Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
If this was your only point then you need to read Ignatiev's "How The Irish Became White." What happened to "white" ethnic groups is nothing like what happened to racial and ethnic minority groups.
It is true that ethnic groups like Italian Americans are considered white and, like you are saying, members who choose to highlight their ethnic identity (instead of completely assimilate into whiteness 100% of the time) are often stereotyped as an "other." The same goes for other white ethnic groups, including extreme representations of Jewish Americans. STILL not the same as what occurred with racial and ethnic minorities because members of white ethnic groups know exactly when to play up or play down their group traits (with exception for those who have to work extra hard to account for physical characteristics). When white privilege and group advantage based on whiteness are at stake, you won't find too much confusion on how to play the "white game." Racial and ethnic minorities (who can't pass for white) never have the ability to assimilate 100% and forego everything that makes them identifiable as an "other."
Everyone is part of a socially constructed racial and ethnic grouping--even "mixed people." The problem is that whiteness is considered mainstream and void of race and ethnicity. This gave whiteness power and "make believe" racial and cultural ambiguity. "I'm white so I can objectively talk about topics without 'race' clouding my perspective" is the same thing as men saying "I'm a man so I can objectively talk about topics without 'gender' clouding my perspective."
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I will look into Ignatiev, being as I am Irish/Italian it should be interesting. This is getting deep now, I guess you can't talk about tacos and shamrocks without bringing up race. Maybe I didn't convey the message as I had wanted to, but I don't think it's possible to keep our cultural practices solely "in house" here in America and not for others to experience/exploit/commercialize. I think what we have is a lot of new immigrants (new meaning last 100 years) culture FINALLY becoming part of americana now. I hate to say it but if I truly wanted to experience my grandmothers heritage I'd have to hop a flight to Italy, there's no place here in America that I'd be able to experience it.
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