Identity-based privilege manifests itself in myriad ways in adults. All things being equal it shows up in whether you are deemed authoritative or arrogant, whether you are judged for your record or your potential, whether your hair is considered quirky or unkempt, whether your accent is taken as classy or backward. And whether your skin colour translates into danger or innocence.
Notice, the opposite of racial innocence is not guilt, but danger. Threat.
Among children, privilege manifests itself chiefly in this ominous measure of innocence.
Exhibit A is what is now labelled the “hijab hoax” story from January in which an 11-year-old girl alleged that a man ran up behind her, when she was on her way to school with her little brother, and cut her hijab. Police investigated and said this did not happen.
Newspapers demanded an apology from the girl’s family (which was given.) Some people wanted the girl’s mother to be criminally charged.
The man alleged to have committed the crime was described as young, and Asian.
“Asian” somehow became Chinese became racial insult became threat. How quickly that child’s entitlement to innocence was snatched away. There were protests by Chinese Canadians across Canada in Montreal and Toronto and Calgary and Regina and Edmonton where the hoax was conflated with the spectre of terrorism. “Hoax Today, Horror Tomorrow” blared posters at some of these protests. (more...)
Killer Muslim girls, huh?
No comments:
Post a Comment