Follow-Up to First Lecture & First Family Activity

FOLLOW-UP TO FIRST LECTURE: I did not quite finish what I wanted to say on Thursday, so I am going to use this blogpost to wrap up my comments on the relevance of a course in race and ethnic relations, which was directed mainly at whites. First, let me give you the quote from Dr. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva from his book, "Racism Without Racists:" "Nowadays, except for members of white supremacist organizations, few whites in the United States claim to be 'racist.' Most whites assert that they 'don't see color, just people;' that although the ugly face of discrimination is still with us, it is no longer the central factor determining minorities' life chances; and, finally, that like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., they aspire to live in a society where 'people are judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.' More poignantly, most whites insist that minorities (especially blacks) are the ones responsible for whatever 'race problem' we have in this country. They publicly denounce blacks for 'playing the race card,' for demanding the maintenance of unnecessary and divisive race-based programs, such as affirmative action, and for crying 'racism' whenever they are criticized by whites. Most whites believe that if blacks and other minorities would just stop thinking about the past, work hard, and complain less (particularly about racial discrimination), then Americans of all hues could 'all get along.'" And Dr. Bonilla-Silva went on to observe: "But regardless of whites' 'sincere fictions,' racial considerations shade almost everything in America." FINAL LECTURE COMMENTS: You do NOT transcend race and ethnicity by naively believing these divisions do not exist -- that we can just wish away literally centuries of racial and ethnic prejudice and discrimination. (1) Like the much-criticized program called "affirmative action," race (or gender, or disability) must be considered in jobs, education, etc. not only to make up for past discrimination, but also to get to the point where we can truly transcend race (gender or disability) in employment, education, and elsewhere in our society. (2) In terms of sensitivity training, I would encourage all of you to put yourself in a situation of being a distinct racial or ethnic minority. You can experience something of this when you travel abroad. Or even here in America, in ethnic enclaves such as "Little Havana" in Miami, "Little Saigon" in Orange Co., CA, or any Chinatown, Indian reservation, or Harlem. You'll find, I believe, that you become much more conscious of your racial and ethnic background, and concerned with how others see you. (3) Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the great proponents of integration, stressed that American society needed to be integrated not just at the level of kids playing together, holding hands (an image invoked in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech). But he went far beyond this romantic vision to suggest that we need to integrate all groups and individuals into the full economic, political, and cultural life of this society. (4) The sad fact is, however, that racial and ethnic minorities have been denied full access to the rights and opportunities this society has to offer, the rights and opportunities necessary to develop as complete human beings. (5) In his last book, Dr. King spoke of all groups being "woven in a single garment of destiny"-- that even though we may not associate with each other all the time, we are all important to the current and future well-being of this society, that we should all have the opportunity to contribute. (And that means ALL of us, from the lowly janitor or sanitation worker to the teacher, doctor, CEO, etc.) ***Please copy or print out the above comments and insert them in your notebooks along with the other remarks I made in my first lecture. FIRST FAMILY ACTIVITY: Over the next two weeks, beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 11th, we are going to be seeing a three-part video series entitled, "Race: the power of an illusion." It challenges the whole notion of "race" (along the same lines that race is defined in the Basic Definitions handout) and gives a nice overview of the pernicious effects of race theory and racism in America from our earliest days as a nation. Following the viewing of each part, I want each of the families to discuss what you saw and identify what you believe were the TWO most important historical facts or points and their significance for understanding race relations in our society today. Once you determine these two points, a designated family memeber should EMAIL your comments to me, and I will then edit them and eventually post them on this blog. Please be fairly succinct in stating these points -- no more than one paragraph each. At the conclusion of the series, we'll review these points in class and I will add my own analysis of some key points in this video series. I may use some of these points you come up with as the basis for some questions on the midterm exam. This exercise is worth 7 activity points, and you have to be present and participating in order to earn these points. FAMILIES: RED FAMILY: Cory D., Helena F., Demetrius J., Kayla J., Donovan H., Ben G. YELLOW FAMILY: Meredith F., Bryan H., Khadijah, J., Tyrell L., Matt Y., Morgan W. BLUE FAMILY: Katie H., Evan L., Sapana P., Jeremy Y., Laura S., Louisa J. GREEN FAMILY: Florence S., Keiyhjuan P., Chanel S., BC L., Drake M., Alex H.

