Today's @Zaibatsu race discussion in Twitter definitely makes me think that America's preoccupation with race is simply dysfunctional.
Just to recap: @Zaibatsu - not exactly a wallflower when it comes to self-expression - sent the below tweet.
Now, to me, I didn't see anything wrong with someone expressing an opinion like that, and backing it up with further stronger sentiments, even those I don't agree with. Alas, some folks chose to have aneurysms.
Needless to say, the topic went viral: so much so that @Zaibatsu actually gave his phone number (a stroke of genius, IMO) so people could call him to discuss. And apparently, a LOT of Twitterers took him up on it - myself included. When we spoke, I stressed the need to distinguish between personal bias and racism. They aren't interchangeable, and it's dangerous to think they are - to do so diminishes what racism actually is and how it presents in organisational and institutionalised forms. It was an excellent exchange, took some points on board, and we left it at that.
So it was disappointing to see @Zaibatsu pursued by the TVPCD - TwitterVerse Politically Correctness Department. While appreciating Twitter's very strong, Law Of Attraction, 'all is well with the Universe' contingent, some Twitterers went straight for @Zaibatsu's jugular, riffing off tweets like traffic wardens scratching out tickets close to quota time.
No wonder tweets like the following started appearing:
NB: Imagine how the rest of the Anglophone world looked on with bemusement, as this kicked off as the Brits were starting their morning, while the Aussies and Kiwis were sorting their dinner! (It's easy to forget that Twitter isn't exclusively American; when rants like this go on and on, it's an excellent window into American culture which sometimes informs, sometimes amuses, sometimes bewilders.)
Take this RT from a Twitterer in Britain - a country with numerous ethnic groupings itself:
To be sure, I'm less concerned about us trying to be like other nations, but we Americans have got our work cut out on some massive big-ticket items: our sleeves need to be rolled up and our minds focused as we restore our National Brand, because we're now competing with the likes of India and China for resources on one front as we struggle with the credit-crunch aftermath and provision of basic health care on the other.
So, let's have the conversations, by all means, but you know, sensibly. I especially want to have The One Where We Drop The Hyphen (e.g. Korean-American, African-American, Palin-American) and We All Just Get Over It - but I digress...
Great blog, it's too bad when political correctness gets in the way of dialogue. Love this quote "riffing off tweets like traffic wardens scratching out tickets close to quota time."
ReplyDeleteExcellent post my friend. Your comment "the need to distinguish between personal bias and racism. They aren't interchangeable, and it's dangerous to think they are .." are poignant . People use the term racist like they breath air. Racism is vile, destructive, violent and kills. Personal preference if checked, does not stop you from shaking hands, marrying, loving and accepting others of all races. Racism does not tolerate any or all of the above.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a thick soup here. So much has to do I think with the historical relationship between whites and non-whites in the country in question. America imported African people as property, then practiced their own type of apartheid for 100 years after they became "free." Different in many ways from the relations between colonists and native peoples, whether in the Americas, Africa, Australia or elsewhere, where natives were not recognized as full legal "people" until recent decades. Then you have conflicts between imported groups, natives and a third party (I'm thinking Ulster), as well as immigrants from former colonies seeking economic opportunity in the homelands of their former colonists (UK & much of Europe). Still further mixed up are conflicts between immigrant or imported groups (African-Americans vs. Asian-Americans or Italians vs. Irish 100 years ago). Not to be defensive, but I wonder how "over" the issue of race people will look when there's the first Prime Minister of color in the UK, or Turkish-German Chancellor in Germany or French-Algerian President in France?
ReplyDeleteI am very open-minded... but when you introduce yourself to me with a hyphen (African-American, Asian-American, even Native-American) I am honest enough to say I am biased towards those people. If you need a hyphen you think you are "different" than me. I'm American. I'm me. I'm just a guy...
ReplyDeleteAdding more to your heritage could be viewed as an honor to your ethnicity and I can understand. But push it in my face and I see it as you asking to be different.
I have all German in my family... Should I introduce myself as German-American? I don't think so...
When you use a hyphen I feel *YOU* are showing bias and if it's thrown back in your face in some way, you invited it...