Rachel’s Tavern- Shakesville Comment on Whiteness and Racial Awareness
- Arrested for BAHWB (Being at Home While Black)
- John Hope Franklin Has Died
- Bottles, Breasts, and Mothering “Choices”
- NAACP Class Action Lawsuit on Subprime Loans
- We Have a Future Blogger
- I’m Afraid President Obama, Himself, is a Bit of Coward on the Race Issue
- Highly Skilled US Immigrants are Emigrating: What’s the deal?
- Troll Comments Galore
- Mark’s Spinach Face
Jan
1
2006 The Year In Race and Racism: The I’m So Hot I’m On Fire List of The Most Fashionable Racial Trends
Filed Under Black/African American Issues, Blackface Parties, Blogs Blogging Blogthropology, International Racism, Original Essays and Analysis, Race and Racism, Uncategorized by Rachel
Editor’s Note: The women of Racialicious asked what the big trends in race and pop-culture were in 2006, and I thought I would respond with my own post. I came up with a list on my own, and then I went and read the comments section on their blog to see what others were saying. Based on those comments I added one more thing to my list, but I was in agreement with several of the commenters over there.
Rather than judging “hot” trends, I thought it would be useful to take a past, present, and future perspective, focusing what topics were out of fashion in 2006, what topics were most popular, and what topics I think are going to be predominant in 2007. I have decided to divide the list into three parts–1)The Been There Done That List of Unfashionable Racial Issues 2)The I’m So Hot I’m on Fire List of The Most Fashionable Racial Trends 3)The I’m About To Catch On Fire List of Racial Trends. I’m only posting the main this list on Alas. You can go over to my site to read the others.
The I’m So Hot I’m on Fire List of The Most Fashionable Racial Trends of 2006
So what racial trends were prevalent in 2006? Here is my list in no particular order. I initially created this list without reading the comments over on the Racialicious post, but after reading the comments I realized one big trend that I left of my list–the Africa is hip and cool trend, which was really big in ‘06. It is interesting because most of the other trends people mentioned I had on my list, too. So here goes….
1)The Racialization of Muslims and Middle Easterners: I wrote a post about this a while back, and I know that Tariq is one person who is on board with me. Every time people talk about “racial profiling” of Muslims, it adds a little more fuel to the racialization process. This is an ongoing trend that has been in vogue since after September 11th, but I actually expect it to die down soon; however, this will hinge in part on the Census decisions about racial categories for the 2010 Census. Last time some people tried to get Middle Easterners listed, but their attempts failed. I don’t think it will be listed on the Census this time either.
2) Return of Minstrelsy: Blackface was everywhere, as where crazy buffoonish caricatures of African Americans. We saw numerous cases of college students dressing in blackface, and bloggers manipulating photos to make them look like blackface. Some felt that minstrel hip hop had become a genre, and the popularity of “Flava of Love” also added to the trend. I expect this to continue in 2007.
3) Return of Old Fashioned Racism: I guess this is an extension of minstrelsy, but it also extends to the use of racial slurs and other forms of more blatant bigotry. We even had a potential Presidential candidate bragging about how his state was a former slave state. This type of bigotry had been declining for years, but there appeared to be an upsurge last year. From the anti-immigrant backlash to the Michael Richards rant, and all of the blackface incidents, it felt like we were moving backwards.
4) Europe Confronts It Racism: Many European countries have been very critical of the US on racial issues, but 2006 was a year for them to look in their own backyards. This trend became obvious in 2005 when French suburbs went up in flames, but in ‘06 this extended to other areas. In particular, international soccer officials spent the entire year trying to control racist fans. Right wingers continued to try to block out non-European immigrants. Expect this trend to continue over the next several years as European countries confront a demographic crisis that could destroy their social welfare systems. I think the answer to this problem is immigration, but many disagree arguing that immigrants can never truly be French, English, German, etc.
5) The Non-Apology, Apology: This was everywhere. We could start with Rosie O’Donnell, who apologized for her “ching chong” joke, but followed it up with “I might do it again because that’s how my brain works.” The most common version of this was the “I’m sorry you were offended” apology, which posits that the person making racist or prejudiced comments really didn’t say anything wrong, and the upset person just overreacted. In many instances, these apologies were about saving face, but not admitting any wrongdoing.