Welcome & First Exercise

Welcome to this blog that I have set up for this course, Sociology 240: Race and Ethnic Relations. We will be using this blog for a variety of what I call "individual and group activities and exercises" in the syllabus, the first of which is described below. This will include making up questions for both the midterm and final exams. I will also use this space occasionally to post lecture notes if I get behind in class, and to follow-up on or clarify a point I made in class, or respond to a question I was not able to answer satisfactorily in class. I may offer you some extra credit opportunities during the semester, which will usually involve posting a comment on this blog. Finally, I hope that you will feel free to post any comments or questions you may have about anything we cover in class or in the assigned reading. FIRST EXERCISE: I want each of you to briefly describe any one incident in the news (local, national, or international) in recent memory which touches on some race and ethnic relations issue. In addition to a brief description of the incident, tell in what respect it is pertinent to race and ethnic relations. Also, state your own view or opinion of the incident. I am only looking for a couple paragraphs at most, which you should post as a comment on this blog. Please do so NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, SEPT. 14TH. This is worth 5 activity points.

FAMILY QUESTIONS FOR THE FINAL EXAM

Below are the family questions (and answers) that will be on the final exam. You'll note that I also did some editing. Remember that our exam is scheduled for Thursday, 12/15 from 9-12, and you may drop in to ask questions on Wednesday, 12/14 from 12-2. I will be in our classroom (Main 122) or in my office (Main 121) during that time.


ORANGE FAMILY (Emily, Shelby, T.J., Brianna, Ethan) earn 6 activity points.

1. Michelle Alexander uses the term "RACIAL CASTE" to describe the group of people being affected by mass incarceration. What does this mean? (1)

ANSWER: A racial caste is a stigmatized racial group locked into an inferior position by law and custom.

2. In Chapter 3 of Dr. Tatum's book, she quotes David Mura who describes interracial friendships that lack genuine authenticity. What point does Mura make? (1)

ANSWER: These are friendships where a person of color has to present a version of himself or herself that he or she thinks will please his or her white friends.

3. Identify THREE of the seven parallels between mass incarceration and Jim Crow which Michelle Alexander discusses in Chapter 5. (3)

ANSWER: Any three of the following: (1) historical parallels, (2) legalized discrimination, (3) political disenfranchisement, (4) exclusion from juries, (5) closing the courthouse doors, (6) racial segregation, (7) symbolic production of race.


BLUE FAMILY (Mimi, Mary Katherine, Krystal, Jarell, Julisa) earn 6 activity points, plus 1 bonus point.

1. (fill-in-the-blank) "The stigma of race was once the shame of the slave, then (in the context of Jim Crow) it was the shame of the second-class citizen; today the stigma of race is the shame of the _______________________." (1)

ANSWER: criminal

2. (fill-in-the-blank) Michelle Alexander explains that if 100% of the individuals charged with drug crimes were African American, then the veil of ______________________ would be lost. (1)

ANSWER: colorblindness

3. How is it that Asian Americans occupy a space between black and white? (2)

ANSWER: Because they are regarded as neither "American" (associated with white, nor "minority" (associated with black), hence they are "gray."

4. Basically, what did the New Jersey study of racial profiling find, as Michelle Alexander notes in Chapter 3 of "The New Jim Crow?" (1)

ANSWER: Whites were actually MORE LIKELY than people of color to be carrying illegal drugs or contraband in their vehicles.


GREEN FAMILY (Jared, Jessi, Nygia, Lucy) earn 6 activity points.
(Note: None of your questions were very good, but I was able to salvage a couple of them.)

1. Chapter 3 of "Yellow," The Perpetual Foreigner: Yellow Peril in the Pacific Century, opens with Frank Wu talking about a "pet peeve" of his (and many Asian Americans). What is this pet peeve, and how does it illustrate the title of this chapter? (2)

ANSWER: the pet peeve of being asked where he is REALLY from (or the observation that he speaks such good English, even though he was born here), the assumption being that no matter how long Asian Americans have been in America they are seen as "perpetual foreigners."

