Interminority Racism in the United States
By Kien Dang
As an American, especially a person of color, it is undeniable that our experiences are deeply rooted to the problem of race and prejudice. During a time of civil rights uprisings, minorities have come together to tackle the shared experiences of racial prejudice that is still existent today. So what is racial prejudice? According to Merriam-Webster, it is the “hostility toward people of another race or color or of an alien culture.” It can also be defined as the pre-assumption and schemas that portray a negative and/or biased standing towards a certain group of individuals. Well, if that is racial prejudice, then what is racial discrimination? While racial prejudice is rooted based on our beliefs, racial discrimination describes the actions that are implemented whether explicitly or implicitly. The treatment could be a one-off action or as a result of a rule or policy based on race. It doesn’t have to be intentional to be unlawful (Equality & Human Rights Commision). As one can see, racial prejudice refers to our thoughts and behaviors while discrimination refers to our actions. Now to define the words “minority” and “majority,” which is often viewed with statistics, the majority group is greater in number compared to the minority group. Therefore, this sense of superiority by numbers allows the majority group to essentially implicate power onto the minority group. This is very evident in the United States today. The racial majority include any caucasian descent, while the racial minorities include any person of color. When the concept of racism or racial prejudice is discussed, we often refer to these terms in relations with the white majority, who have often perpetuated racial prejudice and discrimnation throughout the history of the United States. However, what is often disregarded and less familiar to us is the idea of interminority racism that occurs between minorities themselves.
Despite facing similar racial prejudice, the perpetuation of racial tension between minorities (especially between the Asian and Black communities) have widened due to interminority racism that occurs in both groups. Often seen as the middleman between European Americans and Black Americans, Asian Americans are the “model-minority” based on western standards, which sets them apart from other groups of minorities. Although this may allow those of Asian descent to profit and earn more approval from a western society, this also establishes distrust between other minorities who do not receive this same social privilege. The ongoing race of oppression Olympics is still going on today, predominantly between these two minority groups. Furthermore, colorism within each community is quite significant to discuss as well. To fully understand the cause of this, it is essential to analyze the colonization period of world history. During the Scramble for Africa and the colonization of Asia, the dominance of global power was not the only factor implemented onto these ethnic cultures. The definition of being civilized and advanced began to shift into Western standards, in which we all, if not all of us, follow today. From one's behavior to their style and even their beauty standards, this lifestyle, influenced by the white standards, is the expectation set today. Western standards became a global standard. The ideology became normalized and enforced onto the minority group by the majority. This hegemonic ideology, which is the exploitation of dominant ideas into society, has eradicated any pre-existing culture filled with diversity and richness and creates a competitive environment for minorities who get pitted against each other.
The Asian community is notorious for its internalized colorism and racism towards the Black community, especially with older generations. Furthermore, Black culture and slang are a part of Asian fashion and trends today, if not the whole pop culture frankly. Members of the Asian community often-times disregard their ignorance, exposed through their actions and behaviors, in both older and younger generations, which poses a big problem today concerning the issues of interminority racism. This ongoing ignorance serves as a divider in the existing gap between Asian and Black Americans and creates significant tension and distrust on both sides. The 1992 Los Angeles riots serve as a perfect example of the racial tension between Black and Asian Americans not only back then but today as well. Before the riots had occurred, the growing resentment and violence between the African American and Korean American communities were evident. Korean shopkeepers felt afraid because of the routinely targeted harassment, shoplifting, and threats received from following Black individuals. In contrast, many Black Americans felt angry because of the repeated disrespect and humiliation of Korean store owners. The Korean community was an alien culture that invaded the existing Black neighborhood, completely disregarding their culture and history, and became discriminatory towards them. Asides from the disregarding of Black culture and history, the Asian community (especially older generations) also create a negative perception of many Black individuals. Both the media and many individuals have formed an association with crimes and drugs to Black Americans. The perpetuation of this connotation also plays a significant role in the widening gap between Asian and Black Americans today.
