This website seeks to raise and examine questions on things that are social in nature, yet often taken-for-granted as obvious. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this site seeks to raise critical questions on what are often sensitive and pressing issues for many people, raising awareness on otherwise invisible issues, and appreciating the arts through various expressions when possible.
Alice in Chains is one of our favorite bands from home. The pain of Layne Staley's tragic death was so much that we did not listen to Alice in Chains for at least a couple of years after his passing. Surely their CD's would eventually be put back into the CD players both in the automobiles and home.
As many know, Alice in Chains has a new lead singer and they have been touring and doing quite well. We have not been able to see them yet, but certainly look forward to watching them perform in the future.
Now the lead singer is William Duvall, who replaced former front man, Layne Staley. Duvall is a very talented Black vocalist and does a very fine job of covering the older AIC songs originally sang by Staley:
In watching videos on Youtube and checking out the comments, we find ourselves saddened by many of the hate comments that are also racist, ranging from making fun of Duvall and the band to suggesting he is a disgrace to Staley. Anybody whose a serious AIC fan would know Staley would feel quite differently and be pleased that the band is carrying on with high quality, and performing their songs well. He would be pleased with the choice. He would be saddened by the racism, hate and intolerance, displayed by their own fans. For anybody who disagrees, see Layne's response to a Nazi supporter in their audience below:
RIP Layne, and cheers to both the old and new Alice in Chains!
So, one of the things that has been irking our family much is the general inability of white society to see how the conditions of immigration among different groups has affected groups quite differently in resulting in significant psychological, material, and economic realities for different people. One suggestion we've heard in a relatively short period of time both in person and in online discussions is the comparison of Jews and Blacks in American society--why can't Blacks make it? The Jews did. This post is going to address this diatribe against Black society, as well as the antisemitism involved with the stereotypes of Jews, and the racism on part of Jews who assert the same claim and justify their own hard work and success as a matter of hard work and merit by playing by the rules in striving for the so-called American Dream.
When thinking about immigration and the U.S., we must always consider the motives and conditions in which people were either brought to the continent. Not all people who emigrated into the U.S. entered in with excitement and big hopes for future success. Not all people who emigrated into the U.S. entered because they were fleeing serious oppression in their home countries. Some people were brought to the North American continent against their will and torn form their families, their religions, their cultures, their native tongue, and all they knew, most notably, African Americans whose ancestry goes back to slavery. Jewish immigration does not go back as far as the British and African American immigration that took place during the 17th Century.
The literature widely cites, outside of obviously the American Indian and the Spanish, the people who have the most generations under their belts are British and African Americans. Why? Because the British were fleeing the oppression of England meanwhile engaging in, and building the foundation of this nation (socially, legally, economically, etc.) on slavery (immigrating populations) while carrying out genocide and illegal land theft of the Native American Indian societies and populations. In short, current realities of the four groups just mentioned are quite different resulting in a clear racial and racist hierarchy, as well as significant differences in the overall social locations and economic, psychological, and physical well-beings of the groups. First, those of the first British descent are at the top of the hierarchy while those of African descent are at the bottom, both who represent 16+ generations of being in American society. Native American Indians are nearly extinct both physically and culturally. The remaining populations represent less than 5% of the total U.S. population and like Black Americans, live in areas where environmental racism are problematic serving to slowly dwindle the populations only further. That in combination with the various types of racism, Winona LaDuke notes how relocating Native American Indians and destroying the lands kills both culture and ethnicity, which often times is irreversible once the lands are destroyed, as those who wish to go back and reclaim their lands and their ways are unable to retrieve the foods and nutrients from those natural habitats that were once held sacred but are now poisoned or completely destroyed, as well as carry out traditions and ethnic ceremonies. Those from Spain were largely forced down into what is now Mexico with some remaining in the adjusting U.S. territory. Though, those from Mexico are largely at the bottom ranks of U.S. society experiencing wage slavery and those entering into professional fields find themselves to be marginalized.
So, what about the other groups, such as Asians and Jews, those model minorities? The Chinese experienced brutal slave conditions on the West Coast during the late 1800's and the Japanese lost their worlds to concentration camps here in the U.S. during WWII without any reparations. Jews experienced their fair share of hardships associated with antisemitism. Well first things first, the model minority idea is racist and a stereotype--not all people who are members of these groups are innately intelligent and are destined to succeed in everything they do. Many members of these groups live in poverty and only the successes of the groups are seen. Then there's these ideas that these groups are fundamentally different than other groups because they have different morals and values that embrace education and pushing their children to succeed, among other theories, including those that suggest members of these groups are greedy penny pinchers and throw nothing away. Then there is a tendency to contrast these groups with others who are less visible in higher education and professional fields, such as, Blacks and Latinos.
