The Takeaway on WNYC is reviewing their top shows of the year. In an interview with local NYC DJ Jay Smooth they discussed considering our relationship with race as something needing constant maintainace, like brushing our teeth, not as an absolute, like whether or not you have tonsils. This is incredibly liberating. I think some of my trepidations around correcting people's racist statements about Asian people has come from knowing that I make errors, too. I have had no trouble stopping students from using "gay" or "retarded" as slurs, responding immediately "we don't use that word that way here". Reframing the response to race-based statements to "that statement sounds prejudiced" or "people can find that statement offensive" takes the shame and blame from the situation. The "model minority" myth makes it complicated to address these issue. When someone says something derogatory about another group its easier to say "we don't talk about people that way." When someone is lauding the math skills of a person because they are of one race its couched in a positive statement - how do you tell people not to talk positively about a group? I'm feeling more empowered, which makes me hope I can empower my students, and create some positive change in the world. Thank you Celeste, John, Jay and NPR!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thankful for NPR
I've been struggling lately, wrestling with issues of race, identity, prejudice and disenfranchisement. I was contemplating an entry diverting from my positive message to address the distress I've been feeling about the way Asian people are treated in western cultures. The rough draft in my head was angry, frustrated, and without hope. And then I listened to NPR.
The Takeaway on WNYC is reviewing their top shows of the year. In an interview with local NYC DJ Jay Smooth they discussed considering our relationship with race as something needing constant maintainace, like brushing our teeth, not as an absolute, like whether or not you have tonsils. This is incredibly liberating. I think some of my trepidations around correcting people's racist statements about Asian people has come from knowing that I make errors, too. I have had no trouble stopping students from using "gay" or "retarded" as slurs, responding immediately "we don't use that word that way here". Reframing the response to race-based statements to "that statement sounds prejudiced" or "people can find that statement offensive" takes the shame and blame from the situation. The "model minority" myth makes it complicated to address these issue. When someone says something derogatory about another group its easier to say "we don't talk about people that way." When someone is lauding the math skills of a person because they are of one race its couched in a positive statement - how do you tell people not to talk positively about a group? I'm feeling more empowered, which makes me hope I can empower my students, and create some positive change in the world. Thank you Celeste, John, Jay and NPR!
The Takeaway on WNYC is reviewing their top shows of the year. In an interview with local NYC DJ Jay Smooth they discussed considering our relationship with race as something needing constant maintainace, like brushing our teeth, not as an absolute, like whether or not you have tonsils. This is incredibly liberating. I think some of my trepidations around correcting people's racist statements about Asian people has come from knowing that I make errors, too. I have had no trouble stopping students from using "gay" or "retarded" as slurs, responding immediately "we don't use that word that way here". Reframing the response to race-based statements to "that statement sounds prejudiced" or "people can find that statement offensive" takes the shame and blame from the situation. The "model minority" myth makes it complicated to address these issue. When someone says something derogatory about another group its easier to say "we don't talk about people that way." When someone is lauding the math skills of a person because they are of one race its couched in a positive statement - how do you tell people not to talk positively about a group? I'm feeling more empowered, which makes me hope I can empower my students, and create some positive change in the world. Thank you Celeste, John, Jay and NPR!
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