General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I Passed for White and Straight, Even Though I'm Not -- How Looks Hide My Identity [View all]JustAnotherGen
(38,058 posts)My race is well - all over the place.
But I know when dealing with certain people in the dominant culture in America - they want to peg me into a specific one. They have no idea what my mother looks like. They have no idea what my husband looks like. And it wouldn't matter anyways to them - because well - they did the pegging.
That said - I've experienced America in a very specific way which well - colors my world view.
Re Last sentence - It's something my mother has impressed on us (a 67 year old caucasian woman) - and well - it's true.
The Dominant Culture in America is that of white descendents of Europeans. Their ancestors (mine TOO
) put the race card in the deck by policy, beliefs, and behavior. Those policies, beliefs, and behaviors are still in existence today - the minority populations merely react to it. Everyone teaches (I hope) their children to be respectful - yet cautious of the authorities. However, I'm certain my nephews had a stern talking to by their father, my father, their mother, grandmother, etc. etc. about how they specifically must interact with the police.
It's not their fault (my nephews). They didn't do it. They didn't make that police man/woman believe what that police man/woman believes. But they must adjust to that reality in order to survive that person working on behalf of the dominant culture's belief system. Yes I wrote, "survive".
That's just one example - but it's one of many. I certainly hope at DU I don't need to give a full dissertation on the state of race in America.
I shouldn't have to that at this site.