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By globalistgirl, on January 19th, 2008

Racism in the States

One of the most obvious differences between the United States and Europe is how racism is structured. In some ways, racism in Europe seems rather simple. Perhaps it seems simple to me in part because I’ve seen it so much more than in the US, but the key concept seems to be xenophobia. The people of different skin and hair colors are most often also culturally different, causing culture shock and xenophobia together. The neo-nazis are less rational and therefore harder to explain for laypeople, but I hear that sociologists have basically figured out what that’s all about and it’s not race ideology as much as a sense of belonging for men with aggression and social issues. The good news about that is that most people don’t have such social issues that they have to bomb people to feel better, so their numbers aren’t likely to grow exponentially.

On the other hand, I’ve felt for a long time like my understanding of how racism works in the US is rather poor. I feel like the foreigner who sees a system of symbols going on, but isn’t sure what all the symbols are nor what they mean. I can follow some of the most common ones, but my ability to imagine what the world looks like for either w/White or b/Black (Why do Americans capitalize the colors when they refer to skin colors? Anyone know?) Americans is rather poor. In contrast, I can imagine very well what regular Europeans feel as well as the exasperation immigrants feel when Europeans see them as Other and do various irrational, unproductive and unpleasant things. I can understand why Europeans feel threatened and why some might feel as if their countries are dissolving into Euromush or Global mush. I think they’re wrong, but I can empathize and I have an idea of what to say to someone who feels this way to build a bridge. I also know what it feels like to be rejected by a society because of something superficial and what it feels like when people assume your life started the day you set foot in their country. I can amplify that with my professional pride today, to imagine what it would feel like to first be successful and then assumed to be a lazy welfare bum who simultaneously steals people’s jobs. But I can’t say I can imagine why white Americans might be threatened by black Americans. I can understand why black Americans would resent white Americans, but often there is so much emotion expressed about that that I don’t know what specifically it’s referring to. I feel like I’m on the other side of the looking-glass, in the position of the men who are so blind to sexism that they have no idea why I’m so mad at something “trivial”. I’ve also often found it easier to get to know black Africans or second-generation black immigrants from Africa than black Americans. Part of it might have to do with that it’s clear that we are working with a culture divide that must first be crossed in those situations. But part of it is also that I do not get scooped up as an actor in a race dynamic I do not understand.

It seems that the race dynamic between blacks and whites in the US is very, very inflamed. There seems to be very deep, systematic mistrust of each other that is taught in the family. Racialicious has a very brave post by Latoya Peterson about how difficult it can be for black Americans to be relaxed around white Americans. Assuming this isn’t an uncommon experience, the black-white racial divide in the States is deep indeed. Ms. Peterson’s post has helped me to understand the dynamic a little better. However, I still don’t know what white Americans think of the situation. I know from history classes what white Americans used to say about black Americans, but frankly it seems a little absurd that they could still believe that. (It wasn’t exactly logical the first time around.) But if it isn’t that, then what is it? Is it that all black Americans are street thugs? I’m hoping to find out more at Racialicious. Some of the people posting have a lot of experience and have clearly given the issue a lot of careful thought. I can’t follow all of the lines of thought, but with time, I hope to become better.

January 19th, 2008 | Tags: , , | Category: Europe, Racism, US | 1520 comments

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