6) The Death of the Predominantly Black Cast and the Rise of the Multiracial Ensemble Cast: I am very disappointed to see few TV shows with predominantly Black casts, but the disappearance of predominantly black cast shows seems to be to the benefit of the multiracial ensemble cast. So we don’t have many Cosby Shows, but we now have shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, or ER. I have mixed feelings about this trend. I like multiracial ensemble casts. I liked them going all the way back to Fame and Hill Street Blues, but I also wish we still had more predominantly black, Asian, Latino, or Native American shows. I predict this trend will continue in 2007.
7) Anti-Immigrant Sentiment: I don’t even know where to begin. Several towns decided to ban day laborer sites and prevent illegal immigrants from getting work, housing, or any other social benefits. Commentators like CNN’s Lou Dobbs, lead the anti-immigrant backlash by blaming immigrants for the “decline in the middle class.” This issue also seems to cross political party lines, with both Democrats and Republicans speaking for and against immigration. I think this issue is replacing crime as the
8) Africa Becomes Hip and Cool: It seems like Hollywood types (besides Bono) discovered African poverty this year. From anti-poverty and anti-AIDS programs to the genocide in Darfur, Africa became a cause d’celeb. Of course, we can’t forget the “I want to adopt an African baby trend.” I have mixed feelings about this. It is nice to see these problems receiving attention, but I also worry that 1) this is just a fad and 2) some of the important issues like global capitalism, “structural readjustment,” and the legacy of colonialism were not addressed. I think this trend will die out in 2007, which is typical of most causes that celebrities take up–in one minute out the next.
9) The Assault on Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs: Michigan joined California in banning affirmative action, and the Supreme Court heard a case regarding voluntary desegregation programs (which will likely be overturned). There seems to be a sense among many white Americans that any programs designed to remedy the effects of racism and segregation discriminate against whites. This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities somehow have great advantages over whites. This trend has been going on since the 1980s, but it may be reaching it’s peak. I expect it to continue indefinitely.
10) Liberal Racism: From the Joe Biden slave state comment mentioned above to the infamous racism at a liberal blog called Firedoglake, liberals were ready to prove that they were just as racist as anyone else. Is this the beginning of a political shift, where the left and the right converge on racial issues? I don’t really know, but it is cause for concern. It indicates that those of us who are involved in anti-racist activism need to think about some convincing frames that we can use in the battle for social equality. We may have to think about different ways to talk about “racism,” “diversity,” and “equal opportunity.”
What do you think? Do you think there are any trends I missed? Do you think I’m off in my assessments?
Comments
32 Responses to “2006 The Year In Race and Racism: The I’m So Hot I’m On Fire List of The Most Fashionable Racial Trends”
Leave a Reply
Overall, your assessment of situations and the directions they are trending sounds pretty accurate. I do however think your wording of the following is a bit off:
“There seems to be a sense among many white Americans that any programs designed to remedy the effects of racism and segregation discriminate against whites. This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites.”
There seems to be a sense? No, there very much is a solid conviction; now whether or not that conviction is reality is debatable. .Likewise, the falseness of the belief that you describe in the latter sentence is also debatable, equivalent in magnitude to the debate over the existence of some goddess (or three).
As for the fad that is African activism, I agree. Many people jump on the wagon over soundbites, but once they take the time to learn just how broad and deep the problems on that continent are, they realize that they cannot give their full support to one side or another (or the other or another other, or maybe the new one that popped up this morning because the one they thought they supported last evening has since switched allegiances – twice).
The elephant in the living room though is the Duke rape scandal, if for no other reason than because so many liberal blogs decided to use moderation and verification systems (or to shut down completely) to screen opposing opinions rather than open their forums to unfettered debate. Since all but one or two activist blogs backed down from this issue when it came to a head, I wonder what issues will activists cower from in the future as the chances for breakthroughs reach critical mass. It’s fine for both sides to dwell in their own little provinces for a time to work out the kinks in their agendas, but eventually the rubber meets the road, and in this case, the racial activists and the feminists failed completely. “Turned tail and ran”, I believe, is the way we once described it. Kudos to Marcella for keeping up the fight; I disagree with her generally, but damn, I gotta respect that lady for her sheer doggedness.
Do you think there are any trends I missed?
no. this is so insightful
Last time some people tried to get Middle Easterners listed, but their attempts failed. I dont think it will be listed on the Census this time either.
Believe it or not, they are white no matter how dark they are. If people calling for “racial profiling” of Muslims knew how diverse Muslims are, they would know just how silly this call is. I am Muslim, have traveled several times on an airplane since 9/11 (including overseas) and not once have I been profiled or singled out because I don’t fit the profile. Yet, non-Muslim Latinos with beards and Arab Christians have been singled out and profiled.
