HASHTAG ACTIVISM AND THE #CANCELCOLBERT CAMPAIGN
by Jana Monji
April 7th 2014
GIÒ: We all know that blatant racism exists, and I suggest to you that racism is not an exclusive practice or mind-set by any one ethnicity or color, and there certainly have been moments that call for loud protest. I do, however, believe that in this day and age we often do ourselves a disservice by not giving each other the benefit of the doubt first, and from there exploring each others' ideas through conversation. It may be possible to characterize or describe any particular ethnic society in somewhat broad terms as having a particular psychology or traits in ways that are fairly accurate in general. Do we Italians not eat pasta? Do we not speak with our hands? Are we not often both loved and caricatured for sweeping assessments made by others of our cultural characteristics, which may or may not be true? I believe we do ourselves no favors when assigning a specific trait or mind-set to an INDIVIDUAL as being a foregone conclusion per his or her ethnicity. I find Colbert's statement that he knows he is white due to having just spent all that time explaining he is not racist as poignant. It is of course difficult if not impossible for me to relate directly to the mindset of, for example, an individual within a community that has, historically and too often currently, been institutionally oppressed. And I certainly don't receive in my own life individuals who epitomize such bigotry, racism, or sexism. So for me (a white, Italian American, male), and I would hope for any person, what it comes down to is YOU. You before me; whatever color, ethnicity, gender, preference, or religion. What are YOU doing or saying? I can only hope that others do the same for me. You made an excellent point that racism exists and that calling it out must be reserved for when it actually counts. "Not expecting a white man to understand" certainly is not a useful or constructive premise with which to sustain an argument and obviously exemplifies a mind-set that seems more in tune with the very ignorance being called into question.
There is one human race, and that is the Homo Sapiens. We are something like 98 or 99 percent biologically identical to apes, so imagine how identical we are to each other. Ethnic differences make humanity so interesting, with so much history, language, cuisine, art, and philosophy that is there to be appreciated. It is also basically evident in HUMAN history that people will often create misunderstanding between themselves per differences in location, physical traits, and culture.
Kamehameha was from Big Island and conquered the people of the other Hawaiian Islands. He is revered today because he formed what we today consider to be Hawaii and he is venerated in contrast to later, white, conquest of the territory. I wonder, however, if an indigenous person of the island of Oahu saw Kamehameha as one of their own. And I wonder if a tribe on the west side of Luzon saw a tribe on the east side as their own before the Spanish conquered and united what we know of today as the Philippines. I wonder if those people, in conflict with other collected groups of people indigenous to states we see today as one particular and unified entity, presumed that the other would understand them because they shared the same skin color, ethnic background, or general location. Europeans certainly don't.
We are all the same race. Listen to what the other has to say. Watch what they do. Allow their actions and fully explained thoughts to speak for themselves. Don't take for granted the mind-set of others simply because they are outside or inside whatever you consider to be your collectivized group.
I do wonder very much why on Earth anyone would be distressed at seeing a White man with an Asian woman. Or why anyone should be distressed to see a person of any ethnicity paired with any other. I make no sense of that.
Jana J. Monji: An Asian or Asian American man might feel distressed to see an Asian or Asian American woman with a white man in TV or the movies, because too often those movies or programs fail to portray Asian or Asian American men as attractive.
Then there's also the concept of selling out to the mainstream or American/Western European culture.
And likewise, some people get upset about relationships between Asians from different cultures and nationalities.
In my mind, I'm hearing the Sharks and the Jets while thinking of author/playwright Frank Chin.
Basically, the classic scenario is an Asian or Asian American woman is being saved by the white man from Asian and Asian American men. As to several Asian races being white, that would depend upon who was defining white. As I mentioned in the comments for the blog entry by Scott Jordan Harris about the disabled, Americans and Brits define races differently (e.g. Arabs would be black). I would add that Asians and Asian Americans might also define races differently. The US Census Bureau does differentiate between white and Asian but depends upon self-identification. For the Census Bureau (in 2000), people from the Middle East and North Africa were white. That's what's so curious about Americans. North Africans aren't African Americans and West Asians aren't Asians. In any case, the US Census Bureau changed its definition in 2010 so I'm more inclined to depend upon Merriam Webster: "of or relating to a race of people who have light-colored skin and who come originally from Europe"
GIÒ: Yes, the Census Bureau can be quite ridiculous. As for that classic scenario of an Asian or Asian American woman being saved by the white man from Asian or Asian American men, do you mean that is what is literally portrayed in classic scenarios? If so, what are the examples? Are you saying that is what's intended when an Asian woman is coupled with a white man on television or in a motion picture? Or are you implying that is how Asian Americans watching it perceive the typical scenario? If so, would that not reflect more the mindset of the viewer than what is actually happening onscreen. I'm sure that situation has been portrayed as such, it's just that calling it the classic or typical scenario too me seem quite a stretch.
Jana J. Monji: Gio, I think you're drifting off topic.
The classic and best known example would be the 1898 Puccini opera "Madama Butterfly" which is partially based on the 1898 American short story "Madame Butterfly" and the 1887 French novel "Madame Chrysantheme."
David Henry Hwang won a Tony Award (1988) for the play "M. Butterfly" which is an intellectual discussion of cultural stereotypes and Orientalism.
"M. Butterfly" works because of the resonance, the enduring and historical associations or as I defined it "classic" significance of the story of Madame Butterfly.
Edward Said also discussed Orientalism as it relates to other parts of Asia and North Africa.
However, that is not the real point of the original essay. You seem to want to discuss an essay that I have yet to write.
Moreover, you are putting words into my mouth. In the essay, I was specific that it was my husband and not Asian Americans (in general) or even myself (and I am an Asian American). I gave his specific opinion. For this reason I am not implying anything.
Further, I did not mean to imply that the US Census Bureau was ridiculous. I made a statement to indicate there is some confusion as to racial definitions.
GIÒ: Thank you for the example of "Madama Butterfly". I did mention that I'm sure such portrayals exist, and I just wanted to know which one in particular you might mention and what you have to say about it. I would very much like to know what you think of the film "The Debut" by Gene Cajayan.
I don't recall attributing your husband's opinion to you, though since his opinion was a part of your original essay I certainly did direct questions for extrapolation toward you regarding it. If I persisted in venturing even further into it it's because I find the conversation fascinating and helpful.
The opinion of the alleged ridiculousness of the Censes Bureau's definitions of ethnicity is totally mine.
Though I do believe what I've written pertains to specific ideas and observations made within the original essay, as for accusing me of drifting off topic, you are largely right. I just find this site to be a wonderful forum of ideas and opinions, I've obviously found your contributions to be interesting, and so I've been compelled to take part.