A sudden flash of insight: March 2012

Thursday, March 29, 2012

"Violence against women is as American as apple pie."-Gwen Moore, Wisconsin Congresswoman

We all Are Racists

I don't think being called a racist means you hate black people. To me, it means you are unaware of OR benefit from your privileges as a white person, which results in your inability to see things from the oppressed's perspective. I know I'm a racist in this sense, and most white people (if not all!) are too. Most people think being called a "racist" is a personal attack, and some people use this term to attack others. I can understand why white people like myself can get defensive when this happens and say, "No! I'm not a racist! I just don't see it the way you do!" BUT the reason why we don't see it the way people of color do is because we are ALSO victims of the racist system. We DO say, think, and do racist things without realizing it. So when someone points this out to us, I do hope that we, white people, are able to examine ourselves and our privileges. Always believe and support the oppressed group, even if we can't see "it". I know this may be hard to do, but I strongly believe that racism will diminish if we all are able to do this.

We must challenge everything. Challenge the status quo.

"Dear fellow white people,

If you are playing ‘devil’s advocate’ for a racist system in a racist country which results in the murders of men and women of color by law enforcement and private citizens alike, I would like you to know that you are not in fact a) an advocate, b) needed in any discussion on this topic ever, or c) challenging any established thought. You are a racist.

This system, these institutions, do not need advocating. If you think they do, in any form, you are the problem and no amount of whining that you’re not really like that will absolve you." - intricate-veins

"Racists and bigots can't handle being called what they are - because it looks bad in the eyes of society. They are perfectly fine with their behavior continuing - they just like to do it with no negative consequences to them. So you get bullshit like this, because so many Americans cannot handle being called out."-Kevenn Smith

Racism is Real

"You want to know how INSANELY racism skews and law enforcement tactics and responses to crime? In 2009, the NYPD stopped and frisked approximately 575,000 New Yorkers. Of those stopped, approximately 490,000 were black or Latino, and approximately 53,000 were white. Even though NINE TIMES AS MANY people of color were stopped, the NYPD found that, of all people stopped, WHITE PEOPLE were MOST likely to be carrying contraband--illegal drugs, illegally concealed weapons, drug paraphernalia, etc.

What was the NYPD's response to this data? In 2010, they stopped even MORE blacks and Latinos. So even though their own data indicated that they should be stopping more white people, they, instead, stopped more people of color. And do you know why? Because they, just like everyone else in the world, ignore the FACTS when it comes to race and crime, and act on PERCEPTION. Because the FACTS can't be dealt with without an admission of a crime on the part of the person with the misconception. And no one, NO ONE, wants to admit that they're racist.

FIRST, we have to talk about the racist system that has demonized black folk and made it seem as though black folk are WORSE, more criminal than any other American--which is a blatant lie. When you're ONLY policing the black neighborhoods; when you're policing the illegal drugs on the street in Brooklyn, but not the illegal drugs on the Columbia University campus; when you're arresting the black person involved in the domestic dispute, but letting the white person involved in the domestic dispute off with a warning; when you're sending the black person involved in a violent crime to prison, but putting the white person involved in a violent crime on probation (or shipping him out of the country or moving his case to where he's least likely to get a conviction); when we're ready to hold the racist criminal justice system to the same unrelenting, exacting standards that we're eager to hold black people to, THEN, and only then, can we talk about the black community and what we need to do about crimes that take place there."-Son of Baldwin

"I don't have a problem reading an article about racism. I'm just not particularly interested in racists' opinions. It's not like they've changed since 1619."-Pierre-Louis

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Will He Have to Defend His Own Deaf Being?

Every time I look at my 4-year-old Deaf nephew, I wonder if the world will embrace him for who he is as a bilingual Deaf person. With all the negativity that surrounds the Deaf community at the moment, I still have hope that some day people will recognize the beauty of ASL and Deaf culture. No matter what parents choose for their Deaf children, every human being deserves to be respected and valued. I hope some day people will cease to perceive Deaf people as an inferior group, and see them as wonderful contributing members of the society. I really don't want this vicious cycle of fear and ignorance among hearing people to continue, and I don't want my nephew to grow up having to defend his own Deaf being. Am I being too hopeful?

The Best Analogy I've Ever Seen

"The ongoing cycle of racism is like a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt. The person engaged in active racist behavior has identified with the ideology of White supremacy and is moving with it. Passive racist behavior is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No over effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around, unwilling to go to the same destination as the White supremacists. But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt – unless they are actively antiracist – they will find themselves carried along with the others."

-Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

1 in 3 Black Men Go To Prison? The 10 Most Disturbing Facts About Racial Inequality in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

"1. While people of color make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population, they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned. The prison population grew by 700 percent from 1970 to 2005, a rate that is outpacing crime and population rates. The incarceration rates disproportionately impact men of color: 1 in every 15 African American men and 1 in every 36 Hispanic men are incarcerated in comparison to 1 in every 106 white men."

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/154587/1_in_3_black_men_go_to_prison_the_10_most_disturbing_facts_about_racial_inequality_in_the__u.s._criminal_justice_system?page=entire

Racism is Like Smog in the Air

"Prejudice is one of the inescapable consequences of living in a racist society. Cultural racism- the cultural images and messages that affirm the assumed superiority of Whites and the assumed inferiority of people of color – is like smog in the air. Sometimes it is so thick it is visible, other times it is less apparent, but always, day in and day out, we are breathing it in. None of us would introduce ourselves as “smog-breathers” (and most of us don’t want to be described as prejudiced), but if we live in a smoggy place, how can we avoid breathing the air? If we live in an environment in which we are bombarded with stereotypical images in the media, are frequently exposed to the ethnic jokes of friends and family members, and are rarely informed of the accomplishments of oppressed groups, we will develop the negative categorizations of those groups that form the basis of prejudice. To say that it is not our fault does not relieve us of responsibility, however. We may not have polluted the air, but we need to take responsibility, along with others, for cleaning it up. Each of us needs to look at our own behavior. Am I perpetuating and reinforcing the negative messages so pervasive in our culture, or am I seeking to challenge them? If I have not been exposed to positive images of marginalized groups, am I seeking them out, expanding my knowledge base for myself and my children? We teach what we were taught. It is not our fault, but it is our responsibility to interrupt this cycle."

-Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Rape Culture

In a rape culture both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable as death or taxes.

How to Support Domestic Violence Survivors

a friend asked - "what would an advocate do if the decision a survivor is going to make is clearly not a right decision, a decision where she will risk her life again?"

how do i know what is the "right" decision for that survivor? i may have assumptions based on my personal experiences and values but those don't always apply to that survivor.

the important thing is to give a survivor choices-- to make sure they are aware of what choices they have, then to support whatever they decide. if that choice doesn't work out for them, then they can try a different choice. it is empowering when a person in an abusive situation finally sees that she is capable of making her own decisions and that it's ok to make mistakes.

as for life-risking choices - of course that's not an easy one. but keep this in mind, the chance of women getting murdered is raised by a high percentage when the woman leave her abuser. therefore, leaving is not always the best decision. it is easy for us to tell women what we think is right and scold her if she doesn't take our suggestions. in reality, she knows what she must do to keep herself alive, even if it means staying with her abuser. what if the choice is between death and/or being homeless or staying with an abusive partner? what's the better choice? no one but the survivor can decide that.

our job as advocates is to simply make sure the survivor knows what her options are then support her decision no matter what it is.

Rape is Linked to Power

‎"1 out of 2 Deaf women are survivors. 1 out of 6 Deaf men are survivors (most likely underreported). Most of their perpetrators are male. It is clearly linked to power. Ultimately, it is up to us to unite and create a safe community for everyone."-Stacy Gainok

rape is linked to power. who has the power in our society? men. if we want to look at individual situations, the perpetrator could be anyone. but when we look at the bigger picture, the perpetrator is overwhelmingly male. the reason is society gives them *permission* to rape by putting the blame on the survivor and giving rape such a stigma that no one wants to talk about it. when a survivor speaks out, s/he is often bashed and analyzed and blamed. that teaches everyone to stay silent and blame ourselves. rapists go on raping without consequence. some rapists don't even realize they are rapists because the behavior is so accepted by their peers and the media.

Learning About Social Justice (Modified)

I thought this was a great way to define our journey toward learning about social justice.

"As we begin our journey together, it is important to understand that our task is one that is challenging for a variety of reasons. Those from dominant groups may feel guilt, shame or denial as they study about the experiences of privileged people like themselves.

I urge you to process the emotions that come up for you as you cover this often challenging information. So what are some tips I would give for effective learning about this stuff? Here are a few ideas that come to mind:

- Take risks and leave your comfort zone. One of the reasons why social injustice thrives is because people like to stay in their comfort zones and not take any risks. Confronting oppression is inherently risky.

- Do not personalize. Remember that we are talking about institutions and systemic patterns of oppression and discrimination. While guilt is an understandable emotion for dominant group members to experience when learning about social injustice, it is not, ultimately, a productive or helpful emotion. It is easy to get stuck and mired in guilt and not move forward. Remember, you are responsible for yourself and your own actions, not those of your entire social group.

- Listen, with compassion. Be receptive to others' points of views. Feel free to challenge others, but do so respectfully. If you really like or appreciate what someone has said or written, let them know!

