So I was stumbling around the blogisphere when I visited a blog called Where The Hell am I?, she posted about visiting a blog called Rachel's Tavern and a comment war that went on there. So naturally I jaunted over to Rachel's.
Over at Rachel's I read a very short and somewhat interesting post about how women who happen to be Asian are categorized. I went on to read the comments, that's when things really got interesting.
Although the title of the post would suggest otherwise, the comments became a debate about the treatment of Black women.
Here is an excerpt of one of the comments;
Over at Rachel's I read a very short and somewhat interesting post about how women who happen to be Asian are categorized. I went on to read the comments, that's when things really got interesting.
Although the title of the post would suggest otherwise, the comments became a debate about the treatment of Black women.
Here is an excerpt of one of the comments;
"Black women have been objectified to being body parts:
Having men of all races look at you as if you are a walking life support system for a vagina, buttocks, legs. Having your beautiful gravity-defying hair degraded. Having your beautiful skin color denigrated as less than because it is not a pale, ghastly white.
Which is why so many Asian, Native American, Latino, white and black men run to the defense, protection, and adoration of white women, while they are stomping, stampeding and grinding black women into the ground to get to those white women. Running past, knocking out of the way black women they know nothing about because those same men have not the guts to get to know the black women."
Read the rest of the comments here; Nice Guys, Feminism and Asian “Women”
Read the rest of the comments here; Nice Guys, Feminism and Asian “Women”
Please let me know what you think.
5 comments:
There isn't but one other set of people who have been mistreated, both taken advantage of and for granted, stereotyped, abused, deprived, and looked down upon more than the black man ... and that is the black woman.
As black men, we bear the greatest weight. For my part in the breakdown, I apologize.
Seriously.
Wow...what a discussion. I agree with commenter Ann that black women are the most devalued of all women and white women are the most prized. I regret that Ann used the term "ghastly" to describe white skin, as I think denigrating others is no way to gain equality. I also tend to think that people's reactions to black women are generally more subtle than Ann describes.
I have found at work that I am treated very differently from white women around my same age. Again, it is very subtle. The white women are elevated, protected, praised for their looks (as much as is appropriate in the workplace). Doors are held open for them, heavy boxes lifted. White men are friendly to me, nice to me, but in a different way, in a way that does not recognize me as a female. I have noticed that white men sometimes talk to me about women as if I am not one.
I understand that the way the patriarchy treats white women is not good either. There is an ugly side to being placed on that pedestal. But I think that for white women and women of color to come together as feminists, it is important for white women to acknowledge that they have benefited from the oppression of other women.
Don,
Well rather than saying you're sorry just be apart of the soultion. It's simple, respect woman and Black women in particular.
But I'm sure you already do that.
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Tami,
Yeah Ann was pretty worked up! She made amazing points. I think her anger detracted from the conversation, but it's an emotional subject.
This whole society is based upon White women being put on a pedestal. Also one of the main tenets of racism is protecting the virginal, pristine White woman from Black men.
So at the core of America is the intent to protect White women literally and figuratively.
And while all of that is going on, we are used as the example of the opposite end of the spectrum. Either we are portrayed and thought to be whores or idiots.
Also I know that putting women on a pedestal can be problematic, but it would be nice for a change.
Amazing discussion.
I'll never understand the discrimination black women, the fact that Black women will always be viewed as "the other" but continue to be objectified continues to boggle my mind.
Afrodite,
A lot of it hasto do with the media images that people see of us. There is just no balance. Women like New York on VH1 do not represent most Black women, unfortunatly many people think she does.
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