latin american princesa {LAP}

• TRADE: Individual EPAs ”Do Not” Undermine Regional Integration [IPS]
  A little divide and conquer might get African nations to sign deals with the EU
• USCIS: Backlog in Naturalization Applications Will Take Nearly Three Years to Clear [MIS]
  Meanwhile bureaucracy gone mad is keeping immigrants from becoming Americans. Oh just let them try the “go back to your country” nonsense now.
• Who says Latinos and Asians hate blacks? [Racialicious]
  Throw three minority women together in a chat and what happens? An intelligent (and funny) discussion of demographics, voting and the usual mass media oversimplification and drama, that’s what!

I love a good mystery and humans are truly a mystery. Now that people are starting to realize that Obama actually has a real chance, the hate starts oozing. Despite the Clintons’ racially-charged smear campaign, Obama won South Carolina. Many of us saw their true colors in that offensive. I was already having my doubts about Hillary. She sealed her fate in SC.

But another smear campaign is underway. I was stunned a couple of weeks ago when a Jewish friend of mine told me that her father told her Obama was secretly a muslim. “Huh???!!!!” I had not heard anything to that effect. Not that I think being Muslim is a bad thing, but the whole secrecy thing seemed dubious to me. Then I found an article in the NY Times about a spam email spreading the “Obama is a muslim” rumor. But the email has been confirmed as fake and 9 Jewish leaders condemned the hateful rumors being spread about Obama.

My friend forwarded the info on to her dad, but he remains unconvinced and referred to “being at war with the Nation of Islam”. I was perplexed again. I thought Israel or the War on Terror was the issue. Where did the Nation of Islam come into play? Well after a little digging I found the answer: Jeremiah Wright. Apparently Obama’s pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago is too close to Farrakhan for the comfort some. I can certainly understand her father’s concern. I however am satisfied with Obama’s statement condemning anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic statements made by Farrakhan.

In a world full of hate and prejudice how many degrees of separation can we maintain between ourselves and preachers of hate? According to the wikipedia on Wright, critics claim his preaching of Black liberation theology is racist, but

Wright has rejected this notion by saying that “The African-centered point of view does not assume superiority, nor does it assume separatism. It assumes Africans speaking for themselves as subjects in history, not objects in history.”

And the Trinity Church website also claims:

African-centered thought, unlike Eurocentrism, does not assume superiority and look at everyone else as being inferior.

Having never heard him preach, I cannot pass judgment, but as a woman and a social scientist I certainly stand behind the argument: be a subject, not an object. The biggest obstacle to ending discrimination and racism is the tendency of human beings to reduce groups to a limited identity: just black, just Jewish, just Latino, just American. This reductionism, dehumanizes the Other, reduces us to objects. It keeps us from seeing the total picture, the complex subjects that each and every one of us is. It is not something that is limited to whites either. All groups have prejudices and stereotype others. I know Latinos, Jews and Muslims who are racist against Blacks also. And yes, Blacks can be racist too. Farrakhan being a prime example. At the top of the power ladder in this neck of the woods, however, is the Euro/American white, many who claim to be “enlightened” and have been trying to “enlighten” the rest of the world (usually by force) since the merchant/trade race began in Europe.

This weekend I read an article about Vick’s dogs. The latest black man we all love to hate is serving 23 months. I almost threw up reading about the dogs. My husband said he deserves more jail time. I had to wonder. How much jail time did Europeans and Americans get for the same (or worse) treatment of Africans? How much time will Bush or his cronies serve for Iraq and Guantanamo? I’m with Obama. Dialogue! We need real, open and honest dialogue.

The Guardian published a passage from a Wright sermon:

“The good news that’s coming is for all people! Not white people - all people. Not black people - all people. Not rich people - all people. Not poor people - all people. I know you’ll hate this … not straight people - all people! Not gay people - all people. Not American people - all people … Jesus came for Iraqis and Afghanis. Jesus was sent for Iranians and Ukranians. All people! Jesus is God’s gift to the brothers in jail and the sisters in jeopardy. The Lord left his royal courts on high to come for all those that you love, yes, but he also came for those folk you can’t stand.”

All people. Hmmm…where is the racism? I see some honesty. Perhaps the people mentioned don’t all like or accept one another, but he recognizes that they all have rights. Ok well the right to Jesus’s love. Maybe not my first choice in rights, but for a pastor that is important.

People need educate themselves a little better, before passing judgment on things they do not understand. We must understand the social and cultural context of things. Even in “liberal, left” Europe people are questioning Obama now as a reverse racist. Well seems that they are liberal and left as long as their own superior position is not threatened. For instance, in The Netherlands affirmative action is demonized in the public sphere and there is loud demand for immigrants to adopt all Dutch norms and values. No thanks, my parents taught me my norms and values, and I like them just fine. A comment on a Dutch blog refers to Obama as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Oh god forbid we might upset the status quo in which Western Europe/America does not control the world.