- When you are a member of the dominant (oppressor) group, allow members of targeted (oppressed) groups to feel anger about the oppression that they and members of their social group historically or currently endure. Do not minimize, deny or appropriate other people's experiences of oppression. Also, remember that it is not the responsibility or duty of oppressed people to educate you.

- When you are a member of the targeted or oppressed group, remember that members of dominant groups can and will make mistakes. Allow room for their path of understanding. This does not mean not challenging oppressive views or behaviors, but rather understanding how their privilege has prevented them from seeing the situation clearly.

- Self-care! Take good care of yourself while engaged in this learning process. Strive for compassion for yourself and compassion for others. Approach the new information with an open mind."

http://ws405.blogspot.com/2011/01/learning-about-social-justice.html

For each of us, it started with an epiphany, a metanoia, a sudden flash of insight...

An epiphany is the sudden comprehension of the larger meaning of something. I was unaware, and still am, of so many forms of oppression that saturate our society. This year I had a couple of epiphanies, which had enabled me to see the world through different lens. I feel like I took a bad drug, and now cannot unsee things I see every passing minute. I am appalled how racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, audism (and all others) run deep in every single thing we do, say, and think. I was oblivious all my life because those "-isms" were considered normal. They were everywhere. They were deeply intertwined in the system. They were accepted by the majority. And this have not changed a bit.

In this blog, I aim to share what I've been learning so you can have sudden flashes of insight as well. We must wake up, and see what is real.

I Want Honesty, Nothing More.

I think people in oral education who advocate for AVT/CI should be more honest about the high possibilities of Deaf children not being able to develop speaking and listening skills. This will enable parents to accept that their child will always be Deaf, and to celebrate this fact. ASL, Deaf culture, and Deaf community are made of intelligent, successful, and beautiful people who take pride in their existence and contribution to the world. I don't understand why AGBell and AVT advocates would want to deny the deep connection Deaf people have with each other by perpetuating the belief that ASL is inferior, ASL is for militants who hate hearing people, and ASL is for people who refuse to learn how to hear and speak. The opposite is true. Parents don't have to choose ASL OR English... parents can give their Deaf child ASL AND English. I wish I could debunk this false myth, but I don't know how.

Racism Does Not Exist? Think Again.

‎"Black people receive 60% longer sentences for same crimes" - This is white people's way of keeping black people "in their place". -The New Jim Crow

Arguing That Something Is Racist

"His critics promptly alleged that he was signaling a racial message to his audience, but he firmly denied it, forcing liberals into a position that would soon become familiar - arguing that something is racist but finding it impossible to prove in the absence of explicitly racist language."-The New Jim Crow

Stop Playing Oppression Olympics

“We need to acknowledge that we cannot know what it’s like to be an oppressed racial minority. Cannot. The end. Period. We don’t know because we’re queer, because we’re disabled, because we’re Jewish, because we were the nerdy kid in school. These things may have hurt us severely, but we need to stop playing Oppression Olympics and acknowledge that when we’re talking about race we Do. Not. Know. No more metaphors.”

http://radicallyqueer.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/white-feminists-its-time-to-put-up-or-shut-up-on-race/

We All Make Mistakes - Have a Seat and Listen

Yep, we do fuck up often. Why are white people always so defensive when they unintentionally or intentionally say or do racist things? Yes, we are human beings, we make mistakes. Yes, we are often unaware of our privileges. Be grateful when people point this out to you. Be open to seeing things the way oppressed groups see. Just apologize - don't be defensive.

"We need to accept that when a person of color tells us we’ve fucked up, the answer is not to get defensive. When we get that instinct to say “geez, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way at all,” it’s time to stop right now. It doesn’t matter how you meant it. It really doesn’t. Someone doesn’t have to have racism in their heart to do something racist. And doing something racist doesn’t make you an evil person who can never do good again, should never be an activist, should run off and hide in a hole somewhere. It means you did something hurtful, you made a big mistake, and you need to own that mistake. You need to say “I’m sorry.” Full stop. I’m sorry. And if the person who called you out is generous enough to take time to explain what you did wrong, you need to have a seat and listen."

http://radicallyqueer.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/white-feminists-its-time-to-put-up-or-shut-up-on-race/

Give The Deaf Child WHOLE

My strong support for ASL-English bilingualism is based on my experiences as a former student who grew up attending a Deaf school, as a life-long member of the Deaf community, and as a current teacher in the Deaf education system.

As a student, I grew up seeing many oral/CI/AVT "failures" being sent to my school severely delayed in their language and cognitive development because they had failed to develop speaking and listening skills. They sent those students to CSD to learn ASL as a last resort. Those Deaf students were traumatized by their upbringing as they were taught that they were not whole because of their inability to speak or hear. They were indoctrinated to believe that the only way to "better" themselves is to become as "hearing" as possible.