Perhaps there are more realistic reasons for why Asians and Jews have been able to enter the higher social ranks in U.S. society in a relatively short period of time in comparison to the Black populations and several generation members of the Latino populations--more can be read on this in The Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism and How Jews Became White Folks: What That Says About Race in America. Maybe it's something called white supremacy, the social structures and foundation of which this nation rests upon. In his book Systemic Racism: Theories of Oppression Joe Feagin lays out a racial hierarchy that operates by color in the U.S. that is firmly in place where through systemic racism, society is systematically racially polarized in a way that inevitably keeps whites at the top and Blacks at the bottom, regardless of the the amount of immigration of other groups that takes place, thereby, nestling all the groups in between somewhere in the middle of this social hierarchy with those who have the lightest skin in general up higher than those with darker skin. The readings just noted prior theoretically and empirically support this theory.
Now this brings us to the issues that has been bothering us most recently, the comparison of Blacks and Jews in the U.S. and the underlying racists assertions that Blacks are at the bottom because they are lazy, devalue education, and don't work hard enough while in a very short period of time, with studious hard work and an innate devotion to education, Jews have been able to rise in social and economic rank above other groups (as a group). We disagree. For thousands of years Jews have been devoted to hard work and education but were perpetually marginalized from societies and denied citizenship. What allowed this change to take place in recent history in the U.S. for Jews as a group? Coupled with resistance and battling social oppression in the U.S., the racial hierarchy allowed this group to move up faster in comparison to groups of darker skin colors. Hard work? Anybody whose familiar with agricultural work, house work, industrial work with dangerous machinery, etc., (work that pays little and limits upward mobility and social capital) would know that the history of labor among Black Americans in this nation as a group was nothing short of easy and lazy. Why not the education? Due to the laws of slavery and later the apartheid Jim Crow segregation, Black society were prevented from integrating into mainstream society and were limited to living in the environmentally worst geographical areas, from attending schools that were equivalent in quality in many respects, etc., to white people. While Jews experienced various discrimination, they weren't blocked to to the same degree that Blacks were. In addition, unlike Blacks in the U.S., Jews could "pass" as white and even more easily than the other groups of color that lie in the middle of the racial hierarchy. And to this very day with the legacy of racism and discrimination that is targeted against people with African Ancestry in this nation that continues on, Blacks remain at the bottom as a group while people with lighter skin tones sit at the top as a group.
And to close with the main point we are trying to make, the Neil Diamond video below is a good demonstration of the Jewish sentiment and visions they had when emigrating into the U.S. This is not denying the very real discrimination, antisemitism, and other hardships they faced as a group such as working through Ellis Island, upon admission and arrival into the U.S., and thereafter, but rather contrasting the experience and visions of Jews entering the U.S. and striving for their dreams in comparison to Africans being stolen from their homes and forced into slavery where their later generations would be systemically marginalized and denied full entrance and participation into white American society that result in cultural capital and upward mobility that serves to empower and improve the conditions of their later generations. The song below captures the sentiments and viewpoint of many Jews in terms of Jewish immigration into the U.S.:
May our grandbabies embrace all of their heritages and ancestries, while being critical of the role racism has played in affecting the differences in social integration and mobility (or lack of), as well as existence (or lack of), and their own positions and locations in America.
One of the things about our family is that we've spent the majority of time on the West Coast. While very diverse in many ways, the socialization that takes place on West Coast lacks any serious education and understanding of historical and racial dynamics of the south. We tend to think we are things such as "modern" and "progressive," particularly in relation to issues that involve social inequality--especially racism. Our own sense of history in this nation does not go back that far. Perhaps because our territories were the last colonized and there was a rush to hide the traces of the brutal American Indian genocide so near in both location and time. There was a rush to begin engineering the social construction of reality that would socialize people to be more focused on the future and less interested in the past.
