Where do these people fit in? They seem to surpass the distinction of being "too black" or "not black enough", like these things don't apply to them. However, they were still accepted by the black community and often excluded by whites. Is this an example of how race and identity become intertwined with the socioeconomic aspects of a small Midwestern city?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Intertwining Identities
Here's something I was thinking about in class on Tuesday as we were discussing being "too black" or "not black enough". We said that these differences usually, to our knowledge, appear in a black discourse, perhaps because there's an idea that as an outsider to that labelled group they cannot participate in it and have knowledge about it. I was remembering my high school and a large presence of white students who "acted black": from fashion to speech patterns, they related more with an African-American identity than with a "white" one.
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Hey ho. Or rather, Hey Ho. Haha, get it? Anyways.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would be curious to wonder if they really relate more to an African-American "identity" than just what you said - that they relate more to the African-American speech and dress patterns. I guess I draw a distinction between the two because just because they dress and act like one - I think actions may or may not reflect who one is on the inside. And while they may be accepted by some of the black community - even if by all the black students in your school - I don't think they would be accepted by all. I think the idea is still there that they ARE white, even though they do fit into that rut - they can't be too black or not black enough, but they also "aren't white." Conversely, one could make the argument for Eminem - he's white, but has ACTUALLY been accepted into the black community (at least I think one could make a much stronger argument here). My point is - just because some are accepted as relating to a black identity, like at your school - doesn't mean what they are relating to is a black identity. For me, there are so many layers to what it means to BE black besides just associating dress, speech, and some aspects of thought. It's actually BEING black. And while you or others may disagree - I'm going to have to site South Park.
Stan keeps trying to convince Tolken that he isn't racist and that his dad (who said a racial slur in the show on accident) isn't either. He apologizes but asks Tolken to just drop the issue. Over the course of the episode Stan tries to find ways to get Tolken's approval that he was sorry, he's not racist, etc. But at the end the solution is, "Tolken - I get it! I DON'T get it!" That is, Stan will never TRULY be able to know what it's like to be black BECAUSE he isn't black. Even with the powers of sympathy, empathy, vicariousness, etc. - one cannot take on the metaphysical change that is required to understand blackness and what it truly entails as a part of reality.
That being said - I guess I still haven't answered your question. I'm not quite sure where they fit in. I don't think anyone would say they are their own race, because they are still associated with whiteness. At the same time, they aren't accepted by whites and may or may not be accepted by blacks - probably depending on who they know in the area, the geographical region itself, etc. In the areas where whites reject and blacks accept - maybe that's where they fit in. Are they still considered white? I guess I don't know. You raise a good question. I guess in my mind it depends on the context and people involved - the categories for these peoples (whites who act black... and indeed, for everyone) are fluid.
I believe that both of you have raised very relevant points in the debate about blackness as an achieved racial status. For even if one has achieved acceptance, a la Chris's example of Eminem or by a certain group of friends, in my opinion, someone who is not "actually" black cannot be judged on the sliding scale of blackness. I feel this is due to the difficulty of achieving the conversion of one's racial identity.
ReplyDeleteThus, I would have to say that even if these people that have achieved a new racial classification they cannot fit within the context of "not black enough" or "too black" because the only thing that has happened is that these people have met the threshold (if you will) for acceptance. It would take far more than just acceptance, but long term experience in various circumstances of being identified and treated as if one is black before a non-black person could be judged for the various levels of blackness that Chris mentioned. I find this to be a very complex topic, but I would also extend my opinion to anyone trying to achieve any racial identity other than their own.
This debate and question lead me to a discussion with my father last night and he raised a very interesting question to that I believe to be quite relevant. In this example, do we ever find this type discourse among the white population? It made me stop and think, I have trouble trying to find a point in time where I have ever heard someone say 'Oh, they are too white, or not white enough.' It seems a strange concept. Yet the example of white people taking on the black culture and assuming a somewhat black identity seems exactly that. Many people would probably simply define it as emulating a different culture, but isn't very much like the idea of 'not black enough' only in the white context. Some may say these people are 'not white enough'. Just something that got me to pondering. I'm not sure if it makes sense, but it was something I had never really thought about and I thought it tied in well. Yes, no, thoughts?
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