Takaki Chapter 10

What shocks me most about this article is not that American citizens or those who are eligible for citizenship, meaning only those who were “white”, did this but that the government in countries such as China, Japan and Korea allowed their citizens to be used in such a manner. Why would the government of these countries allow their citizens to be treated like slaves and continue to send individuals at the demands of the employers? Why were more governments not like that of the Korean government who eventually prohibited further immigration to Hawaii because of the way that their citizens were being treated? Its article such as this one that make it so easy to point fingers on just one group of people when in all actuality the fault is everywhere. Why would the employers stop treating their workers that why when they are getting extremely high levels of productivity at low cost and other countries are allowing their citizens to do it? Why would they stop if everyone was supporting their actions?

In the article it talked about how even though all workers were treated very poorly some where discriminated on more than others. On page 255 it talks about how even women were required to do much the same work as men they were paid significantly less. On average women made 55 cents a day while men made 75 cents a day. That was back in the early 1900’s so why is it much the same way today. This only goes to prove that we have made significant strides for equal opportunities in the work place but we still have a long way to go.

Along those same lines the article goes on to talk about the most significant “blood unionism” and the Japanese Strike of 1909. They were in a rage and protesting against the fact that Portuguese laborers were paid more than they were for the same work. They were on strike for four months before they were required to return to work. Even though they returned to work and continued to make different wages than their counterparts from around the world the plantation owners discontinued using the differential wage system because of all of the pressure they felt from the strike.

After the Hawaii Laborers Union was created, a multiracial organization, Plantation owners and leaders tried to turn the different racial groups on each other using black mail and propaganda. Eventually the plantation owners claimed a complete victory but three months later increased wages by 50%.

The issues that the Japanese and others faced in America in the early 1900’s can be blamed on many different things. There are so many outside factors that its impossible to point the finger at any one particular cause.

The “Giddy Multitude”

After reading just the first paragraph I realized something. If tomorrow we woke up and saw an individual with purple skin how would we react? What would we do? What would we think? I was amused by the quote about the African’s skin color. It says, “It seemeth this blackness proceedeth rather of some natural infection of that man, which was so strong that neither the nature of the Clime, neither the good complexion of the mother concurring, could anything alter...” It was after reading this that I begin to question what we in present day society would think of someone who we randomly stumbled upon with a different skin color. If we saw someone with purple skin how would we explain it? I believe that we would try and explain it scientifically using modern day technology. Whets the difference between that and the way the whites tried to explain it hundreds of years ago? With the technological limitations was their beliefs and opinion so wrong?

On page 54 it talks about how in the early days of the Virginia colony most “slaves” were actually white indentured servants. It says that during the seventeenth century almost 75 percent of the colonist came as servants. After hearing this fact I find it ironic that we view slavery as a matter of differences in skin color and about people being inferior to others. This fact makes me believe that slavery is not about skin color its about feelings of power. Feelings of power over other people regardless of what their skin color is. Some people may find that its easier to exert this power of people that they view as inferior but I don’t think that skin color is the main factor. Could it be that we use racism as a scapegoat to cover up human greed and selfishness? Is it possible that humans are not generally good and only have their best interest at heart? I think that there are many other “hidden” reasons for slavery that are not often addresses.

It goes on to say that these people who were indentured servants were the outcasts of society. Therefore the people that used them as indentured servants viewed themselves as superior and it was not because of their skin color but rather because of their place in society. So maybe its safe to say that blacks are viewed as inferior to some because of their place in society and not because of their skin color.

What I don’t understand is what happened. Why did blacks then become indentured servants for life while whites were only required to complete a certain amount of time? When did it no longer become an issue of power and an issue of race? Its this mystery that I think deserves more of our time trying to solve than trying to discover while there is slavery in the first place.

Chapter 2: Drawing the Color Line

Early in Zinn’s article he begins talking about how the past should provide us with a few clues as to how the future should unfold. Will the color line ever completely disappear? In the third paragraph Zinn defines racism as the combination of inferior status and derogatory thought.

After reading this and contemplating this definition I don’t think that it necessarily relates to what the current definition of racism is. Is our current situation in regards to racism really about derogatory thought and inferior status?

In my belief racism has come to represent a misunderstanding and lack of knowledge of how to fix it. In my opinion whites do not view blacks as inferior but rather they have never been taught to view them as equals. For example, if we were taught that chocolate was bad for hundreds of years would we instantly believe that it’s good for you? We have been taught and almost brainwashed into what to believe for so long that it has hazed our thinking. Or is it that we try to hard to cover up our differences that we make it look like we find ourselves to be better or inferior?

For example, affirmative action. Due to the way that we have been raised we felt it necessary to create rules and regulations to promote equal opportunity for different races, genders, and sexualities. If we had been raised slightly different we wouldn’t find it necessary to create laws and regulations creating equal opportunity. Equal opportunity is not created through rules and regulations, it’s through beliefs and values. The color line will never disappear until we stop forcing people to feel a certain way and start becoming more understanding of different cultural values and beliefs.

How Systems of Privilege Work

In this chapter Johnson addresses the basic foundation of privilege. Johnson says that there are three characteristics of systems organized around privilege. Those characteristics include dominated, identified and centered by privilege groups. All of these characteristics support that belief that all members of privilege groups are better than those that are below them and they deserve to be there. He also states that white men have most of the power. He uses the example of a business and how the further up you look the more men you see and the further down you look the more women you see. He calls our current society a male-dominated system. It was interesting to hear that evidence that Johnson had for how our society is dominated by males. He talks about how many derogatory comments there are for men who are dominated by woman but there aren’t many for women who are dominated by men. He also stated how men are criticized if they don’t live up to the typical expectations given by male power. Another great example was when he talked about the term brotherhood and how it is commonly used and would never be replaced with words such as sisterhood.

After reading this chapter there isn’t anything that I question. Issues of gender are very present in today society and are directly related to privilege. My favorite example of this is when Johnson talks about how high-status occupations and how the core competencies required for these positions are based around masculine qualities such as competition, aggressiveness and not being emotional attached. It’s unfortunate that our society has to stereotype different genders but I don’t see any way around it. In our society it’s extremely difficult to be a women and working in a mans world. It’s interesting to think about why women have such a strong disadvantage but if you think about all of the opportunities that they don’t have its not surprising. One of the most interesting ideas that I have heard about this is how in business women do not have access to some of the most important place business deals occur and that is the golf course. It’s interesting that men have created a double disadvantage without even realizing it. Not only are women at a disadvantage to men because they don’t have the same qualities as men when it comes to business but they are now also at a disadvantage physical because they don’t normal play on the same level as men. I believe that most men would be irritated if they were playing golf with a women and she was not at the same skill level as he.

It’s interesting to when all the facts are laid out because I think that its something that in our day to day lives we tend to over look.