The West Coast, Pacific Northwest more specifically, had no established history in the books and was not able to claim a discussion on its role in the Civil War. The larger message channeled through our socialization was that the history of racism was something not applicable to us in the Pacific Northwest and any racism that is seriously problematic in current times is in the South. Hate groups and individual acts of hate represent isolated troubled outliers that are entirely separate from the mainstream integrated communities and larger society. The Pacific Northwest is composed of a bizarre contradiction where hyper-modernity is an integral part of the collective psychology of the people--populations that are deeply nestled in the geographical areas that were last colonized in this nation and proud of the surrounding lush green virgin forests and rustic landscapes. While ignoring the brutal history of the area, the states celebrate the few Native American Indian groups still barely in existence that brings a sense of direct connection with the romanticized version of U.S. and local history. The lack of honest connection with the larger U.S. history has left the Pacific Northwest socially anemic and malnourished, and grossly historically inept.
While having Black friends back home who were born and raised on the West Coast and being tapped into various aspects of Black popular culture, we had a fundamental disconnect of Black culture in the south--part of that disconnect is also a reflection of the socio-cultural gaps between regions. The stereotypes on the south played a significant role in fueling an "us" and "them" mentality between regions both within and between racial/ethnic groups coupled with this conception that we were so "modern" and the south was stuck back in time. It wasn't until we had spent some time in Texas that our previously taken-for-granted viewpoints and understandings of the world began to be challenged in various ways through our many new experiences.
Spending a few years in Texas led to new racialized and cultural experiences, with class perhaps being the most significant factor in those experiences. Everything from new foods and spices to the different contours of private and professional relationships. One of our significant experiences involved our new extended family members who reside in the poor Black community. Their roots go directly back to slavery here in Texas and most family members across the generations have not been outside a 50 mile radius from where their earliest ancestors that survive in their collective memories had began to raise their own families independently after slavery was abolished. Our grandchild down here in Texas is only 5 generations away from slavery. Their culture, value, and foods, have been well preserved partially by SES and partially by keeping their collective memories as related to their own racialized experiences as related to slavery and Jim Crow alive--it's an active process of transmitting culture and familial education as related to oppression from one generation to the next.
One evening our extended family had us over for a traditional Black southern supper and traditional familial entertainment that involved music (artists such as BB King), sharing memorable stories, and freestyle rapping among the younger family members. The elder women walked us through how they cook the foods and shared some various cooking tips. The foods consisted of red beans and white rice, home made corn bread, collard greens, chitlins, and some meats. While we indulged in all the foods but the chitlins, the foods were a new experience. But what amplified our new experiences was that the meal was hosted with the traditional Black southern culture. Eating these foods for the first time at a local restaurant for example would not have given us even a remote understanding of the histories and meanings associated with these foods. It was a very memorable experience that deepened our respect for Blacks in the south and their historical struggles unique to their group within this nation. The several years we have spent with this family and others have led us to realize how far ahead of time the southern Black community is--a phenomenon that defies the so-called "modernity" we are socialized with on the West Coast, regardless of racial and ethic group.
One day our son-in-law were talking about interracial relationships and the experiences in the South. We were also talking about the rarity of white men dating Black women in contrast to Black men dating white women. He began laughing and just shook his head and went on to show me the following parody song sung by a local DJ that had been playing on a local radio station in Texas:
As I watched many things went through my mind--most of which, this is something you would not see on the West Coast for many reasons. But I was also thinking of how different things are down here. In some ways the humor was a bit challenging, though reminded me that it may be due to the fact that we're from a different generation. And regardless of how we might analyze this video, it is a reflection of how much more open and direct people are in addressing race related issues in the south, in contrast to the West Coast that is dominated by the racist colorblind ideology. So as we ponder on these issues and this video, we ponder on the question of whether or not this video is a direct reflection of how far advanced "the south" is in terms of addressing racial issues in contrast to other regions in the U.S.
Occasionally, in the midst of the busy schedules and buzzing world filled with information and ideologies that are competing for attention, and our money through the mighty cult of consumerism...a good dose of humor does a psyche good.
While having an appreciation for the positive elements of religions, we too have an equal appreciation for humanism and the Free Thinking camp, as we are planted in the world capital of the evangelical fundamentalist, sometimes extreme, Christian tradition.The current generation is missing George Carlin. RIP George.
One of the greatest things about living the the U.S. is the array of friends and people we have had the honor of meeting, who've come from all over the world and who have represented many ethnicities and faiths. Some of our dear friends have been Muslim. With the 10th year anniversary of 9/11 right around the corner, coupled with the current international issue of the two American hikers currently detained by Iranian authorities, we reflect on the social changes that have taken place for both Muslim and non-Muslim individuals and communities in American society.
