Erasing @race

In Beth Kolko’s Erasing @race, Kolko examines the effects of cyberspace on race. Kolko tells of how computer programs use calculated data to build virtual worlds, and many times the data collected does not involve race. Information that can be seen such as age, race, and gender cannot be seen in virtual reality and therefore makes the internet “raceless” and “irrelevant or homogenous” according to Kolko. Some of the negative effects, Kolko argues, of not being able to claim a race is that an “ideal” user is made to fit all characters and therefore makes race “irrelevant or homogenous.”
Kolko argues this claim buy telling of how the “ideal” user character in an interface always seems to be white. The way an interface builds a character is through the use of data entered into a computer by a character’s user. While the interface itself does not ask what race a user is, the Kolko believes the interface does tend to build a “self-replicating and exclusionary category of “ideal” user, in some very particular instances of cyberspace, is definitely a white user.” By putting information about age and gender together with a user’s writing style, interface programs segregate who talks to whom. Even though the program does not ask for its users to declare a race, Kolko believes that race is assigned through interface programs.
It is interesting to see how the internet and computer programs can be used to segregate groups of people. Everyone who uses the internet can be put into some type of category based solely on race, age, gender, etc. I never understood completely what Facebook activity was about until reading this article. Facebook, much like interface programs and RPGs, does not directly ask for its users to declare a race but yet it can construct groups of people.
I feel that the internet or technology for that matter is not designed to be discriminatory against anyone, but rather it can be used for discriminatory purposes. Internet programs such as facebook or video games such as Halo were not designed to oppress or discriminate against others but rather to keep in contact with others and for entertainment. Yes it is possible to search for different races or genders on the internet through sites such as facebook, but is that truly discrimination?

Facebook

For my Facebook profile assignment I looked at the profile of a white female student attending BGSU. Based on her pictures, she appears to be both mentally and physically able and middle class, she participated in Dance Marathon and her clothing is typical of today’s college students. She did not provide her age or birthday but she is a freshman so it is a safe bet she is 18-20 years-old. She appears to have a diverse group of friends added to her Facebook including many African Americans and Hispanics. Her friends are diverse but the comments people leave her are from mostly white friends and over 90% of her pictures are with other white friends. Under her activities she states “hanging out with mis amigos” which shows she has an interest in Spanish language or friends of Spanish ancestry. While her friends show she enjoys learning about different cultures, her interests show that she is middle-class and white. Her favorite TV shows are That’s 70’s Show and CSI, two shows that I do not follow but believe are directed towards white middle-class teens and those in their mid-twenties. While she does have a diverse group of friends, it appears that her closest friends are mainly white possibly because of her status.

I'll Take My Stand in Dixie-Net

In Tara McPherson’s I’ll Take My Stand in Dixie-Net, McPherson examines why people support the Confederate ideology over the internet. McPherson examined the phenomenon and refers to these actions as “Cyber-whitening.” Cyber-whitening represents the belief of internet users that Confederate south will once again become an independent nation. McPherson attempts to explain why there are groups who use the internet and attempt to make it white.
McPherson starts to explain early in her article that “neo-Confederates” use the internet to preserve the heritage of the Confederacy. According to McPherson, Those who attempt to preserve Southern heritage are predominately in two different classes. The first is white males between the ages of eighteen to thirty and the second class is forty-five to sixty-year-old group. Most of the sites have information on the civil war and merchants, but McPherson discloses that some of the websites have an area in which they report so-called “Heritage violations.” Heritage violations according to McPherson generally are reports of removing Confederate images. While some websites just inform Confederate supporters information on “Heritage violations,” other website offer information on the ideal that the South envisions another succession from the North. On one website that McPherson came across, McPherson described a map that had the original eleven states of the Confederacy in Confederate grey and the rest of the states in the United States filled in with a different color. Furthermore, McPherson discloses that she feels, “a new Confederacy and a virtual secession at precisely the moment that black Americans are moving to the South in greater numbers than they are leaving it for the first time since the Civil War.” McPherson also notes that many of those who are part of this virtual-Dixie believe in “Lost Cause” sentiments. These sentiments are used to remember the Civil War through celebrations such as “Civil War Memorial Day.” These celebrations show there is still Confederate pride. One may wonder why anyone would want to build a virtual Confederacy. Well by building a virtual Confederacy, McPherson believes supporters will be able to regulate who is included and can discuss the South and its heritage. In other words they are attempting to segregate the internet.
It is clear to see there is an attempt to rebuild the Confederacy, but not in reality. Rather through the internet Confederate supports are able to hold on to the beliefs of the South and discuss their beliefs with others without outside interference from anti-defamation groups. I feel this is disturbing because there is potential, although unlikely, to segregate the internet. Here is an example if the internet would become segregated. Time Warner, for example, would sell internet service in two different packages based on race. The white customer would receive high speed internet and free roam to any webpage while the African American customer would receive the dial up internet, be charged the same price for the lesser service, and be limited to what websites he/she could view. It is clear to see there is still a want for the South to be an independent nation and that is very troubling.

