Anti-Latino Racism and Ideological Expediency

7/23/2019 Anti-Latino Racism and Ideological Expediency

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/anti-latino-racism-and-ideological-expediency 1/14

Melissa Wright

Dr. Jorge Gracia

Texts and Their Interpretation

11.6.2013

Anti-Latino Racism and Ideological Expediency

As the last Presidential election and edia recap o! the "al#e o! the $%ispanic "ote&

s#ggest' (e are increasingl) enco#ntering exaples o! strategic expedienc) in the treatent o!

*atinos in the political sphere. A partic#larl) sensational exaple coes in the !or o! the

G+P,s oddl) sel!-disclosing attepts to (in !a"or aong *atinos' (ho' their researchers ha"e

sho(n' share an a!!init) !or social conser"atis. +! co#rse' !or ep#/licans the $proise& o!

*atino "otes' as *inda Alco!! ight p#t it' does not coe (itho#t a corresponding $threat& o!

/#ilding a $path(a) to citienship'& a realit) an) ep#/licans ha"e !aced and accepted.

Indeed' se"eral conser"ati"e politicians ha"e called !or iigration re!or' soe ore

!orthcoing than others a/o#t their rationale' (hich indeed sees str#ct#red /) soeties

con!licting coitents to the $"oice o! the people&(ho deand a change in iigration

polic)and clandestine oti"ations !or ep#/lican reelection.

While I do /elie"e that c#lt#ral racis has o/ilied pro!ita/le political and econoic

strateg)' as e"idenced /) *atino,s c#rrent position in the political !ield' I also thin the presence

o! s#ch large scale gro#p /ias allo(s one to engage in an ideolog) criti#e' one that does not

entail an exposition o! the 4hidden tr#ths, o! a sit#ation' /#t rather an explanation that splits the

o/5ect o! criti#e into 4the old and the ne(,into that (hich reprod#ces capitalist exploitation

and that (hich li/erates !ro it. I (o#ld lie to arg#e that c#lt#ral racis is indeed consistentl)

eplo)ed in ideologicall) expedient (a)s against *atinos' regardless o! (hether or not s#ch

expedients constit#te conscio#s acts. While I agree (ith Alco!!,s arg#ent !or aintaining

c#lt#ral identit) distinctionsas a eans o! acno(ledging the social realit) o! li"ed experience

and the /iases' /oth conscio#s and #nconscio#s that c#lt#ral practices can createI (o#ld arg#e



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that (e need to p#sh a /it !#rther to #nderstand ho( c#lt#ral racis is o/ilied /) #nconscio#s

attachents in (a)s that ser"e ideological !#nctions.

As s#ch' in this paper' I (ill speci!icall) explore and coplicate the !antas) o! a post-

ethnic (orld' (hich Alco!! criti#es in $Against 4Post-thnic, 7#t#res'& /) eplo)ing a Marxist

anal)sis o! the !#nctions and perceptions o! *atino (orers in the 8nited 9tates. I (ill arg#e that

the presence and corresponding representation o! this pop#lation exposes the incoherence o!

si#ltaneo#s #neplo)ent and #n!#l!illed deand !or la/or' th#s allo(ing #s to deonstrate

the str#ct#ral necessit) o! $"aria/le capital& and the $Ind#strial eser"e Ar)& and the

ideological !#nction o! /laing *atinos !or that #neplo)ent.

The post-ethnic debate: Strategic and Realist Views

In her article $Against 4Post-thnic, 7#t#res'& Alco!! characteries $post-ethnic& theories

as an) arg#ent dis!a"oring the #se o! ethnic categories on the /asis that the) are :1;

strategicall) oti"ated and<or :2; do(nright pernicio#s :100;. In the article she priaril) arg#es

against (hat she ters $the strategic acco#nt'& or the clai that $ethnic identities are highl)

contingent' strategicall) oti"ated' and eradica/le social constr#ctions& :100;. This strategic

acco#nt Alco!! arg#es is iportant to the extent that it identi!ies the political contexts that sit#ate

and oti"ate an) historical interpretation' tho#gh she reains #ncon"inced that s#ch a position

co#ld explain li"ed experience.

