(CONTD) I hope you don’t think Im an insensitive pig, I just get to a boiling point. Seeing the hundreds of white girl jokes on tumblr, sometimes theres just a tipping point, and I guess today, seeing that post, brought out the worst in me. Im so sorry, and sincerely apologize if you felt I overstepped, I hope we as civilized people can over come this, I mean, Isn’t that what tumblrs all about? If theres anything you feel I could do to prove my sincerity, let me know x (END)

I don’t really know what to say that hasn’t already been said a million times by other POC. I’m tired and it seems like we’ve been explaining this stuff forever. You can’t stand to see your race be critiqued for perpetuating the imperialism and privilege that your forefathers established with blood and slavery. Fine. I can’t stand to see my people suffer institutionally, personally, every day because of the same imperialism that affords you privileges like more economic opportunities, widespread media representation, legislative power and a whole host of other privileges that make your life as a white person significantly different than that of POC. The two situations are not equal, and it’s both hurtful and insulting to compare the valid criticism directed at an insensitive white person to centuries of racial oppression perpetuated by white people. The racism of your ‘forefathers’ isn’t just some campfire story: it’s a real and powerful system that continues to shape our lives.

The blog you’re referring to, Angry Asian Girls United, is a safe space for us Asian girls to vent about the microaggressions that affect us daily, that shape our life chances, that burden us with psychological trauma that we carry to our graves. You think our anger and pain is ugly? I can’t ever make you comprehend even an iota of the pain and ugliness we negotiate every single day just to survive, while white women pick and choose which parts of our culture they deem attractive. A tumblr blog that validates the anger of Asian women is not going to:

• shut down the millions of porn sites fetishizing us
• affect the multimillion dollar yoga industry that white people are helming
• convince network execs and studios to cast us in diverse roles
• ease international immigration laws so we can choose where to work instead of being forced to sew your clothes for subhuman wages
• make a dint in the sex trafficking industry that steals hundreds of young women from Thailand and the Phillippines
• shut down disrespectful stuff like Buddha Bar

It’s a space for us to breathe, to share, to unburden ourselves. By itself it seems small, but the more we speak up, the more WOC feel empowered to voice their experiences, the harder it becomes to pretend that we’re voiceless drones designed for subjugation.

So now I have another question for you. Your comments and you message were prompted because you don’t like our ‘angry’ way of dealing with the hundreds of white girls who distort and disrespect our culture. Fine.

Why aren’t you reblogging those girls and critiquing them in a way you find suitable, educating them about their mistakes and in general doing the work that you’re criticizing us for?

You can’t sit on the sidelines and criticize us for fighting back against all the ugliness - from the global to the local- that rob us of humanity every day.

emberisland-players:

angryasiangirlsunited:

So this is a photo of a white girl (who has openly and repeatedly stated that Asian girls are not attractive in the past and overall denies any form of privilege) with a tattoo of Buddha on her arm.

Buddha did not want his image used in such a way (literally in the temples and from his basic teachings, you are taught not to tattoo Buddha’s image to the body), and there’s also a tat of a white lotus which stands for mental purity and spiritual perfection which is another thing you’re not supposed to advertise on yourself.  But a lot of white girls like the idea of a beautiful flower growing out of mud for some reason (without even doing the research of its cultural significance before getting it as a tattoo).

Buddha isn’t some image white people can make a tatted sleeve out of because they think it’s cool and they think they can identify with one of the enlightened people of our culture.  If they knew anything about Buddhism at all they’d know that having a tattoo of Buddha is offensive to the overall culture and religion.  But I guess no fucks were given.

Though it’s a religion, it’s entrenched in its culture and I just find the whole thing super offensive especially since it’s a white girl who has made racist remarks in the past and decides to take from the culture and disrespect the cultural and religious image.

I’m  tired of seeing white people taking from cultures without any clue of the significance and damage of the appropriation.  It’s racist and a modern day perpetuation of white colonialism.  But I doubt the owner cares.

