Post 399: How To Make Society More Inclusive

Post 399: How To Make Society More Inclusive

Make classrooms more inclusive

Let students of color and recent immigrants from other countries talk about their experiences. Learn about the cultures of the international students in your class. Discuss history by studying the contributions of all ethnic groups. Celebrate the accomplishments of all ethnic groups.

Make your workplace more inclusive

Hire or promote more people of color. Treat a person of color the way you would treat another white person.

Increase representation of people of color in the media, business and leadership

Make sure that the heroes on TV are not simply white people. Make sure to have a diverse group of characters in all TV shows, movies and have people of color in leadership roles. When young people of color see more role models of themselves in public, they will feel more of a sense of belonging to American society.

Make European Americans aware of their 'White Fragility"

Show how American society represents the interests of European Americans as they are represented everywhere in TV, in books, and in leadership and power roles. 

Learn about other cultures

Be aware of other cultures and other points of view. Learn more about how an Asian American views society or how African Americans view society.  Learn about other cultures by traveling more and learning other ways of thinking besides just the American point of view.

Learn to Respect Difference

Learn to love how everyone eats differently, speaks differently, dresses differently, believes in different religions and learn to embrace this difference.

Read Antiracism books

Read books or watch TV programs that show positive representations of people of color so that you learn to view people of color as fellow human beings just like you. Read books written by people of color like Amy Tan or Toni Morrison to learn about other points of view.

Be an Ally against racism

If you see a person of color, do not make fun of them. Do not make fun of the way somebody dresses, speaks, or worships another religion. If  a woman wears a hijab, respect her religion just like nuns have to wear a habit. And Orthodox Jews wear a beanie. Respect these differences and be friends with people of different colors and religions.

Not enough to say 'you are color blind'

It is not enough to say you are color blind. You need to take direct action against racism by listening to people of color. Listen to the stories of racism told my people of color.  Do not dismiss what a person of color says by saying "I am not racist because....." Just sit silently and let a person of color discuss the pain of being racist.

Ask a trusted friend of color how to be a good white ally

If you have a trusted friend you know very well, you can ask him/her "What can I do to mitigate the effects of racism for you?" or "What are your personal experiences on racism?" Just learn to listen and not be judgemental and not be defensive.  Just be open-minded, kind, compassionate and show empathy.

Take a Diversity Class

Take a Diversity class or attend an Anti-Blackness or an Anti-Racism workshop and learn about the harmful effects of systemic racism.

Take a College Class
Many college classes also teach about diversity such as Ethnic Studies, Postcolonialism, Multicultural Education class,  Ethnic Literature classes.

By making society more inclusive, then everyone regardless of ethnicity can feel a sense of belonging to American society.

Post 398: Dominant Group vs Subordinate Group Dynamics

Dominant Group vs Subordinate Group Dynamics

Sociologist Louis Wirth (1945) defined a minority group as “any group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in the society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment, and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.” The term minority connotes discrimination, and in its sociological use, the term subordinate group can be used interchangeably with the term minority, while the term dominant group is often substituted for the group that’s in the majority. These definitions correlate to the concept that the dominant group is that which holds the most power in a given society, while subordinate groups are those who lack power compared to the dominant group.

These definitions correlate to the concept that the dominant group is that which holds the most power in a given society, while subordinate groups are those who lack power compared to the dominant group.

In the United States, the dominant group with the most power are European Americans or White Americans. The dominant White group controls the power, makes the laws, and it is the cultural values of the White Americans that shapes the identity of what it is to be American.

Most American law and culture was based on British law and culture, hence America has a very Eurocentric white view of the world.  Therefore, the dominant group in the United States reflects a very western British view of the world. 

The dominant group is the group with all the powers, privileges and status therein. It is the White dominant group that controls the rewards and the value systems of society. White males hold the most power in the US. White males control the law, hold the power, have the most privileges and status in US society.  So, if dominance leads to power, then the non-dominant group leads to a lack of power, lack of privileges and lack of prestige and lack of status.