To oppose this strategic acco#nt' she p#ts !or(ard (hat she re!ers to as $the realist

acco#nt'& and descri/es it as !ollo(s= $+n this realist acco#nt' the political salience o! ethnic

identities is not' in the ain' s#/5ect to choice' strategic ane#"er' or in"ention. Gi"en the realit)

o! ethnic identities' it !ollo(s that an) "ia/le conception o! 5#stice or deocratic process (ill

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ha"e to (or (ith the' and pining !or their disappearance is #nconstr#cti"e at /est& :100;.

Alco!! #ses the ter $realist& to acco#nt !or the !act that ethnic identities do indeed correspond to

li"ed experiences' ha"e tr#c (ith the real (orld' and cannot /e s#/stit#ted (ith !orational

interpretations o! histor)' ho(e"er oti"ated or strategic the) ight /e :102;. 9he (rites=

$"en i! strategic e!!ect is the sole ai >o! a gi"en interpretation?' an identit) clai (ill not (or

#nless it resonates (ith li"ed experience in a eaning!#l and signi!icant (a). I (o#ld arg#e that'

instead o! "ie(ing all realist clais to a historicall) gro#nded ethnic identit) (ith e#al

septicis' (e sho#ld exaine the ediations in!l#encing a gi"en interpreti"e clai in a gi"en

instance& :103;. Witho#t intending to diinish the iportant n#ances o! Alco!!,s clai here' it

can indeed /e sipli!ied= Identit) #st in"ol"e c#lt#re :i.e.' aterial practices /oth iagined and

li"ed;. While Alco!! acno(ledges that interpretations o! histor) (ill necessaril) res#lt in

oti"ated clais to the /ene!it o! one gro#p o"er another' I thin (e can p#sh the iss#e !#rther.

P#tting aside !or a oent (hether or not it,s e"en possi/le' is it a good idea stop exaining

c#lt#ral histories and sipl) loo at the #nderl)ing relations' s#ch as econoic ones@

An eas) (a) to ans(er this #estion is to acno(ledge that c#lt#ral identities precede

capitalis. eca#se o! this !act it (o#ld /e co#nterint#iti"e at /est to dissol"e s#ch categories

(hen the ters descri/e li"ed experience that is necessaril) interlaced (ith /#t (hich cannot /e

red#ced to a series o! strategicall) ane#"ered interpretations. Alco!! s#aries the post-

ethnics on this point= $>I?! histor) is nothing /#t the prod#ct o! strategic interests' it ight /e

/etter to lea"e aside all historical explanations !or ethnic identit) clais and /e honest a/o#t o#r

ore !#ndaental strategic ais& :10B;. +! co#rse these c#lt#ral categories can no do#/t /e

deplo)ed !or ais /oth strategic and ideological' a distinction that is necessar) /eca#se the

!orer generall) iplies "olition (hile the latter a) /e entirel) str#ct#ral or #nconscio#s' that

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is' one can /e #na(are that the) as the ills o! capitalis' tho#gh their deplo)ent o!

expedients "er) #ch !#nctions in s#ch a (a).

P#t di!!erentl)' the strategic acco#nt sees to recoend a decontext#alied "ersion o!

histor) that ignores the "er) contingent #ses o! ideological expedienc) on the le"el o! act#al'

li"ed discriination. Moreo"er' as Alco!! points o#t' histor) a) depict a series o! !its and starts'

/#t this is ins#!!icient to acco#nt !or the realities o! act#al social conditions= $thnic identities

are' on ) realist acco#nt' historical entities and th#s !l#id' /#t the conditions o! their !l#idit)

depend on the realities o! social conditions and not sipl) on changes in the strategic ais o!

either indi"id#als or political o"eents& :102;. In other (ords' strateg) does not onl) coe

a/o#t in oents o! historical retrospect' /#t is also eplo)ed as a part o! li"ed experience.