Congressman Goode slammed Keith Ellison’s election and linked it with illegal immigration in spite of the fact that Mr Ellison’s family has probably been here LONGER than Mr Goode’s. That doesn’t matter as long as people make the association in their minds. Muslim = illegal immigrant. So there you have it folks! An Ayrab illegal immigrant has been elected to Congress. (No, Congressman Goode didn’t say that, but I’m sure he knows that that is what will be said on Main Street USA)
However, on point #7, Rachel, I think you should qualify that. There is an anti-ILLEGAL-immigration sentiment (bigots not withstanding) in the country and not one against LEGAL imigration. This is the mistake many make when they conflate the two.
Many businesses love the cheap labor and this is why many in Congress are fighting to basically look the other way at illegal immigration.
I have read several stories where when there is a raid on *illegal* immigrants at a work-site, that said business has no problem filling those slots with *legal* American workers, but at a higher price.
It is pure supply and demand. A huge influx of cheap *illegal* labor will drive wages down and hurt *legal* workers.
Great post, Rachel, as usual. Thanks for distilling and organizing it all this way, I was kind of dreading doing all that work myself. ;-)
I think the rise of overt liberal racism is particularly significant, because it seems to underlie much of the other stuff: blackface, the demise of black TV casts, proud-slave-state posturing, Africa PR stunts, and more. I couldn’t agree with you more that anti-racists need to start developing frames to counter this dangerous trend. This will be one of the focuses of my blogging in 2007.
As I see it, America’s white liberals are basically engaged in a power grab after two or three decades of being outmaneuvered by the right-wing juggernaut (with its think tanks, fellowships and chairs, corporate backers, lobbyist legislators, media domination, etc). It’s almost as though white liberals feel that siding with “minorities” and embracing “diversity” has marginalized them and diluted their power. Thus they’re now urgently distancing themselves from “political correctness”, reassuring white “moderates” that all this democratic equality stuff won’t go too far.
I think it may win some meager short-term gains for liberals, but overall I think it’s a mis-analysis whose internal incoherence will eventually cause various implosions and movement fragmentation (what else is new for the left). The right-wing movement has been successful despite its internal incoherence because the ring-wing is fundamentally anti-intellectual and reactionary, but the liberal movement requires the support of a critical mass of progressives and people of color who actually care about anti-racism, so I think it’s ultimately a losing formula.
Well, it’s an initial thought anyway…I’m sure there’ll be much more to come on this subject…
I second Elle’s comment. I even linked to my blog. I hope you don’t mind.
i feel like the non-apology, apology has been around for years. i hear it all too often in my daily life. of course, that could just be my experience being a person of color in a predominately white suburban area.
A fantstic list. As for the whole profiling thing I have to say in the last year I have found myself in the screening line with a bunch of Arab, Indian, non-identifiable, and one white grandma much less frequently than in previous years.
Me said, “No, there very much is a solid conviction; now whether or not that conviction is reality is debatable. .Likewise, the falseness of the belief that you describe in the latter sentence is also debatable..”
I think your first point is fair. I’m not convinced that the majority of white Americans are committed to equal opportunity being merely stating, but for the sake of debate (and giving people the benefit of the doubt) I’m am willing to agree. Where I don’t agree is on the latter question–we have a plethora of studies that find people of color don’t have the same opportunities as whites. Maybe I need to give those studies more attention on this site, but there are many.
Kenda, I agree with you, but I would go on to say that it was more popular than usual this year.
[...] No new post for today, but if you’re looking for something to read, definitely check out Rachel’s The Im So Hot Im on Fire List of The Most Fashionable Racial Trends of 2006 post – it’s great stuff! Happy new year everyone! Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
Tariq: “‘Last time some people tried to get Middle Easterners listed, but their attempts failed. I dont think it will be listed on the Census this time either.’
Believe it or not, they are white no matter how dark they are. If people calling for racial profiling of Muslims knew how diverse Muslims are, they would know just how silly this call is. I am Muslim, have traveled several times on an airplane since 9/11 (including overseas) and not once have I been profiled or singled out because I dont fit the profile. Yet, non-Muslim Latinos with beards and Arab Christians have been singled out and profiled. ”
I am confused about what you said and I need clarification: Are you saying that all Middle Eastern people are white, regardless of how dark their skin is? Do you distinguish between Middle Eastern and North African people? Are you saying that if a Middle Eastern person looks black, they are still white? Aside from that, Middle Eastern people are a racialized group in North American, meaning that even as the census counts us as white, we do not live the “white experience,” so we are not white.
