The Study of Racialism

fwsweet · Posted: Thu 19 Nov 2009 20:56 Post subject:

G-man and Cimmerian: The last two posts are not about Dominican ethnopolitcal self-identity, but instead are about ascribed identity. That is, others' perceptions of DR identity. If you want to expand the thread topic to include ascribed identity as well as self-identity, that is fine with me. But I just want to make sure that this expansion is mutualy agreed. If it is not, now is the time to say so.

CIMMERIAN · Experienced User Joined: 11 Apr 2008 {Posts: 111 }

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

CIMMERIAN · Experienced User Joined: 11 Apr 2008 {Posts: 111 }

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

CIMMERIAN it is possible that the skepticism about those West Indians who view Dominicans as self hating comes not out of the notion that they dont also have their own issues of colorism/shadism and self hate. Skin bleaching in Jamaica is much talked about. The whole concepts of "good" hair, "improving the race", etc are terms that are well known throughout regions in the Americas where the descendants of Africa interacted with and (at times) were abused by theoir European colonizers/enslavers.

West Indians are not like some African American "race warriors" who will descend on the DR and be angered because the country isnt packed with "race warriors" building pyramids to "blackness". Indeed if asked what do they consider most Dominicans to be the answer will be some description meaning some one of mixed African/European ancestry.

The big problem is the term "Indio" which you and others have now explained. So we now know that Dominicans arent pretending to be long lost Tainos. The "confusion" or pity was because it was believed that "Indio" referred to a specific group and not to a description of a skin color, like the use of "red" to describe a lighter skinned West Indian of mixed ancestry. So to be "Indio" is not to deny one's part African ancestry.

Its the perception that some Dominicans have a reflexive tendency to deny that there are problems of colorism or that there arent those who view the "black" phenotype as problematic and connection to Africa as something to trivialize. Are you suggesting that there isnt some colorism in the DR and that those closest to the European look dont have better opportunities for upward mobility within the private sector especially with those looking pure African having the least? And I am not talking about Haitians here. This isnt to say that some dark skinned Dominicans arent doing well, indeed giving the predominance of these types in the DR it will be hard to magine that some dont do well.

The question is do the people who live in the mansions on average possess the same phenotype on average as those who live in the shacks? If not then some will ask why deny this fcat. And what has caused this to be the case.

As an aside though related to the topic. There is a merengue song that use dto be quite popular about some girl saying something to her mother about a "negro", then a very gruff crude sounding male voice comes on. What is that all about? I am sure you must remember that song. My Spanish isnt good enough to express an opinion on that one way or the other without betraying bias.

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

fwsweet · Posted: Fri 20 Nov 2009 02:11 Post subject:

caribj · Suspended Joined: 14 Mar 2007 {Posts: 612 }

divana · Posted: Sun 10 Jan 2010 05:39 Post subject:

fwsweet · Posted: Sun 10 Jan 2010 12:10 Post subject: