The racism behind Kellyanne Conway's "where are you from originally?" question.

[guillaumeb]

Conway went on to say that her own heritage is English and Irish. So in her eyes, and in the eyes of racists in the US, she is a true American, with a true American heritage.

And as Trump has made clear, racists like him want all immigrants to come from white European countries. We all know how racial purity is important to racists.

Does her remark make Conway a racist? Not necessarily. She might be simply an ethically challenged, morally deficient enabler for racists.

[sandensea]

1. And as much as she tries to hide it with her hair bleach, she's Italian too

But doooon't tell her Chumpkins. Many of them don't consider Italians "white."

[guillaumeb]

5. And Italians, like Greeks and French and Spanish people,

are Mediterraneans.

[sandensea]

13. +1

Or as our Republican friends call them, "not real Americans."

[guillaumeb]

18. I was once told by an American, of English descent, that French people are not white.

Which, for me, is correct. I am olive skinned.

[sandensea]

22. I'm sorry to hear that - but I'm not suprised. They're insane.

But believe me, they're so full of hate they hate themselves too.

[guillaumeb]

24. Yes, they are so ready to hate.

And hate is so toxic. A double edged razor with no handle.

[dflprincess]

37. It is not unusual for nothern Italians to be blonde

not that I think Kellyann's color is real (the Irish aren't know for having light hair).

Interesting that someone who claims to be Irish & Italian has no awareness how her ancestors were not welcome with open arms when they arrived.

[guillaumeb]

38. I think she has awareness, but lacks integrity.

An obvious precondition for employment in the Trump Administration.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Sam Greenfield responds to Kellyanne:

[guillaumeb]

7. She sold her soul.

Agreed.

[stonecutter357]

3. Does her remark make Conway a racist?She is a racist from the start.It confirms that she is a racist

[guillaumeb]

6. She sounds like a racist.

And works for a racist.

And defends a racist.

And repeats racist memes.

[ProudLib72]

4. Screw that, guillaumeb. She is racist

I don't think anyone could work for the Rump and not be racist. And, in fact, I would rather have a racist who admits to being racist than these people who pretend they aren't. "Not a racist bone in my body" is complete crap.

[guillaumeb]

8. I agree.

Racists hate being called what they are.

But they love displaying their hate for others.

[ProudLib72]

9. Then why did you put in that last line about her not necessarily being racist?

I really don't see how someone could be an enabler and not be racist. Enabling means agreeing to some extent.

[malaise]

10. Poor Kellyanne doesn't know her own history

If only she knew how both Italians and the Irish were treated by WASPs.

Ah well - she's a total and complete asshole.

[guillaumeb]

14. She is that.

She is pathetic with her rationalizations.

[smirkymonkey]

40. Doesn't she realize that these people hate Catholics almost as much as

they hate people of color? And both the Irish and the Italians were treated as inferior races when they first immigrated to this country. To some people, they still are.

[Hoyt]

11. Anyone who works for a racist in her capacity, is a racist. Supporting racial hatred

in 2019, is a bad as refusing to hire a minority who is qualified, wearing a Klan robe, blocking equality, etc. In fact it’s worse, because it hurts so many innocent people.

[tblue37]

12. Italian & Irish. Her grandfather was actually a Mafia associate, Jimmy "the Brute" DiNatale. nt

[guillaumeb]

15. Trump does like criminals.

This might have been what guaranteed her appointment.

[Igel]

16. Dunno.

I've asked that question, though. Often out of curiosity about a surname. First day of class: "Thigpen, Ben." "Here!" "What ethnicity's that?" "Uh ... Dunno." (Mostly Dutch, as it turns out.)

I've also asked it when I've been asked in a snarly way. "So, Igel, what's your ethnicity?" And the questioner is ready to make some sort of bigoted conclusion that if my ancestry is X (or not Y) then I must have some "special" attitude (or lack the ability to understand something). Either way, bigoted and eugenicist to its core. We ditched that kind of thinking with Boas.

My usual response is to answer and then, in just as rude a tone of voice, as, "So, what's *your* ethnicity?" Or sometimes I ask the question first and then when I get an answer, give an answer.

Haven't seen the exchange that seems to have gone viral. I've seen the bit that I'm intended to see, carefully edited, which is to say, I have no idea what the actual content of the exchange was. Perhaps the edit preserved the content, perhaps the edit decontextualized it in order to recontextualize and repurpose it.

[guillaumeb]

19. But in the context of Trump's comments,

and history, the only obvious conclusion is that the question is designed to classify some people as not American.

[FakeNoose]

21. Just say you're a distant cousin to Queen Elizabeth's grandniece

How will that person ever know you made it up? But it's a nice way to say NOYB - STFU.

[pnwmom]

17. She said Irish and Italian. Whatever. n/t

[guillaumeb]

20. First of all, Conway lies constantly.

Anything else about her is secondary.

[PETRUS]

23. Ibram X Kendi (among others) makes a compelling argument around a particular idea.

Specifically: if you are not anti-racist, you are racist; there is no middle ground.

Some people are honestly not aware of their own racism.

[guillaumeb]

25. True, and some lie about it. eom

[PETRUS]

27. That too. nt

[TomSlick]

26. The only way to know if a person is a racist is if s/he says or does racist things.

So yes, Kellyanne is a racist.

[guillaumeb]

30. The "walks like a duck" test?

Kellyanne Conway passed the test, or failed the test.

[TomSlick]

33. Sorta. It's a little more than "walks like a duck."

With the exception of White Nationalists, etc., most people will not admit to being a racist. For the most part, the only way to identify a racist is by the things s/he says and does. By their fruits you will know them.

But yes, Kellyanne passed (or failed) the test - she is a racist.

[spanone]

28. in any real administration she would be in an employment line today

[guillaumeb]

31. And in a sane country, Trump would be a failed, unknown criminal.

[spanone]

36. Amen.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. She said she's Irish and Italian - both nationalities were despised

when they first immigrated as being low-class and/or criminal. She is both of those things, of course, but not because of her ancestry.

[guillaumeb]

32. Well said.

She has as much integrity as Trump himself.

[Mike Nelson]

34. She is a strange one...

… she will betray Crooked Donald as soon as she leaves this paycheck. She knew the reporter was Jewish, I think, and was perhaps planning to launch into how much Trump loves Israel and has a Jewish daughter, etc... but the reporter did not take the bait. As much as Ms. Conway loves the paycheck, she loves being on TV... but she isn't on as much and some shows have just decided she just spews lies. She must be wanting some limelight.

[guillaumeb]

35. She has no apparent ethics, no apparent sense of decency,

and is willing to lie about everything.

She would be a natural FOX host.

[struggle4progress]

39. "From which circle of hell did you originally come, Kelly dear?"

[guillaumeb]

43. The same circle as Trump himself.

And McConnell, and Paul Ryan, and Dick Cheney....

[HipChick]

41. Where are you from? Where are you really from?

Racist playbook 101..

[guillaumeb]

44. And both sides know that.

Only the US corporate media pretend that the question is valid.

[HipChick]

46. Exactly...

[Retrograde]

42. That was a forbidden question when I was a hiring manager

Neither I, not any of the people doing interviews, were allowed to ask a prospective employee where they were from, the origin of their surname, their ethnicity, or where they learned a given language.

[guillaumeb]

45. Nothing is forbidden to the Trump Administration.

No Barr too low.