7#rtherore' ethnic categories ha"e explanator) po(er' Alco!! arg#es' /eca#se the) help to

explain (h) gro#ps tend to share siilar li"ed experiences and /eca#se the) allo( #s to /ring

the conscio#s and #nconscio#s oti"ations coon to a speci!ic gro#p #nder scr#tin). In her

tals at 8' Alco!! acno(ledged and e"en cele/rated the (a)s that sel!-ascription can shape an

indi"id#al,s li!e and interpretation o! the (orld' gi"ing the a sense o! co#nit) and p#rpose'

/#t (as also care!#l to note that sel!-ascription does not !orestall or precl#de iplicit /ias :i.e.'

#nconscio#s acts o! discriination;' (hich can also coe a/o#t !ro those sae shared social

practices.1

This sees entirel) consistent (ith the !inal tal Alco!! ga"e at 8' in (hich she de!ined

social identit) as ha"ing the !ollo(ing characteristics= 1; It renders experience intelligi/le :i.e.' it

has explanator) po(er;C 2; It necessaril) in"ol"es aterial practice :e.g.' "isi/le !eat#res o!

1 To ill#inate iplicit /ias Alco!! descri/ed the la#de 9teele chair arranging st#d)' in (hich (hite

s#/5ects repeatedl) re5ected the iportance o! their (hiteness to their identit) /#t then arranged chairs in

(a)s that s#ggested co!ort (ith other (hite s#/5ects and disco!ort (ith /lac s#/5ects.

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social (orld' "isi/le orphological attri/#tes' and organiation o! practices (ith attached

eanings;' and 3; Is historicall) deterined :i.e.' the e!!ects o! histor) shape identit) /oth

conscio#sl) and #nconscio#sl)' thro#gh the eor) o! historical e"ents' tra#as' and

narrati"es;. In other (ords' Alco!! acno(ledges that c#lt#ral di!!erence is not irrele"ant' /#t

c#lt#rall) constit#ted and indeed $real& to those indi"id#als (ho sel!-ascri/e as /elonging to one.

Moreo"er' these sel!-ascriptions she arg#es ha"e ore p#rchase than state-/ased de!initions'

(hich do not explain experience and collecti"e eanings.

It is !or these reasons' I /elie"e' that Alco!! largel) re!erred to "ario#s inds o! ethnic

discriination thro#gho#t her three tals as $c#lt#ral racis'& not least /eca#se it is no( c#lt#ral

di!!erence that coonl) taes center stage in those highl) oti"ated strategic disc#ssions

perhaps not #nlie those that too place /ehind the closed doors at the ep#/lican Eational

oittee eetings. As Alco!! care!#ll) explains' c#lt#ral racis is still $racist& /eca#se it

aintains its essentialist !ooting. It treats c#lt#res' lie pre"io#s notions o! the /iological /od)'

as ha"ing !eat#res that are static and non-contingent. Indeed' ethnic identities' Alco!! arg#es' are

still "ie(ed as corresponding to static and essentialist practicespractices that are treated (ith

the sae sac o! 5#dgent that ass#ed :and sadl) still ass#es in soe cases; that /iological

/odies (ere di!!erent on an essential le"el. The !ear o! the other' in other (ords' is not

dissipating' /#t is in !act e"ol"ing to !#l!ill ne( strategic and ideological aisC ho(e"er' that

strateg) does not diinish the li"ed #nderstanding o! social identit)' /#t erel) exploits the !act

that an) target exists at all. It sees "er) pro/leatic to arg#e that collapsing the speci!icit) o!

social identities' or doing a(a) (ith the altogether' (o#ld go an) distance to(ard aing

explicit the real oti"ations o! "ario#s !orces' (hich !or the p#rpose o! ) paper' (ill /e read as

capitalist. These social identities /ecoe targets' in ) #nderstanding' /eca#se the) are

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a"aila/le' and /eca#se no gro#p is (itho#t political<econoic oti"ation. #t can (e reall)

iagine a (orld in (hich no social identities exist' e"en nascent ones@ I! (e cannot' then the

cosopolitan hoogeniation o! identit) iplicit in the post-ethnic "ie( does not see "er)

e!!ecti"e.

