Racism in "Wakanda Forever"??

2 years ago
97

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When I was 16, one of the extracurricular clubs I joined was the Multiculturalism and Diversity Club (can’t remember the exact name). I remember asking the supervising teacher how we could avoid hurting the feelings of our Caucasian schoolmates with our awareness-raising activities on racism. I remember her answering, “You can’t be racist towards the group in power”.

I remember repeating that line in my twenties with absolute conviction.

I remember saying, just a year and a half ago, that I would never end up with a white guy because I didn’t want to “perpetuate the stereotypical fetishization of Asian women by white men”.

But maybe "white" isn't a monolith for all Caucasian people, just as "Asian" isn't a monolith for all Asian people. Maybe even group identities that have colonized others in the past, have been colonized themselves at a different point in history. Maybe to an extent, every single human has been at once a victim and a perpetrator, if we really want to play the game of “Who’s suffered more as a group?” 🤔.

Also, while I do feel bad by continuing to bring this back to myself, but I'm Korean, and have a living family member whose life was impacted by Japan's colonization of Korea. What Imperial Japan did was so atrocious that the FBI categorized their war crimes under the Nazi files. However, the mere thought of calling a Japanese person a “colonizer” for things they PERSONALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH - for any choices made by their ancestors and/or government - is sickening.

And sick I feel now, knowing that people are losing their livelihoods and getting FIRED FOR THE COLOUR OF THEIR SKIN, and that I probably laughed during the first Black Panther when Shuri first called Everett a "colonizer".

How did it come to be that the answer to racism is more racism? How did we fall so far?

I repent, and plan one day to sue the school board.

SOURCES:
Broadway’s ‘Lion King’ interpreter fired for being white settles case after backlash: https://nypost.com/2022/11/26/broadway-interpreter-fired-for-being-white-settles-case-amid-backlash/

Coca-Cola, Facing Backlash, Says 'Be Less White' Learning Plan Was About Workplace Inclusion: https://www.newsweek.com/coca-cola-facing-backlash-says-less-white-learning-plan-was-about-workplace-inclusion-1570875

San Francisco's white election director is FIRED to promote 'racial equity' after serving the city for 20 years - Mayor London Breed slams decision as 'unfair politicization of our government': https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11463935/San-Francisco-removes-white-election-director-racial-equity-plan.html

'Racist criteria': White Quebec historian claims human rights violation over job posting: https://nationalpost.com/news/racist-criteria-quebec-historian-claims-human-rights-violation-over-job-posting

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