Non-Dominant groups such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans (any ethnic group who is not European American) in American lack power, lack status, lack money, and lack privilege.  These non-dominant groups are considered inferior, subhuman, dangerous, violent, lazy, childlike, animalistic, and subhuman compared to the  superior civilized humanity of the White straight males of the dominant group.

“Overall, it appears that because of the dominance of the early Western Europeans to this country and the continued dominance of later generations of whites in the U.S., white Americans have developed an ethno-racial identity that acts as a constant lifeline but remains hidden from their view. By not having to live behind a “veil” of differentness (Du Bois [1903]2011), whites do not understand how the consequences of this identity benefit them and harm others.”

In the United States, privilege is granted to people who have membership in one or more of these social identity groups:

·         White people;

·         Able-bodied people;

·         Heterosexuals;

·         Males;

·         Christians;

·         Middle or owning class people;

·         Middle-aged people;

·         English-speaking people

Privilege is characteristically invisible to people who have it. People in dominant groups often believe that they have earned the privileges that they enjoy or that everyone could have access to these privileges if only they worked to earn them. In fact, privileges are unearned and they are granted to people in the dominant groups whether they want those privileges or not, and regardless of their stated intent.

Unlike targets of oppression, people in dominant groups are frequently unaware that they are members of the dominant group due to the privilege of being able to see themselves as persons rather than stereotypes. It is usually the members of the dominant group whose harmful stereotypes of the other ethnic groups that do the most harm, because whatever racist views the dominant group has becomes law and determines how society is run.

It is the subordinate groups that are the target of oppression off of whom the dominant group benefits from legally, financially, socially and psychologically.  Members of the subordinate group are manipulated, exploited, discriminated against by members of the dominant group. Members of the subordinate groups are made to live in inferior substandard places such as the poorer parts of town or near industrial plants or landfills where nobody else wants to live. Members of the subordinate group are not allowed to live in the richer parts of town, and are not allowed to intermingle or be educated near the members of the dominant class. 

 Racism is a system in which one race maintains supremacy over another race through a set of attitudes, behaviors, social structures, and institutional power. Racism is a “system of structured dis-equality where the goods, services, rewards, privileges, and benefits of the society are available to individuals according to their presumed membership in” particular racial groups (Barbara Love, 1994. Understanding Internalized Oppression). A person of any race can have prejudices about people of other races, but only members of the dominant social group can exhibit racism because racism is prejudice plus the institutional power to enforce it. 

As a member of the target subordinate group, I have felt what it is like not to have the same privileges as the dominant white group. For instance, as an Asian American,  I have been looked at as the Model Minority (where people assume I am good at math simply because I am Asian or that I have good grades in math simply because I am Asian, enemy of the country (people assume I may be a spy just because I look Asian just like the Japanese villains in those old World War Two movies), and lately I am the COVID19 virus since the virus originated in Wuhan, China. 

 Many people do not know the difference between an Asian American and an Asian from China. We are all considered the same. As a result, Asian Americans are treated as the Other--as people who do not belong in America and need to go back to Asia even though I was born and raised in the United States.  No matter how many generations an Asian American's family has been in the US, Americans especially white Americans see Asian Americans as foreigners and as not quite American.  I sometimes am made to feel I am not American and do not belong in America.

In order to lessen the effects of racism, discrimination and prejudice against target groups, White Americans need to realize the harmful effect White Privilege has on other ethnic groups. White Americans need to use their White Privilege to become a White ally to combat racists and racism. By welcoming other ethnic groups, white American can then make other ethnic groups feel like they belong in America.  In my next blog post, I will talk about ways in which Americans of all colors can help make all ethnic groups feel less excluded from the American experience.

 

Post 397: The Concept of Anti-Blackness and How to Dismantle it

The Concept of Anti-Blackness

When Americans deny Black people their humanity and see Black People only as former slaves, or as an inferior race, then Americans are being 'anti-black'.  Anti-blackness deals with the denial of a Black person's humanity. Instead of being seen as humans, with anti-blackness, black people are seen as sub-human or chattel like during the times of American slavery.