I introd#ce this arg#ent in part /eca#se I !ind it iportant' /#t also /eca#se I thin it

(o#ld /e possi/le to istae ) arg#ent !or that o! the strategic acco#nt. %o(e"er' to /e clear'

(hile the phrase $ideological expedienc)& does ipl) soe strategic ip#lse' (hich a) or a)

not /e conscio#s' this is not a strateg) that go"erns a ind o! gro#p !oration' /#t rather an

ideological strateg) that iplicitl) relies on existing identit) distinctions and their corresponding

practices' ho(e"er !alsel) iagined or historicall) rooted. The scope o! ) in#ir) is indeed

considera/l) saller than that o! the post-ethnic theorists' as it does not attept to do a(a) (ith

(hole categories. Moreo"er' I thin one can arg#e that i! the ind o! ideological strateg) I

descri/e exists :i.e.' #se o! raciall) /iased clais that ser"e' (hether conscio#sl) or

#nconscio#sl)' as distractions in the ser"ice o! capitalist interests; then the need !or identit)

categories is all the ore iportant so that (e do not /lindl) ignore the speci!ic historical

circ#stances o! a gi"en act o! social discriination (hen indeed the nat#re or context o! the

attac a) help to expose #nderl)ing contradictions. While perhaps all social identities are ripe

!or the taing' as I s#ggest a/o"e' soe are perhaps ore historicall) prone than others and #pon

anal)sis a) in !act teach #s soething a/o#t ho( one,s #nconscio#s attachents :e.g.' "ie(ing

the 8.9. as priaril) $(hite&; a) indeed ser"e ideological p#rposes :e.g.' shi!t /lae o!

#neplo)ent !ro /ig /#siness to *atinos; in (a)s that co#ld not /e artic#lated (itho#t those

identit) categories :e.g.' citing the *atino pro/le as a pro/le o! #ndoc#ented (orers;.

Categories o the !isible: "race# and "ethnic#

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e!ore (e can /egin s#ch an anal)sis o! ideological expedienc)' I !irst need to gi"e an

acco#nt o! ho( iplicit /ias(hich !or ) c#rrent p#rposes is interchangea/le (ith the sense

in (hich I #se $#nconscio#s attachents&coes to /e. In $*atinos /e)ond the inar)'& Alco!!

o!!ers a #se!#l de!inition o! racis= $>?acis can /e de!ined as a negati"e "al#e or set o! "al#es

pro5ected as an essential or noncontingent attri/#te onto a gro#p those e/ers are de!ined

thro#gh genealogical connectionthat is' as sharing soe originand (ho are dearcated on

the /asis o! soe "isi/le phenot)pic !eat#re& :113;. Another (a) o! p#tting this is that racis

istaes certain phenot)pic !eat#res as e"idence o! soe genot)pic s#/categor)' (hich is

assigned a negati"e "al#e and iagined to /e essential. +! co#rse' there are not subcategories o!

genot)pic !eat#res' /eca#se (e are all %oo sapiens sapiens :that is' (e all share the sae

species and "ariation o! that species;. What I !ind so #se!#l a/o#t Alco!!,s #nderstanding o!

racis' ho(e"er' is the (a) in (hich she !oregro#nds the "isi/lesoething that o/tains in her

later de!inition o! c#lt#ral racis' as noted a/o"e. is#al di!!erence allo(s one to create these

di"iding lines and to lo/ ins#lts or charges at a gro#p because the) are de!ined in a "isi/le (a).

