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Silent Group Racism
     I want to carry the discussion about nouvelle racism into group situations. In my experience racists seldom reveal their true sentiments one-on-one. I've interacted with people without detecting the slightest hint of illwill, only to see their racist impulses surface when they find themselves among other racists and a lone Asian, often me.      Do they discuss their racist sentiments with one another and conspire to undermine the Asian in their midst? Occasionally. I've overheard snatches of such conversations. But that's more likely the method of original-flavor racists who can be smelled a mile away. The kind of racists we run across in the professional world are more likely to be of the nouvelle variety. They won't show their colors that baldly, even among themselves. For one thing, it goes against prevailing notions of acceptable professional behavior. For another, they can't be completely sure that racist statements won't come back embarrassingly to haunt them a là Mark Furman in the O.J. Simpson trial. Most importantly, the kind of social and psychic mischief that nouvelle racists seek to work can be achieved without the need to spell out ugly sentiments and malign motives.      For these reasons nouvelle racists act on shared racist sentiments and impulses through silent conspiracies. If a nouvelle racist senses that he may be in the company of others, he begins by testing the waters. Typically it is by tossing out a remark that subtly undermines the Asian in their group. If the group contains other nouvelle racists, they feel encouraged to contribute similar remarks. It doesn't take many to get the ball rolling toward a tacit but full-blown conspiracy. Its objective? To share a bond of racial privilege and superiority by relegating the Asian to a marginal place within the group. That is the nouvelle racist's way of satisfying racist impulses without jeopardizing their standing in the professional world. [CONTINUED BELOW]
    
I don't suggest that Asians are always subjected to silent nouvelle racist conspiracies in group situations. I have worked and socialized in groups where, despite having been a minority of one, I sensed no such conspiracy. Often I have seen incipient nouvelle racists testing the waters by tossing out a kidding remark -- and finding no takers. But in more than a few situations I have felt myself being slowly but unmistakeably isolated, undermined and marginalized as a silent racist conspiracy takes shape. My usual reaction is to write off that group, sometimes without regret, sometimes regretting the lost social or professional opportunity I had sought.
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