2. Basically, how does Frank Wu view the rise of interracial marriages and the mixed race movement? (2)

ANSWER: "...they are certainly positive, but no panacea."
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That's all folks. See you Thursday.

More Lecture Notes on "Yellow"

Let me pick up where I left off on Monday (12/5) in Chapter 3:

1. "A Jap is a Jap and That's All There Is To It" (p. 95)

a.) The subtitle of this section is a quote from General DeWitt, which accurately captures the belief common among military leaders during WWII, as well as the general public.

b.) Regarding the loyalty of Japanese Americans, the facts certainly did NOT warrant the suspicions -- not a single case of Japanese American espionage was documented. Even J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI were unable to turn up any evidence that they were a threat.

c.) Nonetheless, we decided to put Japanese Americans in internment camps. Many liberals even supported the move as a precaution.

d.) The racial rationale for this policy could not be more obvious. They were "perpetual foreigners." Also, it was believed we could not easily sort out loyal from disloyal Japanese Americans because they are so INSCRUTABLE.
(The film, "Snow Falling on Cedars," captures this very well.)

e.) Interesting to note that in Hawaii we took a more pragmatic approach: Japanese there were not interned because that would have brought the economy to a standstill.

f.) A 1980 Congressional study of WWII Internment led to a Presidential apology and a $20,000 payment to survivors (1988). But among those opposed to this, racism was plainly evident -- "Senator Jesse Helms insisted that the United States should not compensate Japanese Americans until Japan paid the families of those killed at Pearl Harbor." (p. 103) Sounds logical, but it is based on the fallacious assumption that JAPANESE AMERICANS WERE SOMEHOW RESPONSIBLE, OR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT FOR WHAT HAPPENED AT PEARL HARBOR.

2. During the 1996 election, a scandal broke involving the Chinese government funneling money to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) through a DNC fundraiser by the name of John Huang.

a.) The accusation involved a racial stereotype -- a belief on the part of some politicians and pundits that Asian Americans were more prone to bribery, and in this specific case, that Asian Americans were willing to do the bidding of the Chinese government.
(I'll show in class a demeaning caricature of Pres. Clinton, his wife, and Vice Pres. Gore that appeared on the cover of the "National Review.")

b.) A subsequent investigation did not turn up much. Interestingly, it did disclose that several NON-Asians were involved in this scandal, but no one paid much attention to them. It was all about the "Asian Connection."

c.) Unfortunately, the fallout from this was that some Asians were discouraged from getting more involved in politics, despite legitimate interests they had in issues such as immigration policy.

d.) Wu was even more troubled by the indiffrent response to Asian American protests, which were often dismissed as merely "playing the race card."

3. Finally, in the section, "Back to the Future," Wu comments on the rise of China in the 21st century and increased competition with the U.S., which could very well lead to Chinese Americans' loyalty being called into question at some point.


Chapter 7: The Changing Face of America: Intermarriage and the Mixed Race Movement

A. Wu opens this chapter by referring to a letter to Dear Abby from a mixed-race couple confused about how to fill out forms for their children -- which box do they check off. This is becoming an increasingly common problem. (Although the Bureau of the Census did (finally) allow acknowledgment of mixed race heritage for the first time in the 2000 Census.)

B. Growing up outside Cleveland in a predominantly white community where there was only one Chinese girl in his 6th grade class, Wu himself considered crossing over.

1. He asked his mother about crossing over and she did not object, but she said she would love him more if he married Chinese. In the end, he married a Japanese-American woman, who his parents see as more or less white; and her parents were relieved that at least he looks Japanese.

C. "In just my lifetime, intermarriage has become the taboo that binds," Wu observes.

1. In 1960, just 149,000 interracial marriages (and it was still outlawed in several states such as SC).

2. By 1990, there were 1.46 million interracial marriages, or 5% of all marriages, and 1 in 6 in California.

3. (Not in the Book) The "Population Bulletin" reports that in 2000 there were 3.1 million such marriages.

