One definition for
"Racism" is prejudice + power.
Many can be prejudiced, which we must guard against.
But not everyone in society has the power to make their collective
prejudice institutionalized oppression.
Racism.
Anglo superiority.
Prejudice.
All ugly things.
Yet, worse is the kind of ignorance that disregards the issue of
racism by flipping the script with claims of reverse racism or accusing the oppressed of the oppression.
Not that being oppressed cleanses any soul or makes the person somehow
sainted and perfect. It does not.
Find the courage to deal with the issue at hand. Or, guilty of
perpetuating the ugliness by denial of it.
I believe we can celebrate the accomplishments
of many ethnicities and cultures in the US without making Anglo culture and
tradition superior to others.
And we can help raise the bar to a new US
cultural identity never seen in history that celebrates the empowering of the
many people living up to their fullest potentials; learning and taking the best
from each ethnicity and culture we encounter without conformity to an Anglo
ideal
(Anglo conformity is a well-researched phenomenon of "melting
pot" theory that promoted conformity and helped other cultures and
ethnicity be seen as deficient. An easy case in point is English rock bands
became millionaires remaking music indigenous to the USA (blues)... no offense
to the Beatles, Led Zep and the Stones, et al; I grew up listening to them as
well as The Spinners, Kool and the Gang, and some great jazz)...
To me, the US has historically suffered with
Anglo envy which does not live up to the spirit of the many cultures that make
up our society. Anglo's have brought excellent things to the table to be sure;
but we can be generous and inclusive to become an even greater civilization and
culture, instead of envying and attempting to recreate European hierarchies in
America. We have yet to step into our true American identity....
WE yet have that potential in the US, even to
this day.
