Vacation's So Close I Can Taste It
Jul. 20th, 2006 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
itsallovernowI don't have anything profound to say about either racism or the Blogging Against Racsim. I think it's a noble idea (and a mildly... privileging one, coming from the perspective of a lot of relatively well off women, from whatever race), if something that kind of feels... pushy isn't the right word. I don't know what the right word is.
And as much of a liberal commie pinko as I am, I don't do much these days to rally for anyone's civil rights. Nor do I talk much about them here, which is space largely reserved for media and rambling. I think it is the title Blog Against Racism that sort of sets my teeth on edge, because as stated before, if you're looking to champion equality, then you're unlikely to write about racsim as a positive. Words have power, and we have enough post-modern sensibilities to be both dreadfully earnest about this, and vaguely embarrassed by our earnest endeavors and proclimations.
LA is a city of subtle racism and violent clashes of cultures. Our houses, our restaurants, our city all fall along ethnic and racial divides. And at the same time, for the most part, it's a city of a zillion different languages and cultures that manages to function. We're a city of stereotypes, both enforcing, condoning and creating them, but we're also a city with a Hispanic mayor who gleefully exploits his roots and is ambitious enough to take himself to the Governor's mansion. We're a city that elected a black mayor not long after fire stations were finally desegregated ( I mention this because Tom Bradley was a fire fighter, worked under segregation). WE're a city that's been torn apart by race riots and violence that arose because of the sweltering oppression. We're a city that doesn't pay much attention unless it interferes in our driving.
I don't know if I fit into the parameters of being a white, middle class women in this city. I do pay attention, but I don't do much rallying these days. I assume that most of the people I know who can afford to, hire hispanic maids and gardeners. Most of us know some broken Spanish, and most of us resent having to use it. I think, these days, despite what Crash had to say, our racism is expressed more in issues of status and class than in overt declarations. The public school system has a very small caucasion population because if you can afford to, you send your kids to private school. Or you live somewhere that is largely caucasion and your school reflects that.
And those kids are underserved no matter how dedicated the school system (and yeah, despite the glaring flaws of LAUSD, it is still a system invested - however badly - in students and student success). But it's serving a population without the funds, and therefore the voice, to garner more of... everything. Every kid who graduates and goes on to college is a success story because it means they had to bust their ass not only academically, but often physically, emotionally and politically to get there.
So, I guess I think that talking about racism is great, is useful, is necessary. But, getting out there, giving money to your local school, your local shelter, your local community agency. Volunteering to teach reading, to clean up communities, to be a part of physical, emotional, intellectual change is even more valuable. Work against racism by helping to be part of the educational system that can give everyone a voice.
My mom will be here at five. The house is moderately clean and the car is a pit held together by packing tape and hope. Pray for the car. Tuesday night, the driver's side mirror (currently taped to it's base), disengaged from the tape and started flapping in the breeze as I was driving home on the freeway at midnight. I had to lean forward, try to hold it in place so that it didn't catch a gust of wind and get ripped from it's moorings. Sigh.
Mom and I are spaing tomorrow. Yeah Glen Ivey and the mud baths. Hopefully, we will also be engaged in some household projects and the gluing of my mirror to the car and hopefully a mirror to the casing of the passenger side mirror.
THe novel class continues to exhilerate and terrify. I got notes back that were what I expected - too much exposition, make your character POV more clear. Swell characters, edit more carefully:) I also continue to be intrigued by these snippets of other universes we keep getting from the other NIPs:) My teacher has visions of how... not-human my characters are. This cracks me up. They're so very human, but it's helping me to see subtle ways to make them less so.
And as much of a liberal commie pinko as I am, I don't do much these days to rally for anyone's civil rights. Nor do I talk much about them here, which is space largely reserved for media and rambling. I think it is the title Blog Against Racism that sort of sets my teeth on edge, because as stated before, if you're looking to champion equality, then you're unlikely to write about racsim as a positive. Words have power, and we have enough post-modern sensibilities to be both dreadfully earnest about this, and vaguely embarrassed by our earnest endeavors and proclimations.
LA is a city of subtle racism and violent clashes of cultures. Our houses, our restaurants, our city all fall along ethnic and racial divides. And at the same time, for the most part, it's a city of a zillion different languages and cultures that manages to function. We're a city of stereotypes, both enforcing, condoning and creating them, but we're also a city with a Hispanic mayor who gleefully exploits his roots and is ambitious enough to take himself to the Governor's mansion. We're a city that elected a black mayor not long after fire stations were finally desegregated ( I mention this because Tom Bradley was a fire fighter, worked under segregation). WE're a city that's been torn apart by race riots and violence that arose because of the sweltering oppression. We're a city that doesn't pay much attention unless it interferes in our driving.
I don't know if I fit into the parameters of being a white, middle class women in this city. I do pay attention, but I don't do much rallying these days. I assume that most of the people I know who can afford to, hire hispanic maids and gardeners. Most of us know some broken Spanish, and most of us resent having to use it. I think, these days, despite what Crash had to say, our racism is expressed more in issues of status and class than in overt declarations. The public school system has a very small caucasion population because if you can afford to, you send your kids to private school. Or you live somewhere that is largely caucasion and your school reflects that.
And those kids are underserved no matter how dedicated the school system (and yeah, despite the glaring flaws of LAUSD, it is still a system invested - however badly - in students and student success). But it's serving a population without the funds, and therefore the voice, to garner more of... everything. Every kid who graduates and goes on to college is a success story because it means they had to bust their ass not only academically, but often physically, emotionally and politically to get there.
So, I guess I think that talking about racism is great, is useful, is necessary. But, getting out there, giving money to your local school, your local shelter, your local community agency. Volunteering to teach reading, to clean up communities, to be a part of physical, emotional, intellectual change is even more valuable. Work against racism by helping to be part of the educational system that can give everyone a voice.
My mom will be here at five. The house is moderately clean and the car is a pit held together by packing tape and hope. Pray for the car. Tuesday night, the driver's side mirror (currently taped to it's base), disengaged from the tape and started flapping in the breeze as I was driving home on the freeway at midnight. I had to lean forward, try to hold it in place so that it didn't catch a gust of wind and get ripped from it's moorings. Sigh.
Mom and I are spaing tomorrow. Yeah Glen Ivey and the mud baths. Hopefully, we will also be engaged in some household projects and the gluing of my mirror to the car and hopefully a mirror to the casing of the passenger side mirror.
THe novel class continues to exhilerate and terrify. I got notes back that were what I expected - too much exposition, make your character POV more clear. Swell characters, edit more carefully:) I also continue to be intrigued by these snippets of other universes we keep getting from the other NIPs:) My teacher has visions of how... not-human my characters are. This cracks me up. They're so very human, but it's helping me to see subtle ways to make them less so.