4. A fairly recent survey (2004) reported, in of all places, AARP Magazine (not in "Yellow"): (a) 70% of whites approve of interracial marriage (compared to only 4% in 1958), (b) 77% of Hispanics approved, and (c) 80% of Blacks approved. (Of course, we should recognize that attitudes are one thing, and behavior is another, as Wu observes a bit later in the chapter in commenting on a similar survey.)

D. Wu, then, contends that: "Intermarriage and the mixed race movement are positive, but they are no panacea." (p. 264)
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That brings us to "The Core of the Heart of the Problem" (p. 264), which is where I'll pick up on Thursday.

Lecture Notes on "Yellow"

Given that this is the last week of classes of this semester, and one of those classes will be taken up with Interview presentations (tomorrow, 12/6), that does not leave me much time to talk about "Yellow" in class. So, below are lecture notes on Chapters 1 & 3, and I may also post some notes on Chapter 7. In any case, remember that you should be reading those three chapters in "Yellow," and the families need to be working on some questions for the final exam.

CHAPTER 1: EAST IS EAST, EAST IS WEST: ASIANS IN AMERICA

Last Tuesday (11/29), I got as far as "Literal Yellow, Figurative Gray." (p. 18) So, let me pick up there with these notes:

D. "Literal Yellow, Figurative Gray" -- race is more than black and white, literally and figuratively. Wu and Asian Americans are LITERALLY "yellow" but FIGURATIVELY "gray" in that they occupy a space between black and white, and they do not automatically side with one or the other, although in most cases (and perhaps surprisingly) Wu contends they have been in the same boat as blacks.

1. In law for a long time, Asians were not considered white (as we saw in the Ozawa and Thind cases, which Wu discusses later (p. 94); they were segregated in education, could not own land or testify against a white person in court, etc. -- like blacks in many ways.

2. Wu notes how Asian Americans are regarded as neither "American" (associated with white) nor "minority" (associated with black) -- again, gray. Wu feels that Asian Americans should be included in BOTH categories for the sake of truthfulness.

E. Wu, then, brings some of the astute observations of black intellectual, W.E.B. DuBois, to bear on the issue of how we need to look at race in general (as I also brought out earlier in the course). See bottom of p. 27, beginning with: "Following DuBois's lead, we must be conscious of black and white to transcend black and white. We can acquire such a consciousness by raising Asian Americans out of the background. Asian American perspectives modify the overall picture by supplementing other perspectives and not replacing them...." (see rest of p. 27, down to the middle of p. 28).

1. At the same time, he recognizes, yet decries, the use of Asian Americans as a wedge for purposes of invidious comparison with blacks (which is a major point he argues in exposing the "model minority myth" in Chapter 2).


CHAPTER 3: THE PERPETUAL FOREIGNER: YELLOW PERIL IN THE PACIFIC CENTURY

A. Wu opens this chapter with a "pet peeve" of his, as well as many Asian Americans (something you would do well to take note of in interacting with Asian Americans) -- that is, the question, "where are you from?" which he does not mind answering (in his case, Cleveland), but it is usually followed by, "but where are you REALLY from? which he REALLY hates to answer. (Helen Zia makes a similar point in the Xerox handout).

1. Other similar questions or observations: how long have you been in this country? or, "My, you speak English so well!" Such questions and observations clearly reflect a focus on race, based on the assumption that you are not a "real" American. This is what is meant Asian Americans being considered "perpetual foreigners."

B. Federal immigration policy reflects this perpetual foreigner assumption (as well as aspects of the model minority myth). See bottom paragraph, p. 91 to middle of p. 92. (And, again, over on p. 94, Wu discusses the Ozawa and Thind cases that were covered in our video, "Race: the power of an illusion.")

C. A contemporary example of this anti-Asian prejudice can be found in the story of Maya Lin, who won the contest to design the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. She was called a "gook". H. Ross Perot, a major promoter and benefactor of the project, called her an "eggroll." He hated that she was Asian (even if she was born in Ohio). (There is a nice documentary on this in our library. Let me add, that she also was asked to do the civil rights memorial outside the headquarters of the Southern Poverty Law Canter in Montgomery, Alabama.)

