Category: Blog 9/30

“Chinese and other Asian immigrants fought the bar on naturalization by arguing that they were in fact white and thus eligible for citizenship”

To me this stands out because people had to lie about there race to be accepted and to be given something that should be there’s in the first place. The minute you start lying about your background and who you are to please someone or to be treated equally that right away should tell you that it’s wrong. So for me this sticks out because people change who they are or at least try to so they can be treated equally.

“White elites and workers alike worried openly that Chinese labor would lead to the resurrection of slavery in another form. Moreover, Chinese immigrant were sometimes seen as lazy, dishonest, irresponsible, docile, and thieving… cartoons occasionally depicted the Chinese immigrant with "Black" features; and the "heathen Chinee" character often appeared with the Black…” (Pg. 110)

When I came across this quote, I felt disgusted by how the Chinese immigrants were seen as. Most immigrants come to the United States to get away from the messed-up government they live under and come to the “New World” to give their kids’ opportunities. Being called “lazy, dishonest, irresponsible, docile, and thieving” gives the impression they were used for the rich’s dirty work. I believe Asians had a difficult time adjusting to the U.S. As it says in the article, “…Asian Americans have been denigrated more often as outsiders or aliens” This does not show equality at all. Besides accepting immigrants as civilians of a country, they are seen as worthless machines who are used by the rich. As they say, “the rich keeps getting richer”. 

 

“..”Racial triangulation occurs by means of two types of simultaneous, linked processes: (1) processes of “relative valorization,” whereby dominant group A (Whites) valorizes subordinate group B (Asian Americans) relative to subordinate group C (Blacks) on cultural and/or racial grounds in order to dominate both groups, but especially the latter, and (2) processes of “civic ostracism,” whereby dominant group A (Whites) constructs subordinate group B (Asian Americans) as immutably foreign and unassimilable with Whites on cultural and/or racial grounds in order to ostracize them from the body politic and civic membership (see Figure I).” (pg 107)

I think that this quote is significant because it points out one of the author’s arguments, how Asians”have been racially triangulated vis-a-vis Blacks and Whites.” The author makes a point of how Asians in America are seen as foreigners and aliens, making them different than Whites, yet Blacks are seen as inferior but normal, unlike Asians. Two pages down they even include a graph showing how these racial profiles work. I understand the author’s point as as an Asian American, I do think that we are still looked at as foreigners, which can be due to Asians coming to this country later than Black people. Although we are both  groups of people of color, this can be the reason for why we are both looked down at at times, yet in different ways.

“According to Stephen Jay Gould, our racial thinking, conditioned by European ethnological frameworks of centuries past, is ‘subject to visual representation, usually in clearly definable geometric terms.'”

My interpretation of this statement was a mix of ups and downs as I quarreled with my inner confusion, but given some of the contexts provided that succeed this statement, I was able to somewhat formulate an idea. For generations, our perceptions of other racial groups have largely been fueled by others’ experiences – others referring to people of the same race. We have constantly associated races with untrue stereotypes and demeaning assertions, which have been placed forth mainly by white politicians, community leaders, and business elites. Of course, it’s not just limited to whites – as we saw with Barack Obama – but given the history of this country and its relationship with demonizing “inferior races”, we have become accustomed to this environment. Even in the present-day, President Trump takes vast measures to attack the widespread BLM movements as riots and threats to the nation, leading white supremacists and already doubting white bystanders to believe his accusations, when in fact, reality tells a different story. All at the same time, these images are being pushed forward to the public through an overarching media.

“Did the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s usher America into a new era of colorblindness, or did it simply generate formal norms of colorblindness that mask ongoing racial domination?”

I feel that far too often, when I hear people trying to prove their non-racist tendencies they retort saying, “I don’t see color.” I always found that to be ridiculous, because everyone sees color. The question is whether or not you make judgements based on the color you see. Much like saying “I am friends with POC”, the statement used in defense is so empty, and is meant to push the focus somewhere else. This article, pointed out how, far too often, when presented with racism, whatever level it may be at, it seems the first instinct of any white person is to point the blame or focus somewhere else. To try to calm the situation down, but never to fix it. As the question in the quote asks, was America really moving into a new era of not judging on color, or was it pushing into an era where it looks like something is being done, but nothing really is? Heartbreaking news came in the case of Breonna Taylor as one of the cops involved was finally indicted of a crime, but it was for shooting bullets into the neighbors homes, rather than for the murder of an unarmed woman. Once again, in the face of judgement for racist motives, the choice was made to look for a decoy, rather than look for a solution.

