The cost of racism

Resist Racism does a good job of tackling recent debacles of imitating slanty Asian eyes, and the knee-jerk defense of the anonymous masses (whom I assume are mostly non-Asian). This particular defense, by a white adoptive parent no less, kind of rubs me the wrong way.

What about kids who hold up their fingers and do bunny ears in photos? Should rabbits start holding town meetings to cry racism??

One thing I haven’t gone over much about is White privilege. Often times you’ll feel bad just for bringing up the race card in a discussion, but few seem to stand put in their vocalization of the issue. And, I will admit to feeling like an ass after being that stubborn guy who wants to bring up race. When did it become commonplace to feel like it’s wrong to defend yourself and the color of your skin?

Over and over again.  And they don’t seem to understand why it bothers you.  Nobody understands how you feel.  They tell you to get a thicker skin.  To stop walking around with a chip on your shoulder.  To let it roll off your back.

In reality, this exercise can’t replicate what people of color experience.  Because racism is not only about these types of actions and denial of your reality, it’s about a system that is fed by these actions.  And the system responds by saying that you’re inferior.  You’re not equal.  Your treatment often reflects the belief that you are lesser-than.

That about sums up how I feel on the issue. Even reading the comments on various articles reporting on these acts of blatant racism stirs me to no end. Sometimes the drivel that people allow themselves to type while under a veil of anonymity is shocking. Sadly, most of the time I talk to people about things like this, they either deflect it like the aforementioned snippet, or they simply tire out and say I’m overanalyzing it.

Via Racialicious via Resist Racism.