Subtle Racism

Subtle Racism

      If blacks and other minorities are equal in all respects e.g. opportunities for employment, adequate and fair housing, education, wealth, and political power, why does Bonilla insists that minorities are still ‘’at the bottom of the well”?  Although racial inequality and discrimination is more subtle than it was before the 1960’s, there still exists that social structure that separates the various ethnic groups and allows some practices to continue that may or may not reinforce white privilege.  I can cite clear examples of residential segregation in the City of Chicago, where neighborhoods are inhabited predominately by blacks or Hispanics.  These neighborhoods are very often overrun with crime, poor schools, and inadequate police protection.  Other neighborhoods that are predominately white rarely undergo these types of problems.  So, if one subscribes to the color-blind ideology, he/she could say that these particular groups live in certain areas because it is their choice, or that they cannot live in more affluent neighborhoods because they simply cannot afford it.  The color-blind could ignore or deny the statistics that demonstrate that often minorities are not approved for mortgage loans because they have been inflated.  Or, an even more subtle tactic used by real estate agents where they stir potential home buyers either into a white or non-white neighborhoods, depending the race/ethnicity of the potential buyer. 

      We can travel to anywhere in the South where Jim Crow laws once denied blacks and Hispanics the right to vote until the 1965 Voting Rights Law was passed.  Politically, blacks and Hispanics have come a long way since that time.  Many have been elected to the legislatures, mayors, and governorships in these southern states.  There is however a movement in the states of Arizona, Ohio, and Mississippi to manipulate the voting by making it mandatory to apply for photo ID’s.  This type of mandate makes it difficult for poor blacks and Hispanics who may not drive to apply for an ID.  In the case of Arizona where many Hispanics live, people are often stopped by the police because they “look illegal” and asked for papers to prove their citizenship.  A color-blind person might defend this action by saying that this is not harassment, but just following procedures to obey our country’s laws and protect its citizens. 

     The “new racism” that Bonilla talks about is very subtle and is used by the color-blind to extend and reproduce racial privilege in our society.  I believe that what this means is that although laws such as the Jim Crow laws no longer exists, if we choose to accept the belief that the social structure is no longer racialized, that structure will continue to affect our society in such a way that the status quo will not change, and it will continue to reinforce white privilege. 

     As I proceed with the reading in this book, “Racism Without Racists”, I will be thinking which position to take on each question proposed.  Will I be explaining and justifying the status quo, or will I be challenging it?