In my Race, Class, and Gender course, I read an essay that connects to our First People's of North America course, and why wouldn't it? I'd like to share a few lines here.
Despite the ideology of the "melting pot,"national identity in the United States has been closely linked to a history of White privilege. Beginning with the conquest of Native Americans, national policies have sanctioned the domination of Native Americans. C. Matthew Snipp's essay
The First Americans: American Indians details the historical role of the state in forcing Native Americans from their homes
and subordinating them to a new system of state control. Genocide, forced relocation, and regulation by state law have shaped Native American experience; state processes
whether in the form of war, legislations, or state policy, have contributed to the current place of Native Americans in U.S. society. As the nation's first "ethnic" groups, native Americans know all too well how the dynamics of race, class, and gender inequities have grossly harmed their nations (79-80).
The reason I chose to post from a different course is because I feel that the treatment of Native peoples, from when the Europeans first arrived, is the genesis of race, class, and gender issues in our country. Perhaps learning more about the first peoples of North America, and how they were treated, will explain deeper the concept of white privilege and how pervasive it has been throughout history, essentially shaping our country and its policies.
Andersen, Margaret, L. and Patrician Hill Collins. Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology.8th ed. Belmont, Ca: Wadsworth, 2013. Print.
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI likes your post. You are right, the mistreatment of native people by Europeans was a sign of things to come. It is ironic that the Europeans were the minority at the time, by a large margin, and yet they did so much, such long lasting damage, and kept on going with other ethnic groups. No question, white privilege has shaped our country and its policies.
Hi Biance,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply. To be honest with you, I am still very lost with this blog - how to do it, where to go, etc!
You're right, Europeans were the minority and yet did so much damage. They brought with them Eurocentric views which were built on the beliefs that non-white skinned people were deserving of enslavement, and were less intelligent. So bringing this superior attitude here, of course they "took over."
I'm white, and I don't want to come off as hating my race, but I do not agree with the history of this country and how they treated non whites, beginning with the Native peoples. I am one of those that disassociates herself by saying, "my family didn't come here until 1920 so I have no part in or ancestral responsiblity for how this country was built. I do want to say that I love America and being American, so there's conflicting emotions for me.
Thanks again for the reply. I will click on your name and see if I get anywhere!
I just went through trying to still figure blogging out and I see that I spelled your name wrong! Sorry BIANCA
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