[Dean's World] Dave Price: Race, Culture, and Reality

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dave Price:
Race, Culture, and Reality
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1169319353.shtml


   [1]Jill at Feministe and [2]Jeff at Protein Wisdom have an interesting
   discussion of race and identity politics. Here's my biggest problem
   with Jill's arguments:

     but the fact will remain that those people who are
     identified/identify themselves as âblackâ tend to be poorer, less
     educated, less respected, and holding of less prestigious positions
     than those who are identified/identify themselves as âwhite.â

   But that all falls apart when we look at certain races (or, more
   correctly, identity groups): while blacks and latinos may fit the
   above model, Jews, Arabs, and asians do not. The latter three groups
   all generally enjoy higher incomes and higher status than whites in
   America, which presumably they would not if America was the giant
   racist construct intended to keep whites on top that Jill seems to be
   arguing it is.
   The fact is, America is a meritocracy. Culture creates individual
   character, and some cultures (not races, not identity groups) are
   better suited to creating individuals that can succeed, and anyone can
   decide tomorrow to change their character and join a different
   culture. Black, hispanic, Jew, asian or white, anyone can decide to
   study and work hard or to live âghettoâ or anything in between. Thatâs
   hardly a decision to follow a racial ideal, and in fact we see people
   of all races making decisions all along that spectrum.
   In fact, I would argue identitarians are actually hurting minorities
   by perpetuating failed cultures in the defensive guise of racial
   identities (the only way the otherwise indefensible can be defended).
   Instead of being able to say âHey, maybe I should work hard, stay out
   of trouble, and succeedâ poor blacks are often told they cannot
   succeed because of who they are â and they better not even try,
   because to do so would be unblack of them. The pariah effect is so
   common Chris Rock and other black comedians have mentioned it often
   for years now: succeeding by working hard, studying, and staying out
   of trouble is perceived as âacting whiteâ (and is thus a betrayal of
   oneâs race), when in fact it is, objectively and without regard to
   race or identity group, simply a better way to live.

References

   1. http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/01/17/on-race/
   2. http://proteinwisdom.com/index.php?/weblog/entry/22151/