Discussion for article #242802
“(She was born in the U.S. to parents from Ghana.)”
Kind of proves her point about it being systemic, doesn’t it?
When Opokua-Achampong tells other students that she’s from New Jersey, some ask where she’s REALLY from. “When you’re not white, you can’t just be American,” she said.
Ironically, in at least some cases this is a cultural misunderstanding where more recent arrivals consider themselves more “American”. When I was growing up in Massachusetts in the 1970s among a group of mostly second to fourth generation immigrant kids, “where are you from?” always meant “where is your family from?”. Nobody ever considered themselves just American, they were always Irish, Italian, or Greek (many still spoke Italian at home; the horror of those unassimilated people!).
3 Likes
Roc, a junior at West Virginia, said she can’t forget the day that student moved across the room.
“He looked uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure he moved because of the color of my skin. It didn’t hurt my feelings,” she said. “What disappointed me was his ignorance.”
I’m sorry, but Roc’s complaint seems a bit shaky. Maybe she had on too much perfume. Or maybe he couldn’t see the professor where he was sitting. Or…or…or… There could be dozens of possible reasons for him to have moved. Yeah, maybe he was racist. But the fact that he moved seats is not enough evidence to charge him with that, let alone convict him.
4 Likes
What a bunch of wimpy, paranoid people, too worried about what other people allegedly think of them.
3 Likes
If this kid was anything like some of the kids I went to school with he could have just not wanted to sit near anyone.
I get that racism has a constant caustic effect on people and can multiply daily stress. But it seems that the lines are becoming increasingly blurred when it comes to what is racism.
people are a-holes, not just to black people but to everyone. There is a differnce between people saying and doing rude ignorant shit and being racist in my opinion. But then I’m a white straight male so it’s doubtful my opinion matters.
2 Likes
Well, that’s the beauty that this line of thinking offers. It’s never about you, its always someone else’s fault. And you don’t have to do anything to bridge the gap, you merely have to point the finger and be filled with warm glow of righteous indignation.
And it removes the burden of having to engage. Perhaps the strongest way to change people’s views on racism/sexism is to form relationships with them, force them to personalize instead of generalize. But forming relationships takes time and requires effort, its a slow process. Pointing out micro transgressions provides that instant gratification that is so in vogue now.
It even protects itself; people may not want to be in the same workgroup as you because you spend all of your time pointing out every micro aggression in their behavior might not be conducive to getting the project down? No, that can’t be it…you are on the higher moral ground, clearly…its “they” who must change.
6 Likes
I remember my mother talking about how it was easy for her, as a white woman, to tell me that there was no danger from the African Americans in my community but that it was easy to counteract those words by pulling me closer when someone of color was walking down the street or if she held her purse closer. I was lucky to have a mother who never did that but many others were not so lucky.
2 Likes
I consider myself very liberal. I also think racism and sexism are a problem on our college campuses and are a problem that need to be discussed. However… for some of these “microagressions” I think they meant “ironically-quasi-racist-assumptions-based-on-oberservers-preconcived-bias”. (doesn’t quite roll off the tongue)
In the case of Opokua-Achampong, yes people are going to ask you where you’re orginally from, your name is outside the cultrual norm for the US. I had a buddy in Coast Guard Basic Training. he was white and his name was Hans Guggenheimer (not kidding) everyone asked him where in Germany he was from… He was born in Alabama.
Being among the last picked for group work…maybe people aren’t assuming you won’t do your share, maybe you have an off-putting personality and you are hard to work with.
Maybe, you are seeing what you want to see and are actually commiting “micro-agressions” against other people?
7 Likes
“you’re not like black-black”
“how did you get into that school?”
“how can you afford to attend a school like that?”
“wow you wrote this?”
“how do you know that”
3 Likes
standing alone these questions may seem innocent, but when said with a look of utter shock and disbelief, it’s insulting.
Of course these whiny students are misinterpreting the behavior directed at them as racism. On a related note, women should stop complaining about catcalling and learn to accept a compliment.
5 Likes
For all of the “you’re being too sensitive” folks:
A friend has a son with Down Syndrome who is profoundly affected. He doesn’t talk, but he makes happy noises and bounces when he’s excited. I took him to the Wild Animal Park in San Diego when he was about 27 and we went on the tram ride, which lasts an hour or so. He loves trains and trams and trolleys. We sat at one end of a bench that seats about 7, or maybe 8. The group of 4 who finally shared our bench slid as far to their end as it was possible to get and were very cozy over there. It was pretty clear R made them uncomfortable just because of who he is. I couldn’t move him to outside because he fiddles with things and might open the door latch. R wasn’t “offended” in any way because he doesn’t have that sort of awareness. I was sad for him and those who find him so uncomfortable to be around. I understand perfectly how a college student might feel when someone moves to increase the distance between them.
3 Likes
there is a difference between being offended by catcalls, or having veiled racist comments hurled your way…or you know actual racist threats or sexual assault, and ASSUMING someone moved away from you because they’re racist, and not, literally thousands of other perfectly innocent reasons.
1 Like
It matters too much. That’s kind of the point.
1 Like
I agree with you there could be a dozen reasons for this. I teach at a community college which is a minority-majority school, mostly hispanic. I had a student where his lab group effectively kicked him out after the third week. He told me he though it was because he was black and they were all hispanic. I put him in a group that had two black students, one white and one hispanic student. And just last week the group approached m to remove him from their lab group. Because he doesn’t do any work. And I have been dealing with him about this. But it is telling that his first excuse was racism. That probably didn’t play into it at all, but he sure believes it does. For some people, every thing is someone else’s fault. And that story just struck me as exactly that kind of thing.
Microaggressions absolutely exist. There is no doubt about it. Sometimes it is conscious, and sometimes not. But automatically assuming that the reason for something like that is due to racism is a good way to make yourself a bitter person.
7 Likes
“Microaggressions” is such bullshit I am almost surprised that TPM doesn’t use quotes around the phrase.
1 Like
Some people don’t get microaggressions, but they are real. I used to listen carefully to how people working in stores talk to me and others before me. You’re in line at a store and you hear people in front of you being treated politely. Hi Ma’am, Thanks Sir. When it’s your turn, it’s nothing until time to pay, then no thank you or anything. Sometimes your change is placed on the counter, not in your hand. Those are small things, but you ask yourself what’s different about the exchange that caused you to get treated differently.
You can say that these students are paranoid, or looking for things to complain about, but the funny thing is often times minorities don’t NEED to look for stuff, it gets thrown in your face.
Look at the way the Right has treated Obama. Yes, the GOP freaks out over a Democrat being president, but what’s so different about Obama? Why did the Right find it necessary to challenge his church, his place of birth, what he wears, his wife, and etc? When’s the last time you’ve heard someone who isn’t Black referred to as uppity? I could go on about the Right’s treatment of Obama, but I will say that race and racism is a factor. If you believe that Obama gets the treatment, why is it hard to believe other African Americans don’t?
4 Likes
Ever think that they just wanted a better view? Don’t want to disturb your martyrdom, though.
1 Like