Hate is About Power
Imagine if you were offered a life of prosperity in exchange for all the hatred you experienced, would you take it? Back in 2011, I took a challenging course called ‘Methodology of the Oppressed’ to learn and explore practical applications of the methodology of the oppressed through the study of historical and contemporary socialized thought processes. Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of ‘Talking About Race, Learning About Racism: The Application of Racial Identity Development Theory in the Classroom’ really blew my mind away. It is important to understand those examples.
Working Assumptions (Tatum 1992):
1. Racism, defined as a “system of advantage based on race” is a pervasive aspect of U.S. socialization.
2. Prejudice, defined as a “preconceived judgement or opinion, often based on limited information,” is clearly distinguished from racism.
3. In the context of U.S. society, the system of advantage clearly operates to benefit Whites as a group.
4. Because of the prejudice and racism inherent in our environments when we were children, we cannot be blamed for learning, what we were taught (intentionally or unintentionally).
5. It is assumed that change, both individual and institutional, is possible.
Sources of Resistance (Tatum 1992)
1. Race is considered a “taboo” topic for discussion, especially in racially mixed settings.
2. Many, regardless of racial-group membership, have been socialized to think of the United States as a just society.
3. Many, particularly White people, initially deny any personal prejudice, recognizing the impact of racism on other people’s lives, but failing to acknowledge its impact on their own.
You can find it online and learn for free. As to let you know, the hate I refer is the deeply rooted sense of language ignorance, of being afraid of silence. Allowing hate is one of the easiest things they can do. Herein lies the challenge and the doorway to language prosperity even in Deaf community, too. Hate is not welcomed.
-JT
Copyright @ 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
The Battle on Racism in Deaf Community
Honestly, I do not know what to say after I saw so much movements the last couple of days and there are several Confederate monuments has been taken down like in Maryland and many other cities. We are witnessing history! How will the history books redefine in schools now? It is really big deal!
The battle on Racism centered today in the white supremacy organizations, has raised two concerns about my own community, Deaf community. Either has to do with the language and culture of the Deaf. I know some Deaf white folks who practice white supremacy. In fact, I know someone Deaf who idolizes KKK and Neo-Nazi with the words painted in the back yard years ago. I saw it with my own eyes. I remember that day well.
What has emerged is that the white supremacy is an organized racist group; powerful enough in lay terms, to practice and promote language hate. White supremacists hate the fact that love exists as the most important human tool. Additionally, and ominously, is what white supremacy knows how to “isolate” some of Deaf people using hate language. These concerns have their origin in a determination, which, if it had merit at its inception, also carried latent demands that Deaf people be taught to preach white supremacy in language and culture.
Deaf people became oppressed, and their language and culture suppressed. They were target and became supplicants of white supremacy. We the Deaf people, it is safe to say, we will want our language and culture (which, significantly, ASL values above all other subject matters) to be broadly representative of our social whole. At all costs, we the Deaf people must not a caste set apart, neither drawn from nor informed by the white supremacy.
I would highly suggest reading great stuff called Teaching Racism: Using Experiential Learning to Challenge the Status Quo by Melody Aye Loya and Mo Cuevas. It has influenced me huge. The initial premise is prima facie discriminatory. Racism is dangerous; indeed, it can be countervailing. When it comes to communication, Racism does have n opt-in or opt-out practice. These rejected aspects of Racism drills at the root of the language racism we the Deaf face today and tomorrow.
It should not be surprise that in 2017 the white supremacy practitionists alleviate the language racism in such a way as to alleviate the immigration crisis across America. They would make Deaf people who use ASL aliens eligible for oppression and hatred. Remember, white supremacists and white nationalists are targeting minorities including Deaf people—no kidding.
The battle on Racism has been appropriated by white supremacy and white nationalists even some business organizations. Now is a good time to challenge these hate groups and to ask whether they continue to wage the language and culture war—especially Racism against the Deaf in the United States. White Deaf folks—do not go into white silence anymore.
I see ASL as our collective community. This collective community turns on pieces of it and puts them in a box where we get to talk to each other and figure out how to rethink our of the box. If you could see love in your imagination, then that is all I got to write about the real power behind ASL. Love will always defeat Hate.
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
How To Be a Better American
America’s neighbor, Canada—someone from there left me a comment to tell me that I need to be a better American and leave Donald Trump alone. I’ve been bred and buttered in America since 1974. I’ve walked through school halls being constantly bullied by hearing peers everyday. I’ve been suspended several times just because I was standing up and protect myself from bullies. I was taught to follow American values—I’ve been breathing through thick air for 365 days a year for next 42 years.
Oh, I also remember growing up in schools telling me to respect American flag and yet I was mocked for being Deaf. That tells a lot, right? Oddly, I feel compelled to explain what an American flag is all about—today in current political climate under Trump, the flag is now seen as a taboo. When a person from Canada tells me that I need to be a ‘better American’.
