White NonSense Roundup

you're an asshole. Period. Oh wait- and a racist. 

Olan I do get what you are trying to do or maybe seemingly trying to do, I hear you. I do. But it's kinda like if you want to be really "heard" here you have to have the right tone. Yeah, it's the privilege thing. And fragility. Are you a member of junior justice anti-racism league? I think you might like it there. Not currently over active but you will be heard. I have learned much over there. Your input/insight would be valuable. 

No- that is not what I meant at all. Not at all. I do hear you. I just know that many here do not. That is all. 

Ok. So.

When you want to learn Spanish, you sign up for a class. The person teaching the class has agreed to take his or her time to teach Spanish to people who have expressed interest in learning it. It is a mutual agreement to teach, learn, and discuss Spanish between the instructor and the student. This is acceptable socially and everyone involved mutually agrees this is the subject they're learning and discussing.

The socially unacceptable alternative is to approach your co-worker who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the US and demand that she teach you Spanish or teach you about Mexican culture. "Why do Mexicans celebrate the day of the dead?" "Can you translate this into English for me?" "Do you have a good enchilada recipe?" There is no agreement between you and your co-worker. She has not agreed to teach anyone anything. She's just trying to do the job she was hired to do and function normally in the office setting. It's not her job to educate you about the Spanish language or Mexican culture and she should not have to be some kind of educational ambassador every time she is around white people.

The teacher in this scenario is someone (doesn't make a bit of difference who it is) WHO HAS AGREED AHEAD OF TIME TO TEACH THE STUDENT THESE THINGS.

Someone whose job it is to teach!  Not a random Spanish speaker!

ETA - just saw your far more eloquent and through reply, Virginia! We're def. on the same page though.

My point is that no culture exists in a vacuum. The only way to learn about each other is to teach each other. That includes day to day contact with people. If I had a dime for every time someone asked me about how cold it is in Canada, and what exactly is poutine, and do I speak french etc etc I would be rich. But the fact is most folks around me have never met a Canadian before. Every time I end a sentence with "eh" I give away my identity. Who am I kidding, every time I open my mouth I give away the fact I am not from the south.  I bet I have been asked about poutine, and moose meat as much as the person in your story has been asked about enchildas.  It never once bothered me translating from english to french, or french to english for a coworker when I lived in Canada. Now I am just asked to speak french for show.  I never heard of the day of the dead, but I have been asked about Victora day, why does Canada celebrate thanksgiving since Columbus discovered America  and so forth. I just personally chalk it up to curiosity.  I am not offended, sometimes I am a little bemused and being the good little Canadian immigrant (Canadian American??) that I am I have probably said "sorry" way too much.

My point about the person teaching spanish  was more to the point that at some point cultures and people have to collide to learn about or from each other. It doesn't matter if it's in a formal or informal setting. In a classrom where someone is paid, or sitting in the lunch room at work the two have to come together.  We all have personal preferences. Some folks may not want to be a spoke person for their race/culture but I would rather someone ask me if folks lived in igloos in Canada then assume Canadians are all like Bob and Doug Mackenzie living up in the Great White North.

And that is what white nonsense is. It's like a custom-ordered a perfect illustration of it. I know you mean well, but seriously. There it is.

The learning Spanish is an analogy. The exhaustion that POC feel having to simultaneously work and exist in white culture while having to be ambassadors of their race is the reason it's up to white people to learn about racism and how to change it or make things better on their own. Every time something racist happens, POC are bombarded with a lot of white nonsense. They should not have to keep explaining why blackface is not ok, why a black kid in a hoodie is not automatically a threat, why the confederate flag is a symbol of racism, why it's offensive and upsetting and racist to tell a black woman her braids are "dirty", etc. All the time, every day they live in a world that systemically disfavors them and they are also expected to explain to oblivious white people the innumerable ways in which the world systemically disfavors them. They have to explain over and over that "white privilege" does not mean no white people are poor or economically disadvantaged, explain over and over why stupid shit like voter ID laws systematically disenfranchise people of color far more often than it disenfranchises white people, on and on and on. It's not about poutine or enchiladas and if you really can't grok that and you acknowledge that systemic racism is an issue, then you definitely need to take steps to educate yourself.

You say I miss your point, and I say you miss mine. I do know that racism is an issue. I do not think that white people can effectively educate other white people on what that means. I do not think black people can effectively educate other black people on what it's like to be a 20  year old year hispanic child of 2 illegal parents in this country.  We all can assume we know, but if POC think it's up to white folks to educate themselves on racism a natural extension of that would be to legislate themselves, and I just can't see that working.  I see it as more separation then unity.

But as far as being ambassadors for our cultures I don't see that as racism. You may not think my experience as a Canadian Immigrant compares enough and that's fine, but I am asked every time I go to town something relating to it. Even when I go to the doctor for  a check up the first question after "how are you" is "what do you think of our health care system compared to the Canadian system".  It's my identity here. I am "the canadian". I have been a US citizen now for several years and I have never been identified as simply "American".