I know this is gonna come off as bitchy and pretentious, and I mean zero disrespect but the thing is though, we live in a free society where you can get pretty much anything tattooed onto your skin. And I really don’t get why your saying white people, like were all the same, in some sort of group. Just because a few of ‘us’ white people may not know the entire buddhism cultural heritage does not mean we are completely blind to it. I’m sure
It takes a lot to sum up the courage to get a tattoo, so of course its going to mean something to every person who gets one, you can’t know every back story.
Unfortunately I don’t know enough about this particular situation to go any further, and maybe I’m looking at it to lightly, but its just unfair and unjust to constantly blame white girls for everything. We live in a (relatively) free world, Im not saying I agree with her tattoo choice as your right in saying its degrading to the buddhism religion, but you can get a freaking swastika tattooed on your arm and 90% of people won’t give a damn. So maybe just lighten up rather than sort of attacking this girl through the use of the internet. If you believe in your culture so intimately, then maybe take regard for someone else’s. 
Were not all perfect. Just let it be :)

If you know something is “bitchy and pretentious”, why would you still go ahead and say it?

You say you know little about Buddhism and it’s cultural heritage, so why do you feel entitled to tell us that this tattoo is ‘not a big deal’?

Why do you think the ‘courage’ it took to get a tattoo negates the harmful trends of disrespect and fetishization her actions are perpetuating?

Do you feel that “unfair and unjust” critique of racially/culturally ignorant white girls is equal to the institutional oppression POC experience globally?

If critiquing white people’s actions is ‘unjust’, then how do you feel about the incredibly unjust conditions in variouus POC countries that are maintained to exclusively benefit white countries? e.g: Bangladesh, Sudan, Haiti

Who are these people you know that wouldn’t care if someone got a swastika tattoo? (I would certainly care enough to avoid that person by a few hundred miles. Also the swastika originated in India, and it’s current infamy is a perfect example of the pernicious effects of cultural appropriation)

Why do you think critiquing this girl’s racially insensitive tattoo, which she posted on a public forum, is “attacking” her?

Are you aware of the term ‘microaggression’ and the level to which they impact the psychological well-being of POC?

Are you aware that Buddhists of color must constantly struggle to not only demand the respect our traditions deserve, but to point out the racism and classism inherent in Western co-optings of things like yoga and meditation?

Also, how is critiquing this person a disregard for their ‘culture’?

Because if you’re implying that it’s her ‘culture’ to disrespect other cultures, then why should that be exempt from criticism?

Do you know that even though “we’re not all perfect”, some of us have more social and political privileges than others because of unjust and racist systems?

How do you imagine racism will be eradicated if we just “let it be”?

And lastly, I see that you are a huge fan of AtLA. The show means a great deal to us pan-Asian folks because of its loving and respectful depiction of Asian spiritual traditions. So in the spirit of sharing something we love, I urge you to extend us the courtesy of listening when we speak out about issues that negatively impact us.

angryasiangirlsunited:

So this is a photo of a white girl (who has openly and repeatedly stated that Asian girls are not attractive in the past and overall denies any form of privilege) with a tattoo of Buddha on her arm.

Buddha did not want his image used in such a way (literally in the temples and from his basic teachings, you are taught not to tattoo Buddha’s image to the body), and there’s also a tat of a white lotus which stands for mental purity and spiritual perfection which is another thing you’re not supposed to advertise on yourself.  But a lot of white girls like the idea of a beautiful flower growing out of mud for some reason (without even doing the research of its cultural significance before getting it as a tattoo).

Buddha isn’t some image white people can make a tatted sleeve out of because they think it’s cool and they think they can identify with one of the enlightened people of our culture.  If they knew anything about Buddhism at all they’d know that having a tattoo of Buddha is offensive to the overall culture and religion.  But I guess no fucks were given.

Though it’s a religion, it’s entrenched in its culture and I just find the whole thing super offensive especially since it’s a white girl who has made racist remarks in the past and decides to take from the culture and disrespect the cultural and religious image.

I’m  tired of seeing white people taking from cultures without any clue of the significance and damage of the appropriation.  It’s racist and a modern day perpetuation of white colonialism.  But I doubt the owner cares.

quoms:

freemasonic-yowl:

Superman was created by two Jewish kids of Eastern European descent in the ’30s. Do you understand why Krypton had to be destroyed, do you understand what an illegal immigrant God-man who turns into the ultimate American and whose mortal enemy is a nativist industrialist and who protects and (arguably) betters his adopted home would have meant to two Jewish kids of Eastern European descent?

people totally lose sight of the fact that superman was written at a time when european-american immigrants were not part of the white hegemony. the superman narrative only makes sense in 2013 if he’s latino or middle eastern but nobody’s going to do that

the bolded.

I really liked the way Rachel Maddow explained her support for affirmative action, and I thought it might be useful for some people. (Full Video)

sikssaapo-p:

“to us, there is no ‘controversy’ surrounding the film TONTO. 