However, the appropriation and disrespect of Asian culture are often ignored and brushed off. For instance, the hypersexualization of traditional Chinese and Vietnamese dresses are exploited for profit among many growing designers. Especially among Black designers, it is encouraged and supported rather than shamed. Even take out boxes used by Chinese restaurants are turned into purses for money. The discrimination against Asians by the Black community, justified by their own experiences with past prejudices, often goes disregarded. Referring back to the analogy of the oppression Olympics, every time an anti-Asian or anti-Black incident occurs, both members of the communities jump straight into a compare and contrast competition, giving a reason to why their struggles are a more important topic. And in this game of oppression Olympics, no one really wins or makes progress, and minorities are continuously on the podiums below first place in society. And these podiums are being further extended, widening not only the gap between the prize holders (which are European Americans and the hegemonic ideologies established through this western society) and the tension between minorities themselves. Rather than pitting each other in a game of who's got it worst minorities should not only address the interminority racism that occurs within our communities but also the larger problem at hand, which is the ongoing discrimination inflicted by white people onto people of color.
The intended message is not to minimize, equate, or compare and contrast the struggles between two groups, but to address the discrimination in both communities and how this allows white people, who’ve been in power, to stay in power. While numerous groups of minorities are fighting each other, no progress is occurring in fighting for social equality and dismantling the system of oppression in the U.S. today.
With all this mind, it is also worthy to note the ongoing ideology that Asians are the model minority for others. This historic idea isolates the Asian community from the rest as they are on a higher pedestal than other minorities. Many white people have used Asian-Americans and their perceived collective success as a racial wedge. However, the effects of this include the minimization of the role racism plays in the ongoing struggles of other minority groups such as Black Americans. Although other Americans started treating the Asian community with a little more respect and this is amazing for the community, this only widens the gap established between each minority group, and therefore, perpetuates the ongoing conflict and interminority racism that still occurs today. And despite Asians having faced various forms of discrimination, they have never experienced the systematic dehumanization that Black people have faced during slavery and continue to today. Part of the success for many Asian Americans today, their best assets was not that they studied hard, or that they benefited from their immigrant mothers. But it’s that other Americans and western society started treating them with a little more respect. As minorities, many of our actions and behavior reinforces the hegemonic ideology ingrained into society today. It is necessary to lift one another and come together as one and truly fight for equal standing in society, not closed to first place or almost there but rather equal to everyone else in the world. And in each community, every minority, especially Asians, should use the privilege that they have in society, and speak out and stand up for other communities who may not have such benefits to tackle the discrimnation and prejudice by a white dominated society.
Despite facing similar racial prejudice, the perpetuation of racial tension between minorities (especially between the Asian and Black communities) have widened due to interminority racism that occurs in both groups. Often seen as the middleman between European Americans and Black Americans, Asian Americans are the “model-minority” based on western standards, which sets them apart from other groups of minorities. Although this may allow those of Asian descent to profit and earn more approval from a western society, this also establishes distrust between other minorities who do not receive this same social privilege. The ongoing race of oppression Olympics is still going on today, predominantly between these two minority groups. Furthermore, colorism within each community is quite significant to discuss as well. To fully understand the cause of this, it is essential to analyze the colonization period of world history. During the Scramble for Africa and the colonization of Asia, the dominance of global power was not the only factor implemented onto these ethnic cultures. The definition of being civilized and advanced began to shift into Western standards, in which we all, if not all of us, follow today. From one's behavior to their style and even their beauty standards, this lifestyle, influenced by the white standards, is the expectation set today. Western standards became a global standard. The ideology became normalized and enforced onto the minority group by the majority. This hegemonic ideology, which is the exploitation of dominant ideas into society, has eradicated any pre-existing culture filled with diversity and richness and creates a competitive environment for minorities who get pitted against each other.