According to Robin DiAngelo in White Fragility, the white identity needs blackness as a binary force.  She says "that Americans live in a society predicated on white superiority. And what white people receive simultaneously relentless messages about black inferiority..Anti-blackness goes deeper than negative stereotypes...she says...anti-blackness is foundational to white identity..there was no concept of race before the need to justify the enslavement of Africans.  Creating a separate inferior black race created the superior white race." (DiAngelo, 90)

DiAngelo also adds that another aspect of anti-blackness is that white people project onto black people aspects about themselves white people don't like. White masters of black slaves depicted black slaves as 'lazy and childlike' even though they toiled from day til night in back breaking work. Today, blacks are depicted as dangerous, which causes feelings of aversion, fear and hostility among white people."(Di'Angelo, 90)

Kiyana Miraya Ross  states,"Anti-blackness covers the fact that society’s hatred of blackness, and also its gratuitous violence against black people, is complicated by its need for our existence. For example, for white people — again, better described as those who have been racialized white — the abject inhumanity of the black reinforces their whiteness, their humanness, their power, and their privilege, whether they’re aware of it or not. Black people are at once despised and also a useful counterpoint for others to measure their humanness against. In other words, while one may experience numerous compounding disadvantages, at least they’re not black." ("Call it What it is: Anti-Blackness, 2020, NY Times)

Diangelo claims that even among white people who claim they are not racist, they are anti-black on a subconscious level. For instance, Diangelo admits that many white people feel fear when they see a stranger who is black. If a white person is walking down the street and sees a black person they do not recognize, they will walk away in fear--especially white women will fear that a black man will attack them. Yet, that same white woman, if a stranger white man walked by, she would not fear that white man in the same way she fears the stranger black man--this is an example of anti-blackness on a subconscious level. (90)

Ross calls the thingfication of black people is fundamental to the identity of America, which is to say that anti-blackness is fundamental to the identity of America.   To dismantle anti-blackness, one must learn how anti-blackness manifests. Take Ethnic Studies classes. Take classes about other racial groups. Learn about other perspectives.  Travel to other countries. Learn about other traditions and cultures to widen your perspective. Widen your mind to other possibilities. Realize that there is no one way to do things.

Here are three ways Janice Gassam in her article, Recognizing and Dismantling Your Anti-Blackness say to eliminate racism in your life:

1. Realize how anti-blackness or systemic racism permeates American society. Gassam states, "nderstanding these systemic inequities will help you understand what role you play in upholding oppressive systems.   "

2. Disrupt anti-blackness--Gassam states, "Look at each structure and system individually. Think about how anti-blackness is exhibited in each system and then ask yourself what you are doing to actively disrupt these systems. How does anti-blackness creep into your workplace? Are Black people being hired, paid and promoted at comparable rates as their counterparts? If not, how can you advocate for changes? Who are the policymakers within your organization? Use your power and privilege to push for change. There’s also power in the penny. Where are you spending your money? Disrupt anti-blackness by supporting small and large Black-owned businesses."

3. Have your children read positive portrayals of black people in books and have your children watch positive portrayals of black people. You can have children watch The Prince of Bel Air, Black Panther, or Hidden Figures so that white children can see black people as human beings just like they are. The more we see that we are more alike than different, the more we can fight  anti-blackness and racism.

DiAngelo, Robin.  "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism. Beacon Press. 2018

Gassam, Janice.  "Recognizing and Dismantling Your Anti-Blackness"  Forbes Magazine. June 2020

Ross, Miraya Khana.  "Call It What It Is: Anti-Blackness"  New York Times Newspaper. 4 June 2020

Post 396: Identity and Socialization of White Racism according to "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo

Post 396: Identity and Socialization of White Racism According to 'White Fragility'

Socialization shapes what we think of others and how we think of ourselves DiAngelo states that we are who we are based on what group we belong and we are socialized to prefer being young vs old, being rich vs poor and being white vs black.

