Anyone of color can relate to an experience of being racially profiled, in schools, shopping malls, and even restaurants. Personally, being racially profiled is a common experience that I may experience anywhere and everywhere. At malls, at shopping centers, the employees can only imagine a person of color doing something wrong – Is he stealing, is he going to attack the mall? Many people have pre-automated beliefs about people of color and that our actions are always harmful and/or wrong. Being a darker-toned male, a Hindu, who has a longer beard, it is not uncommon to be mistaken as a being of Muslim background. Being of Muslim background is not wrong in any way yet attacks such as 9/11 and other horrific tragedies connected to people of Muslim background have created a negative image on all people of brown color altogether. Colorism has a large role in these pre-conceived images that many people have towards people of color, specifically people of brown color. Colorism is emphasized and utilized at the expense of people of color to continue the tradition of defining an “American”. Due to racial profiling, discrimination, and the reality of colorism, people of color are truly disadvantaged in a Caucasian and male-dominated society. In The White Space, Anderson provides vivid anecdotes to support that people of color are disadvantaged in society due to the inability to integrate people of color and their white peers into one, equal society. However, Anderson’s argument does not address the effect of colorism, the implicated caste system, and the role of government financial policies that indirectly target many people of color.
Elijah Anderson is a Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies at Yale University. Elijah Anderson has written books such as The Cosmopolitan Canopy and Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community, both of these books illustrate his thoughts and ideals on racial dynamics and gentrification. In The White Space, Anderson explains the negative attitude of white people towards black people. To a large extent, Anderson utilizes the development of public and private “space” accessible to people of color and anecdotes that reinforce the limited accessibility of the “white space”. People of color carry the belief that they are not invited into the “white space”, which American society was built around because of the racial inequality experienced by the people of color in the white space. Anderson introduces the influence of the “American” perspective on the ghettos, seen as a desolate place. The ghettos provide structure and support for the idea that people of color are “rough” and “dangerous”. Anderson stresses the false pre-determinations by society towards people of color and how these false beliefs continue to create a judgment of character for people of color. Throughout the piece of literature, racial inequality is seen to be prevalent in every aspect of a person of color’s daily life, from walking on a street to performing in a job.
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In terms of cutbacks on welfare have created an impossible-to-escape loop for people of color and have ultimately limited their social mobility. Policies like the “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has slowly drifted away from its key focus on employment, and TANF is no longer living up to its full potential as a work-focused program” (Wagner). Recent Statistics illustrate that “41.6 percent of the African American population and 36.4 percent of the Hispanic population participated in at least one government assistance program in a given month” (United States Census Bureau). Two-fifths of the African-American population receives some form of welfare. The percentage of people receiving welfare often have a minimum income and depend on welfare programs to assist them in making ends meet (Lopez). When the government removes such programs and increases taxes on the poor, the ghettos described by Anderson become a spotlight for people to judge people of color as dangerous human beings that cannot share the “white space”. When Anderson mentions the violence with people of color and racist run-ins with the police, the facts on how crime rates increase and how news is portrayed to illustrate the abnormal to hook an audience serve as useful evidence. These explanations on some of the many root causes for the unfair judgment that people of color receive can provide a sense of understanding to the reader as to why the run-ins become more prevalent and how the negative perspective on people of color is established.
Without the proper funding, many families of color are left with very little in options to feed their families and even a smaller budget becomes tight, hence crime rates spike and the news targets these crimes to define people of color as dangerous. Anderson deeply emphasizes the prejudice that people of color experience on a daily basis, yet Anderson does not explain some of the deeper issues in society itself that perhaps lead to the “dangerous” ghettos in the first place. Anderson does not establish a financial perspective in the article, financial statistics can help provide evidence to his argument, yet he only utilizes vague phrases such as, “welfare rolls and the various social programs that once helped the poor and dislocated have been slashed, leaving them and their families in dire financial situations”(Anderson 12).
