Johnathan Okamura's "Barack Obama as the post-racial candidate for post-racial America: perspective from Asian America and Hawaii" discusses how Barack Obama 2008 campaign and election aided in the narrative that the United States has become a 'post-racial' society. He also writes how this color-blind mentality leads to the declining significance of race that diminishes the ongoing struggle that minorities face in America. I thought it was interesting that many believed that discussing race during his campaign would only disadvantage Obama. And that expressing himself as a post-racial candidate helped him receive more support. Obama essentially had to be 'stripped of color' in order for him to have a chance of winning, which shows that many want to believe in the color-blind society. I also found it interesting that Obama's election helped create a narrative that diminishes the struggle of minorities in the U.S. His claim to be Asian American only reinforces the model minority myth and takes the attention away from the ongoing racism that happens.
Question: If a minority receives success in an unexpected field, will people continue to believe in 'post-racial' America like they did with Obama?
References:
- Okamura, J.Y. (2011). Barack Obama as the post-racial candidate for post-racial America: perspective from Asian America and Hawaii. Patterns of Prejudice, 45: 1-2, 133-153. doi:10.1080/0031322x.2011.563159
- Souza, P. (2013). [President Obama with AAPI national leaders]. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/president-obama-the-legacy/asian-american-leaders-reflect-obama-s-legacy-community-n673526
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