What the person does not know that in 1970s, Trump and his father was constantly bully and discriminate Black people in several American cities when they were looking for a place to rent out for their human necessities as we all do to have a roof over our heads. They were profiled. The Department of Justice (DOJ) took them to the court for racial discrimination and the violation of Fair Housing Act. Was the person from Canada aware of this?
Oh, Trump has a huge list of history mocking Native Americans. In 1993, he was called out to testify front of congressional testimony and the true colors came out of Trump’s mouth when he said, “They don’t look like Indians to me and they don’t look like Indians to Indians.” Damn! That is a hate speech, folks! I’m part of Cherokee and I did not really appreciate what Trump said. Where did he learn that? His father. Hate is a learned behavior. You ever notice that Trump never talks about his mother? Tsk tsk. Wait, do not forget what Trump lied to the media that he was not aware of protestors at Standing Rock. That’s one damn lying sack of shit!
Back in 2013, I attended a conference at National Museum of the American Indian, Racist Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in American Sports to fight against systematic racism. Is that not a better American?
For the last few days has been difficult for America to deal with Trump’s lies and he was the one who incited political violence. He is a rampant xenophobic, racist, misogynist and a very bad actor to cover up his lies. Now, that person from Canada tells me to be a better American. Guess what? I am—because I am fighting against all forms of hate, systematic racism, and we are witnessing increasing violence by angry racists who are targeting Muslims, immigrants, LGBTQ people, minority communities and Deaf community as well. We are witnessing…invisible consequences. Seriously!
As a better American, it is my civic responsibility to inform Deaf community that we need to get Trump impeached, jailed, and out of the office for the highest treason and incite political violence. It is also all of our duties to put hate groups out of business, and of course, seeking justice for survivors of discrimination. As for the American flag we see everyday, old America was not built on faith, it was built on hate and violence and we do not need history repeating again. Trump is bringing old America back.
Hence, “America First”—that’s bullshit. My maternal and paternal great grandfathers were immigrants who fled from Ireland, Scotland, and Germany for safety and opportunity. They were granted immigration, and seek for better life for themselves and their families. My own families. Do not forget my Cherokee families, too.
I will not let Trump’s “politics” to corrupt my own American flag I was taught to follow American values. Back in 2007, as an undergraduate student signing up for Hate Crime and Bias course, that changed my life forever. A year later, I voted for Obama and was very proud to know that Obama was my president. The next day after Obama won the election, I remember showing up for a class, it was practically empty because everyone was partying so hard and cried for a change.
That was the real America we are talking about because we were sick of systemic racism everyday and believed that it is change to erase hate because we have no place for hate anymore. When the white supremacists causing major violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, they wanted to “take America back”—OK, the real question, maybe make it a sociological question—take it back for what? From whom? Why? For what kind of purpose? I do not really understand this at all. Trump does not represent American flag. No way!
By telling me that I need to be a better American and leave Trump alone does not sit well with me.
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
Trump Carries the Same Cloth as His Racist Daddy
Oh, look here! Trump is doing a favor for his daddy to rescue his dreams to bring white supremacy back. The white supremacy runs in the family.
While I condemn any form of hate or racism what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier today, did you notice that Trump did not even denounce white nationalists? That is so typical of Trump. Now we have been living past 100 days of Trump’s America, I would like to remind people again, why Trump is in denial or refuse to punish white nationalists. Exactly 90 years ago, Trump’s daddy was arrested for marching in a violent Klan rally that took place in the Bronx.
-Trump promises to place “America first“—a dangerous and hidden slogan associated with America First Committee, an anti-Semitic, isolationist group that emerged in 1940 to prevent American involvement in World War II.
-Richard Spencer, the white nationalist leader who coined “alt-right” said on January 24, 2017, four days after Trump swore in as 45th, “Trump is a white nationalist, so to speak. He is alt-right whether he likes it or not.”
-January 27th, Trump releases a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day that neglects to mention the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis.
-February 8, 2017, the U.S. Senate confirms Jeff Sessions as attorney general. More than 1,000 legal scholars previously signed a letter expressing concerns that Sessions’s views has not changed since 1986, when he made a racist statement and he has strong ties to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim extremist groups. That is why he does not support hate crime laws. Really.
-April 14, 2017, the Trump administration announces that it will keep White House visitor logs a secret. The records will not be available to the public until five years after Trump leaves office.
-Ten days later, the Anti-Defamation League reports that anti-Semitic incidents rose 86% during the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the same period the previous year. The increase is part of a longer trend that gained steam after the November election. Many of the perpetrators invoked the name of the president.
I could go on with more information…..and Trump follows his sugar daddy’s footsteps and make sure his dream comes true. Trump is responsible for what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, no matter what because of mainstream hate going on in America. Racism is alive. We must condemn Racism.
Why should we allow these white nationalists or white supremacists to intimidate us from confronting to remove the symbols of white supremacy? The same America we are living in, why cannot we recognize that Trump is cut from the same cloth as his late, great racist of a sugar daddy? Come on, wake up, Deaf community! It does not make America GREAT AGAIN!
-JT
Copyright © 2017 Jason Tozier
This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.