Instead of the term “racial profiling,” what term do you propose instead? I agree that using that term confuses the issue of Islam being a religion, not a race, but I think that people use the term “racial profiling” because of percieved similarites between getting profiled at the airport while Muslim or Arab, and getting profiled DWB, etc ,because it seems to describe what is going on (even though it isn’t entirely accurate). But then again, because Muslims have been racialized in the West, and because as you said, certain ethnicities are the ones who fit the profile, this is racIST profiling, and I’m sure a compelling argument for why the term “racial profiling” would describe these cases could be made.
As far as the original post, I think it’s a great rundown, and wonderfully concise!
Nadia said: I am confused about what you said and I need clarification: Are you saying that all Middle Eastern people are white, regardless of how dark their skin is? Do you distinguish between Middle Eastern and North African people? Are you saying that if a Middle Eastern person looks black, they are still white?
Sorry, but I should have been more clear. I meant that Arabs (North African and Middle Eastern) are classified as white (by the census) no matter how dark.
My point in racial profiling is that if they go after the profile (in reality they mean olive skinned men or women of any color with hijab)
Instead of the term racial profiling, what term do you propose instead?
It’s not the term I have a problem with, but the practice. It is silly as they could potentially miss real terrorists that do not fit the profile.
Tariq.
“Its not the term I have a problem with, but the practice. It is silly as they could potentially miss real terrorists that do not fit the profile.”
Terrorists like Timothy Mcveigh and Terry Nichols?
Ann said, “Terrorists like Timothy Mcveigh and Terry Nichols?”
Yep!!!
But why not just call it ethnic or religious profiling, or we could combine it together and call it ethnoreligious profiling. That’s what it is, but the pessimist in me think the typical American just doesn’t want to pronounce that many syllables.
Rachel, you missed the return of indigenous people as bloodthirsty savages. Examples: King Kong (from 2005), End of the Spear, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Man’s Chest, Apocalypto, the “Zagar and Steve” commercials, the Virgin Train commercial, the Brave and Gun video games, etc. Those of you who follow the media coverage of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East probably could point to many other examples.
Good one Rob!! That briefly crossed my mind–have you seen the ad that has the troll that looks like an American Indian? I want to say the ad is for car insurance or some type of vehicle. Has anybody else seen the ad? Help me out here.
Hi, I followed the link here from Racialicious. Great post!
Just one thing:
These don’t seem to actually reflect a decline in racism so much as a vehicle to re-present characters of colour as depoliticised… i.e. the “colourblind” answer to racism. While shows with predominantly black/Asian/Latino/etc. casts could deal with issues faced by those communities as a group, multiracial casts with characters of colour always present those characters in relation to the white norm, in individualistic and ahistorical ways. Thus white privilege is made invisible through individualisation. Meanwhile, the characters of colour relate to each other on the terms of white normativity — in spaces where white people have unlimited access, as individual subjects within a white-dominated social structure, in English, assuming roles marked out in the past for and by white people. It gives the impression that the program’s producers want to be thought of as “good mulitcultural citizens” without actually engaging in anti-racist politics, while appropriating the bodily structures of people of colour to present themselves this way.
It doesn’t seem progressive so much as banal.
Why shouldn’t Middle Easterners be considered a distinct race?
(I know it sounds like flamebait, but it’s an honest, if loaded, question.)
Ben, that’s a fair question. Maybe I should use it as a “Serious Question” post in the next week or so.
Originally you wrote:
“This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites.”
Search Google for the phrase “ethnic minorities will somehow” without omitting results. Here, I will do it for you:
Alas, a blog Blog Archive 2006 The Year In Race and Racism …
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.amptoons.com/…/2006-the-year-in-race-and-racism-the-im-so-hot-im-on-fire-list-of-the-most-fashionable/ – 73k – Jan 1, 2007 – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Alas, a blog
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.amptoons.com/blog/ – 202k – Jan 2, 2007 – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Alas, a blog
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.amptoons.com/blog/wp-rss2.php – 123k – Jan 2, 2007 – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Rachels Tavern 2007 January
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.rachelstavern.com/?m=200701 – 25k – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Rachels Tavern Blog Archive 2006 The Year In Race and Racism …
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.rachelstavern.com/?p=299 – 29k – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Rachels Tavern International Racism
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.rachelstavern.com/?cat=20 – 51k – Jan 1, 2007 – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Rachel’s Tavern
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.rachelstavern.com/?feed=rss2 – 34k – Jan 1, 2007 – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
Rachels Tavern Race and Racism
This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities will somehow have great advantages over whites. …
http://www.rachelstavern.com/?cat=2 – 71k – Jan 1, 2007 – Cached – Similar pages – Note this
The presence of that little 4-letter word makes all the difference.