In Robin DiAngelo's book, "White Fragility," she describes how white people are socialized to believe that they are superior to others, that their word is not to be questioned or challenged, and that they are born to lead.

This socialization begins early such as TV, media, newspaper and books. On TV, for instance, all the main characters are white. The main hero or good guy in the movie who saves the town is a white sheriff. The villain tends to be a person of color who looks Native American, Middle Eastern, Asian, or African American.

From an early age, kids are socialized to think of the color 'white' as a symbol of purity and the color 'black' as a symbol of evil. We are bombarded by symbols, icons, of white people heroes in books, movies, and white people are well-represented in TV and media.

We take for granted all the white faces we see in the media.  It is a fact that Asian Americans are used to seeing other Asians on TV as the enemy, the geek, the nerd who gets laughed at and the sidekick to the 'white hero'. The Asian male is the character who 'never gets the girl', while the white hero gets the girl and the accolades.

White people never feel like they are the Other, and they take for granted their invisibility to race. A white person can go through life comfortably without ever having to think about her racial identity. White people are so unused to talking about racism and having their ideas challenged, that white people become defensive, silent, angry or withdrawn when the subject of race is mentioned.

Di'Angelo in her book, "White Fragility" calls this defensive reaction white people have when their worldview about race is challenged, "White Fragility." Robin DiAngelo says, "White people do not have the 'racial stamina' to talk about race due to their 'White Fragility."

In other words, people of color are used to being judged by their race. I am used to being judged as an Asian. Anything I do right or wrong reflects in a negative (if I behave badly) or reflects in a positive way (if I win an award) on my ethnic group. Recently, I am either regarded as the 'Model Minority', the Asian genius who wins spelling bees, or as the 'dirty Asian' who is 'responsible for COVID19'.

White people are lucky because they get to behave and act anyway they want and they get impartiality. If a white person misbehaves, it is because that particular white person has a 'mental disorder' or if white people are addicted on drugs, 'they are having issues'. White people don't have to worry about being reduced to a stereotype because white people are seen as the standard bearer of what it is like to be human. This is what I call 'White Privilege'

White Privilege means you can walk into a store without the guard thinking you are a thief, you have white people depicted as heroes and widely represented in the media, it is having your hair shampoo to your hair type, it is not having to search many hair stores to find a hair store that would cater to your unique hair needs, it is not having to search many cosmetic stores to find makeup that matches your skin type etc...

White privilege means being invisible and being given the presumption of innocence when a crime is committed. White privilege also means not having to be reduced to a stereotype and not being defined by your ethnic group.

 When they could not figure out a motive why the lone white man killed 50 people in Las Vegas, the police simply said, "He had no motive for the shootings, and he took his secret to the grave." If that shooter had been Asian, then stereotypes of being deceptive, inferior, or criminal comes to mind. If that shooter had been Muslim, then obviously, the stereotype of him being a terrorist would come into play. Only a lone white shooter gets the privilege of just 'having no motive.'

Only when White people recognize their 'White Privilege' and their 'White Fragility in talking about race, can true anti-bias education take place in America. White people need to recognize their role in systemic racism that is interwoven into the legal, philosophical, and psychological fabric of the 'white American Dream.'

Now don't get me wrong, people of color are also racist. For instance, if a black daughter brings home a white potential husband, the black family may have racist views against their daughter having a white husband. However, systemic racism occurs when the racism is being done by people in power such as white people. When racism is done by white people with the power to make laws in government, then that becomes systemic racism.

It is important for all people to become educated, to learn other perspectives and other points of view, to learn about White privilege, in order to fight racism and bias in American society.

Post 395: Book Review: White Fragility by Robin Diangelo--You must read this book!

Post 395: Book Review: White Fragility by Robin Diangelo--A must read!