And (hile there is no s#ch thing as genot)pic s#/categories' s#ch di!!erences can /e constr#ed

as the res#lt o! c#lt#ral clos#re. This' Alco!! o!!ers' is Max We/er,s acco#nt' perhaps

s#aried ost s#ccinctl) in his idea that certain social gro#ps create a c#lt#ral $onopolistic

clos#re& that res#lts in in-gro#p reprod#ction and a shared set o! hereditar) !eat#res. In other

(ords' she (rites' We/er,s acco#nt /egins to so#nd a lot lie a de!inition o! $race.&

In this sae essa)' Alco!! charts the "ario#s slippages o! race and ethnicit)' starting (ith

the Grees' (ho #sed $ethnic& as a pe5orati"e ter to denote nationalit). The r#nning thee

thro#gho#t these de!initions is that a gro#p is de!ined /) soe coon characteristics :ranging

!ro phenot)pic !eat#res to c#lt#re' lang#age' religion' etc.; and that the categor) o! $ethnic& is

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proportionall) de!ined (ith respect to a $larger s)ste'& that is' a a5orit). Alco!! o!!ers the

!ollo(ing de!inition !ro the nineteenth cent#r)= $>T?he de!inition o! 4ethnic, (as gi"en in the

+D as 4pertaining to race, and as 4ha"ing coon racial' c#lt#ral' religio#s or ling#istic

characteristics' esp. designating a racial or other gro#p (ithin a larger s)ste., This indicates that

ethnicit) (as associated (ith a inorit) gro#p' ne"er a a5orit)& :120;. In other (ords' it (o#ld

see at least on a seantic le"el that c#lt#ral racis is /#ilt into the "er) et)olog) and #sage

o! the (ord $ethnic'& i! /) ethnic (e ean an identi!ia/le $other& (ithin the con!ines o! an

other(ise o/ser"a/l) consistent social corp#s. $thnic& points to context#alied di!!erence= A

!oregro#nd o! ethnic speci!icit) eerges against the /acgro#nd o! (hat (e ha"e to re!er to in

8.9. histor) as a $white ethnic&the ad5ecti"e here re#ired /eca#se (hites' /) this de!inition in

8.9. histor)' ha"e been the r#ling a5orit) and are there!ore non-ethnic.

While this histor) is clearl) iportant to Alco!!' she taes #p these instances o! ling#istic

slippage to ae a case against a speci!ic !action o! conteporar) philosoph)' nael) those (ho

thin it possi/le and desira/le to do (a) (ith the (ord $race& in !a"or o! $ethnicit).& 9he (rites=

$I ha"e !or the ost part in this #ic s)nopsis re!erred to negati"e treatents o! race and

ethnicit) and to (hat see to /e #nconscio#s con!lations o! the ters' (hich s#ggests the

iportant o/ser"ation that (e (o#ld /e !oolish to thin that (e can escape pe5orati"e

essentialiss /) ceasing to #se the (ord race and #sing onl) the (ord ethnicit)& :121;. Alco!!

eroes in on the $#nconscio#s con!lations.& These con!lations are prod#cts not onl) o!

strategicall) de!ined oti"es and their respecti"e !allo#t' /#t also o! li"ed and practiced /iases'

(hich tae "isi/le realit) to /e essentialan #n!ort#nate aspect o! h#an histor) that predates

capitalis. What I do not thin gets !#ll) taen #p here /) Alco!!' ho(e"er' is the o"erestiation

o! the trans!orati"e po(er o! lang#age aong these thiners.