The character is fictional, and steeped in harmful stereotypes.
Johnny Depp is NOT Native. 
The film promotes Pan-Indianism by mixing and matching imagery. 
Disney must hold the record for most racist films produced - there is the whole package deal from Disney, the Halloween costumes and the action figures that will be indoctrinating a whole new generation into a world of misinformation about Indigenous Peoples. 
Indigenous children, will bear the brunt of this marketing juggernaut in the playground. 
There are a million stories about Indigenous Peoples that are waiting to be told. Authentic stories - by Indigenous writers, made by Indigenous film makers, using Indigenous Actors. 
This film is a step backward in time. 
No amount of donations to “Native American organizations” can make this right. No amount of pics of Johnny Depp wearing T-shirts with Native slogans on them, can make this right. 
We’re going to be boycotting this film, and the whole sideshow of promotional trinkets. 
We’ll be too busy mopping up the mess of misunderstanding and cultural mockery left in this film’s wake.”

-F.A.I.R Media (For Accurate Indigenous Representation)

 

mangaka-soldier:

juliebeefjerky:

killingforsport-eatingthebodies:

fatpinkcast:

Critics’ Reactions to the Final Season 3 Scene in Game of Thrones

Surfed Google News looking for what reviewers thought about the White Lady Jesus scene.

“It’s kind of weird that the show decides to rely on the slightly racist, definitely cliche stereotype of hordes of adoring brown slaves worshipping their white liberator.” - Kate Walsh, Indiewire

“…the messianic tint to Danaerys’ brief appearance takes on a weirdly racist and pro-colonial overtone (look at those poor, dark savages and how much they love their blond savior!)” - Todd Brown, Twitchfilm

“…her being surrounded by a worshipful mass of people she’s saved who are decidedly, er, browner than her is really frakking weird. I’m not saying there’s malicious, racist intent or anything, and some of the slaves are probably just tanned white people. But as an image, I found it really offputting.” - Rebecca Pahle, The Mary Sue

“I think we’re supposed to feel tense and apprehensive awaiting their response to her setting them free, but I’m just kind of bored. No surprise – they accept her, calling her “mother.” She crowd surfs while her dragons fly above the crowd. Also, she’s very white and all the slaves definitely aren’t and so maybe this is racist? I’d call for discussion but this is the internet so better not.” - Dr. Improbable, The OutHousers

“During Game of Thrones‘ first season, the show faced criticism that it was racially… not super sensitive when it came to portraying the Dothraki, who were largely treated as Klingons noble savages…Now, Dany has become a straight-up conqueror—an outsider who swoops in with her dragons and eunuchs to show other societies how they’re doing things wrong. Which is where things start to feel a little dodgy: The final shots of this season were supposed to be rousing, but they felt weird.

There was Dany, seriously the Whitest Woman Ever, crowd-surfing on a bunch of heretofore unseen and uncharacterized brown people, all of whom had been enslaved and helpless before she showed up? And they’re lovingly calling her “Mother”?” - Erik Henriksen, Wired.com

“Yes, this is problematic. The optics on this scene are really bad, which I can see you have noticed, because you have eyes. Problem one is that there aren’t very many people of color people on this show to begin with, and problem two is that when there are, they tend to be acting out “tribal” stereotypes and/or cast in the role of slaves. And this final scene featured largest crowd of brown faces we’ve ever seen, lifting the world’s blondest woman up as their messiah and praising her for saving them from bondage. It’s like George W. Bush’s secret fantasy of how he thought the invasion of Iraq would go for him (including the blond wig).

“If you’ve never heard of the White Savior phenomenon in media, wherein a fictional white outsider appears to heroically save fictional people of color from problems they can’t solve on their own, there’s more information here. Or you can just take a screenshot at any point in the last minute of the show, since it’s pretty much textbook. And that’s another problem, while we’re counting problems: I feel like I’ve seen this trope so many times before that it feels emotionally flat and boring, especially in comparison to her astonishingly badass siege of Astapor.” - Laura Hudson, Wired.com

“Also, I can’t even express how uncomfortable her last scene (the last scene of the season) made me feel. This show has always had issues with race and unfortunately, by having hundreds of faceless brown people lifting up a young, white blonde woman and calling her “mother,” showrunners are far from correcting them. It was Greyworm (and friends) who liberated the city. Can’t he get some love?”- Madeleine Davies, Jezebel.com