In the article itself, Anderson does not mention the major financial problems that often lead to the establishment of the “ghettos” and thus the separation between white people and people of color. However, some might argue that program cutbacks and the government's role in daily budgeting are not as important as the social issues that exist such as the concept of colorism or racial profiling. Yet this perspective is flawed due to the relationship between the financial situation of a person and the resulting social issues. People with less financial security are seen as “riskier” and to an extent more dangerous. But what causes this fear and danger? What can be done about the cutbacks and ultimately where can the government obtain the funds to minimize cutbacks on programs that heavily affect the lives of people of color? One solution can be to increase corporate taxes on major corporations such as Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft to provide for the people who don’t have basic necessities. When basic necessities have been met with government assistance, the people of color would not need to resort to stealing or crime to make ends meet. Anderson suggested that people are willing to do anything necessary to make ends meet, however, when the ends are met at the basic level, crime rates can be reduced. When the crime rate is reduced, less spotlight will be utilized to judge people of color and hence the social issues will be more resolved than previously.
Colorism is defined as prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group (Nittle). Anderson fails to mention this important aspect and consequence of the “white space”. Due to the intense judgment and harsh experiences, that people of color deal with, colorism has been described as a “gift” to people who have fairer-toned children. People of color have been forced to believe that a fairer-toned human will have a better and more fulfilling life as they will have a more limited exposure to racial profiling, discrimination, and other prejudices that people of color bear. Many people of color of darker complexion have realized that being of fairer skin can be an advantage, “In America, these variations in complexions produced an unspoken hierarchy: Black people with lighter complexions ended up being granted some of the rights of the master class. By the early 19th century, the “mulatto hypothesis” emerged, arguing that the “white blood” of light-skinned slaves made them smarter, more civilized, and better looking” (Hall). The emphasis on skin complexion and privilege in society has not changed much since the early 19th century. These similarities between time periods illustrate how society aims to control people of color through racial discrimination.
Throughout the article, the anecdotes presented by Anderson all source back to the concept of colorism. In the anecdote of Ralph’s Soccer Game, Ralph is racially profiled and discriminated against due to his darker complexion in the community. Anderson stresses the fact that Ralph resides in a “nearly all-white, upper-middle-class neighborhood” to create a foundation to build (Anderson 16). Due to Ralph’s environment, he is discriminated against because he is seen as uncivilized, less intelligent, as well as dishonest. All of these traits go back to colorism and illustrate that his darker complexion was a major factor in his game.
Nevertheless, critics may refuse to accept that colorism still exists in the 21st century, however, there is ample amount of evidence in Anderson’s writing along with outside instances where colorism was made apparent. People may say that there are more equal opportunities for people of color and that colorism has subsided, yet discrimination and profiling occur on a daily basis. The whole spectrum of light complexion and dark complexion determines the amount and frequency of racial discrimination, “For example, light-skinned Latinos make $5,000 more on average than dark-skinned Latinos” (Vedantam). The research and analysis of the frequency of discrimination with the tone of skin color can add to Anderson’s argument that it is difficult for people of color to coexist with white people in “the white space”.
Racial Profiling is heard of when people of color are involved with incidents with the police, such stories often make the news, creating a massive stir-up. The stir-up and emotion of the people are expected, however, the noise is not because the police officer was in the wrong. More often than not, the person of color who is the victim of profiling and bias is considered to be in the wrong. In The White Space, Anderson dives deep into the role of police and the role of people of color in such incidents. Anderson agrees that people of color are discriminated against when it comes to being falsely accused of crimes not committed. However, Anderson does not include the aftermath of the arrest or detainment and their large consequences. People of color are placed in jail due to being falsely accused until they are brought up to trial. Often bail is out of the question, as many people of color are not capable of releasing the victim on bail. Many times, the victim often serves longer than others (“master” race), more dangerous criminals due to skin color and characteristics of being a person of color. Anderson provides the reader with the experience and incidents between the police and people of color, however, does not include the consequences of the actions made by people with power.