Seems to me that it is a particular liberal left that claims to care about “us minorities” who are the “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. I can respect conservatives on the right who are at least being honest about their views, even if their views make me nervous. It is the insidious racism that’s so hard to fight.

Black churches are not like white churches. Black pride is not equivalent to white hate. Perhaps whites who are quick to jump on the reverse racism bandwagon now are just projecting their own behavior on others?

If Eurocentric history won’t be re-written to include the rest of us, why can’t we write our own? Just look at the ‘war’ Latinos had to fight to be recognized in the PBS documentary on WWII.

Obama is different. His campaign is different. If the biggest problem people can find with him is that he knows someone who knows someone that is questionable in his beliefs, then guess what? He’s just like all the rest of us. We all know someone, who knows someone that has views we don’t agree with. Obama is hard to define and perhaps that is also what makes the most conservative from all walks of life so nervous. It also makes it easier to come up with vague reasons to smear him.

The lines are blurred and the spinners are pouncing, but revolution is brewing…brewing…brewing…a whisper in the wind, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings.

For all those who will be voting on Tuesday, February 5th, in Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, Nebraska and Oklahoma please take a few moments to read this warning written by Racialicious’s Carmen Kerchove:

WARD CONNERLY FOOLS YOU INTO DISMANTLING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, AGAIN

Information and knowledge are critical to our freedom and are the real power behind our vote. Don’t let the elite and greedy hijack that power from us. They’ve been eating away at our civil liberties, we can’t let them take away our opportunities also.

See the full article on Wendi’s blog: To Those of You Who Say Racism Doesn’t Exist….

September 11, 2007
6 arrested, charged in woman’s weeklong torture
Authorities believe racism played role in ordeal

According to the complaints, she was forced to eat dog and rat feces and to lick up blood. She was made to lick parts of Brewster’s body, under the threat of death. Her hair was pulled out. She was made to drink from the toilet. She was sexually assaulted while hot water was poured on her body, and while a man held a knife to her.

It’s scary and sad that so many people out there are still so cruel.

Right-wing party in Switzerland wants to pass a law reminiscent of Nazi times, deporting criminals AND the innocent family of the convicted person.

From The Guardian:

• Swiss party accused of racist campaigning
• Swiss nationalist deportation plan condemned

Recently I was reading an article in the Washington Post on immigrant assimilation and whether the government should offer encouragement. While there is certainly a lot to be said about the topic what really caught my eye was how the article ended:

“If you live in America,” Orellana said, “you have to be American.”

Continue reading What do you mean “be an American”?…

Some people say a joke is just a joke and one shouldn’t be so serious. Hopefully that’s because they just don’t know any better and they take the time to inform themselves with this great video.

Via Racialicious: Documentary exploring race and humor.

The predictable retort to all this is that those who take offense at jokes are over-sensitive, as if jokes couldn’t be insulting.

To say it’s “just a joke” is the quickest way of dismissing the debate, while expending no mental energy. Don’t fall into the trap of labeling those who take offense as “over-sensitive.”

It’s important to ridicule human folly, but not at the price of our humanity.

The same can be said about calling someone “stupid” for having an opinion different from yours.

Earlier this week a Dutch friend told me his father needed an “American voice” to promote a product he’s trying to introduce into The Netherlands and asked if I could help out. “Sure, why not. Have him call me.” The product is an oven mitt with a magnet in it (ha ha, one more gimmick product). Friday, I spoke with the father and he explained that he wanted to make a video (huh? I thought they wanted a voice?). I would be standing in a kitchen wearing the glove. He was going to leave it up to the director (his nephew) to come up with the script and action.

Ok wait! Step back. I will be standing in a kitchen????? Huh? I feel a little queasy and tell him I have to think about it, check my schedule and will call him back. Ok, so how do I feel about making a video for some gimmick product that portrays such a blatant stereotype (only women cook)? That’s easy, disgusted.

Continue reading How to express racism, anti-Americanism and sexism all in one breath…

In The Netherlands, Sinterklaas is the the manifestation of St. Nicholas. Sint, a Turkish bishop who lives in Spain, arrives on his boat every November. He rides his white horse throughout this small Protestant country, accompanied by his Zwarte Pieten (Black Peters) and on December 5th he brings presents to all the good Dutch children. The bad children are taken away in a sack to live with Sint in Spain for a year. Doesn’t sounds like a bad punishment to me, but most certainly can be attributed to the long and difficult war for independence from the Spanish Empire and “evil” king Philip. Glad to see that after 500 years or so they can forgive and forget!!

Well St. Nick is of course also the basis for Santa Claus, Father Christmas and more. Inquisitive Dutch minds however cannot understand why Santa brings presents on Christmas. After all, Sint was a generous man who on his own birthday gave gifts to poor children and that is the “historical” basis for gift-giving. And duh of course his birthday was on Dec. 5th!

Continue reading Santa’s helpers in blackface…