So I went snooping around Breitbart. Apart from the
right-wing spin on events, and news from liberal media sources, strategic placement of images, and
faces from people of color, I searched alt-right and found
this article, "
An Establishment Conservative's Guide to Alt-Right",
at the top of the search (right below is an article that says "How to
destroy alt-right" and above the article is a Google ad that says: "You
Are Not That Bigoted"). The article purports to be reporting on the
Alt-Right movement but turns
into a full-blown argument for it. The article is clever; starting with
the
criticism that alt-right is a white-supremacist movement, it
takes the veiled
stance of an unbiased reporter and, quite intelligently, describes the
alt-right and what it stands for in an unassuming tone. This
gives Breitbart a sense of credibility, feeding the curiosity of the
reader and
potential converts into the lull of agreeing with its white supremacist
position. The article says that the alt-right are “natural
conservatives” composed primarily of
“white, mostly male middle-American radicals, who are
unapologetically embracing a new identity politics that prioritises the
interests of their own demographic.”
It is their “natural” instinct, the article says. Hereditary
intelligence contradicts egalitarianism, the article says. Let me pause real
quick out of concern that I might be feeding into Breitbart's tactics by writing this. The former proposition is at best a half-truth and the latter simply erroneous.
People care for their families. Love is undeniable. People also band together
with similar interests – whether it is along the lines of ‘race’, religion,
hobbies and interests, politics and ideology, chess, game of thrones, etc. – we
develop ‘homophilial’ relations (I know, it’s a horrendous term). This also
means that identity politics is not the be-all, end-all. There is an instinct
to care for people who are not like us. The overwhelming response after
devastating Tsunamis, the bucket challenge, adoption, anti-war efforts, etc.
Compassion for those who are not like us is just as “instinctive” as it is to
care for one’s own. Personally, I still think and care about my friends that I’ve
made over the years despite our differences – racial, cultural, political, intellectual or
otherwise – although I am certainly not the best at keeping in touch; I’ll
try to be better at this. But I want people to know I appreciate the kindness
and friendship that people of all colors and creeds have shown me and my
family. My mom has stories for days; shout-out to the Mormons, Catholics, and "white people" in
Utah (despite the microaggressions and implicit racism)
The article says that homogeneity is much more instinctive
than diversity. But the wide acceptance of Christianity (as well as
Islam and Buddhism) and their missionaries beg to differ. If my understanding of
Korean history is correct, western medicine was first introduced into Korea
during the 1880s by missionaries. The efficacy of this medicine piqued interest
in Christianity. That‘s right, Science led to Religion! In Korean scholarship,
science was connected to cosmology. After a long period of isolationism and
scholarly debate, Korea opened its borders and welcomed diversity – although,
to be sure, Korea today has its own problems with immigrants as well. I think
Koreans are generally quite happy to share our culture as long as you engage it
with respect. We are happy when you like our food, our music, our customs and
our dress. Moreover, if homogeneity was more instinctive than diversity there would
be a lot more inbreeding. Genetic diversity was critical for the survival of our
species. Egalitarianism does not dismiss our differences. Every
individual is unique in genetic composition, upbringing, and socio-cultural
influences. Egalitarianism is not about biology but a system of equal treatment
and equitable opportunities to flourish. The United States of America does not
have this kind of system.
So back to the article. According to the author, alt-right
is critical of establishment conservatives because they are quick to import
cheap labor, i.e. immigration, and capitalist exploitation; they would demolish
a cathedral to build a shopping mall. More importantly, the alt-right is concerned
with the preservation of their “tribe” and their “culture”. Now let’s pause
again and think about this. In my opinion, this is the antithesis of the
decolonization and post-colonial argument. It stands very much in the pre-, and
indeed pro-, colonial tradition; an unapologetic inverse of the Black Radical
Tradition.
They want to legitimize their group as analogous to the Mexicans,
African-Americans, or Muslims. But let me break it
down real simple-like. There is no country called "White"; there is
no culture called "White"; and there is certainly no religion called
"White". In this sense, the “white tribe” is
not analogous to
Mexicans or Muslims. 'African-American', 'Asian-American', 'Latin-American',
'Arab-American', 'European-American', or any other hyphenated American are
umbrella terms socially constructed, superficially designated markers for
categorization and classification; they are instruments of division;
instruments of flattening cultural nuance; and socially engineered pathways for
prejudice, discrimination and violence. The people included under these terms
are far from homogenous and at best: "family resemblances". All this
goes without even touching on socialization, embodiment, or epigenetics. The
purported “white culture” is not singular. It comes from an array of countries
from Europe and the creativity that emerged in the US.
The notion of culture is
not a static reified thing but the product of people subject to social,
political, and economic influences and various structures of power and care
within historically specific discursive practices. It is fluid and constantly
evolving. Cowboys, sandwiches, burgers, the rodeo, state fairs, music, and art
are all contingent and emergent products of these dynamics. There is nothing
wrong with any of these but please be aware that the history of oppression and
colonialism is still a wound that has not healed despite how long it has been. “Get
over it” does not work until the resonating oppressive structures and
institutions constructed during the ugly periods of US history that continue to
sustain poverty are eradicated. Nobody is telling poor white folks to “get over
it”. We are not consistently taking shits in your churches, or actively making fun of your people, and we are certainly not the ones putting
barriers in your path to flourish and raise your families.
I’m
not going to go
into this article any further but there is plenty for scholars, academic
or otherwise, to go into. And I am certainly subject to correction.
There are
people much more intelligent and knowledgeable than I am about these
things. I've learned a great deal from people who are classified as “white”. In
fact,
all my mentors throughout my higher education have been “white” – two
Americans, a German, a Welshman, and an Englishman. I am indebted to
them and
appreciate the attention and care they have given me, despite my
arrogance and
persistent intrusion into their office hours. They have opened new
avenues of
thought, windows of history, and, without a doubt, have humbled me
tremendously. I am truly thankful to them as well as all my teachers
from elementary (Beacon Heights and Bennion ELP), junior high
(Hillside), and high school (shoutout to Mr Gordon Moore - I'm still
doing pottery - and the basketball team at Highland; still proud that
you took State senior year even if it was without me... fuckers), and
all my “white” friends and peers who have
introduced me to so much (and of course my "black", Polynesian -
shoutout to Tonga and Samoa -
Mexican, Native, Arab and Persian friends and of course, my Koreans and
fellow Asians from China,
Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, India, Tibet, Phillippines, Vietnam, and Laos and all
those who come from a melting pot of cultures as well as those I never got
around to asking about your background; I still remember your faces
although I might have forgotten a few names). It is, in one sense,
unfortunate that I had to go back and forth between Utah and Korea so
often that it created breaks in our friendships and lost touch with so
many as I've gone into this so called "adult life" - shit gets crazy
busy.
I want you to know that I still remember you and
that I do not hate “white people”. As a fellow US citizen, I am simply
critical of the
system and structures that you’ve inherited which just so happens to
accommodate your skin color more than those who are not.
Just because the
article doesn't say "white supremacy" doesn't mean that it doesn't
advocate for it. Just because there's a person of color or a woman or an LGBTQ
person or a Muslim on your team doesn't exempt the team from systematic
discrimination.
People everywhere are
going through hard times and, I agree, the current political economy and the
establishment isn't helping.