Colorism and Racial Profiling has created a caste system, in which people of color are subdued due to disadvantages and handicap provided by the “White Space” that Anderson analyzes. Anderson offers an in-depth analysis of racial profiling of people of color; however, Anderson does not extend his argument to the concept of the caste system. In the Hindu culture, a caste system was also in place throughout history, only as recent as a few decades ago was this caste system forgotten. Before, the child of a farmer would also grow up to become a farmer and be given the responsibility to take the lead as the patriarch of the family. Even today, although occupation has limited caste, social mobility is still a caste, those who are poor are likely to stay poor, and future generations will follow this trend. Critics are not wrong; however, they do not account for the people of color, the critics only analyze the traditional white family. Children who grow up in white households are told to become whatever they desire, to make their own decisions, and are given large amounts of freedom. Children in an Asian household are specifically told to get an education and to hold a high-paying job, they are not given the freedom to the same extent as a white household. Parents from an Asian culture are much stricter and hold more responsibility to their children, “Compared to White American parents, Asian American parents may appear stricter and lacking in warmth. This strictness reflects Asian immigrant parents’ belief that control is not only necessary but a key role for parents” (“Cultural Differences in Parenting Practices”). This a caste.
Critics will say that castes and the lack of social mobility only exist in poor countries with large populations. However, the United States is a predominantly rich country with a decent population, yet there is still caste and social mobility. Yet this is not the whole picture. White males do not belong in this caste, as seen throughout history, but rather they have built the caste and have upheld the caste. The caste only encloses people of color. Michelle Alexander, a civil rights advocate and writer, explains that society has continued the view that people of color are the “white man’s burden” and that the Jim Crow laws are still being applied to people of color (“Legal Scholar: Jim Crow Still Exists in America”). People of color are placed into the same “separate but equal” fallacy that was implemented in the 20th century. People of color have not been able to access the same opportunities in terms of jobs, education, and civil respect (Childress). In a society where white privilege dominates social justice, people of color are thrown into an everlasting caste system that suppresses and restricts the opportunities of individuals of color.
Elijah Anderson proposes a very credible argument that people of color have less opportunity in the “white space” yet this argument can be taken even further. Financial strangulation, misconceptions and stereotypes based on colorism, and the application of the caste system are simply a couple more arguments that can made to support that these adopted policies hurt people of color in various ways. People of color should be treated equally with any other race or complexion, yet this is not the case. Through Anderson’s anecdotal evidence, it can be illustrated that equal opportunity has never really become a reality in society because there are many misconceptions and biases to be erased. Like any other aspect of life, people cannot truly understand other people to the fullest, there will always remain the injustice that people of color endure at the expense of their own opportunities.
Works Cited
- Anderson, Elijah. “‘The White Space.’” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, vol. 1, no. 1, 2015, pp. 10–21., doi:10.1177/2332649214561306.
- Childress, Sarah. “Michelle Alexander: ‘A System of Racial and Social Control.’” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 29 Apr. 2014, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/michelle-alexander-a-system-of-racial-and-social-control/.
- “Cultural Differences in Parenting Practices: What Asian American Families Can Teach Us.” University of Arizona.
- https://mcclellandinstitute.arizona.edu/sites/mcclellandinstitute.arizona.edu/files/ResearchLink_2.1_Russell_AsianFam.pdf
- Hall, Ronald E. “The Bleaching Syndrome.” Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 18, no. 3, 2015, doi:10.4172/psychiatry.1000265.
- “Legal Scholar: Jim Crow Still Exists In America.” NPR, NPR, 16 Jan. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/01/16/145175694/legal-scholar-jim-crow-still-exists-in-america.
- Lexington Law. “45 Important Welfare Statistics for 2019.” Lexington Law, 15 Aug. 2019, www.lexingtonlaw.com/blog/finance/welfare-statistics.html.
- Lopez, et al. “How America Has - and Hasn't - Changed since Martin Luther King Jr.'s Death, in 11 Charts.” Vox, Vox, 4 Apr. 2018, www.vox.com/identities/2018/4/4/17189310/martin-luther-king-anniversary-race-inequality-racism.
- Nittle, Nadra Kareem. “The Origins of Colorism and How This Bias Persists in America.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 15 Aug. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/what-is-colorism-2834952.
- US Census Bureau. “21.3% Of US Participates in Government Assistance Programs Each Month.” The United States Census Bureau, 23 July 2019, www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-97.html.
- Vedantam, Shankar. “Shades of Prejudice.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/opinion/19vedantam.html.
- Wagner, Steven. “Welfare Reform 2.0.” Administration for Children and Families, 16 Feb. 2018, www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2018/02/welfare-reform-20.
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