How do we fight racism by acquiescing to it?

To be clear— I’m not just resorting to the mantra that the burden of reconciliation should never fall on the targets of racisms. I’m saying, rather, that any reason for racism, let alone racial violence, is always post-facto, extraneous: it’s “filler.” More to the point (and here’s where I will get a bit academic): the reasons put forth for why one acts in a racist manner—Hey they’ve stolen our jobs! They’ve disfigured the neighborhood! They have no respect for our traditions—are rationales put forth only after the fact of racism, after the structure of racism has already been set in motion. In other words, racist form comes before racist content.

What do I mean by a racist structure/form? Albert Memmi put it clearly in his book Racism: he offers that racism begins with how the racist imagines himself—or more precisely, how he first constructs his identity and subjectivity. If he relies on notions of himself as white/ masculine/citizen-subject than he must necessarily invests in the myths that tell him he is so. Yet somewhere in his subconscious he is aware that these are indeed myths—that it never quite adds up. So within his subconscious lie the fears and anxieties of “not being.” It is those fears that are the motor force behind racial violence. (By locating racism in subconscious fear, Memmi’s theory also hints at why acts of racial violence can even be perpetrated by those who are in fact non-white, as the cases in Patchogue also demonstrate).

So what happens when those myths begin to unravel, as they eventually will? What happens when the structures of identity fail him, when his internal ideal doesn’t conform to the external reality and his subconscious fears rise to the surface? He then projects fear, anxiety and self-contempt onto others. And this projection, according to Memmi, is “a racism.” It is the moment of racial violence. It is the moment of “hunting” for undocumented immigrants on Long Island. Any reason the perpetrator draws upon to socially explain his racist actions he arrives at belatedly.

I spent nearly a decade working at a hate-crimes/ racial justice organization. I now teach and write about racism. Through it all, I’ve yet to become jaded. Yet I do believe that that any serious effort at anti-racism must begin with dismantling the popular formulation that a racist is responding to the presence and actions of those they come in contact with. Such a framing, from the outset, only enables racism.

Many thanks for taking time to read this.

Regards,

Eric Tang

Firstly, Ms. Hinojosa needs to get her vocabulary corrected. Few “fear” Latinos, even fewer “hate” them. I’m quite certain that neither Glenn Beck nor Shawn Hannity either fear or hate Latinos, or even “undocumented workers”. Their vocal disapproval of the people who attempt to immigrate to
this country through dangerous and illegal means is based not on “fear” or “hate”, but rather on political, economical and moral grounds.

Secondly, Ms. Hinojosa needs a history lesson. Initially the Jews that were targeted by the Nazi regime were documented citizens of Germany. As Nazi expansion increased the Reich’s control over other European countries, Jewish citizens of those countries were also targeted for the nefarious systematic plans. It is clear that the Nazis used race as one criteria for selecting those they’d discriminate and eliminate, and yes they may have declared these people to be “illegal”, but the Nazi’s plans, the Jew’s status and the nature of the immigration debate in America have absolutely
nothing in common. It is shocking, scandalous even, for a journalist to make such ahistorical and ignorant comments. It is even more scandalous that American taxpayers paid her to do so. So let me clear some things up.

People who cross borders, in opposition to the standing laws of a country, are immigrants who came here illegally. There is nothing specifically discriminatory about the term “illegal immigrants”, and her derision of the term is based not on factual, but emotional grounds. The fact of the matter
remains, these “undocumented workers” are in the United States illegally…they are therefore properly termed “illegal immigrants”. Just because you don’t like what a term means doesn’t mean you can indiscriminately declare
it wrong and choose some ambiguous replacement.

As one who fed immigrants in Santa Cruz, California during the 80’s and sought protections from the draconian polices of the INS, I have some understanding of the plight of those who cross the border to seek work. Still, I oppose illegal immigration for economic and political reasons. As
one who opposes illegal immigration and the economic burden of illegal immigrants in this country, I do not “fear” the individuals themselves. Nor do the people mentioned in her piece. This claim of “fear” is much like that often applied pejorative, “homophobe” , both simply discriminatory
labels used by those who dislike the claims of others but have no substantial argument against their position. By calling someone a “homophobe” or saying they “fear” or “hate” someone, one seems intent only on vilify the claims and marginalizing the arguments of their opponent without accurately portraying or refuting them. By saying someone is driven by “fear”, one can attach to them a stigma of irrationality and thus declare their position as one unworthy of discussion. In essence, one can discriminate against their opposition, ironically the very transgression
they claim the opposing view is guilty of.

I realize in this age of sound-bites it is difficult to accurately express the nuanced views of others in 30 seconds or less, but as journalists and as a tax-funded organization, you owe it to your listeners to try, even in your editorial commentary. Otherwise the discriminated become the discriminators and you only verify the hypocrisy of the media.

Maria, in answer to your question from yesterday’s broadcast, NO, I am not fearful of immigrant Hispanics. I agree 200% with your criticism of Lou Dobbs and other fear mongers in the media who feed the fires of fear, bigotry and lies.

I enjoy your program each Sunday and always learn from you and your guests.

Best wishes,

Shelley Smith

San Jose, CA