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Alco!!,s criticis o! these conteporar) philosophers' as (e see a/o"e' sees to ipl)

that lang#age not onl) enacts social practice "ia the distinctions it aes(hich is to echo the

tenets o! the $strategic acco#nt&/#t can also (or to dissol"e social practicein this case'

social discriination/) delegitiiing a gi"en (ord. In other (ords' the conteporar)

thiners Alco!! cites see to thin that a change in "oca/#lar) (o#ld soeho( (or to #pend

the str#ct#re o! c#lt#ral racis. :I! this isn,t their "ie(' and I, issing iportant aspects o!

their arg#ent' then I still ha"e to (onder (hat the) expect s#ch a ling#istic sleight o! handor

literal $t#rn o! phrase&to accoplish.; learl)' as Alco!! arg#es' "ariations on the ter ha"e

not res#lted in increased clarit) and tho#gh tro#/ling to adit' its original #sages' dating /ac to

the Grees' still see !#nctional in descri/ing the relations o! social discriination toda)= The

h)steria s#rro#nding the *atino presence on 8.9. soil epitoies s#ch an $#s& :assiilated' non-

ethnic $Aericans&; "s. $the& :*atino' $ethnic& others; c#lt#ral epideic. The sheer !act that

the e#ation so coonl) eplo)s the ters $nation& "s. $*atinos& and not $(hite people& or

$/lac people& "s. *atinos recoends the "er) real possi/ilit) that the +D,s nineteenth

cent#r) de!inition still o/tains. This is not to sa) that lang#age doesn,t help #s to ae

distinctions and ore acc#ratel) descri/e existing social practices' /#t it sees a /it optiistic

i! not philosophicall) idealistthat (ord s#/stit#tions (o#ld altogether change social practices.

"They too$ o%r &obs#: Latinos and %nemployment

As I,"e /een all#ding thro#gho#t this paper' I thin the "ol#e o! *atino (orers in the

8.9. poses a partic#lar pro/le !or capitalist exploitation. The representation o! *atinos reinds

#s o! the ine"ita/ilit) o! a $ne( Aerica'& a statistical realit) that a) inspire concern and



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istr#st :(hich is no do#/t a genero#s (a) to descri/e the anti-*atino racis so pre"alent in

recent ne(s;. Alco!! descri/es this perception s#ccinctl) in $*atinos /e)ond the inar)&=

Altho#gh other gro#ps do experience siilar lo"ehate relations in the 8.9. c#lt#ral

iaginar)' *atinos are a highl) speci!ic !or o! threat and proise' a ore real threat

and ore signi!icant proise sit#ated as (e all are in the Aericas' (here 9panish is

doinant thro#gho#t the heisphere and no /order is #nna"iga/le. Eo other inorit) can

realisticall) pose the threat o! /allooning n#/ers that (e can :113;.

egardless tho#gh o! ho( one chooses to interpret these $/allooning n#/ers'& *atinos' on the

one hand' do represent change. And (hile e"er) historical oent is distinct' one can !ind

siilar inds o! c#lt#rall) racist /eha"ior to(ard the hinese in the 20 th ent#r)' speci!icall)

(ith regard to iigration in ali!ornia. +n the other hand' *atino (orers ha"e s#pported the

agri-/#siness and constr#ction econo) in the 8.9. !or decadesC the) are practicall) a /#ilt-in

!ixt#re in these capital acc##lating achines. The 200 Pe( esearch %ispanic Trends report

indicates that *atinos ae #p 2FK o! the !aring (or!orce' 1K /#ilding' gro#nds' and

aintenance' and 1HK constr#ction. As is no( o!ten coonl) asserted :in (a)s /oth pe5orati"e

and !act#al;' these (orers /ring do(n the cost o! la/or' (hich then changes the pa) scale and

$sends& (hite (orers in search o! 5o/s (ith ore desira/le (ages. The 9I8 (e/site o!!ers a

practical explanation o! this $pro/le'& in the aptl) titled page $4The) tae o#r 5o/s, L

De/#ning Iigration M)ths&=

The pro/le (ith toda)s econo) is not iigrantsC the pro/le is o#r /roen iigration

la(s that allo( /ig /#siness to exploit (orers (ho lac legal stat#s' dri"ing do(n (ages !or all

(orers. I! e"er) iigrant (ere re#ired to get into the s)ste' pa) their d#es' and /ecoe

8.9. citiens' (e co#ld /loc /ig /#siness #pper hand' eliinate the t(o-tiered (or!orce' and

/#ild a #nited la/or o"eent that raises (ages and li"ing standards !or all (orers.

