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AsLongAsYouThinkYou'reWhite…ShawnaHanelRMITUniversitySchoolofCreativeMediaFacultyofArt,Design,andCommunicationwww.
lightwriting.
net23November2001Thisbodyofworkencourageswhitepeople1torecognizethattheirhistories,perspectives,andexperiencesarenotthoseofhumanity,butratherthoseofwhitehumanity;whilesimultaneouslyexposingthefalsityofinherentwhiteness.
Inotherwords,theexhibitandwebsiteprovideaspaceforwhitepeopletoperceivetheirwhitenessinthecontextsofsocialization,materialculture,andeconomiclocation;andthentobegintodisavowitwithintheirattitudes,behaviors,andidentities.
Recognizinganddisavowingwhitenessconcurrentlymayappearcontradictory.
Botharestrategiesnecessaryforthecreationofwhiteidentitiescapableofacknowledgingthegrosshistoricalinjusticescarriedoutintheirnamesandacceptingongoingculpabilityinthemaintenanceofhistoricalinequalities,withoutbecomingparalyzedbyguilt.
IgrewupinanoverwhelminglywhiteAmericantown,nonethelessawareoftheguiltfeltbymyparentsforbeingwhitepeople.
Igrappledwithitmyself2.
ThoughthenorthernpartofmystateishometothenationalheadquartersoftheAryanNations,andtheirideologyflourishedbehindmanycloseddoors,overtracismwasneverpubliclytolerated.
Ateighteen,myfathertookanunusualstepforayoungmanoftheregionindrivingacrossthecountrytothe1964DemocraticPartyconventiontocastavoteinsupportoftheCivilRightsMovement.
Yearslater,hismotherutteredniggerinmypresence.
Herebukedherstrongly.
Howeverwhenpubertystruckme,afissuresurfacedinmyfather'sprogressivefaade.
Icoulddateboyswithdifferentskincolorsthanmine,yetwasnottoconsidermarryingthemorhavingtheirchildren.
"It'snotfairtothekids.
"Isensedthatsomethingaboutthislogicwassuspect.
Ihadalreadyrealizedthatpasthistoriesofgenocide,slavery,anddiscriminationwererelatedtopresentsocialandeconomicinequalities,butcouldnotarticulatewhy,orhowtheywere,ormyrelationtoitall,orforthatmatter,whymyprogressivefatheronlyacceptedintimatewhiterelationshipsforme.
ThatwasbecauseIdidnotthinkofmyselfaswhite.
KluKluxKlansmenwerewhite;IwasAmerican.
1Nomenclatureforgroupsofpeoplehaslongbeenproblematic(Lippard19-20).
Caucasian,iscloselyassociatedwithdelusivescientificideasof"race".
Whiteimpliesanimportanceofskincoloroverpersonhood.
EuropeanCanadianetc.
,ignoresthepresenceofEuropeanswhoarenotwhite.
Riskingtediousness,Ionlyusewhitepeople.
Idislikenon-white,becauseitsetswhiteasitscornerstone.
Peopleofcolorsuggeststhatwhitepeoplelackcolor.
BlackexcludesmanyAsians,PacificIslanders,andIndigenousPeoples.
Instead,Iusethecumbersomeyetmoreprecisepeoplewhoarenotwhite.
Foranin-depthdiscussion,pleaseseeBonnett.
2Recently,scholarshaveacknowledgedtheimportanceoftheauthor'slocationwithinthestructuresbeingexaminedcritically(Chambers202;Dyer1997,4-8;Roediger3-5).
Iwriteaboutmywhitenessnotasconfession,butasaclarificationofmybackgroundandexperiencesthathaveaffectedmythinking.
Hanel2AsLongAsYouThinkYou'reWhite…AsjustanAmerican,Ilearnedwhitehistoryatschool,readtheclassicsofwhiteliterature,andsangwhitechurchhymns.
Ipresumedmystories,myths,andsongswerethebedrockofeveryone'sexperience.
Ididnotnoticethewhitecurriculum,nordiditoccurtomethatfleshcoloredbandagesarewhitefleshcoloredorthatnudenylonsarenotnudeonmostAfricans.
Throughouttheeightiesandnineties—especiallyatuniversitywheremulticulturalismanddiversityweretheorderoftheday—Icontinuallyheardandbelievedthatdivisionsbasedoncolordidnotmatter.
Afterall,"Weareallthesamecolorontheinside.
"NowIwonderiflife'srealitiesareeverthatclear.
Istudiedarthistory,whichmeantclassafterclassofwhitearthistory,punctuatedbyspecialexoticclassessuchasJapanesearthistory.
Mycolorblindworldwasdividedintonormalandspecial,ormoreaccurately,whiteandeveryoneelse.
Giventhatnormalityisdefinedbyallthatiswhite,amIactuallypresumingthateveryoneiswhitelikemewiththesameopportunitiesandexperiences,whenIclaimthatIamnormalandweareallthesameColorblindrhetoricultimatelyfailsasahelpfulconstructbecausewedonotallsharethesamehistoriesandcultures,andtheirinfluencesshapeourlivesdifferently.