D. In the rest of the chapter, Wu discusses "...how the perpetual foreigner syndrome works to deprive Asian Americans of civil rights and transform us into a racial threat. Two episodes in Asian-American history -- the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and the 1996 campaign finance scandal -- and recurring anxieties about Asian dominance of Americans, exemplify the syndrome." p. 95
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That's all for now. I will be posting more notes over the next few days, so be looking for them.

Final Family Activity: Making Up Questions for the Final Exam

With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, and our final exam barely two weeks off (Thursday, Dec. 15th, 9-12), the families need to start racking their collective brains to come up with some questions for the final exam. This exercise is similar to what you did for the midterm exam, only now I am asking for you to make up questions from the latter half of the course. Specifically, I want each family to come up with FIVE short-answer questions (and answers) from the latter half of the course. The "latter half" begins with class lecture/discussion of Chapter 2 in Dr. Tatum's book, starting midway in that chapter, p. 57, "The Psychological Threat of Stereotypes." Anything that we've covered since then is fair game to make up questions; that would include class lectures and blog material on the rest of Dr. Tatum's book, "The New Jim Crow," and even Chapters 1, 3, & 7 of "Yellow." I trust you all should have a good idea of what I mean by "short-answer" questions, since you've done this before and you've taken the midterm exam. Given the time constraint of having only three classes left, at least one and a half of which will be devoted to presentations of your interview papers, that does not leave much class time for brainstorming with your fellow family members. But I will give you some time next week, however, you probably will have to confer outside of class as well.

I WILL NEED THE FAMILIES TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSED QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS) NO LATER THAN NOON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9TH (WHICH IS THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES BEFORE FINAL EXAM WEEK). You can submit them via email or in writing. I will then read over your proposed questions and try to accept at least three from each family. For each question beyond three that I accept, that family will earn a bonus point. I will then post these questions & answers on this blog NO LATER THAN MONDAY AFTERNOON (DEC. 12), so that you can review them for the final exam. For all PARTICIPATING family members, you will earn 6 activity points, plus any bonus points.

Finally, remember this is a FAMILY (OR GROUP) activity. In that regard, I WILL NOT ACCEPT INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSIONS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS. THE FAMILY, AS A WHOLE OR GROUP, SHOULD SUBMIT THE BEST FIVE QUESTIONS YOU CAN COME UP WITH.
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Remember, your Interview paper is due tomorrow, and all of you should be prepared to give a 10-minute presentation, hitting the highlghts of what you found.

Highlights from "The New Jim Crow"

As I promised before Thanksgiving break, I was going to post some notes on the portion of "The New Jim Crow" that I was not able to get to in class, which is well over half the book. Please keep in mind, these notes are NOT intended to be comprehensive; rather, I would call them mere "highlights." Nonetheless, this material will be fair game to make up questions for the final exam. So, here goes ---

CHAPTER 3: THE COLOR OF JUSTICE

Dr. Alexander had a nice passage which clearly described the circular logic of those who defend racial profiling. Referring to studies from New Jersey and Maryland, she says, "What most surprised many analysts was that, in both studies, whites were actually MORE LIKELY than people of color to be carrying illegal drugs or contraband in their vehicles. In fact, in New Jersey, whites were almost twice as likely to be found with illegal drugs or contraband as African Americans, and five times as likely to be found with contraband as Latinos. Although whites were more likely to be guilty of carrying drugs, they were far less likely to be viewed as suspicious, resulting in relatively few stops, searches, and arrests of whites. The former New Jersey attorney general dubbed this the 'circular logic of racial profiling.' Law enforcement officials, he explained, often point to the racial composition of our prisons and jails as a justification for targeting racial minorities, but the empirical evidence actually suggested the opposite conclusion was warranted. The disproportionate imprisonment of people of color was, in part, a product of racial profiling -- not a justification for it." (p. 131)

Of course, in addition to the above point, you should be aware, in general, of how a number of Supreme Court rulings have made it difficult, if not impossible, to prove there is racial discrimination in different aspects of our criminal justice system.

