth. I get that it could be insulting that he's funny-looking, but I took that as part of the strategy to introduce a character so you get one impression of him, and then turn it around 180 degrees. I'm not sure if this falls under the category of "but what about the white characters!" but a lot of the characters do get introduced with some flaw-- Chouji is the fat kid who's always eating, Sakura is ineffective, Naruto is the class clown and not very bright-- before we get to see their better selves shine through.
2. I see how anime icons can be seen as a version of "I am so non-racist, I watch anime," or "if it's Japanese, it must be cool," or so forth. I guess you could have not used anime icons, and only used fannish icons from, say Pirates or Buffy, lest the anime ones be misinterpreted. However, if you don't display the fandoms you're actually a member of, then it could seem like you're ashamed of them being Asian.
3. Japanophile means you love everything about Japan uncritically and because it's from Japan, right? But is there room for liking some Japanese things because you like them? Again, the flip side of trying not to be or be seen as a Japanophile or Asiaphile is that you don't discuss Japanese or Asian things that you do like, and then they get less visibility and promotion and it starts seeming like being a fan of them is something you should be ashamed of.
(By "you," of course, I also mean "I.")
Regarding your list of questions, it's kind of like why I don't like dating: if I examine my feelings in such minute detail while I'm having them, I only become more and more uncertain of what they are.
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Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 04:56 am (UTC)The Japanophile thing sort of bugs me, but a little less so just because, well... I've been wondering that since junior year of high school. I finally just figured that I may or may not be, that I'll never know for sure, that I'll try not to be, but I will invariably fail at many points alon gthe way. Mostly I'm ok with that.
I figure the point is to get the the point when you're asking yourself the questions and being ok with the nidginess, or something, or being ok with the fact that you don't have the answers?
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Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 04:28 pm (UTC)Of course, I bet that my library looks the way it does because of the race-class divide where I live, which puts a huge damper on that whole ideal world idea.
This is true of my neighborhood library, too. It's one of the upsides of my part of town. (The downsides, of course, being largely in the aforementioned lack of services and the alarming habit of the local government to decide we're just the right place for them to put X, Y, or Z bad thing. Anyone who doesn't see/believe in institutionalized racism should come live in my part of town for a while.)
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Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 06:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:30 am (UTC)Also, yes. Couch. All too familiar....
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Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 09:05 am (UTC)And I like that analogy because it makes it clear that it's not a masochistic or self-flagellatory process - not the OMG GUILT! LOOK AT MY *GUILT*! thing you can sometimes end up with.
It's something you do for your own sake too, because it makes you less stiff and immobilized. And pain isn't the point or the goal, or something that wins you extra points - but discomfort may often be a guide to the stuff you need to work on next.
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Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 05:14 am (UTC)There should probably be a whole 'nother week just dedicated to the race-class mix of issues, and yet another with gender thrown in for fun! Or, people could just talk about it all the time ^_^.
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Tue, Jul. 25th, 2006 04:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 05:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Fri, Jul. 21st, 2006 11:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 12:08 am (UTC)http://coffeeandink.livejournal.com/607897.html?thread=6630297#t6630297
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Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 05:13 am (UTC)But i just wanted to say that this is an absolutely wonderful post. i appreciate it mightily.
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Sat, Jul. 22nd, 2006 06:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Sun, Jul. 23rd, 2006 07:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Mon, Jul. 24th, 2006 07:40 pm (UTC)