Inattemptingtowrestlewiththeseissues,Idecidedtoconcentratemystudiesonhistoriesandculturesnotmyown.
IthoughtIcoulddiscoverhowtobeantiracistand"helpthosepeople.
"SuchreasoningfunctionedsolongasIremainedinawhiteenvironmentanddidnotknowanyof"them.
"ThatchangedmarkedlywhenIcametoAustraliatolearnaboutAboriginallandethic.
AttheIndigenousPeoplesandRacismconferenceinSydney3,ImetmanyAboriginalpeople.
ThoughIhadlivedinJapan,Indonesia,Chile,andTaiwan,andwasusedtopossessingoneofthefewwhitefacesaround,thiswasnewterritory.
Neverbeforehadmyskincolorbeenintheminority,inacountrywherethemajorityofpeoplelooklikeme.
Noonewasintriguedbymyexoticness,orpleasedaboutyetanotherforeigner'sdesireto"help.
"Aboriginalpeopleinsteadasked,"Whydon'tyouhelpyourowncultureandtakealookatit"Ilookwhitetomostpeople,andIamsureattimes,Istillactwhite.
Forthemostpart,Istillenjoytheeconomicandsocialadvantageswhitenessconfersonme.
However,Iambeginningnottothinkwhite.
TheGreeksandRomansneverthoughtofthemselvesaswhite.
NeitherdidearlyEuropeansettlersoftheAmericas.
TheywerePuritans,French,orfree,notwhite.
AnnLouiseKeatingremindsonethat,"Itwasnotuntilaround1680,withtheracializationofslavery,thattheterm[white]wasusedtodescribeaspecific3IndigenousPeoplesandRacism:RegionalMeetingofIndigenousPeoplesofAustralia,NewZealand,Hawaii,CanadaandtheUnitedStates-ASatelliteMeetingtotheUnitedNationsWorldConferenceAgainstRacism,RacialDiscrimination,XenophobiaandRelatedIntolerance.
Sydney,Australia.
20-22Feb.
2001.
FleshColoredHanel3AsLongAsYouThinkYou'reWhite…groupofpeople"(par.
31).
Theeconomicopportunitiescreatedbyslavery,acceleratedthegenerationofthe"races.
"Red,black,yellow,andwhitedonotaccuratelydescribehumanskin.
Whiteandblackdohowever,retainancientassociationswithpurityandevilwhichwereappropriatedforthepurposesofwealthaccumulation(Dyer1997,67;Keating,par.
32).
Onceestablished,thecategorywhitewasnotandisstillnotstable.
Peoplewhofallwithintheboundsofwhitenesstoday,previouslydidnot.
InhisrevealingHowtheIrishBecameWhite,NoelIgnatievtellsofthedistinctionbetweenAfricanslavesandIrishimmigrantsassoblurredthattheformerwereoftencalled"smokedIrish"(41).
AccordingtoCarlWittke,thepoorestofIrishlabourerswerelabelled"Irishniggers"(qtd.
inIgnatiev214).
JonathanW.
WarrenandFranceWinddanceTwinenoteintheirexaminationofthe"ever-expandingboundariesofwhiteness"thatnineteenthandearly-twentieth-centuryItalianimmigrantstotheUSwereoftenconsidered"justasbadastheNegroes"(5).
HowdidthesegroupscometoidentifyandbethoughtofaswhiteAnanswercanbefoundintheformlessnessofwhiteness.
Whitepeople,whenaskedwhatitmeanstobewhite,oftenstrugglewiththeirresponses.
Inrevelatorycontrast,peoplewhoarenotwhitehavelittletroublewithqueriesabouttheirculturalidentitiesandareusuallyabletoilluminateaspectsofwhiteculturethatwhitepeoplefailtorecognize(Wuker19;Haggis,Schech,andFitzgerald169–70).
ManywhitepeoplefinditfareasiertodescribeLatinofestivalsorblackcookingthantheirownculturalpractices,leadingthemtodefinethemselvesbywhattheyarenot.
Amajorityofwhitepeople—atleastunconsciously—envisagewhite,asnotblack.
Suchabroadandambiguousdefinitionallowstheentranceofpeople,whohavehistoricallynotbeenwhite,intotheflockofwhiteness.
Howeverconditionsdoapply;theymustbewillingtoconformtoitsnorms.
WarrenandWinddanceTwinewrite:[.
.
.
]becauseBlacksrepresentthe"other"againstwhichWhitenessisconstructed,thebackdoortoWhitenessisopentonon-blacks.
Slippingthroughthatopeningis,then,atacticalmatterfornon-blacksofconformingtoWhitestandards,ofdistancingthemselvesfromBlacknessandofreproducinganti-blackideasandsentiments(8).
Ifsubstantivedefinitionsofwhitenessproveelusive,canthewhitenormsthatnon-blacksconformtobedelineatedContemplatingthisquestionisproblematic,unlessoneacknowledgesthatwhitestandardsareactually"the"standards.
IrishNiggersHanel4AsLongAsYouThinkYou'reWhite…Suchfundamentalinvisibilityprovidesawideplatformforthecreationandmaintenanceofenormoussocietalpower.
