The Tale of the White Fish

1
The Tale of the White Fish
2
The nexus of majority and minority
relations.

• How your sense of self is shaped by others
  around you.

3
Racial Identity Stages

• PEOPLE OF COLOR
• 1. Pre-Awakening
• 2. Awakening
• 3. Immersion
• 4. Disintegration
• 5. Communitarian
• 6. Humanitarian

• WHITE PEOPLE
• 1. Pre-Awakening
• 2. Awakening
• 3. Revisioning
• 4. Reversal
• 5. Pseudo-Communitarian
• 6. Humanitarian

4
1. PRE-AWAKENING

• Very little thought is given to race
• If they identify with any group it is with their
  ethnicity (but not as white)

5
White people are often caricatured as all being
in this stage and many are

• They are blissfully ignorant of what it means to
  be white
• They have no problems
• They are uncool lyrics

6
How do you know if youre at the Pre-Awakening
stage?

• If while watching this video you find yourself
  thinking Ive never really thought about any of
  that, then you might be at the Pre-Awakening
  stage.

7
2. AWAKENING

• See that there is an us and them
• Begin to see whiteness and think about white
  culture
• Can take one of three paths
• A. Tendency to avoid racial issues (risks)
• B. Deny inequality and obstruct minority
  empowerment
• C. Seek a deeper understanding of race issues

8
2. AWAKENING

• Avoid racial risks and remain stuck in this stage
• This is the beginning of political correctness.

9
What is Political Correctness?

• California Street Sign(On U Drive 4,253 KB
  version)
• Robert Byrd and white niggers

10
2. AWAKENING

• B. Deny inequality and obstruct the improvement
  of race relations
• VIDEO
• White Nationalist Girl Singers(start at 153
  until 524)

11
2. AWAKENING

• C. Seek a deeper understanding race issues and
  lay the foundation to move forward to next stage
• Address race issues and racism (can be jagged)
• Learn the language of race communication
• When is it okay to use racial and ethnic
  signifiers?

12
3. REVISIONING

• Begin to see racial inequality, white privilege,
  and racism
• May not see a problem with political correctness
• Reach out to people of color
• Increased awareness of racism leads to anger
  toward white people

13
3. REVISIONING

• Begin to see racial inequality, white privilege,
  and racism
• May not see a problem with political correctness
• Reach out to people of color
• Increased awareness of racism leads to anger
  toward white people
• Growing discomfort with inequality can lead to
  guilt

14
What is guilt?

• regret or remorseful awareness of having done
  something wrong

15
Feeling some guilt is probably inevitable for
most of us because

• guilt is just a small step away from feeling
  bad about something
• it is an integral component of our Judeo
  Christian culture
• it is a much used parenting tactic

16
White guilt is the remorseful awareness of having
been racist or having benefited from racism.
17
MANIFESTATIONS OF WHITE GUILT

• 1. Feeling a burden of responsibility for the
  suffering of other groups
• (THIS IS PATRONIZING)
• 2. Shame for aspects of ones own life
• (THIS IS PARALYZING)

18
How people of color help keep white people at
this stage

• White concern (and WG) is dismissed
• Keep white people on edge (anger)
• Talk about the past and inequality
• People of color sometimes (secretly) feel good
  when whites struggle
• - Its about time you struggled.

19
Guilt can turn white people into clowns at their
own expense?

• White people feel bad and then act in ways that
  wont offend people of color and will get them to
  like you.
• Black People Love Us

20
4. REVERSAL

• Discomfort leads white people to fall back into
  old patterns
• Brings out anger toward people of color

21

• From a SOC 119 journal many years agoback when
  people wrote with pens and paper!

22
While I was growing up I didnt think about the
fact that I was white. I noticed other people
who were not white, but I didnt call myself
white or German or German American, which
is my familys culture. Then when I got to
college I started to hear people refer to
themselves by their color or race, especially
people of color. Everyone was black or Asian
or Mexican or Haitian. This seemed odd to me
but it was also kind of cool and motivated me to
look into my own familys history. I got into
being German and learned about my past.
23
After being in this class I have started to
think about being white and how being white
matters to my own experiences in the United
States. I have also been able to see the
privileges that come with whiteness. I dont
personally feel privileged and my family is not
rich and I have never had the thought that I
receive advantages over someone of color, but I
also see that my race is advantaged as a group.
I dont like that and the more I have learned the
more I have felt guilty for being white. I feel
angry toward all of the racist white people who
have discriminated against other races,
especially Native Americans.
24
But after hearing so many things about what white
people have done Im starting to resent the
people who talk about race constantly and keep
throwing it in my face. Its not my fault that
Im white and I dont feel like Im better than
anyone else. Im just trying to do the best for
me without hurting anyone else but it seems like
other races want to stand in my way by constantly
reminding me that Im white and dont deserve
what I have.I want to be seen as me, as an
individual who is trying to change the world and
who is not racist and not like other white
people. It seems like were not getting anywhere
or making progress.
25
Some things that white people say at this stage

• Why cant you (people) just change and then this
  problem of racism would go away.
• I dont have to put up with this.
• Im not the only problem.
• Minorities are just as racist as white people.

26
Why the anger at this stage?Dont Call Me
White Lyrics
27
Nice outfit!

• At the Reversal Stage, this video might be
  insulting or offensive.

1. How might it be viewed by white people who are at
   the Revisioning stage?
2. How about the Pre-Awakening stage?

28
5. PSEUDO-COMMUNITARIAN

• Refocus on institutional structures of inequality
  and difference
• White people can get stuck here and
  over-associate with people of color
• - white people seek approval from
• people of color

29
UNIVERSITY PARK - Fall 2008(Undergrad Enrollment)

• Total Undergrad Student Population 37,988
• Total Percent PA 2005
• Black 1,560 (4.1) 10.5
• Asian/PI 2,144 (5.6) 2.2
• Hispanic 1,347 (3.5) 3.8
• Nat. Am 37 (0.1) 0.2
• White 31,599 (83.2) 82.9
• Intrnl 1,301 (3.4) NA

30
6. HUMANITARIAN

• White people move into this stage when they begin
  to
• - trust themselves for answers
• - look toward more evolved whites for
• guidance
• They develop a full awareness of race and embrace
  all cultures (including white culture)

31

• Where is Ralphie May in terms of his racial
  identity?
• Is he advanced because he can say these things?
• Is he just obnoxious and offensive?

Ralphie May
32
How would people at each stage interpret this
video?

• 1. Pre-Awakening
• 2. Awakening
• 3. Revisioning
• 4. Reversal
• 5. Pseudo-Communitarian
• 6. Humanitarian

• McDonalds Ebonics

33
VIDEO Russell Peters(3620 4430)
Russell Peters on white people
34
Rockin the SuburbsSong Lyrics