The Asian community is notorious for its internalized colorism and racism towards the Black community, especially with older generations. Furthermore, Black culture and slang are a part of Asian fashion and trends today, if not the whole pop culture frankly. Members of the Asian community often-times disregard their ignorance, exposed through their actions and behaviors, in both older and younger generations, which poses a big problem today concerning the issues of interminority racism. This ongoing ignorance serves as a divider in the existing gap between Asian and Black Americans and creates significant tension and distrust on both sides. The 1992 Los Angeles riots serve as a perfect example of the racial tension between Black and Asian Americans not only back then but today as well. Before the riots had occurred, the growing resentment and violence between the African American and Korean American communities were evident. Korean shopkeepers felt afraid because of the routinely targeted harassment, shoplifting, and threats received from following Black individuals. In contrast, many Black Americans felt angry because of the repeated disrespect and humiliation of Korean store owners. The Korean community was an alien culture that invaded the existing Black neighborhood, completely disregarding their culture and history, and became discriminatory towards them. Asides from the disregarding of Black culture and history, the Asian community (especially older generations) also create a negative perception of many Black individuals. Both the media and many individuals have formed an association with crimes and drugs to Black Americans. The perpetuation of this connotation also plays a significant role in the widening gap between Asian and Black Americans today.
However, the appropriation and disrespect of Asian culture are often ignored and brushed off. For instance, the hypersexualization of traditional Chinese and Vietnamese dresses are exploited for profit among many growing designers. Especially among Black designers, it is encouraged and supported rather than shamed. Even take out boxes used by Chinese restaurants are turned into purses for money. The discrimination against Asians by the Black community, justified by their own experiences with past prejudices, often goes disregarded. Referring back to the analogy of the oppression Olympics, every time an anti-Asian or anti-Black incident occurs, both members of the communities jump straight into a compare and contrast competition, giving a reason to why their struggles are a more important topic. And in this game of oppression Olympics, no one really wins or makes progress, and minorities are continuously on the podiums below first place in society. And these podiums are being further extended, widening not only the gap between the prize holders (which are European Americans and the hegemonic ideologies established through this western society) and the tension between minorities themselves. Rather than pitting each other in a game of who's got it worst minorities should not only address the interminority racism that occurs within our communities but also the larger problem at hand, which is the ongoing discrimination inflicted by white people onto people of color.
The intended message is not to minimize, equate, or compare and contrast the struggles between two groups, but to address the discrimination in both communities and how this allows white people, who’ve been in power, to stay in power. While numerous groups of minorities are fighting each other, no progress is occurring in fighting for social equality and dismantling the system of oppression in the U.S. today.
With all this mind, it is also worthy to note the ongoing ideology that Asians are the model minority for others. This historic idea isolates the Asian community from the rest as they are on a higher pedestal than other minorities. Many white people have used Asian-Americans and their perceived collective success as a racial wedge. However, the effects of this include the minimization of the role racism plays in the ongoing struggles of other minority groups such as Black Americans. Although other Americans started treating the Asian community with a little more respect and this is amazing for the community, this only widens the gap established between each minority group, and therefore, perpetuates the ongoing conflict and interminority racism that still occurs today. And despite Asians having faced various forms of discrimination, they have never experienced the systematic dehumanization that Black people have faced during slavery and continue to today. Part of the success for many Asian Americans today, their best assets was not that they studied hard, or that they benefited from their immigrant mothers. But it’s that other Americans and western society started treating them with a little more respect. As minorities, many of our actions and behavior reinforces the hegemonic ideology ingrained into society today. It is necessary to lift one another and come together as one and truly fight for equal standing in society, not closed to first place or almost there but rather equal to everyone else in the world. And in each community, every minority, especially Asians, should use the privilege that they have in society, and speak out and stand up for other communities who may not have such benefits to tackle the discrimnation and prejudice by a white dominated society.
In this episode, Hasan responds to the recent protests in America over police brutality. He calls on the Asian community to speak against these injustices and fight for the lives of Black Americans. Found on Netflix and Youtube.
Podcast episode can be found here.
Kien Dang is a rising senior at Mira Mesa HS from San Diego. Originally from Vietnam, he came to the states as a young child and experienced many forms of racism. Now a social justice and environmental activist, Kien has written a piece on interminority racism today and plans on advocating for social reform in his community and throughout the nation.
Kien Dang is a rising senior at Mira Mesa HS from San Diego. Originally from Vietnam, he came to the states as a young child and experienced many forms of racism. Now a social justice and environmental activist, Kien has written a piece on interminority racism today and plans on advocating for social reform in his community and throughout the nation.