Why I Hate A&F

In Dwight McBride’s “Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch,” McBride explores the idea that Abercrombie and Fitch is racist. McBride believes that Abercrombie and Fitch the brand acts as an idea and not a clothing company and therefore targets a specific audience. Through advertisements and employment practices, Abercrombie and Fitch has built an image for the company; an image that McBride feels is racist.
McBride supports his claim by arguing that Abercrombie and Fitch sells their idea of how an American should appear, “Natural, American, classic.” McBride tells of how Abercrombie wants their models and employees to have a “natural” look. To give employees and consumers an idea of how they were suppose to appear in order to have this so called “natural” look, Abercrombie produced the Look Book. Inside the Look Book are different types of hairstyles and guidelines that Abercrombie feels are necessary to give one the “Natural, American, classic” look. McBride feels the Look Book demonstrates racism because it does not allow dread locks, a hairstyle natural to African Americans. McBride shows that the African American community is excluded from Abercrombie’s idea of “Natural, American, classic” and as a result African Americans are excluded from the idea of how a natural American should appear. To further support his argument that Abercrombie is racist, McBride re-tells a story an ex-assistant manager from Abercrombie and Fitch hold told him. The assistant manager told McBride that while working at the Abercrombie and Fitch the stock room workers were all African American and all brand representatives were white. The actions of this Abercrombie and Fitch retailer solidifies McBride’s argument the Abercrombie is racist. McBride also makes a very interesting point that the idea of what is “Natural American” is not correct if one defines “Natural American” exactly as it is stated. According to McBride, in order to have an authentic Natural American look one would need to dress like a Native American. The Native Americans were the first ones to live in America and lived off the land, how much more “Natural American Classic” can one get? This example demonstrates that the idea of what is “Natural American” has been built by those in power.
So what is the “Natural American classic” look that Abercrombie is selling? When I think of what a typical American looks like I think of a white man dressed in casual clothes, much like clothes that are sold at Abercrombie and Fitch. As McBride demonstrates, the idea of how an American is supposed to appear is sold to Americans through companies such as Abercrombie and Fitch and as a result the American public thinks the typical American is a white man. Up until reading this article I had not really thought about why the typical American appears to be a white male.
McBride’s argument that Abercrombie and Fitch is racist is extremely eye-opening. I believe that McBride is correct that Abercrombie sells an “idea” but I’m not so sure I agree that buy targeting white men the company is racist. Companies have target audiences they attempt to direct their products towards and use different methods of selling their products. FUBU, For Us By Us, is directed towards African Americans, much like Abercrombie is directed towards white men. In conclusion, I believe McBride is correct that Abercrombie sells an idea but is wrong in believing that A&F is racist.

Takaki Chapter 7

Takaki chapter seven shows how Americans colonized and stole land from Mexico to form both California and Texas. America saw the need to move westward and in doing so felt that they needed to take control of Mexican land. Mexicans believed, and rightly so, that Americans thought Mexican land was theirs for the taking, “The idea these gentlemen have formed for themselves is, that God made the world and them also, therefore what there is in the world belongs to them as sons of God”(171-172).
According to Takaki, in 1840 American’s began to seize land from the Mexicans to form the “Great Bear” and the “Lone Star” states. American’s felt that Mexico’s land was for the taking because the “idle” mindset of the Mexican citizens. Richard Henry Dana once said Mexicans are “an idle, thriftless people,” and suffered from “California fever,” also known as laziness. Dana also felt that Americans differed from Mexicans in the sense that the Americans were people of industry, frugality, sobriety, and enterprise (171). Once again America found itself discriminating against those of different ethnicities. While in Mexico, Dana divided the class of Mexican citizens by the skin tone of their skin, “‘even as fair’ as the English: of ‘pure Spanish blood,’ they formed the upper class. Racially the laborers ‘[went] down by regular shades’”(Takaki 169). Dana used his stereotypical ideas to try to categorize the Mexican citizens.
It is disturbing to me to see that America not only discriminated against the African Americans, but also Mexicans. It appears as though Americans wanted Mexico’s land so America took the land on the basis of skin color. Americans seemed to connect all bad character traits with those with dark skin tones.

