United States is a multiracial country and becoming more diverse as time goes by. But still, majority of the US population is White American and the rest are African American, Hispanic, Asian, and others. Even though United States is a country that consists of people from different race, religion, and cultural background, the outsiders view the United States as a "Whiteness country," which means a country conquered by the White American. Who creates the definition of "Whiteness?" This term did not exist until 18th century and later, it becomes a well-established racial term that has huge impact on the American society. The construction of "White" as a race has created various boundaries between the White American and other races in the United States. Martin and Nakayama (2012) state people intentionally use the term nonwhite to highlight the central role of whiteness in defining racial identity in the US (p.185).
The writer of Stuff White People Like's blog has listed various topics that are associated with the life and culture of white people. I like #40 Apple Products post where the writer explains white people don't just like Apple, they love and need Apple to operate. Everyone knows that Apple is initiated by White people. People always stereotyping that white people definitely would buy products from Apple company rather than buying from Samsung or LG companies. Majority of students in any classes are also using Macbook and we hardly could see students who are using other brands especially in the United States. The second post I find most compelling is #58 Japan where the writer explains white people love Japan for a number of reasons such as sushi, kawai stuff, Japanese language, music, and anime. After Pearl Harbor attack, a wave of anti-Japanese racism swept the U.S. (D'Amato, 2001). But, this kind of racism has faded away over time. Nowadays, a lot of Americans like to travel to Japan and learn Japanese language. The third post I find most compelling is #89 Saint Patrick's Day where the writer states white people celebrate St. Patrick's day to recognize Saint Patrick who helped to bring Catholicism to the Emerald Isle. St. Patrick day is very important for American identity and they proud to be claimed as Irish.
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| The invention of the white race |
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| Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. |
Rhino, he is an American who is studying in Japan. He speaks Japanese very well.
Conflict can arise when there are sharp differences between who we think we are and who others think we are (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 162 ). A Chinese American is recognized as an Asian by those who do not know his/her real identity even though he/she is actually an American. To identify a person by judging his/her skin color or physical appearance is not reliable anymore in today's society. Thousands of Muslim American are also being labeled as terrorists just because of their religion. After all, they are also American just like White American, African American, and others. People always have mistaken me as a Middle Eastern just because I am wearing headscarf every time I go outside. Are religions being racialized too? Few people know a fact that there are a lot of Muslim women who are not wearing headscarf but they are hardly labeled as terrorists by society. Physical appearance is a very powerful non-verbal communication to convey who we are and where we come from. Many people in our society are actually have no intention to be racist or prejudice toward other races, but we continue to be judgmental unconsciously due to various factors such as lifestyle, education, family background, and the power of media.
Becoming American: The Chinese Experience
References
Clander. (2008, February 7). Stuff White People Like: #58 Japan [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/07/58-japan/
Clander (2008, March 16). Stuff White People Like: #89 Saint Patrick's Day [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/03/16/89-saint-patricks-day/
D' Amato, P. (2001). Pearl Harbor, internment, and Hiroshima: historical lessons [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Civil_Liberties/Pearl%20Harbor_Internment.html
Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
Very insightful and well thought out. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this matter. Keep up the good work and the great blogging!
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