Our culture is built on the notion that whiteness is normal or regular or standard. People of color are then judged to what extent they deviate from that norm. This video attempts (with limited success) to uncover this bias. But, to me, the most interesting interviewee is also the only white guy in the video. He is, of course, in his own words, stridently just a white guy. (In other words, just a normal person, nothing as exotic or remarkable as you think.) When someone mistakes him for a Colombian, he insists hes just a boring guy from the suburbs. Colombian is therefore equated with excitement, cosmopolitanism, being remarkable (as opposed to just). Notice the comfort and ease with which he puts himself down. And the way in which he clearly equates being white with being boring, despite being of Jewish and Irish (ie, extremely vibrant, colorful, richly historic, interesting) descent. He is, of course, not aware that hes doing this. Whiteness, of its own volition, seeks to maintain the status quo. It dominates people, and hijacks their identity. It does this because it is coded in language (and, thus, our minds), and is passed on from generation to generation. And it only loosens its grip when it is called out for what it is: a pathology.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:56:36 +0000
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