We remember clearly the morning of 9/11 and the fear that had filled our minds and hearts as we watched the twin towers fall live and in real time on television. We were living in campus housing at that time and had momentarily stepped outside to view our clear skyline and static silence with nobody in site. Our children are at school, we thought with a panic. We had no idea what to do, what was occurring, and the local silence was only raising our anxieties all the more. It seemed as though seconds were hours.
After a few moments of viewing our immediate landscape, our neighbor came out, too with worry. Our neighbor was an international student from Jordan. Our neighbor was Muslim. He adored our children, celebrated milestone events with us, and was our close friend. When he came out, he suggested what he thought might be occurring, which was related to the middle-Eastern terrorist organization, Al-Qaeda . Within a short matter of time, the news confirmed his own fears and concerns.
Within the days that followed, he and other Islamic individuals in the community, as well as Indian of the Hindu faith, began to experience incredible hostility and discrimination from the local community. Some experienced threats and violence, our neighbor included. While previously held with high esteem by locals in the community, active in both adult and youth soccer teams, and generally very outgoing with healthy energy and vitality, he began to withdrawal from both the local community and college life.
Overnight this predominately white small college town developed an instant fear and paranoia of anybody who looked to them, like a person who could be Muslim, based on the images and profiles showcased on the news. Very few failed to realize that Islam is one of the most diverse religions in the world. That is, people of all skin tones and hair textures are Muslim, not just people in the Middle East. But somehow for America, on that day, all people in, or from the Middle East, were necessarily Muslim, and consequently, terrorists. After a few weeks of letting the dust settle in our local area, our neighbor had served as a guest speaker to a minority relations class to help educate on the Muslim faith and dissolve negative stereotypes. The students were quite engaged and had many questions. Sadly, this is something that should have been done at a national level, but was not. As a result, hate crimes against Muslims, and others believed to be Muslims but weren't, spiked. It is important to remember too, that many acts that constitute discrimination and hate crimes go unreported or if reported, are not treated as a hate crime.
But not only were Muslims believed to be only Middle Eastern by many, they were believed to be perpetual foreigners and not American. It was not just international Muslims who experienced the harms and pains associated with the xenophobia and racism in the U.S., but American Muslims also. This point could not be any better illustrated than with Suheir Hammad with the poem she presents below:
Recently when speaking with a Muslim student from Egypt at a major university, he reiterated the points that seem to be virtually silent, if not unknown, to American society in general. Some of the points emphasized were that the overwhelming majority of Muslims throughout the world, both here and abroad, are against the terrorists, and too see those who attacked America as terrorists. He reminded further, that the Taliban has killed more Muslims than others. In his candid spirit, he expressed the principles of his faith where the foundation is based on peace and tolerance.
A decade has now passed since the September 11th attacks. Not only have negative stereotypes and irrational fears of Muslims, based on social ignorance and propaganda, permeated the hearts and minds of many Americans, but many innocent Muslims have been victims of discrimination and hate crimes. Furthermore, too many have been unjustly and illegally imprisoned, coupled with being victims of crimes against humanity (Guanatamo Bay for example) from the U.S., as well as abroad (Abu Ghraib for example). No safety nets were, or have been, set in place to prevent wrongful arrests and imprisonments, or reparations in place for those who have been wrongfully arrested, imprisoned, and harmed due to the racial and ethnic profiling that is associated with the Islamic ethnicity and religion, as far as we know.
But taking us to today. In the news here in the U.S., two U.S. hikers in Iran were arrested and are being held in prison for illegal entry and suspected of being spies. There is much to discuss with regard to this issue, but what stood out most, is the front page coverage of this story. We don't have exact numbers on how many Americans Middle Eastern nations have arrested and detained, but it appears the U.S. has them beat. Surely if this were a frequent occurrence, it would be on the news more often and groups of various sorts in the U.S. would have formed to help combat the issue. It is our hopes that the hikers are in good hands and their human rights are not violated, but can't help noticing how much mainstream attention these two people have received in comparison to the virtually invisible hundreds of Muslims, and otherwise suspected terrorists, who have been unjustly arrested and illegally detained by the U.S. The preponderance of coverage on the former and lack of coverage on the latter serve to fuel the negative stereotypes mentioned above. How as a nation, do we cure this issue? How do we ensure all people, regardless of personal faith and physical features are safe and secure, with the highest ethics, protections and standards afforded both by, and to, the communities and the larger society? The very same ethics, protections, and standards we would hope Iran would implement and ensure for our two Americans while in their nation?
