Week 9_Julia Wells_Section 4

While I was reading the article about Barack Obama as the post-racial candidate for a post-racial America, I came across many statements that sounded similar to the ones I heard in my high school such as "Obama is our first black president” or “Obama is Asian American”. I understood the first statement, but I was surprised by the second statement. Once I read the article, the second statement was clearer as to why people said that. I thought it was odd that Obama claims himself “as a president that happens to be black” rather than a black president, and he considers himself Asian American, but he avoids any race discussion from social politics. Many people, especially whites, stripped Obama of color because he did not follow the stereotypical “black” pathway of being an athlete or being in a gang. From the article and from my own opinion it seemed like white males wanted to show the world that they have become post-racial and made some progress to make amends for their oppression of blacks. This would be an ulterior motive for voting for Obama. However, there is still a substantial difference between whites and blacks in education, and the difference is blamed on family and culture, rather than racism or discrimination.

Besides Obama being stripped of his color, people look at him as Asian American because of the “cultural markers and similar life experiences” that have put him closer to the Asian American way of living and cultural values. Looking at Obama in this way also makes people say he is not “black” enough to be considered African American. “Race is the product of a long history of struggle, resistance, and solidarity, and is a primary marker of human difference and collectivity.” This quote defines race without any science behind it, which allows people to view race as something else rather than a blood linkage or the color of their skin. People calling Obama not “black” enough is an absurd statement. In one context, his skin color is not good enough. In another context, his cultural background and history do not give him the right to be “black”. It would be unfortunate for people to ignore their cultural heritage and ignore their history, but it seems convenient to go along with someone else’s.

In Professor Valverde’s lecture about African Americans and Asians, she was saying that both races promote the other’s stereotype because it works in their favor. Even in past readings, there is a history between Asians and African Americans fighting for affirmative action, but there is also a conflict where African Americans are discriminated because of the Asian stereotype. Did other racial groups have these kinds of conflicts because of one another’s stereotype?

Jonathan Y. Okamura (2011) Barack Obama as the post-racial candidate for a post-racial America: perspectives from Asian America and Hawai‘i, Patterns of Prejudice,45:1-2, 133-153, DOI: 10.1080/0031322X.2011.563159

https://weneedfun.com/barack-obama-best-quotes/