"White Fragility" by Robin Diangelo talks about why white people find it hard to talk about racism. The book goes into detail about the societal, historical, and psychological reasons why white people find it hard to talk about racism. Diangelo goes over how we all have unconscious bias about everything--that it is impossible to be human and not be judgemental about the world around us making statements like  "I see no differences in the races" meaningless.

Amazingly, DiAngelo claims that it is the white progressives/liberals who are the most likely white people to experience 'White Fragility'. White liberals claim they are not 'racist', therefore, white progressives see no more need to discuss race cutting off any chance of discussion of social justice or discussions about racial equity since they themselves are 'color-blind' already.

White Fragility is defined as the "disbelieving defensiveness white people exhibit when their ideas about race are challenged--particularly when white people feel implicated in white supremacy." White Fragility explains the paper thin skin white people have and how defensive, angry, withdrawn, silent when white people are confronted with the topic of racism.

White Fragility talks about how white people lack the racial stamina to engage in conversations about race because white people feel guilty about their past treatment of black people. To avoid feeling discomfort about white guilt, white people come together in white solidarity to prevent the topic of racism from being discussed, or make racist jokes, reinforce racial stereotypes, to keep racism in place making genuine white allyship elusive.

When white people refuse to talk about racism, and when white people stand outside race, then white people negate the racial claims of minorities making it the black person's responsibility to bear the burden of talking about race.

"White Fragility" covers such topics as Unconscious/Implicit bias, Anti-Black Racism, Social Justice, Identity and Socialization, Dominant and Subordinate Group Dynamics, Diversity and Inclusion.This book could be a great supplement to a Multicultural class, Cultural Diversity, or a Diversity and Inclusion Equity class, and a Introduction To Ethnic Studies class.

I found the book to be spot-on about how some white people talk about race. Some of the reasons given by white people to insist they are not racist are listed in the book. My jaw dropped at how accurate Diangelo was in her characterization of how and why white people try so hard to insist they are not racist.

Some of the cliches listed are, "I have friends of color."; "I marched in the 60's.",  "I don't think race matters because I was raised to think of everyone to be the same."; "I believe in a "colorblind" society"; "My parents raised me to judge everyone the same, and not think about race."; "I was a minority in another country, so I know how it feels to be a minorithy;" "I speak many languages.", "I have traveled to many countries."; "I grew up in a multiethnic neighborhood." and "I attend anti-racism protests." 

It never occurred to me how some white people rationalize themselves as individuals uniquely different from everyone else from their group. Some white people visualize a racist as those white racists they so in those old history reels of the 60's during the Civil Rights movement who were violent against Martin Luther King black protesters.  Some white people visualize a 'racist' as those old, uneducated, Southern whites from the 60's. These southern racists are then seen as 'the bad guy' while the good guys are seen as 'Northern', 'Progressive', 'educated' and colorblind like the whites of today.

This is why Diangelo says, whites get defensive when you say they are racist. They do not see themselves as those old southern racists of the 60's. The whites of today believe that they have progressed and a good guy white person would not be racially intolerant. Whites are still uncomfortable talking about race for many reasons: guilt what whites have done to blacks; seeing blacks as the enemy/evil; associating whiteness with purity and blackness with evil; and seeing any label of 'racist' as an attack on that person's moral character or integrity hence making that white person feel defensive.

Diangelo gives counterarguments as to why comments like "I have friends of color" are meaningless and only absolves the white person of any white guilt about race and ends the conversation about improving race relations for the future.

After reading this book, I had a much better understanding of how white people, particularly white males view race.   If you are white/ or a white male, you really need to read this book and as a person of color, I already know how it feels to be judged on my behavior/identity by my group. I wish I had the luxury like white people just to be judged by who I am as a person, not by my ethnic group of being Chinese. White people do not realize the privilege and luxury they have to be judged solely as an individual and not by your group.  Buy White Fragility today! Great book!

For people of color, it is eye opening to see how and why white people think the way they do, and for white people, it is eye opening to see why it is so hard for you to think about, talk about race or racism. For only when you can talk about racism and feel comfortable talking about racism can there be true racial justice.