How white can you get?
The truth behind THEIR politics…
This year alone we’ve seen the rise of nationalism in the United States, the rise of white supremacy and the hatred against immigrants and even to those who do not fit the mold of whiteness. What must these individuals do to have the right to be able to become part of society? Where they will not be ostracized by their community?
Whiteness is power. Whiteness is money. Whiteness is powerful. Whiteness is correct. These are part of the ideologies that are place into our heads, minds and ideals. The process of assimilation is what is making people of color to assimilate to whiteness and lose part of their culture and heritage as well. If people of color want to become part of the larger picture, then one must lose all it’s identity and regain one of where pure whiteness exist. Sara Ahmed in “A phenomenology of whiteness” explains how whiteness is valued very differently and how whiteness is able to take up space, but does not make space for others. How they are willingly and at times find the need to input whatever they think is best for them and nobody else. Whiteness is the hegemonic power in the United States.
We see how whiteness in the United States plays a major role in politics in our country. We see how whiteness is playing a key role in Trumps era. The health care insurance is an excellent example of how whiteness is playing a dominant role and is not taking anyone but white heterosexual men into account and excluding everyone else. Whiteness led to the triumph of Trump because he allowed whites feel as if they were being oppressed and were not getting all the resources everyone else was receiving. He played with them and he was able to convinced them that this was the truth, when in reality it was not.
No matter how much we fight and try to make the dominant group comprehend that they are receiving all the aid they can get and if in the case they are not, it isn’t because of immigrants or those who do not look like him. It is those who are in power who are not helping anyone. But Trump made them believe this lie and they accepted as soon as they heard it. They didn’t stop to question it. It wasn’t only the lies he kept saying, but the confidence that he gave whites to feel as if they had the right to confront those who did not look like them. It gave them the assurance to act like bigots and express racist comments.
Whiteness can be acted upon differently. It can be done differently. People can act differently. However, it has continued to be something dominant and people have pride themselves by being white. However, if we start discussing about it and make ourselves more confident on calling white people out on their wrongs then change can occur. I’m not saying that this is the only thing that can be done, but a small change can begin a dominoe effect.