“The field of racial positions has now been rearticulated in cultural terms: rather than asserting the intrinsic racial superiority of certain groups over others, opinionmakers now claim that certain group cultures are more conducive to success than others.”

This quote made me truly realize how over the course of history, especially in the United States, the beliefs of certain people are still fundamentally the same. Our society has become more progressive, and as we continue to progress into a better society the people must unify against the beliefs of social inequality. Racism is this concept that further divides humanity into a comparison war that ultimately leads to an individuals conclusion of what they believe is a race that is better equipped for success. However, if we could just put aside the clever wording that influences people’s beliefs about other races, and just look at one another as human to human in order to better understand their lives we could develop a more sympathetic relationship between races. This ultimately can unite humanity instead of us having the discussion of whether or not which race is more conducive to success which just consequently ends up dividing humanity. Racism hasn’t changed, the clever wording used to influence values of division have, and are now creating chaos across the globe. It’s time for us as humans to reflect upon history to finally make a change and put an end to cultural division.

“Before the civil rights era, racial triangulation occurred openly, in cultural-racial terms; during the post-civl rights era, racial triangulation has occurred in a coded fashion, in cultural terms decoupled from overly racial claims.”

This quote is saying that even after the civil rights era, racial triangulation still exists. It is not as open as it once was, but it is rather done through discrete methods. One example, like we discussed in class, is Asian-Americans are just expected to excel academically. Yes, Asian culture places high values on education, but society has turned this into a stereotype that now depicts Asian-Americans as all having to be doctors or lawyers.

“Via the model minority myth, both blacks and Asian Americans are kept in their place in the field of racial positions without a single overtly racial claim having been uttered.”

The author, Claire Kim, argues that because Asian-Americans have reached certain levels of success in our society, instead of recognizing these strengths, the Whites needed to keep themselves at the top of the racial hierarchy by ostracizing Asian-Americans. They do this by inventing and perpetrating a model minority myth. With this, Asian-Americans are “valorized,” but only comparatively to Blacks. This serves two purposes. By perpetrating that Asian-Americans are unassimilable, that they are more culturally distinct than other racial groups, Whites are refusing to acknowledge that another race can be equally successful on their turf. The second thing that the model minority myth leads to is more racism towards the Blacks, but perhaps that was the plot all along.  By comparing these minority groups, White society is essentially saying that the Blacks have no excuse, because if the Asian-Americans can be successful, why can’t they? In reality, the issue is deeper than that. These two racial groups simply cannot be compared because of the systematic racism and prejudice that have existed since the birth of this nation against Blacks. Black people have been at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, and that was where their place was “supposed” to be, when their ancestors were brought over to be slaves. With the voluntary arrival of Asian-Americans, they came here with a purpose- to work hard, and to create a better life for themselves. They tested the waters with the other members of the American society, and eventually found a middle spot due to their work ethics and values.

The model minority myth doesn’t just keep Asian-Americans and Blacks in their pre-determined places in society. In the case of Blacks, they get pushed down further. In the case of Asian-Americans, it allows for discriminatory treatment to be disguised as something to be strived for, something that is valued.

“Once again, the model minority myth has conscripted Asian Americans into the conservative war to protect (or, in this case, retrieve) White privileges from Black encroachment” pg 120.

This quote essentially means that White Americans are using Asian Americans to push back on the desires of the African American community. In the paragraph where this quote was found, he was talking about how the model minority myth was used in the early 1980’s “to turn the clock back on civil rights, affirmative action, redistricting, and social welfare programs”. This administration, under President Ronald Reagan, also sought to “ abandon desegregation appeals, weakening affirmative action requirements in federal contracting, halting record-keeping procedures vital to civil rights and fair housing, etc” pg 120. Kim believes that the Asian American community was put on a pedestal, so to speak, to show off the successes of their community in order to bring down the other minority groups. This would lead many people to push back on the civil rights and equality given to the African American community, as many would just simply say, “after all, if Asian Americans can make it, why can’t Blacks?” pg 118. This seems like a very strategic way to be seemingly oppressing only one group while actually oppressing all the minorities. Since the Asian Americans are the “model minority”, it will keep them content instead of wanting better treatment and equal rights.