Functional Explanation Again

[Forstater, Mathew]

But I emphatically object to the a priori assumption that a group antipathy, say
Japanese stereotypes or prejudice against Koreans, is _racism_.  This is why I
think that West's insistence on a radically historical approach to the
specificity of oppressions is an important insight that must be carefully
considered.  To think that Japanese views of African Americans are not mediated,
to say the least, by white supremacist ideologies rooted in Eurocentric
capitalist racism, is missing the mark by a long shot. (Ditto U.S. Asian views
of U.S. Blacks).  By the way, most Jews (not sure about all) were not 'white' on
coming to the U.S., but they, like most other immigrant groups, became white
(meaning they became Amerikan, meaning they adopted white supremacist
ideologies; and let's not get started on what European Jews brought to
Palestine). (And don't forget that Japanese were 'honorary whites' under
apartheid categorization).  I believe that this demand for radical historical
specificity is a crucial part of understanding white supremacy and is not mere
philosophical badminton, it is important for the anti-racist struggle.  The
universalizing of 'racism' as generic group antipathy dilutes our understanding
of the reality of racism. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Justin Schwartz [mailto:jkschw at hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 3:55 PM
To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
Subject: RE: Functional Explanation Again

I _specifically_ excepted black hatred of whites, which I regard as not 
unreasonable, although unfortunate. I think it's racism, though, when 
Asians--today a privileged group, though not historically, and of course not 
all Asians--hate blacks. Or when Jews do. Bear in mind, when my Jewish 
ancestors came to this country, Jews weren't white. In Japan, anti-black 
racism is fairly ferious; also anti-Chinese and anti-Korean racism. (Right. 
Yoshie?)

I agree, of course, that in America, anti-black racism by whites is the 
benchmark of other racisms. But you seem to think that is an objection to 
having a  term to pick it out, to distinguish it from other racisms. I find 
that puzzling.

--jks
>
>1. every group antipathy is not "racism."
>
>2. "racism" is best preserved for use to describe the ideology of the 
>oppressor
>group with political and other power, not used for describing the 
>relatively
>powerless, oppressed group's 'feelings' toward the oppressor
>
>3. anti-Black racism is a benchmark for all other racisms
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Justin Schwartz [mailto:jkschw at hotmail.com]
>
>
>Alas, whites hate other races than blacks. And not all whites are racist.
>And other races (not all of their members, of course) hate blacks, e.g.,
>Asians. So "Anti-black racism by whites" -- Jordan's topic--is not
>redundant. He is not addressing why whites hate Asians or why Asias hate
>blacks. And yes, I know that racism involves more than hatred. It is a
>shorthand. jks
>
> >
> >the "case"? "anti-black racism" is redundant. so is "racism by whites."
> >
> >you wrote:
> >
> > >the case of anti-black
> > >racism by whites.
>
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