Silent Group Racism
An article on this site called Nouvelle Racism discusses how today's racists have evolved beyond straightforward expressions of hatred in favor of subtler but no less insidious forms of brainwashing. It struck a chord with me because it verbalizes what I had been feeling for some time about racism in the media.
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.
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.
This is the way most of us experience racism in our lives. I believe that an important step in improving our position in American society is to expose the dynamics of silent racism in group situations.
These are some nouvelle racist group strategies I have personally experienced, often in combination.
Conspiracy to Exclude
Your input is given less attention than it merits or is ignored outright.
This form of group nouvelle racism begins with one of your statements being ignored by someone in the group, often under the guise of paying attention to another person. The conspiracy takes shape when this deliberate disregard is mirrored by others in the group. This is often accompanied by a turning away of the face and body. The objective is to make you feel excluded.
This form is most common in upper professional levels in the context of multi-patrty business conferences or social gatherings where excluding you from a discussion confers a clear advantage on one or more other parties in the group.
In some ways this is the easiest form to deal with because it is the least subject to misinterpretation.
Conspiracy to Alienate
Your input is greeted with ridicule, distaste or disdain.
This strategy is initiated by a politely incredulous ("You're not serious, I hope?") or humorous reaction (laughter) to one of your statements or actions. The subtext is that your sensibilities or values are out of sync with that of the group. It gathers momentum when another in the group echoes the sentiment. It has taken root when most or all your input is greeted with open ridicule or distaste.
This strategy is most common among lower professional levels or among younger professionals without responsbility for the group's performance or well-being. In social settings, it is more common among the lower-classes or the very young.
The difficulty in these situations is knowing when to fight back with banter and when to write off the group as racist. Sometimes a group's crude or rough social style can be mistaken for racism.
Conspiracy to Condescend
Your input is treated as coming from someone of inferior capacity, knowledge or experience.
This strategy is typically initiated when someone makes an elaborate show of paying close attention to everything you say, in the way that an adult does to a child. Sometimes it is initiated with exaggerated but obviously insincere praise for your input ("Those are some excellent points to keep in mind!") not accompanied by a substantive response. The conspiracy becomes manifest when others in the group treat you with exaggerated solicitude without acting on your input.
This form is most common among mid-level professionals with some responsibility for the performance and well-being or young subordinates. In social settings, this is common among upper-class or upper-middle-class women and youth coming into contact with minority persons to whom they have had little exposure.
The difficulty with this form of nouvelle racism is in trying to distinguish those with sincere goodwill but with no comfort level from confirmed bigots who see you as being racially inferior.
Conspiracy to Slander
You are undermined through the malicious spreading of untrue rumors.
This strategy is set in motion when someone spreads a false rumor about you outside of your presence. If it finds an interested audience, it is embellished and exaggerated with each retelling. The object is to make you look ridiculous or contemptible. Once these slanders start being repeated by others, the nouvelle racists in the group feel empowered to fabricate more rumors about you. The conspiracy has succeeded when you come to be judged by false rumors rather than by your actions.
This strategy is most popularly employed by low- and mid-level professionals against an Asian perceived to be a professional threat, especially if he is seen as lacking a base of peer support. In social situations it is used most often by lower- and middle-class people against an Asian seen as physically, intellectually or economically threatening. While the same strategies are used in non-racial situations, it is employed most commonly against Asians because of our relatively small numbers in the general population.
The danger of this type of nouvelle racism is being drawn down to the level of the racists. The only effective counter-strategy is to succeed above the level of the slanderers, thereby putting their motivation into proper focus.
Conspiracy to Isolate
Other Asians in the group are converted into honorary Whites.
Obviously silent racist conspiracies don't work in groups containing more than one Asian. But the more cunning and determined nouvelle racists have a strategy for dealing with that contingency. Once they settle on a victim, they confer special status on the other Asian in the group with words like, "You're not like the other Asians." This strategy has succeeded when the second Asian is flattered to have been accepted as an "honorary White".
This tactic is found among lower or mid-level professionals. In a social context, it is used mostly in the lower and middle-classes.
This tactic rarely succeeds with Asians who have an awareness of how nouvelle racism functions. It succeeds most often when the "other" Asian has low self-esteem. Nouvelle racists have no trouble picking out the one who is more vulnerable to this ruse. As soon as the victim has been squeezed out, the "honorary White" is easily disposed of.
