This is a transcript from a monologue on my radio show. Subscribe to my newsletter here for only $7/month. If you read media reports about the 2020 Census data, what you will find is that the nation's rural parts are shrinking in population and urban parts are growing, but overall the country's population is not growing that much, and the country's population to the extent it's growing is overwhelmingly non-white and immigrant.
This makes me think of an "opinion" piece in the PCUSA's Unbound social justice magazine over the past twelve months. The leftist, Hispanic columnist claimed that her people too were affected by white supremacy because of look at all the white looking, high profile Hispanics in news anchor roles. Because she couldn't readily identify any darker-skinned ones, it was proof of white supremacy and systemic racism.
People choose their own ethnicity in the census. If most Hispanics actually view themselves as white, why then would they not check that box, thereby increasing the population identified as white and reducing the population identified as Hispanic?
I am currently writing about critical theory as a false binary between oppressed and oppressors (Thanks to Freire, 1970). Current critical theorists (nouveau CT) ignore the massive swath of people who are middle and working class-- of all ethnic heritages. Humans don't fit neatly into categories (hence the "need" for intersectionality).
What's actually QUITE telling is the note I received from an education conference I have attended for the last six or seven year. Of course, the theme is wrapped around the CT concept of "diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and the email excitedly listed the seven keynote speakers as celebrating DEI. One problem. Every single one is Black. No Hispanic. No Asian (Eastern, Middle, or Southern). No Indigenous. Obviously, no white. Oh--and no disabled, no one with Downs, no one missing limbs, no one speaking on the invisible disabilities like anxiety or MS or chronic fatigue. Just seven prominent liberal Black celebrities and educators. Explain to me how that promotes DEI? What Nouveau Critical Theory actually does is place one group over all the others, in essence, turning the "oppressed" into the "oppressors." And the liberals cower in obeisance to ensure they are still part of the social and political elite class.
More people are moving to the city. But I wonder - I just wonder if that could change. As we become less tied to an office in Midtown and more able to work from any place we happen to be, will the clean air, low cost housing, and quiet of the rural areas become more attractive? That migration has begun into some parts of the rural northwest. If it does, will those of is in rural areas be able to influence change in those moving to our areas? I know it can't happen through arguments and insults. But it might happen over shared meals if we accept them in our communities. The demographics are changing. Can we use them to make our country stronger?
In the summer of 2011, I found myself riding across the international airport in Cartagena, Colombia in the back of a beaten up pickup truck. Fun times. Being told not to expect the locals to be thrilled about my presence and wanting to respect the culture, I attempted to strike up a friendly conversation with my broken Spanish. When in Rome and all, you know.
The young man in the truck bed with me would only speak English. I explained that I was in his country, and I wanted to respect his culture. He expressed gratitude, but he would only speak English.
When I asked why, he said he wanted to practice, because he loves the U.S. and hoped to emigrate one day.
The rest of the world does not categorically hate us. More Hispanics will come, and I welcome them.
These folks may identify as “white” but do they identify as United States citizens willing to respect the constitution??
This makes me think of an "opinion" piece in the PCUSA's Unbound social justice magazine over the past twelve months. The leftist, Hispanic columnist claimed that her people too were affected by white supremacy because of look at all the white looking, high profile Hispanics in news anchor roles. Because she couldn't readily identify any darker-skinned ones, it was proof of white supremacy and systemic racism.
People choose their own ethnicity in the census. If most Hispanics actually view themselves as white, why then would they not check that box, thereby increasing the population identified as white and reducing the population identified as Hispanic?
I am currently writing about critical theory as a false binary between oppressed and oppressors (Thanks to Freire, 1970). Current critical theorists (nouveau CT) ignore the massive swath of people who are middle and working class-- of all ethnic heritages. Humans don't fit neatly into categories (hence the "need" for intersectionality).
What's actually QUITE telling is the note I received from an education conference I have attended for the last six or seven year. Of course, the theme is wrapped around the CT concept of "diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and the email excitedly listed the seven keynote speakers as celebrating DEI. One problem. Every single one is Black. No Hispanic. No Asian (Eastern, Middle, or Southern). No Indigenous. Obviously, no white. Oh--and no disabled, no one with Downs, no one missing limbs, no one speaking on the invisible disabilities like anxiety or MS or chronic fatigue. Just seven prominent liberal Black celebrities and educators. Explain to me how that promotes DEI? What Nouveau Critical Theory actually does is place one group over all the others, in essence, turning the "oppressed" into the "oppressors." And the liberals cower in obeisance to ensure they are still part of the social and political elite class.
Still writing -- and fuming.
More people are moving to the city. But I wonder - I just wonder if that could change. As we become less tied to an office in Midtown and more able to work from any place we happen to be, will the clean air, low cost housing, and quiet of the rural areas become more attractive? That migration has begun into some parts of the rural northwest. If it does, will those of is in rural areas be able to influence change in those moving to our areas? I know it can't happen through arguments and insults. But it might happen over shared meals if we accept them in our communities. The demographics are changing. Can we use them to make our country stronger?
In the summer of 2011, I found myself riding across the international airport in Cartagena, Colombia in the back of a beaten up pickup truck. Fun times. Being told not to expect the locals to be thrilled about my presence and wanting to respect the culture, I attempted to strike up a friendly conversation with my broken Spanish. When in Rome and all, you know.
The young man in the truck bed with me would only speak English. I explained that I was in his country, and I wanted to respect his culture. He expressed gratitude, but he would only speak English.
When I asked why, he said he wanted to practice, because he loves the U.S. and hoped to emigrate one day.
The rest of the world does not categorically hate us. More Hispanics will come, and I welcome them.