Interesting.

In our Census here in the United States, we have the categories "Hispanic-American", "Latino-American", and "White-Hispanic/Non-White Hispanic". 

You see, I find it very telling about how racialized our government still behaves.

A brown skinned Latino man is going to be labeled, in the end, "Latino" or "Hispanic-American". This implies a non-White racial category. A light skinned Hispanic with European features is going to be considered "White-Hispanic". 

I find this curious. It's almost as if they include "White" before "Hispanic" to remind the census that "Hey, the whites are still over here in this corner too!" Nevermind that there are "Black-Hispanics". This is of less importance. As long as we know they're non-White, we can calculate them in proportion to the White ones. 

To me this is a small proof, though not the only one, of the remnants of White Supremacy in our institutions. 

So...

Pundits and politicians can pronounce Sonia Sotomayor's name as "So-duh-mire" all day long without fear of claims of sounding unintelligent, yet if someone were to say "George WashingtAN" or "Abraham Lencon", snickers and smirks of affirmation of a lack of intelligence would run amuck. 

So, just to clarify - Anglos mispronouncing names left and right, perfectly O.K. 

Non-Anglos mispronouncing things, "Learn English right!"

Gotcha.

Pues, entonces...

Joder! 

Me parece que con cada dìa que pasa, con cada libro que leo, y con cada frase de las noticias y los comentarios polìticos que oigo, me siento menos cierto de què justa es la sociedad en que vivo. Seguro - oigo bastante de comentarios que insinúan el sexismo, la intolerancia religiosa, y el etnocentrismo que componen el sistema central de nuestro paìs. Sin embargo, lo que me molesta màs es la situaciòn del racismo y su estado actual en nuestra cultura. 

Nos mentimos (como paìs) diariamente, dicièndonos que ya se ha muerto el racismo (es decir, en todas las formas grandes), pero es esto la verdad? Creo que no es asì. Creo que nos seguìmos diciendo estas mentiras con la ilusiòn y la esperanza que todos los problemas, todos los puntos de vista de los ciudadanos que no son "blancos", se van a ir asì como asì. Por esto yo escribo del racismo. Voy a seguir asì hasta que nos dejemos de mentir y hasta que podamos decir verdaderamente que este es un paìs justo para todos con respeto a "las razas". Hasta que suceda eso, no voy a dejar de comentar en estas abominaciònes. 

Bueno. Pues, ya lo dejo.

Identity Politics and Sotomayor

This is an excellent article from the Washington Post called "Whose Identity Politics"?

It calls out Whites for the "code language" that is used to cover up their "inherent objectivity".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302605.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 

An excerpt:

Being white and male is seen instead as a neutral condition, the natural order of things. Any "identity" -- black, brown, female, gay, whatever -- has to be judged against this supposedly "objective" standard.

Thus it is irrelevant if Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. talks about the impact of his background as the son of Italian immigrants on his rulings -- as he did at his confirmation hearings -- but unforgivable for Sotomayor to mention that her Puerto Rican family history might be relevant to her work. Thus it is possible for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to say with a straight face that heritage and experience can have no bearing on a judge's work, as he posited in his opening remarks yesterday, apparently believing that the white male justices he has voted to confirm were somehow devoid of heritage and bereft of experience.

Pool Restrictions in the 21st Century.

So...segregation ended, right? We're all equal now. Everybody gets a fair shake. Nobody has any reason to cry racism except those victim mongering racists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Not whites. No, no, no, Whites are 'above' that type of behavior now. The U.S. is "post-racial" now. I mean, come on! Our President is multiracial, half-black, half-white! How can we have systematic racism? Get over it!

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pool-Boots-Kids-Who-Might-Change-the-Complexion.html

Right. Sure. Well, I guess somebody had better let those kids know that. Let them know that whenever they get into the pool and the white kids get out, that's all part of our "post-racial" America they're raised in.

I guess somebody had better tell the kids with the troublesome complexion that they're the problem, that their dark skin brings bad vibes with it, as opposed to the inherently "good vibes" of the children with a lighter complexion (in the article, a fear is expressed that the black kids complexion would be a reason that the atmosphere of the pool area would change).

I guess fending the parents off with "refund money" is just fine. Nevermind the message that this sends to young children who are Black. "Hey, you're not allowed in. Here, just take your money back that you paid and go find some other pool. Your complexion is bad for the pool atmosphere and vibe."

Is this all part of our "post-racial" society?