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While the 9I8 acc#ratel) directs all c#lpa/ilit) at /ig /#siness' (e can #nderstand !ro this

explanation ho( *atinos co#ld coe to /e /laed !or a !act o! capitalis' that' in other (ords'

ipro"ed iigration la(s alone (o#ld go a great distance to sol"e the pro/le. This is

partiall) tr#e' /#t I thin isses a central !act o! capital' nael) that $"aria/le capital'& or la/or

po(er' is the "er) !o#ndation o! the prod#ction o! capital' chie!l) /eca#se it is "aria/le' that is'

capa/le o! anip#lation. $onstant capital& or the eans o! prod#ction :e.g.' achiner); is in

contrast relati"el) sta/le' tho#gh no do#/t can !l#ct#ate. %o(e"er' as Marx etic#lo#sl)

deonstrates in chapters and o! Capital ol#e +ne= $The rate o! s#rpl#s "al#e is there!ore

the exact expression !or the degree o! exploitation o! la/o#r-po(er /) capital' or o! the (orer

/) the capitalist& :326;. In other (ords' capital N extracted s#rpl#s "al#e !ro (orers. This is

in part the case /eca#se the trans!oration o! constant capital does not res#lt in signi!icant

increases in "al#e in itsel!C cotton in the creation o! cloth is still largel) cotton and the "al#e o!

the ra( aterial is negligi/le' according to Marx' (hen considered next to the "aria/le "al#e o!

la/or.

Perhaps ore to the point o! #neplo)ent' ho(e"er' the de"elopent o! capitalist

prod#cti"e !orces indeed deands (hat Marx re!ers to as a $s#rpl#s pop#lation o! (orers& or

an $ind#strial reser"e ar)&a red#ndant s#rpl#s o! la/orers that /oth enco#rage the increased

prod#cti"it) o! the acti"e ind#strial ar) and ae thesel"es a"aila/le in a pinch sho#ld the

deand !or or scale o! prod#ction increase :Marx H2;. eca#se prod#cti"e !orces change'

centralie' and /ecoe ore e!!icient' (orers are necessaril) ade red#ndant and laid o!!.

Moreo"er' the sheer "ol#e o! this s#rpl#s pop#lation stries !ear and creates oti"ation aong

(orers (ho are eplo)ed' an idea that sheds ne( light on /oth the clais o! $lainess& directed

at certain #neplo)ed pop#lations' /#t also those o!t directed at certain gro#ps o! *atinos !or

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WIG%T

/eing $hard(oring.& These clais are ideologicall) expedient /eca#se the) #se c#lt#ral /ias as

a (a) o! pres#ing agenc) and social c#sto' rather than acno(ledging the possi/ilit) that

(or ethic or lac thereo! is neither essential nor c#lt#rall) static' /#t the prod#ct o! contingent

socio-historical realities.

9o (hen (e consider the trope $the) too o#r 5o/s'& as 9o#th Par has ironicall)

sloganied' (e ha"e to ree/er that it is exactl) that' a trope= as the +D de!ines it' $A !ig#re

o! speech (hich consists in the #se o! a (ord or phrase in a sense other than that (hich is proper

to it.& *atinos do not tae o#r 5o/sC the #n!ixed directionalit) o! the prono#n itsel!$the)& co#ld

/e an)onesignals the tr#th :or proper eaning;' that is' that capitalists tae o#r 5o/s and

control as /est the) can the "aria/le "al#e o! la/or. al#e is not added (ith cheaper la/or

