what is the identity of the united states of america? there are so many analogies out there, but do any really fit? it feels like we are constantly figuring out and freaking out about our identity. the truth is, as was mentioned to me, our nation's identity is constantly changing--i guess that is reason enough to not know who or what we are.
with this presidential election behind us now and the country looks forward to having it's first president of color how will the description of who the u.s. is change?
are we a melting pot?
do we all come together in one big space and melt into one another? cultures and heritages melting, changing, and becoming something new. how much is lost with this analogy? when a culture melts, is it anything like it was when it came into the pot? me, i don't want to melt. the wicked witch in wizard of oz melts and i don't want to be her, nor do i want someone else making the decision that my duty as an american is to melt. i do not want my culture lost, my language to be stripped, and my values to change to meet a different criteria for right and wrong.
are we a salad bowl?
are we all tossed together rather than melting together? each piece distinct from one another, enhanced when together? i don't know about you, but my salads are usually covered with white dressing. this makes for an interesting and unappealing analogy. it tells me that america can have difference, but it will always be smothered with whiteness and white culture.
are we a mosaic?
mosaics are beautifully put together. are we separate pieces shattered and then glued next to one another? even though i think mosaics are beautiful, when this is an analogy used to describe the country i live in, i wonder how do mosaic pieces interact with one another? what messages are sent when we adopt this analogy?
are we a patchwork quilt?
somewhat similar to a mosaic, except each piece is sewn together rather than glued separately. can we move once we are sewn down? are there boundaries that keep us from getting too big?
no matter what analogy we use to describe the country--we need to look at what those words mean. what implications they have. what implicit messages exist in how we choose to describe our country--the people in it, how we interact, and what we expect from one another.
even though it might seem trite, our language is important. our choices of descriptors do have impact on our self-image just as much as on our effectiveness of communication. who we are is a product of how we are able to identify what we believe in and why.
i for one am not about to say that who i am is melted where my true self can no longer be identified. likewise, i resist being covered by white culture and described that way. to say that we should all melt into a single pot is a perfectly logical explanation (ple) for resisting difference. i wonder how our new president will effect the way people talk about this country. people who live here and also people who do not. what perceptions will change and what ones will remain/persist? will we continue to have ples for resisting the existence of difference? ples claiming we are free from racism because we have a biracial black president?
in what ways will we have to shift our perspectives in order to challenge these ples? i am expecting this change. i don't know what the future holds. i am afraid that it will become more of an intellectualized battle for understanding and awareness, and in it, we will lose our focus on social justice. i fear we will make too many assumptions about our progress and lose sight of the work that needs to continue being done.
i hope though that my fears are not fulfilled, and that i can say that i was wrong. here's hoping to being wrong (and pleasantly surprised).
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
turning the other cheek
privilege and ignore are scary words to me when they are in the same sentence. a couple months ago now i helped lead a training about privilege. a man at the training said that he would just ignore his privilege and that would serve as a solution for the system of privilege.
it’s scary to think that the two-year-old child’s solution of covering up your eyes—if i can’t see you, you can’t see me—is suddenly a viable solution for adults in regard to privilege. when we see two-year-olds do this, it’s cute and endearing. when adults do this, what do we think? it’s sad to me because i have seen covering one's eyes as an acceptable solution. it’s sad and scary to think ignoring privilege and pretending not to have it all of a sudden seems a likely way to solve the problem. is it true that in reality when it happens, we think it's okay? why is this funny for a child to do and serious for an adult? to me, this indicates something very wrong is going on. something we are not willing to acknowledge but is there nonetheless.
the real problem of privilege, however, is systemic, cultural, and personal. we might not be able to see it because we are not really looking. it’s a pervasive system wrought with expectation and entitlement, fear and blame whether we acknowledge it or not. when people have privilege and acknowledge they do the guilt that accompanies is overwhelming. let me ask though---who makes guilt an overwhelming emotion? only the person feeling it, that’s who...rightfully so to some degree being that the system is so insidious. it chokes everyone, suffocating people into consciouslessness.
i am not trying to knock the tactic of ignorant bliss altogether. sometimes it is useful; i recognize it as a defense mechanism, but i think it’s important to unpack that. why is there a need for defense when it comes to acknowledging privilege? my best guess is the lack of readiness to accept responsibility for privilege. responsibility for how the system currently is, responsibility for contributing to oppression, and responsibility to do something about it and with it. that’s a huge mental and spiritual undertaking. avoiding such an undertaking, such a responsibility, is certainly easier than facing the reality.
on the other hand, people lacking privilege face reality everyday. there is no option of defense—of ignoring, of pretending, of avoiding responsibility. privilege truly is having this luxury. the option of avoidance if and when you choose.
ignorance by choice is just one more perfectly logical explanation (ple) to not change; to not have to try to live and achieve social justice.
stay awake people! don’t use a ple because it’s easy. be in it (in your privilege) even though it’s hard and brings about emotions that are difficult to face up to. reality in its fullest is difficult to face up to. what’s worse is when you don’t see what is truly going on around you and how you are a part of it. don't continue to contribute to oppression. it doesn't benefit anyone. how is ignoring privilege beneficial to anyone--including yourself?
so, what do you do with your privilege?
it’s scary to think that the two-year-old child’s solution of covering up your eyes—if i can’t see you, you can’t see me—is suddenly a viable solution for adults in regard to privilege. when we see two-year-olds do this, it’s cute and endearing. when adults do this, what do we think? it’s sad to me because i have seen covering one's eyes as an acceptable solution. it’s sad and scary to think ignoring privilege and pretending not to have it all of a sudden seems a likely way to solve the problem. is it true that in reality when it happens, we think it's okay? why is this funny for a child to do and serious for an adult? to me, this indicates something very wrong is going on. something we are not willing to acknowledge but is there nonetheless.
the real problem of privilege, however, is systemic, cultural, and personal. we might not be able to see it because we are not really looking. it’s a pervasive system wrought with expectation and entitlement, fear and blame whether we acknowledge it or not. when people have privilege and acknowledge they do the guilt that accompanies is overwhelming. let me ask though---who makes guilt an overwhelming emotion? only the person feeling it, that’s who...rightfully so to some degree being that the system is so insidious. it chokes everyone, suffocating people into consciouslessness.
i am not trying to knock the tactic of ignorant bliss altogether. sometimes it is useful; i recognize it as a defense mechanism, but i think it’s important to unpack that. why is there a need for defense when it comes to acknowledging privilege? my best guess is the lack of readiness to accept responsibility for privilege. responsibility for how the system currently is, responsibility for contributing to oppression, and responsibility to do something about it and with it. that’s a huge mental and spiritual undertaking. avoiding such an undertaking, such a responsibility, is certainly easier than facing the reality.
on the other hand, people lacking privilege face reality everyday. there is no option of defense—of ignoring, of pretending, of avoiding responsibility. privilege truly is having this luxury. the option of avoidance if and when you choose.
ignorance by choice is just one more perfectly logical explanation (ple) to not change; to not have to try to live and achieve social justice.
stay awake people! don’t use a ple because it’s easy. be in it (in your privilege) even though it’s hard and brings about emotions that are difficult to face up to. reality in its fullest is difficult to face up to. what’s worse is when you don’t see what is truly going on around you and how you are a part of it. don't continue to contribute to oppression. it doesn't benefit anyone. how is ignoring privilege beneficial to anyone--including yourself?
so, what do you do with your privilege?
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