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A common refrain of minorities is that White people are fine with them as long as they act like White people.
The claim is it's racist to expect them conform to "white" society's norms.
But it's not, really.
How do we know?
Because an actual racist doesn't care how well the minority conforms to the norms.
The extreme example, of course, is The Holocaust. A Jew could not be law abiding enough. Jews could not be secular enough.
They could not conform enough.
I've experienced a disconnect a couple of times when I have to notice a friend is a minority. Newt is not my black friend. Newt is my friend.
We're friends because we have similar outlooks on life and compatible senses of humor with a lot of shared experiences.
His being a Jarhead comes up far more often than his skin tone.
A Black person conforming to the cultural norms of the US doesn't have problems, in my experience.
Cultures expect conformity from people who would live within them.
Cultures have a right to reject those whom will not.
Some cultures ARE better than others.
The American culture with its traditions of freedom and liberty is actually quite color blind. The people who abhor those freedoms are generally at the core of attempts to make race and creed a central theme. They do so to undermine the traditions of liberty.
All that can sound pretty damn racist.
It's no mistake that this speech was included in The Blues Brothers:
White men! White women! The swastika is calling you. The sacred and ancient symbol of your race, since the beginning of time. The Jew is using The Black as muscle against you. And you are left there helpless. Well, what are you going to do about it, Whitey? Just sit there? Of course not! You are going to join with us. The members of the American Socialist White Peoples' Party. An organization of decent, law abiding white folk. Just like you!
Sounds a lot like, "if you just join our society and act like us, everything will be fine!" doesn't it?
But it's not the same. It's not directed at the minority to relax and join the majority. It's directed at a majority to STOP the minorities. It's to create division, not unity. To prevent minorities from joining the greater society at large as equals.
Racists and bigots are often very good at convincing people of things.
But remember; that speech by the head nazi from Blues Brothers was given by a character shown to be an idiot at every turn. They actually went to Wrigley Field before realizing Elwood had falsified his address.
Don't fall for it.
I call it "People who are Black vs Black People." For People who are Black, black is a descriptor. Same with People who are Japanese/Korean/Thai etc. Black People is also a descriptor, a descriptor of their attitudes and actions.
ReplyDeleteI grew up totally not noticing race except as a descriptor and who has better food. My dad's staff sergeant was a scary monster, not because he was black but because he was an ex-Marine who transferred to the Air Force after an injury wouldn't allow him to continue in his beloved Corps but the AF would take him. Very scary. Very very scary to a 10 year old brat.