As a community member, I have met many Deaf adults who communicate in limited ASL and have no knowledge of English grammar (in other words, write in broken English). Those Deaf adults are products of oral education. Since those Deaf people had "failed" to develop speaking and listening skills, they never had access to any language while growing up. Those people usually discover ASL and Deaf community later in life, and say "ASL saved my life."

Unfortunately, there are many "oral-failures" who end up in the Deaf community (we see them all the time, and they are usually labeled "angry Deaf people" by the oral advocates). Of course, they are angry for being cheated out of good education and good life by the misconceptions imposed by the cochlear industry and oral educators. Of course, they want to fight stop oral education so future Deaf children would never have to suffer like they did. I fully support their right to be angry, because they shouldn't have to go through what they went through.

Now, as a teacher, I get to hear about parents' experiences with the process of receiving information about their Deaf children from ENT doctors. Their experiences were negative and traumatizing for them. The majority, if not all, of the parents I've talked to felt forced into choosing the oral method through scare tactics. "Every deaf child deserves a chance to fail at oralism" "If he learned sign language, he would be lost to the deaf world" "He can always learn to sign later if oralism doesn't work" "If you don't give your child cochlear implants, she will always struggle in life." If parents decided to give their child cochlear implants, the doctor and AVT therapists would refuse service unless the parents promise not to use sign language with their child. To me, that is oppressive and wrong.

I'm not okay with the false assumption that cochlear implants will make every Deaf child hearing. I'm not okay with not ensuring that Deaf children receive 100% access to language, information, and education. I'm not okay with waiting until Deaf children fail at developing speaking and listening skills BEFORE giving them access to sign language. Deaf children SHOULD be allowed to get cochlear implants, learn ASL & learn how to read, write, and speak English. Give Deaf children WHOLE, don't take anything away from them.

CSD is a dumping ground for oral failures. I've grown up seeing those students, and now I'm teaching those students. It is heartbreaking.

The "ASL Route" - What Is It?

The ASL-English bilingual route means acquiring ASL naturally from birth, and then learning how to read, write, and speak English when the Deaf child is physically and cognitively ready to develop those skills (usually by 3 years old). Having a strong language foundation in L1 during 0-3 years old will enable the child to learn second language effortlessly. I've never seen any bilingual Deaf person devalue the importance of learning how to read and write English. In our bilingual schools, we teach children in BOTH languages and expect all Deaf students to have an excellent command of grammar in both languages. I am not comfortable with "hoping" the Deaf child will acquire speaking and listening skills in order to gain access to language. We want every child to succeed, regardless of their speaking and listening abilities. The ASL-English bilingual education guarantees that.

Why Gamble?

My question is... how do we ensure that EVERY Deaf child will acquire language at the same pace as hearing children? Why hold back ASL when spoken language is not 100% accessible for all Deaf children? Choosing the English-only route is a gamble... maybe the child will develop speaking and listening skills... maybe not. If not, the child will be delayed in his or her language and cognitive development. If ASL guarantees 100% access to language from birth, and guarantees fluency in both languages, why take the risk with the English-only route?

Defining and Conceptualizing Racism

"As with other words that end in the letters “ism,” racism is essentially two things: an ideology and a system. Just as capitalism or communism are ideologies, so too is racism. And just as capitalism and communism (or fascism, totalitarianism etc.) are systems, so too is racism a system."

http://www.timwise.org/2010/07/reading-racism-right-to-left-reflections-on-a-powerful-word-and-its-applications/

San Francisco Is The Most Racist City

"His words rang out with an unmistakable certitude.

“This is the most racist place I’ve ever lived,” said the man sitting across from me, a black writer and poet whose acquaintance I had only made earlier that day.

His expression made it clear that this was no mere hyperbole spat out so as to get a reaction. He meant every word and proceeded in about twenty minutes to lay out the case for why indeed this place where we were talking — San Francisco — was far more racist, in his estimation than any of several places he had lived in the South.

Worse than Birmingham.

Worse than Jackson, Mississippi.

Worse than Dallas.

San Francisco. Yes, that San Francisco.

From police harassment to profiling to housing discrimination to a persistent invisibility he’d felt since first arriving, there was no doubt that the ostensibly liberal enclave was head and shoulders above the rest.

And it wasn’t his opinion alone. I have heard similar feelings expressed about the Bay Area by peoples of color many times since, as well as about Seattle, Portland, and any number of other supposedly progressive paradises where various “alternative” types (of white folks at least) seem to feel at home. Even those who wouldn’t rank a place like San Francisco as the most racist city in which they’d lived, are often quick to insist that its racism is comparable to what they’ve experienced elsewhere, which is to say, no less a problem."