tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post2564615450657502770..comments2024-01-04T04:31:00.481-05:00Comments on Mixed Race America: Looks promising, but not there yetJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-88909332764852736802009-02-25T17:23:00.000-05:002009-02-25T17:23:00.000-05:00Dear Cipher,Ah, my friend, I appreciate the "judic...Dear Cipher,<BR/>Ah, my friend, I appreciate the "judicious" remark--especially because even though this is definitely not my day job (ie: as in I am not trying to teach to a group of undergraduate students) I do want to create an open atmosphere of dialogue where multiple voices and perspectives are heard.<BR/><BR/>Now, having said that, if I am allowed to be snarky, which is how I'm interpreting your query as to what my thoughts are about Jindal being Asian American, I'd say, yes, he is an Asian American in terms of the racial box he checks off on census forms (although I know some people think of South Asian Americans being in a different category from Asian Americans--none-the-less, from South Asia to East Asia we all mark the same box, although perhaps that will change in 2010), anyway, although both Jindal and I are going to check off the same box on a census form, from the perspective of Asian American studies--the epistemological values that Jindal holds/represents? No, I don't count him as being in the same tradition or trajectory of the field of Asian American studies--as in the kind of anti-racist/anti-oppression/ally kind of work that the movement and field was founded upon.<BR/><BR/>Yes, Jindal like that other guy who is now head of the GOP, gets to be the "brown" guy that the Republican party trots out to say "see, we don't have a problem with non-white people--we have some in our own camp--see, this proves that racism is a thing of the past!" no matter how many Michelle Malkins or Dinesh D'souza's you have in the Neo-Con world assuring white Republicans that everything is just hunky dory with them--there is no racism or sexism or homophobia (because there aren't any "real" homosexuals, just misguided folk who need to be "cured") it doesn't mean that these people speak for me. No one single person can speak for an entire race--but particularly for the folks of color who let their message be co-opted by the Republican party, I think that the most generous thing I can say about this crew is that they do believe, like Clarence Thomas, that racism is over and they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and thus so can every other American. What I like to also think is that they are also victims of conservative thinking/ideology which makes them believe in an equitable society because THEY made it, but they somehow lack the awareness and full scope for them to connect the dots to systemic racism and privilege and prejudice.<BR/><BR/>Long winded answer, I know, but in short, yes Jindal is Asian American, but just because he is doesn't mean I want him sitting with me at the cafeteria table.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-88481719143094781402009-02-25T15:15:00.000-05:002009-02-25T15:15:00.000-05:00Dear Blogger,You always have such a judicious reac...Dear Blogger,<BR/><BR/>You always have such a judicious reaction in your posts. I totally agree re: problematic responses to Jindal. At the same time, I wondered, what are your thoughts about this Jindal being an Asian American? It seems particularly "in keeping" with the neo-con approach to the model minority to have this guy propped up as the great hope for the Republican party. I fear for Asian American Studies yet again.<BR/><BR/>CipherCipherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07302124298991165004noreply@blogger.com