The Khaleesi of previous seasons, and even previous season three episodes, seemed to care little for titles that others were so eager to attach to her. But it’s that blissful smile, that obvious Christ pose while being hoisted above the crowd, her blonde hair and pearly whiteness shining upon a sea of trodden-upon brown people that lead one to wonder if all this savior stuff is finally going to her head. - Gabriel Ruzin, Screen Invasion

“The final image is still that of a white woman being embraced by the poor slaves she set free, and on a show that has been validly criticized for its lack of diversity in its main cast, ending a season with that scene was a questionable choice. We understand why the writers thought it was a good direction to go — viewers needed some real hope after the Red Wedding — but there were probably ways to direct it that would have taken the sting out of the visual.” - Rebecca Martin, Wetpaint

“So, um, did anyone else think it was a little weird to have a bunch of dusky brown people reaching out to the blonde white lady and proclaiming her their savior? Dany’s crusade to free slaves and whatnot is admirable, sure, but that scene seemed to say “Hooray! The nice white lady saved us!” Kinda got a weird vibe. Was anyone else made ever so slightly uncomfortable?”  - Joe Streckert, Portland Mercury

It’s an image that many commentators found troubling, given Game of Thrones‘ overwhelming whiteness, and the presentation of many non-white people as barbarians, deceptive slavers, or mindless slaves.  - Alyssa Rosenberg, Think Progress

“And not to end on a sour note — because I did think “Mhysa” was a tight, elegant episode — but did anyone else watch the final scene outside Yunkai and think, ‘Hmmm, am I really looking at a pretty white lady being worshiped by thousands upon thousands of adoring brown people?’” - Nina Shen Rastogi, New York Magazine

“The show’s previously been careful to maintain a heterogeneous look for most of the cultures Daenerys encounters in her travels through the eastern continent of Essos, so the uniformly brown skin tone of the freed slaves worshipping the blondest possible savior figure was surprising and disconcerting – doubly so since, in the books, much is made of just how many different kinds of people had been forced into slavery by Yunkai and then freed by Dany when she took the city. This uncomfortable contrast kneecapped what could otherwise have been the most purely uplifting and cathartic moment in the series so far. Plus it gave the episode its title and was, you know, the final shot of the season – a rough one to go out on. “ Sean T. Collins, Rolling Stone

I don’t watch GoT (mostly because I read the first book and hated it). When I saw caps of this scene my immediate reaction was: “Maybe I don’t know the context but this looks really, really fucking racist to me.”

Glad to see I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

^This, this so much!

While watching, I actually blurted out “Why the fuck are all the Narrow Sea people brown and Daenerys white, it’s stereotypical” to a friend who accused me of being racist. The show is racist, and maybe it’s just the Independence Day hype but it really makes me angry.

Speaking as a Filipino, it’s like a fucking metaphor to the American imperialism that saved us from mean Mother Spain and made us their “little brown brothers”.

Can you tell I’m still incredibly butthurt

Guys, GUYS PLEASE CALM DOWN

Alright, so she is a very white woman in the middle of ovbiously more tanned people, brownish sking, black, whatever you want to call it. My first thought after seeing this is “why are they worshipping her?” not in a racist way, not because she is white but because even if I don’t see GoT, I know its oriented in the years were women “lack honor” (seen the gifs), were black people are turned into slaves and were white men seem to be better than anyone else, but thats just the way it is in that moment of history, that is how we acted like merely 100 years ago? and even less than that.

alright but lets focus on this picture; we have a WHITE WOMAN in the middle of BLACK/TANNED PEOPLE (slaves maybe?) worshipping her you might think is racist (because in a way, it looks like it) but that woman must have done something to make those people worship her and not because they are slaves or poor but because she has done something worth worshipping, but as I said before, I don’t watch the show and I might aswell be wrong.

So again, aren’t you racist because you think it weird just because she is white? what if she were a black woman, would you think the same? what if it was a black man surrounded by white slaves, would you think the same? black woman surrounded by white people? white woman surrounded by whites? white man with whites? so the real question is, WHY NOT? why can’t she be a white girl in the middle of black people? why can’t it be a black man in the middle of white people?

In my eyes, racism still exists clearly as it did twenty years ago, we had just changed our focus. Now intead of focusing in shoving black people away, we focus on the colours, to see if it is balanced or not, because we mind the skin colour. So what if a serie has moreblack people than white? so what if it is the opposite? would you care if there were more blue aliens than green in a fictional film about aliens? no, of course not and thats why we are still being racists.

I just

wow.

Can I just….

um

Yikes!