/eca#se cheaper la/orers (or harder th#s prod#cing ore all#ring and "al#a/le coodities'

/#t /eca#se the) prod#ce at a cheaper rate' th#s creating ore "al#e. Th#s' (e ha"e to

ree/er' on the one hand' that capital is prod#ced !ro the "aria/ilit) o! the "al#e o! la/or'

(hich helps to clari!) (h) exploitation is the "er) /asis o! capital and not speci!ic to *atinos

:tho#gh the) are no do#/t "er) "#lnera/le to it;' and' on the other hand' that the Ind#strial

eser"e Ar) is an #n!ort#nate necessit) o! capitalis' aing it ipossi/le to e"er stop )elling

$the) too o#r 5o/s& in the c#rrent econoic s)ste. We 5#st need to learn that directing it

an)(here other than the capitalists is not onl) a trope' /#t an act o! c#lt#ral /ias ade opport#ne

/) the exploiti"e #nderl)ing s)ste.

The $/allooning n#/ers& o! *atinos' ho(e"er' o#ght not to /e taen as soething intrinsic to

this pop#lation' (hich co#ld 5#sti!) soe essentialist act o! discriination on the le"el o! /oth

indi"id#als and the gro#p. The ind o! c#lt#ral racis directed against *atinos is not in ) "ie(

inherentl) di!!erent !ro that directed against the hinese' !or instance' or in !#t#re possi/ilities'

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WIG%T

(hich /ecoe increasingl) iagina/le as the (orld contin#es to shrin against the tide o! Glo/al

Waring. %o(e"er' the historical speci!icit) o! *atinos as an eerging a5orit) in 8.9. cities

does ae the an #n!ort#nate target !or ideological expedienc). In soe sense' (e ight sa)

that the scale o! *atino racis is proportionate to the extent this gro#p aes "isi/le the

contradiction o! capital. The press#re *atinos p#t on the 5o/ aret' in other (ords' exepli!ies

the contradiction :i.e.' the incoherence o! the si#ltaneo#s deand !or la/or and the existence o!

#neplo)ent; that is al(a)s present in capitalis' and e"en ore extree in o#r glo/al

aret. We need o#r identit) categories' as I,"e arg#ed' /eca#se s#ch categories predate

capitalisthere!ore helping to explain /oth li"ed experience and the #nconscio#s attachents

s#ch experience prod#cesand /eca#se it is alost ipossi/le to iagine' right no( at least' a

oent in (hich s#ch "isi/le and historicall) a!!ired di!!erences (ill not /e p#t to the ser"ice

o! ends /oth ideological and strategic. As s#ch' to ignore identit) di!!erences (o#ld ignore the

!or o! ideological ane#"ering' and' as I thin Alco!! rightl) arg#es' !ail to eet its n#anced

!lexi/ilit) (ith e#all) !lexi/le redress.

'or$s Reerenced

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Alco!!' *inda. $Against 4Post-thnic, 7#t#res.& The Journal of Speculative Philosophy 1.2

:200B;= -11H. We/. 3 Eo". 2013

--. $*atinos /e)ong the inar).& The Southern Journal of Philosophy BH.1 :200;= 112-12H.We/. 3 Eo". 2013.

Marx' Oarl' et al. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. *ondonC Ee( or' E..' 89A=

Peng#in oos in association (ith Ee( *e!t e"ie(' 10. Print.

Passel' Je!!re) and ohn' D,era. $A Portrait o! 8na#thoried Iigrants in the 8nited 9tates.&

Pe( esearch enter. n.p. 1B Apr. 200. We/. 6 Eo". 2013.

$4The) tae o#r 5o/s, L De/#ning Iigration M)ths.& SEIUor! 9er"ice plo)ee

International 8nion' TW' *. n.p. We/. F Eo". 2013.

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Anti-Latino Racism and Ideological Expediency