I heard the term "reverse racism" used in class today and I was thrown OFF guard: is it really possible to harbor racist attitudes and perform racist actions toward a group that has pretty much always had the upper hand (in a racial context)?
Racism has been explained to me a few different ways- The first way, and one that I believed the most when I was younger but have now started to question- is that anyone can be a victim of racism. It was explained to me that calling a white person a cracker was just as bad as calling a black person the n-word, but is it really? Cracker is a hurtful word based on race, but I certainly don't believe that it is as hurtful as the n-word, mainly because it lacks the same deplorable history and cultural context. "Reverse Racism" is usually the phrase used to describe the use of race-based comments against whites. Personally, I think that reverse racism is faulty logic based mainly on the fact that you cannot compare the historical strife of minorities in this country to a white's past. Granted, I do not believe that it is ok to use race-based derogatory comments to anyone- my main point is that a white person using a slur against a black person packs a weighty and oppressive punch that the opposite cannot mimic.
I have also been told that racism cannot happen towards white people because it is defined as "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Since white people have gotten the upper hand throughout history and still have white privilege today, no race-based comment is racism, since racism is the oppression of an entire group of people, not just a product of individual racial jabs. (Hopefully this makes sense??).
The conclusion I have come to is that pretty much anyone can be a victim of a mean word, but no oppression of two groups is alike. There is a huge difference between being mean and being racist. If I am called a cracker, I am not deprived of opportunities and I do not feel threatened or unsafe. Even if white people do face slurs, it does not come close to touching the amount of racism targeted at other minorities.
I found an article that talks a little bit about the history and contemporary use of the n-word. I found it interesting. Do you believe in reverse racism? How would you define racism?
Personally, I believe that calling a white person "cracker" is being mean, not racist. People can be mean (not really the right word, but I can't think of a better one right now) to white people, but never racist, unless white people are systematically dehumanized for their skin color, our rights taken away, and our opportunities limited. Because having the word "cracker" thrown at us is an aberration, not commonplace, and isn't part and parcel of a larger system of discrimination, it cannot and should not be called racist or part of "reverse racism."
ReplyDeleteMiranda, this is a really important point. I personally can say that I have never faced racism as a white person and a mean word certainly doesn't limit my opportunities or make me feel unsafe or targeted.
Delete