In this article, Yamato talked a lot about what people of
color go through with racism. She talked a lot about “internalized oppression”
because “members of the targeted group are emotionally, physically, and
spiritually battered to the point that they believe that their oppression is
deserved” (p.1). She talked about 4 different types of racism that people go
through. One that I can relate to is
unaware/unintentional racism, where she said that “white people” want to touch
her hair. But this is where I split off. I do not think that a person wanting
to touch your hair is racism, its curiosity. Toward the end of the article, she was talking
to white allies to people of color. She was telling them “educate you via
research and observation rather than rigidly, arrogantly relying solely on
interrogating people of color.” She was also telling “people of color, working
though internalized racism “to remember always that you and others like you are
completely worthy of respect, completely capable of achieving whatever you take
notion to do.”
I agree and understand what Yamato is saying here but it’s
almost like she’s blaming white people for oppressing people of color or
causing us to oppress ourselves. I do agree that race and class go hand and
hand. When some people hear “the ghetto” they think of black people. When someone
says “the American Dream” they think of a full happy white family. That’s just
the way it is… I can relate to this article, somewhat, because I am a person of
color. However, I do not feel like I am being oppressed by white people
(directly). Maybe it’s possible that something is happening in the general view
but personally, I feel respected, and perfectly capable of doing whatever it is
I choose to do..
Maybe I’m standing underneath that umbrella…
i had this article too! did you enjoy reading it? i actually did!
ReplyDeletei think we got the same thing out of this article so thats really cool. her points were really great and i even laughed reading some of them!
i agree with you on the touching hair thing too! its only curiosity, and this was one specific part that made me laugh. Yamato must love racism if she thinks these little instances are it!
I did enjoy reading this article. She points where great and kinda funny (i laughed too). I though she was very sensitive, so i'm doing alittle googling on her. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteRonie- some food for thought: You may not feel oppression individually but that does not mean that you are not being oppressed as a woman of color systemically. Remember SCWAAMP? How does the system marginalize women of color? can you relate that way? Also- think to a larger point regarding the want of white people to touch Black hair- what does it mean to be a representative of your entire community? To be tokenized down to actions or questions regarding your identity that you or others would never ask of the dominant group- where does that come from? keep workin' it... :D
ReplyDeleteOhh wow Chris.. that changed my view on the article. It kinda helped me understand the article better, at least at a more open point of view. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteBeing of a minority race, and reading the views of this article brought about several questions. Whether you are being oppressed as an individual, as a family, or even as a group, does anyone feel the oppression? Do you get judged by your name, before the person meets you and knows something about you? Is there bias or even prejudice that is assigned to your racial background without you having any involvement in the situation ever? Does someone assume the person you are simply by your race? Those are questions that popped into my head when I read your reflection of the article. Whether you call it curiosity or whatever it is seen as, I would like someone to know me for me and then judge me on what you know about me personally, not for what race I am.
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