The Tale of the White Fish

The nexus of “majority” and

“minority” relations.

How your sense of “self” is shaped by others around

you.

Racial Identity Stages

PEOPLE OF COLOR

1. Pre-Awakening2. Awakening3. Immersion4. Disintegration5. Communitarian6. Humanitarian

WHITE PEOPLE

1. Pre-Awakening2. Awakening3. Revisioning4. Reversal5. Pseudo-

Communitarian6. Humanitarian

1. PRE-AWAKENING

• Very little thought is given to race

• If they identify with any group it is with their ethnicity (but not as “white”)

White people are often caricatured as all being in this stage – and many are

They are blissfully ignorant of what it means to be “white”

They have no problems

They are “uncool” lyrics

How do you know if you’re at the Pre-Awakening

stage?

If while watching this video you find yourself thinking: “I’ve never really thought about any of that,” then you might be at the Pre-Awakening stage.

2. AWAKENING

• See that there is an “us” and “them”• Begin to see whiteness and think about

white culture• Can take one of three paths:

A. Tendency to avoid racial issues (risks)B. Deny inequality and obstruct “minority

empowerment”C. Seek a deeper understanding of race

issues

2. AWAKENING

A. Avoid racial risks and remain stuck in this stage

This is the beginning of political correctness.

What is Political Correctness?

“California Street Sign”(On U Drive – 4,253 KB version)

“Robert Byrd and “white niggers”

2. AWAKENING

B. Deny inequality and obstruct the improvement of race relations

VIDEO:

“White Nationalist Girl Singers”(start at 1:53 – until 5:24)

2. AWAKENING

C. Seek a deeper understanding race issues and lay the foundation to move forward to next stage

• Address race issues and racism (can be jagged)• Learn the language of race communication

– “When is it okay to use racial and ethnic signifiers?”

3. REVISIONING

• Begin to see racial inequality, white privilege, and racism

• May not see a problem with political correctness

• Reach out to people of color• Increased awareness of racism

leads to anger toward white people

3. REVISIONING

• Begin to see racial inequality, white privilege, and racism

• May not see a problem with political correctness

• Reach out to people of color• Increased awareness of racism leads to

anger toward white people• Growing discomfort with inequality can

lead to guilt

What is guilt?

regret or remorseful awareness of having done something wrong

Feeling some guilt is probably inevitable for most of us

because:

• guilt is just a small step away from feeling “bad” about something

• it is an integral component of our Judeo Christian culture

• it is a much used parenting tactic

White guilt is the remorseful

awareness of having been racist or having benefited

from racism.

MANIFESTATIONS OF “WHITE GUILT”

1. Feeling a burden of responsibility for the “suffering” of other groups

(THIS IS PATRONIZING)

2. Shame for aspects of one’s own life(THIS IS PARALYZING)

How people of color help keep white people at this

stage:

1. White concern (and WG) is dismissed2. Keep white people on edge (anger)3. Talk about the past and inequality4. People of color sometimes (secretly)

feel good when whites struggle- “It’s about time you struggled.”

Guilt can turn white people into clowns at their own

expense?

White people feel bad and then act in ways that won’t offend people of color and will get them to like you.

Black People Love Us

4. REVERSAL

Discomfort leads white people to fall back into old patterns

Brings out anger toward people of color

From a SOC 119 journal many years ago…back when people wrote with pens and paper!

While I was growing up I didn’t think about the fact that I was white. I noticed other people who were not white, but I didn’t call myself white – or “German” or “German American,” which is my family’s culture. Then when I got to college I started to hear people refer to themselves by their color or race, especially people of color. Everyone was “black” or “Asian” or “Mexican” or “Haitian.” This seemed odd to me but it was also kind of cool and motivated me to look into my own family’s history. I got into being German and learned about my past.

After being in this class I have started to think about being white and how being white matters to my own experiences in the United States. I have also been able to see the privileges that come with whiteness. I don’t personally feel privileged and my family is not rich and I have never had the thought that I receive advantages over someone of color, but I also see that my race is advantaged as a group. I don’t like that and the more I have learned the more I have felt guilty for being white. I feel angry toward all of the racist white people who have discriminated against other races, especially Native Americans.

But after hearing so many things about what white people have done I’m starting to resent the people who talk about race constantly and keep throwing it in my face. It’s not my fault that I’m white and I don’t feel like I’m better than anyone else. I’m just trying to do the best for me without hurting anyone else but it seems like other races want to stand in my way by constantly reminding me that I’m white and don’t deserve what I have….I want to be seen as me, as an individual who is trying to change the world and who is not racist and not like other white people. It seems like we’re not getting anywhere or making progress.

Some things that white people say at this stage:

• “Why can’t you (people) just change and then this problem of racism would go away.”

• “I don’t have to put up with this.”• “I’m not the only problem.”• “Minorities are just as racist as white

people.”

Why the anger at this stage?

Don’t Call Me White Lyrics

Nice outfit!

At the Reversal Stage, this video might be insulting or offensive.

1. How might it be viewed by white people who are at the Revisioning stage?

2. How about the Pre-Awakening stage?

5. PSEUDO-COMMUNITARIAN

Refocus on institutional structures of inequality and difference

White people can get stuck here and over-associate with people of color

- white people seek approval frompeople of color

UNIVERSITY PARK - Fall 2008(Undergrad Enrollment)

Total Undergrad Student Population: 37,988

Total PercentPA 2005

Black: 1,560 (4.1%) [10.5%]Asian/PI: 2,144 (5.6%) [2.2%]Hispanic: 1,347 (3.5%) [3.8%]Nat. Am: 37 (0.1%) [0.2%]White: 31,599 (83.2%) [82.9%]Intrnl: 1,301 (3.4%) [NA]

6. HUMANITARIAN

White people move into this stage when they begin to: - trust themselves for answers- look toward more evolved whites for

guidance

They develop a full awareness of race and embrace all cultures (including white culture)

“Ralphie May”

Where is Ralphie May in terms of his racial identity?

-Is he advanced because he can say these things?

-Is he just obnoxious and offensive?

How would people at each stage interpret this video?

1. Pre-Awakening2. Awakening3. Revisioning4. Reversal5. Pseudo-

Communitarian6. Humanitarian

McDonald’s Ebonics

VIDEO:

“Russell Peters”(36:20 – 44:30)

Russell Peters on white people

“Rockin’ the Suburbs”

Song Lyrics