CHAPTER 4: THE CRUEL HAND

In noting the widespread employment discrimination against ex-convicts, Dr. Alexander makes a very appropriate comment about the importance of work, which cannot be overemphasized. She says, "Even beyond the need to comply with the conditions of parole, employment satisfies a more basic human need -- the fundamental need to be self-sufficient, to contribute, to support one's family, and to add value to society at large. Finding a job allows a person to establish a positive role in the community, develop a healthy self-image, and keep a distance from negative influences and opportunities for illegal behavior. Work is deemed so fundamental to human existence in many countries around the world that it is regarded as a basic human right. Deprivation of work, particularly among men, is strongly associated with depression and violence." (p. 145)

She also brings out the phenomenon of a "spatial mismatch," which works against black ex-cons especially because most of the jobs these days are in the suburbs (if not overseas). As she goes on, "Manufacturing jobs,...have all but disappeared from the urban core during the past thirty years. Not long ago, young, unskilled men could find decent, well-paying jobs at large factories in most Northern cities. Today, due to globalization and deindustrialization, that is no longer the case. Jobs can be found in the suburbs -- mostly service sector jobs -- but employment for unskilled men with criminal convictions, while difficult to find anywhere, is especially hard to find close to home." (p. 147) Also: "An ex-offender whose driver's license has been suspended or who does ot have access to a car, often faces nearly insurmountable barriers to finding employment." (p. 147)

Dr. Alexander closes this chapter with a very important observation, which I know addresses some of your concerns about her argument. Please read over all of pp. 171-172, beginning with: "None of this is to suggest that those who break the law bear no responsibility for their conduct or exist merely as 'products of their environment.'"....

CHAPTER 5: THE NEW JIM CROW

Dr. Alexander makes a very important point regarding what she believes is a profound misunderstanding of how racial oppression actually works -- that it is NOT just about individual attitudes but the basic structure of our social system. SEE ALL OF PAGES 178-179 (especially, p. 178).

Criminality today carries a clear RACIAL STIGMA: "Every racial caste system in the United States has produced racial stigma. Mass incarceration is no exception. Racial stigma is produced by defining negatively what it means to be black. The stigma of race was once the shame of the slave; then [in the context of Jim Crow] it was the shame of the second-class citizen; today the stigma of race is the shame of the criminal..." (p. 192), and note what she goes on to say on the rest of p. 192 and 193.

Of course, you should be able to identify the SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES between Jim Crow and mass incarceration, all of which are in bold print. (pp. 185-205)

Finally, pay particular attention to pp. 206-207, where Dr. Alexander notes how we could have responded more constructively to the collapse of inner-city communities in the 1970s and 80s:
"The economic collapse of inner-city black communities could have inspired a national outpouring of compassion and support. A new War on Poverty could have been launched. Economic stimulus packages could have sailed through Congress to bail out those trapped in jobless ghettos through no fault of their own. Education, job training, public transportation, and relocation assistance could have been provided, so that youth of color would have been able to survive the rough transition to a new global economy and secure jobs in the suburbs. Constructive interventions would have been good not only for African Americans trapped in ghettos, but also for blue collar workers of all colors, many of whom were suffering too, if less severely. A wave of compassion and concern could have flooded poor and working-class communities, in honor of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. All of this could have happened, but it didn't. Instead we declared War on Drugs."
"The collapse of inner-city economies coincided with the conservative backlash against the Civil Rights Movement, resulting in the perfect storm. Almost overnight, black men found themselves unnecessary to the American society and demonized by mainstream society...." (pp. 206-207)

CHAPTER 6: THE FIRE THIS TIME

Dr. Alexander poses an important rhetorical question: "Have we unwittingly exaggerated the importance of individuals succeeding within pre-existing structures of power, and thereby undermined King's call for a 'complete restructuring of our society?" (p. 241), and note what she goes on to point out about being blinded by our belief in individualism (just as we are blinded by colorblindness).

Finally, I appreciate what she observes about Dr. King near the end, that today we are stuck in an approach to civil rights' advocacy which Dr. King had abandoned during his final years. We have not appreciated King's radicalism.
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That's it. Please be sure to review these highlights along with class lectures on "The New Jim Crow." We will make the transition to Asian Americans tomorrow (Tues. 11/29). Start reading "Yellow." As I said in the blast email I sent yesterday, we are going to try to cover just Chapters 1, 3, & 7 in that book.