Takaki Chapter 6

Takaki Chapter 6

In chapter six, Takaki explains how class amongst whites first began with the arrival of the immigration of the Irish to America. The Irish were forced from there native home of Ireland because the English colonist seized Irish farm land and begun harvesting beef. Only fourteen percent of Ireland’s land was under Irish control and therefore over ninety percent of the population was left without an occupation (141). Those who once had been farmers no longer had land to farm on, which left them with a diet that consisted mainly of potatoes. After a fungus began to cause the potatoes to die, this in effect, caused about one million people to die from starvation and disease (143). The Irish were finding that it was difficult to survive in Ireland and began to immigrate to America, “room for all-employment for all and success for many,” but once the Irish arrived in America they met the same fate as every other ethnic group that had ever immigrated to America (143).
The Irish arrived in America at a time that labor was in high demand, and the Irish were the most qualified for these jobs in the eyes of the American’s. Many Irish immigrants worked before sunrise until sundown at their bosses command. Many of the jobs the Irish occupied were extremely dangerous, for example coal mining and building rail lines (146). It was some common in fact that the Irish were placed in such dangerous jobs that they accounted for many job related accidents which led the Irish to believe that they were, “thought of nothing more that dogs…despised & kicked about” (147). Also, to accompany the feeling of worthlessness was the fact that the Irish had to compete with other ethnicities to compete for their jobs. The Irish also were compared to blacks because they were felt viewed as “savages.” (149). While the Irish were discriminated against at first, they eventually gained acceptance in society. Many Irish women became maids which in turn gave them the ability to read and write; thus allowing the women the ability to earn more money.
As seen in Takaki chapter 10, chapter 6 shows that skin color was not as big of a factor in determining class as one might believe. The Irish came to America, their skin was white, but they were discriminated against. It then becomes clear that skin color was the reason why the upper class discriminated against other ethnicities. Takaki makes this extremely clear in chapter 6.

Takaki Chapter 10

In chapter ten, Takaki draws a parralel that shows how rising taxes in Japan forced Japanese famers to move to America. Japanese farmers heard stories about great wealth and oppouutunity in America, some even imagined America as heavenly, and strived to move to America. Once here, the Japanese found that American was as heavenly as once thought.

The Japanese governement was sent a request for six-hundered workers and recieved 28,000 applications for the six-hundered job openings (Takaki 247). Before applicants could be sent to on the growing farms, or plantations, they had to meet requirements to radiate positive image for Japan. The Japanese were careful about who they sent because they had heard rumors about Chinese immigrants hiring prostitiutes, gambling, and drinking; and the Japanese wanted to insure that they would not be connected to these rumors. In an attempt to stop these actions, the government stopped allowing men from Japan or China from coming to America, but allowed women to come and wed the men that had already immigrated to America. But was there hidden meaning behind allowing Japanese women the right to move to America? Women made up seventy-two percent of those in field labor and plantation owners believed that Japanese men worked better if they had their families living/working on the plantation. Plantation owners were fearful that workers would strike if they were all of the same ethnicity so in attempt to prevent the possibility of a strike plantationm owners requested different ethnicities be sent to Hawaii to work. Takaki gives the example of how plantation owners would send Korean workers over to compete with the Japanese because they knew the two ethnicities would not work together to strike because of previous conflict. After the Korean government heard about the poor conditions in Hawaii, they stopped allowing immigrants to go to Hawaii. Once the Korean government stopped allowing the immigration of Koreans, plantation owners turned to the Phillipines. Once the Phillipinos arrived in Hawaii they were filled with propaganda to compete with the Japanese and this led to ethnictensions that would sometimes result in physical conflict. After years of work and no advancement, the Filipinos and Japanese both worked together in an attempt to gain better wages. This event was significant because it was the first time two ethnic groups came together to challenge the white plantation owners. Both ehtnicities over came the propaganda to work together and attempt to bring change to their living conditions and earn more pay.

Takaki shows that no matter what culture comes to America, they will be pitted up against other ethnicities to control one another and to keep those with power in power. The Koreans were brought to America to compete against the Japanese. It is very interesting to know that this happened only eighty years ago. To think that this occured within one's lifetime and yet it isn't commonly known. Takaki shows how those in power stay in power.