Now for your current wording: :”This stems in part from the false belief that opportunities are equal and that racial and ethnic minorities somehow have great advantages over whites.”
Of course that is a false belief, because it is logically false as “opportunities are equal” and “minorities have great advantages over whites” are contradictory, and when conjoined by the logical “and”, they make the statement false.
As I said originally, “I do however think your wording of the following is a bit off”. As it stands now, your wording is even worse for conveying the sentiment you desire.
me said, “Of course that is a false belief, because it is logically false as opportunities are equal and minorities have great advantages over whites are contradictory, and when conjoined by the logical and, they make the statement false.”
You’re right that it doesn’t make sense logically, but I think when it comes to race many people are illogical. I’ve seen this while conducting interviews on race related subjects people frequently make contradictory statements.
I think you’re also right that the wording change makes a difference. I edited it to maintain verb tense, but it did end up changing the meaning. I think that this group of whites, hold contradictory views as a stated earlier, and I think they often make both claims even though it’s not logical I think that is how people are.
“I think when it comes to race many people are illogical.”
Now, that’s an understatement! … and yes, people do make contradictory statements, even those who are highly educated. As someone once wrote on another forum, “I don’t have time to correct the contradictions in my life. However, your contradictions are fair game!”
] OK, I admit. That statement is mine, circa 1997. [
Peace, Rachel!
The Duke Lacrosse case opened (or should have opened) many eyes this year and says alot about trends in race and racism.
The reaction on what many consider the left, and even in some pretty well regarded academic circles in the initial stages of the hoax was as frightening as it was shocking. There was a frothing hang em high mentality without any consideration of due process or even consideration that the allegations were false. People who should have known better were looking past unbelievable statements by the prosecutor such as “One would wonder why one needs an attorney if one was not charged and had not done anything wrong.”
Calls for confessions. Wanted posters. Calls for revenge. Posting pictures of the parents of random lacrosse players on websites with their addresses. I think you even linked a website that did that admin. Jesse Jackson paying for the accusers college education “no matter what happens.” A coach lost his job. Students were expelled from school (now reinstated)
What shocked me was the anger and that none of the lacrosse players would come forward to confess or give up the rapist(s) and the calls to prosecute the entire team as a result. The assumption was that out of the 30-40 knuckleheads at a party that not one of them would have the conscience (or even the instinct for self preservation) to go to the police if they witnesses or knew about a rape taking place. It was almost surreal how the worst kind of image was projected on these guys. It was almost like people wanted the allegations to be true so that they could validate their biased and incorrect preconceptions about who these guys are to prove their worldview.
Then the media circus threw flames on the fire.
Where is the discussion about this now?
i searched for something previously posted on the racialization of muslims and middle easterners in your blog, but couldn’t find anything. do you have a link to it? thnx!
[...] Rachel and Carmen might want to keep this kind of thing on their racial trend lists for 2007. Date Published: January 25, 2007 [...]
Nadia, I’m sorry. I’m just getting to this…let me search. It could be a post I lost in a blog move. Hold on!
Yeah, I think it is gone. I think you are referencing a post on the 2010 census, where I asked if middle eastern would be added.
[...] Last month I posted a list of what I thought were the hot and not so hot racial trends for 2006.? At that time, I promised to post a list of what trends I think will be popular in 2007.? Here is my list. [...]
[...] Framing Barack Obama and Black Voters Blog: Rachel’s Tavern This is the same problem we see time and time again with the media coverage of Obama and Black voters. Many people seem to be perplexed as to why black voters are not flocking to Obama in droves, and then they are shocked that black voters are deliberative, taking time to analyze Obamas positions. [...]
[...] Barack Obama and Black Voters Blog: Rachels Tavern This is the same problem we see time and time again with the media coverage of Obama and Black [...]
Have you seen this?
“A company that provides translation services and cultural sensitivity training to other organizations is being accused of sex discrimination and racial insensitivity in its own ranks.”
“To bolster her discrimination complaint with the state, Kelly included photos allegedly showing the company’s top two human resources executives dressed up for the 2005 corporate Halloween party as a black pimp and a white prostitute. The “pimp,” a white woman wearing blackface and sporting a fake gold tooth, won the prize for best costume, the complaint said.”
http://ads.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8PMRCTO0.htm
[...] 2006, inspired by Racialicous, I put up a post of the top trends in race and racism for 2006. Given the popularity of that post, and the general enjoyment I get from discussing folks’ [...]