Discussion Questions # 3

Can a white person be racialized, if they are considered the unmarked category?

As being seen as the unmarked category may lead some to believe that white people cannot be racialized like other minority groups, but this belief is mostly false, in my opinion. White people, in order to be racialized like other minority groups, need to be placed into a situation where they become the other, much like what might happen in the Cross Cultural Center on campus or at other minority group events where whites are not always perceived as welcome. The conflict arises in that in order for white people to become aware of the issues surrounding white privilege and the how the system is still really unbalanced and unfair to minority groups, the status quo will remain unchanged.

Why do the stereotypes about white people persist in the Orokaiva culture, even when met with contradicting examples, like Bashkow himself?

The Orokaiva have numerous stereotypes surrounding white people, relating to often how they do things and what they eat. These stereotypes have existed since colonial times, when white people first came to Melanesia from Australia and Britain, often in the form of missionaries. The Orokaiva began identifying these new 'other' people by the strange foods they ate, and their ability to lead and acquire wealth, without any hard work. However, obviously the definitions of hard work vary between the cultures, but even after several counter examples of white behavior, shown by people like Bashkow, the Orokaiva still believe their stereotypes and call people like Bashkow exceptions to the rule. I believe that the Orokaiva see white people as fundamentally different from them so they see their activities as opposing ours and vice versa. They maintain the separation of the cultures in their minds and perspectives in order to show that this is their practice, and the 'others', meaning white people, do that stuff. They are interested in maintaining the dichotomy between the white and black people, even though they don't identify differences in race, they do in behavior, especially in relation to work and rootedness to the land and your family.