Itenableswhitepeopletoasserttheirvalues,ethics,andaspirationsasuniversal;andyetinsistthattheirindividualitysupersedesanygroupaffiliation.
Thosewhofailtomeetwhitestandardsarerarelyconsideredprimarilyasindividuals;rathertheyareimaginedasrepresentativesoftheirgroup.
Theirindividualityisalmostalwayssecondary.
In"White,"agroundbreakinganalysisofwhitenessinfilm,RichardDyersuggests:Itisthewaythatblackpeoplearemarkedasblack(arenotjust'people')inrepresentationthathasmadeitrelativelyeasytoanalysetheirrepresentation,whereaswhitepeople–notthereasacategoryandeverywhereeverythingasafact–aredifficult,ifnotimpossible,toanalysequawhite.
Thesubjectseemstofallapartinyourhandsassoonasyoubegin.
Anyinstanceofwhiterepresentationisalwaysimmediatelysomethingmorespecific–BriefEncounterisnotaboutwhitepeople,itisaboutEnglishmiddle-classpeople;TheGodfatherisnotaboutwhitepeople,itisaboutItalian-Americanpeople;butTheColorPurpleisaboutblackpeople,beforeitisaboutpoor,southernUSpeople(1988,46).
Whitenessasnormcreatestangiblebenefits.
Inaninfluentialessay,PeggyMcIntoshidentifiednumerouswhiteprivilegesaccruedfromitsnormalness.
Whitepeoplewatchtelevision,readmagazinesorlookatbillboardsandseethemselveswidelyrepresented.
Theyeasilypurchaseposters,picturebooks,dolls,andtoysfortheir(white)childrenfeaturingpeoplewholooklikethem.
Whentheyaretoldaboutnationalheritageor"civilization,"theyarealsotoldthatpeopleoftheircolormadeitwhatitis.
Iftheywish,theycanarrangetobeinthecompanyofotherwhitepeoplemostofthetime.
Successinachallengingsituationdoesnotdeemthema"credittotheirrace.
"Swearingordressingshabbilydoesnotdiscredittheir"race.
"Iftheyareexperiencingabadday,week,oryear,theydonotneedtoanalyzeeachunpleasantepisodetoseeifithasracialovertones(McIntosh,par.
7).
Stillotherprivilegesresultfromthedominantpositionnormalnessbestows.
Whitepeoplecanbefairlysurethatifatrafficcoppullsthemover,theyhavenotbeensingledoutbecauseoftheirskincolor.
Theycangoshoppingwithoutworryingaboutbeingfollowedorharassed.
Iftheybuysomethingwithacheckorcreditcard,theirwhitenesswillnotcastdoubtontheirfinancialreliability.
Theycanbefairlycertainthatwhenaskingtospeakto"thepersonincharge"sheorhewillbeawhiteperson.
IftheyrequiremedicalorlegalThey'reAllABunchOfDrunksHanel5AsLongAsYouThinkYou'reWhite…assistance,theirskincolorwillnotworkagainstthem.
Iftheyneedtomove,theycanbereasonablysureofrentingorpurchasingahousetheycanafford,andinwhichtheywanttolive.
Theycanalsobefairlycertainthattheirneighborswillbeneutralorpleasanttothem.
Theycanworkforanaffirmativeactionemployer,withoutsuspicionsofhavinggottenthejobbecauseoftheirskincolor.
Mostimportantly,theycanremainobliviousofthecustoms,languages,andsituationsofpeoplewhoarenotwhite(themajorityofthepeoplesoftheworld)withoutpenalty(McIntosh,par.
7).
Giventhatmuchofwhiteexperience,andhencewhiteidentity,isderivedfromprivilege,whitepeoplewillneedtoaskdifficultquestionsofthemselvesifamorejustandequitableworldistobeachieved.
HowcanwhitepeopleextricatethemselvesfromprivilegeSomesuggestthatindividualsdisavowtheirwhitenesswheneverpossible.
Forexample,Ignatievrecommendsrespondingtoracistsentimentswithneithersilence,norlecture,butratherwithanidentificationwiththeridiculedother(interviewpar.
70).
"Everhearabouttheragheadthat…Excuseme.
YouprobablysaidthatbecauseyouthinkI'mwhite.
That'samistakepeoplemakebecauseIlookwhite.
"Othersadvocateincreasedculturalcrossover,asevidencedinthepopularityofhip-hopculturewithwhiteyouth.
Stillothersbelievethatamoreaccurateandinclusiveunderstandingofsharedhistoriesmustbepresentedtothepublicandtaughtinourschools.
Allareatbest,partialsolutions.
Iamconvincedthatthewhitecommunityatlargewillhavemoreandbetteranswers,onceitengagesinfrankdiscussion.
WhatexactlydoesitmeantobewhiteHowisprivilegerelatedtowhiteidentityWhataspectsofwhitecultureexistindependentlyofprivilegeFinally,howcananexaminationofwhitenesspointustowardafairerworldHanel6AsLongAsYouThinkYou'reWhite…WorksCitedBonnett,Alastair.
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