White Minority Pending

I was reading an article in TIME Magazine that was part of the cover story (Ten Big Ideas for the Next Ten Years). The article is entitled "The White Anxiety Crisis", and discusses how whites will be the minority in America by 2050.

By that time, we may not be here because of 2012 (hey I'm excited, no loans to pay off), or dialogue and ideas about race and stereotypes might heavily progress. But by that time we also might have aliens to worry about, like in District 9.

Think about it though, what would be so bad about a white minority? If I read the article correctly, there will be no demographic over 50% in the country by that time either. It might make for a very interesting country.

"Not to be racist, but..."

I went home to Berks County this past weekend only to be rudely reminded of why I like Philadelphia so much better, at least where race is concerned. Not everyone in Berks County, PA is like this, but unfortunately I've met enough people that are to make a stereotype of white suburbia mentality, and for that I apologize in advance.

I was speaking to a parent about March Madness and Temple's basketball team. (For those of you that don't know, Temple lost to Cornell in the first round of this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.) This parent asked me how school was going, and I said it was absolutely great, I was just bummed because Temple had lost so early in the tournament. So we begin to talk a bit about college basketball (of which I know next to nothing, nor do I really pay attention until March), and he says "Not to be racist, but..." And I'm thinking oh boy, can't wait to see where this is going. Then he continues to say how every team has great players but it's the white ones that seem to have a great combination of point-guard, and something else I forget what positions he listed. He said that those were the teams that really do the best and have the most team work. Slightly infuriated, I had to make the decision to just nod my head and smile or politely say something.

I chose to nod and smile. Now, had this been a friend, I probably would have politely gone ape-shit. (Apologies, politely would have said that 1- they were wrong if you look at previous championship winners, 2- race is a social construction blah blah blah and the whole speal the usually hear from me anyway). This is the issue I see myself running into in the future...do I correct those people or say something? Or do I let it go? My intention isn't to intentionally begin a conflict, but I find it more and more difficult to keep my mouth shut because I believe that there's no reason for dialogue or assumptions like that.

UNC, 2009 Champs...looks pretty white to me...


Kansas, 2008 Champs...hey look everyone's white...


Florida, 2007 Champs...seeing a pattern here?

The Italian Job

I'm not going to lie, I love being Italian. Being Italian, along with any other group of people also has its stereotypes. Do I get offended by them? No. Do some people? Yes. Do I think, contrary to the anti-stereotyping I'm trying to establish on this page, that sometimes views of Italians are just downright hilarious?

...Absolutely.






Time to get a little more serious. As an Italian-American, I do not find MTV's new show Jersey Shore to be offensive. I find it to be highly entertaining not in the fact that I watch the show but just how stupid some of the people on it are, and how ridiculously over the top it is. What is interesting though is that there are many Italian- Americans who find this portrayal offensive, understandably. The difference is that "white" ethnicities are usually not portrayed in umbrella stereotypes on TV in a negative way. Here, they are. Maybe it's a wake up call for those that might have stereotyped against other ethnicities in the past? What do you think?





I find some of the stereotypes hilarious. Here's the other thing though. If you had to name three "ethnic groups" associated most with crime, they would probably be Hispanics, African Americans, and Italians. Why don't as many Italians seem to be offended as other "races" would if they were in the same situation? Or do they? What do you think?

Suburbia

My interest in social sciences was limited to none until my spring term at Drexel last year. I had no idea what Anthropology or Sociology were, but I took intros in both just to see what they would be like. Loved em both. As of this point in time I'm hoping to declare a minor in Anthropology from Temple University. Do I want to be an anthropologist? No, but I find it fascinating and it is my strong belief that people should know more about it than they do.

I come from a hugely white suburbia population in Berks County, Pa. I went to a very good public school (the same as Chad Henne, Kristy Kowal, and many other cool people), with great teachers. Taxes are low and the economic/financial standing of those living in the school district is a wide range, but almost every student lives in a suburb to rural area.

I grew up in Danbury, Connecticut, a more urban sort of area with another good school district. But it was much more "mixed" in terms of race and ethnicity. And it was fantastic. That's the one thing I miss from elementary school and the only thing I don't like about Berks county.

Do I have a problem with living in a predominantly white suburb? No, but I have a problem with people living in such areas that stereotype and have never been outside their shell. Don't get me wrong, no one's perfect and I think it's safe to say everyone thinks in some sort of subconscious stereotypes, including myself.

I have made amazing friends in Berks County. I see them as people first before I see them as a socially constructed color. That's how little children see people. They recognize a smile before they recognize that someone has a different shade of skin.

Sometimes, though, I challenge my best friends, and they challenge me when it comes to anthropology and stereotyping. Some of them are very receptive to the knowledge I try to share with them from my classes and experiences, but some of them don't want to hear it. It's disheartening. Am I asking you to agree with me on this blog? Absolutely not, then there's no room for progressive conversation, it's just a bunch of one sided arguing on my part.

My friends (and you) are completely entitled to their(your) opinion, but I believe that anyone who forms opinions about race needs to be further informed about it. Stereotypes exist for a reason, but lack of race/gender/human behavior education and the environment in which people are brought up play a huge part in the misunderstanding.