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Internalized Racism:
This concept revolves around the notion of one internalizing they are inferior. One becomes to believe the societal message of being different, and because of these differences, believes to be not equal. The dominant group places a set of beliefs, ideas, morals etc.forth, and if one who is not in the dominating group allows these to be the truth they have become oppressed. They have completely come to terms with self-dissatisfaction. One wishes at any cost to resemble the oppressor. One of inferiority may feel ashamed or embarrassed.
I have allowed myself for 20 years to be completely naive to this situation. How can one be unhappy with who they are? How can one dislike themselves for the color of their skin? How can one be ashamed of their culture? But more importantly, why do people of superiority have the power to make people disown themselves?
My Japanese friend, Tamami, reiterates her hatred for Asian people. At every comment spoken I am struck with confusion. How can she truly dislike where she came from, who she is, and what her family has become? Not only do I cringe with anger, but I fill with sadness. I constantly question her hatred toward herself. She will say "I look so Asian. Gross." and I will reply "you are Asain, and beautiful!" I continuosly tell her to embrace who she is. I hear people ridicule her for how she speaks. They do this with the mere thought of a laugh. They are her friends, classmates, and calleuges. She laughs and simply kids with them. I don't like what they say. I wish they would stop. I become internally angry in my friends defence. But then I think, I only have the right to be mad at myself. I laugh when she speaks broken english. I joke when she cannot think of the right word she wishes to say. For this I am an oppressor. For this I contradict myself when I speak words of encouragement.
Don't listen to the comments. Silence the laughter. Hear only what you wish. Embrace yourself!
I read an article by Frantz Fanon titled "Black Skin, White Masks". Fanon capitalizes on the use of "race" or "color" through language. He begins by explaining the importance of language and how it is a crucial aspect of culture. One can be labeled and distinguished ("culture can be assumed") from another simply by how they speak, or what language they refer to. I am an English speaking female who was brought up only speaking this one language. Form that simple understanding one can determine whether they will communicate with me or not. Another aspect of language Fanon dissects is how one interacts with different "categories" of people. Fanon explains, "a Negro behaves differently with a white man and with another Negro."
When I read that quote several incidents with my boyfriend popped into my head. Many times he has told me when I meet his family not to speak like a "preppy white girl", or he has told me when he meets my father he wont wear what he normally wears or speak like he does to his friends. Before reading this article i just took it for exactly what he was saying. I did not try and analyze what was truly being set forth. Again, in these situations the color of our skin mattered. It matter to him if his aunt thought I was a preppy white girl, but not onlt that but a white one. He cared what my father thought about the way he spoke. I am white and he is black. This fact will never change or ever be looked over.
Fanon says "to speak a language is to take on a world, a culture". The way one speaks is revolved around the way in which they were raised. Ones culture is vividly expressed through language and should not be manipulated to be seen as a "better" cultural way of identification. Fanon then goes on to say that the Negro desires to speak French "because it is the key that can open doors which were still carred to him fifty years ago". I believe this idea of "black talk" and "white talk" still resides in this world. This notion that once can either speak black or white determines whether the way one speaks is superior or inferior. Fanon incorporated a quote that reads, "what matters is not to know the world but to change it", rather then destroying culture in which we are not familiar witth we shall embrace it. I wish is was as easy as saying "do not change to become whiter!". I say this in reference to the oppression one feels when their speach is corrected. When a black, hispanic, japanese etc is corrected to speak "white".
Who is to say the way I speak is more proper than how my black friend Monique speaks? Who determines that the third grade spanish boy in my classroom is wrong for saying "I already been did that"? I say talk, speak, communicate!
The Racial Contract is seen as a "formal or informal" agreement between members of society. This contract consist of racial groups being categorized allowing for superiors to exist. The prominent component of this contract is the privilege granted to whites opposed to those who are non-white. Many question if such a thing truly exists. This may not be written and signed in actuality, but it definitely exists. This privilege that is given to whites is something many deny. Whites allow themselves to believe our society, our world, has grown from the days that used to promote white power. They create a blindness to what is happening all around us.
I sat in the passenger seat of a car. Accompanied by 4 black males. As I drove down the rode the color of our skin was not apparent. The only color I noticed was the blue from the flashing lights in the rear view mirror. Silently we waited for the officer to come to the window and routinely ask for license and registration. As he approached the car 2 other cruisers arrived on scene. Three officers now surrounded the car and asked for the three gentlemen in the backseat to present a form of identification. I was not asked. I was not looked at. I was not acknowledged. I ignorantly asked "did they not ask for my I.D. because I am a girl?" The boys replied altogether "No, it's because you are white!" I had nothing to say. I was embarrassed.
As I read an article by Mills a quote reminded me of this story "...whites will in general be unable to understand the world they themselves have made". This quote rang true to me as i sat in a car baffled at a situation. The four black males who experienced this with me were unaffected by the actions due to the anticipation it was going to occur. My perplexed anger brought race to "center stage". By my denial of oppression transpiring around me I sadly proved Mills' point of "accidental, residual'" explanation for the race issue we whites attempt to "remove from our understanding." I did not chose to be white nor did my boyfriend chose to be black, but with the "whiteness" I obtain i am, still to this day, on a "higher rung on the moral ladder." ( I am referring to Charles W. Mills "The Racial Contract").
I raise the question: Will this world ever change?
