The Tiny Voice of Reason

Race & Ethnicity

I've always been surprised by the lack of recognition of ethnicity in favour of race.  With all the Caucasian ethnicites I was sure someone would recognise the African/black, Asian and Latino/Hispanic, and Indian ethnicities.  I saw this lack of knowledge back in high school during our Government & Public Service class.  We were talking about African American issues in the inner city.

Our teacher, a Caucasian male, was taken aback at the vehement anger one of our debates took on over a discussion of African/black ethnicity.  One girl, who was African American but harboured ethnic prejudice against Caribbean, European & African blacks began her debate with something our teacher only thought to hear from a racially prejudiced Caucasian American from deep south.  I still remember his stunned expression when we were called "house ni**ers".  That was just an individual prejudice though but he was surprised it existed within our race.

Now, when we watch television or read the news we will see in the newspapers an ethnic label for Caucasians mainly, with some other known ethnicities.   Someone looks Middle Eastern, Italian, Irish, Native American, Jewish etc.  Yet for blacks, you are simply black unless someone knows your ethnic background or the reporter writes about it.  I've never been able to figure out why that is.  All black people are not alike.  *scratches head*   Same thing goes for Asian people; not every Asian person is Chinese or Japanese.  Not every Hispanic/Latino person is Mexican.  Not every Hispanic/Latino person who lives in New York is Puerto Rican.  Not every Jewish person is Hasidic.  Not every Indian person is Native American.  Every African is not black.

Some ethnicities also have ethnic prejudices.  I know they exist in the West Indies to hear some islands talk about "those Jamaicans" or "those Haitians".  The ethnic prejudices that existed back in Africa were passed down through the generations and still exist today.  It is the reason why I understand what's going on when someone who's not aware of African/black ethnicity is shocked that "blacks" fight with one another.  This isn't questioned when it's North Korea & South Korea or the IRA & Britain and a few other examples.  You can't expect everyone with one particular characteristic of a race to get along famously with each other.

I've come across this when dating also.  Everyone assumes I am African American and I once found it offensive.  Not to be called an African American but that there was an actual ignorance about my ethnicity; of which I was proud.  Doesn't everyone have an ethnic pride?  lol  It's like someone assuming you are Irish with a terrible temper simply because you have red hair.   Now I'm older so I don't automatically get ticked off so I spend time informing others of black ethnicity.  There is so much more to race than the colour of your skin.  There is also your culture.

Ending Racism: Labels & Sides

I just received an email from Equality California for donations to help them open an outreach center in the black community.  It's a good start to bring everyone closer together. 

Off topic.  It's a bit surreal when you realise how labels really don't fit as tightly as others think they do.  Take one of my friends as an example.  His nationality is African.  If he were to immigrate to the US and become a naturalised citizen then he would be an African-American even though he's white.  lol  It's a really stupid label.  I remember suggesting to the President's people, during those internet town halls were you could submit suggestions on immigration, that the census should do away with the whole race box altogether.  It's already obsolete.  Everyone was in an uproar about it and I got flamed so hotly my body hair still hasn't grown back.  LOL 

But don't you think these race labels are obsolete?  I am black.  I do have a name but I think it's seldom applied or asked for when I'm seen.  I'm sure there's someone who thinks of me as "that black girl whose name I can't remember" instead of "that girl who's name I can't remember".  I am not a naturalised American...yet.  I'm from the West Indies and mixed.  My kids are West Indian, West Indian & Greek  and West Indian & Cuban; to us they are just our kids.  They physically look white and everyone thinks they're white until I show up.  They'd prefer to be recognised by their names but no one sees it that way.  Why do little kids have to choose sides?  It's ridiculous.  We're people not pegs in a board.  From birth we are taught whose side we're supposed to be on.

I never thought about race until I saw a movie from the States.  Back when we thought Brooklyn and New York was the entire US.  Before that I just thought all people were just shades of brown.  lol  White people do tan you know?  Silly kid I was I guess.  We didn't have any race boxes but we did have nationalities.  I think folks took that nationality box and seriously warped it.  To the world Americans are Americans are Americans regardless of what colour.  All an American has to do is speak.  If you immigrated to America you are automatically considered an American regardless of where you were born.  A Yank. That's how it goes outside of the US.  *shrug*  Until the US releases the Federal death grip it has on the race box, nothing will change.

Think of it this way.  If you are human and have a legal immigration status yet have been denied a basic service that would otherwise be given to another person of legal immigration status that's what the uproar should be about.  Everyone is the same and the proprietor should better have a damn good reason to deny service to a fellow human.  When you put it that way it diffuses the "taking sides" thing that's been going on from decades.  If you notice, time and again, if we heard of someone doing something to our group we automatically pick a side.  See a man/woman on TV who's complexion, religious/ethnic clothing matches ours being restrained by the cops the first thing we look for is if he/she is being hurt.  If the complexion, religious/ethnic clothing is different only then do we focus on the person and their deeds.  How the person who is different from us is being handled never enters our mind.

It's a give and take relationship we have.  It's going to take lots of communication and ownership along with changes in perception and government terminology to fix it. 

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