Racism, racism everywhere! No
matter where we run or what we do, it seems to find its way back into our
hearts. To avoid being seen as a racist, it’s best to just pretend it does not
exist. With how much we are growing, it is obvious that we have not grown
enough to admit that the problem of race still exists here in America. In Racists without Racism, the author,
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, brings up a lot of different points on color-blind
racism, and how it is still effecting us today.
Looking into chapter 1,
Bonilla-Silva explains, “That color-blind racism has four central frames and
that these frames are used by an overwhelming majority of the white
respondents. The four frames are abstract liberalism, naturalism, cultural
racism, and minimization of racism.” (2) These four different color-blind
racisms are all different ways that whites try to say that racism doesn’t
exist. The saying “tell me no secrets
and I’ll tell you no lies”, works perfectly with the point that Bonilla-Silva
has been trying to get across in chapter 1, because many whites are so ignorant
to the fact that racism exists. They have this mind-set that if they remain
ignorant to racism, then they are technically telling the truth when they say
they had no idea there was still so much in equality between the majority and
the minority.
Bonilla-Silva also does a lot of
interviews throughout chapters 1-5, and he finds that sugar coating is a very
big way that whites will try and hide racism. According to Bonilla-Silva, “Whites
rely on diminutives to soften their racial blows. Hence, when they oppose
affirmative action, few say ‘I am against affirmative action.’ Instead, they
say something such as, ‘I am just a little bit against affirmative action.’”
(66) Sugar coating is one of the most used techniques that whites, and at times
other races, will use to get away with saying something racist and not
offending anyone, or at least as far as they know. I have experienced many
different kinds of sugar coats. One of the many I have received is “No offense
but you act really____ or you act really ___” or “Wow your hair is so soft for
a mixed girl.” Wait what? Seriously? Saying things like that to someone of a
different race is never okay, but not everyone understands that. They think
using “no offense” will clear the air before they start polluting it with their
racial slurs.
Finally, another topic
Bonilla-Silva discusses is on interracial marriage. According to Racists without Racism, “Despite whites’
stake on color blindness, in survey they are more likely to oppose interracial
marriages than any other form of interracial associations.” (116) Only a few
people will admit that they have a problem with interracial marriages, but that
is just one of the many things people avoid talking about. They normally will
just accept it and pretend to be okay with it. A young man that was a part of Bonilla-Silva interview
explains it’s “because I kind of, I don’t know, I kinda wanna stay with my nationally
in a way, you know. I think once, once you start breaking away, you start
losing your own like deep home family values in a way, you get mixed emotions,
you know.” (119) Many people that I have met that don’t want to be in
relationships outside of their own race typically have the same beliefs. They
are afraid that they are going to lose who there are and lose a part of their
race in the process. Not only them, but their family is fearful that the same
things.
Race comes and it goes, but it’s
never gone forever. There were many different opinions on race that also shows in
Bonilla-Silva’s Racists without Racism. We
are still growing as a country, and still learning a lot about each other.
Hopefully, one day, racism will go away, but that would include a bit of
honesty and letting go of the fear of admitting racism is still around.
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