re: #8 SamOwl

The reason I didn’t cite the book was because I’m lazy.

That’s not going to be popular here and it definitely won’t win you any debates. If you care about a subject, then take the time to research it, collect facts, cite reputable sources (with links), and make a logical case for your conclusions. If you can’t be bothered, then don’t expect us to waste much time discussing things with you and don’t be surprised if you’re ridiculed. I’m not saying that just to be snarky, I’m saying it because that’s how things work around here.

“Racism is the set of institutional, cultural, and interpersonal patterns and practices that create advantages for people legally defined and socially constructed as “White”, and the corollary disadvantages for people defined as “non-White” in the United States.”

The definition of racism is general and refers only to the United States, and I think that’s a very limited perspective given what it actually said.

You could argue that this was talking about institutional racism, but the fact is it just said “racism”, and then described racism as having a set of institutional patterns, and the patterns mentioned have to benefit people constructed as “white”.

I don’t understand your logic in asserting that it’s a “general” definition of racism (presumably overly so) while at the same time saying it’s “a very limited perspective given what it actually said.” It’s a very limited perspective precisely because it’s based on a very specific definition. It’s quite clear to me based on the the snippet you provided that they’re addressing racism as a group (set) of circumstances (patterns and practices) in the United States that make up White privilege (create advantages for people legally defined and socially constructed as “White”). It’s not about other countries & cultures or individual groups, institutions, or people.

Another thing: According to its description, the second edition of the book is a 688-page anthology containing over 130 readings/chapters. Based on those numbers and my perusal of the table of contents of the first edition, each essay is only a few pages long. Given those constraints, the essays would either have to be sweepingly general overviews or very narrow & precise examples.

Additionally, you provided the section & page number, but failed to mention whether the portion quoted was from the introduction or from one of the chapters, and if so which one (I was unable to locate a TOC for the 2nd edition). In the context of an anthology, it matters much more than it would in a book covering the subject in a more general way.

It’s especially relevant with this particular book since the back cover points out that each of the book’s sections are purposely divided into subsections called Contexts, Personal Voices, and Next Steps and Actions, the first two containing “theoretical essays and personal reflections” designed to stress “critical thinking while providing vivid portraits”, and the third containing essays “designed to challenge the reader to take action”.

You don’t seem to be approaching the book the way it was intended.

Even if it WERE talking about institutional racism, it’s still not entirely accurate. I don’t deny that whites have the most impact on the institution of racism, but I deny that whites are the only ones, and by far they are not the only ones. We just don’t hear about it as often.

You’re wrong. Please carefully re-read my definition of institutional racism in comment #1. Both at present and historically speaking, it simply is not possible for non-Whites to impose institutional racism in the U.S. because they are not the dominant group (at least not yet).

If you’re asserting otherwise—and it seems that you are—then, as mentioned previously, you’re going to need to provide proof from reputable sources (in the form of links). Mind you, I’m not saying that it’s impossible for individual non-White institutions (say a school, business, or other organization) to be racist towards Whites, but that’s not what people talking about when—as in the book you cited—they refer to institutional racism on a national scale.