Posted on 02/20/2009 1:10:37 PM PST by Fiji Hill
Racism Strikes Oxy's Party Scene Wearing Brown
Tefari Abel Casas Fuchs
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Opinion
Saturday, Jan. 31st., will be a night that I shall never forget. It was the first time I realized I was not safe at Occidental College. As a person of color, I have known my entire life that the United States is a racist state, but I never expected it so explicitly at Occidental College.
I am referring to the blatantly racist "Cowboys and Indians" party that a group of students organized off-campus at Soccer House on Friday, Jan 30th.
The next morning, I awoke to Facebook images and entire albums of students in stereotypical "Indian" costumes with loincloths and feathers. Some with their hands raised in the "how" gesture and others with their hands over their mouths getting in position to do the "Indian war whoop." Above all, however, there was one female student with her face actually painted brown, almost in the manner of the 'blackface' entertainers.
As I look over the pictures the perpetrators put on Facebook, the anger incited in me cannot be described. The ignorance of these people confounds me. For my brothers and sisters of color who attended this party, yet refused to raise their voices in protest: shame. You actively took a stance to engage in horizontal oppression, which is the act of one institutionally oppressed group oppressing another.
Students at Occidental College pride themselves on being socially aware and liberal. At this point in time, however, I have realized if an entire crowd of people can attend such a party and not a single person had the decency to speak against such a cruel act of racism, I have to think twice about Occidental's students.
Is this how you see me, a Native American? Do you see me as a stereotypical "Injun"? Did you calmly and passively sit through the Native American History Month performances with these prejudices hidden?
I can see how these people came to believe this. For many children in this country, the first exposure to Native Americans is the song "Ten Little Indians" and the Disney movie Pocohontas, which are both seriously offensive. In the nursery rhyme, "Ten Little Indians," these "Indians" are incarcerated, lazy and in the last, horrendous line, the last "Indian" "hanged himself and then there were none."
In the popular children's movie Pocohontas, the white invaders, sing a song called "Savages," where they sing "Their skin's a hellish red/ They're only good when dead/ They're vermin, as I said. . . They're savages! Savages! Dirty redskin devils!"
Is this how youth have been raised to see my people? As children, we are extremely impressionable and if exposed to such blatant racism, I can see why these Occidental students believed that it was appropriate, even comical, to throw such a party.
This racist "party" and its organizers honestly disgust me with their disrespect of my people. Not a month ago, we cheered when Barack Obama became our president, but now I see through the weak façade of some.
Would we tolerate a 'blackface' party? Would we attend a 'Slanty Eyes' Party? Would we attend a 'Beaner' party? (In advance, I apologize to anyone offended by these racially-charged words.) Or, an 'Overseer and Slave' party?
I would hope that the answer would be a resounding no, but now I cannot be not sure. Why do these people feel that Native Americans are a prime target for abuse? Did you think we are docile, or that we simply do not exist? Well, I am positive that I exist and am certainly not docile. As a Native American who is thoroughly offended, I demand an apology from the people who organized this party immediately.
Anyone who believes America is a "racist state" should read Michael Medved's new book The Ten Big Lies About America (Crown Forum, 2008), which thoroughly debunks the notion, as does Larry Schweikart's 48 Liberal Lies about American History (Sentinel, 2008) and Arnold Beichman's Nine Lies About America (The Library Press, 1972).
Send her an invite to the “Honkies in forclosure” party next friday.
People like this give me a pain.
We need to have a Cowboys and Jihadists initiative.
unbelievable
> Would we tolerate a ‘blackface’ party? Would we attend a ‘Slanty Eyes’ Party? Would we attend a ‘Beaner’ party? (In advance, I apologize to anyone offended by these racially-charged words.) Or, an ‘Overseer and Slave’ party?
I would definitely attend the Overseer and Slave Party. Right after the “Whitey must die-sponsored by the NAACP” party.
To the poor insulted unfortunate “student”:
1. Grow up.
2. Go to a college that more matches your intellect - Sesame Street might do.
As a person of color, I have known my entire life that the United States is a racist state
Really? No doubt if you took that attitude “for your entire life” people around you were able to sense YOUR negative feeelings about yourself, them and your Country. In turn they probally reacted to you according thus the self fulfilling prophecy is complete.
But you should be on top of the world now with a President and First Lady that also dislikes thier country and an attorney general that thinks Americans are cowards.
I always find it particularly ironic to see the enemy get hit by friendly fire.
Hope you'll be writing a letter to the editor.
Honey, get a life.
I am referring to the blatantly racist “Cowboys and Indians” party that a group of students organized off
Wow if this offends you, you really need to grow up.
How wonderful this person’s life must be when she can expend this kind of energy on finding a reason to be offended.
A depression would be good for someone of this ilk. It would do them good to focus on staying alive versus focusing on finding imperfections in society.
“Tefari Abel Casas Fuchs”
I bet she doesn’t...
How is that white America is constantly blamed for black America’s failure???? Why is that blacks never blame themselves for the racism currently in our society?? Yet in Africa blacks rape, murder and discriminate against whites OVERTLY yet are never called racist.
I believe the true devil is liberal white elitists who incite black and white hatred.
I guess she’s angry because the cowboys “won”. But I’m not sure why. Unless she’s an Indian (ie. descended from pre-Columbian N. American inhabitants). In that case, maybe she has a beef. But it’s still not racism.
Calm down Tonto.
The author has a remarkably unfortunate last name.
Somehow it doesn’t sound very “Indian” to me.
BTW, in “Pocahontas” the white guys were portrayed as villains. The song the author objected to was intended to show just how villainous they were.
Racism is rampant in America today, if you don’t believe it try shopping at one of the Walmarts in the Charlotte, NC area. If you are a white customer, you will find that only a few of the black employees will give a smile, or a thank you, or have a good day, and the black customers will run you down with a shopping cart. (Of course, they might just have been reacting to my “Don’t blame me, I voted for Sarah” bumper sticker on the car.)
Wait, is “Tefari Abel Casas Fuchs” his/her name? If I were her/him I’d be demanding an apology from my parents.
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