race binary kritik - northwestern 2013 6weekjuniors

7/25/2019 Race Binary Kritik - Northwestern 2013 6WeekJuniors

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Lat Crit K


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Black white binary


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1NC Black white binary

They view race relations in terms of the black-white binary that papers over anti-Latino racism.

Linda Martn Alco, 3-02-201!, Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and the CUNYraduate Center, !Latinos "eyond the "inary,# http$%%&&&'al(o)'(o*%(ontent%+eyond+inary'ht*l

Contradi(tory +inaries ourish in (li*ates &here si*pli(ations are preferred o.er (o*ple/ analysis' The i"eathat a black#white racial binary can acco$nt for allfor*s of racism in the

% nited & tates is an e'ample ofsu(h a pernicio$s simpli(cation, as &ell as the idea thatLatinos, or &hites, ha.e ho*ogeneous politi(al e)e(ts on our shared pu+li( (ulture' n this paper &ant to redresssu(h si*pli(ations +y de.eloping three (on(epts that are espe(ially rele.ant for understanding the (onditions of

Latinos in the U'1' The (rst concept is anti-Latino racism) as a speci(c form of

racism "istinct in some re*ar"s to antiblack racism an" th$s lost in racial

"isco$rses that remain e'cl$sively foc$se" on the black-white binary.he

se(ond (on(ept is ethnora(e, a hybri"i+e" i"entity cate*orythat bri"*es racialand

ethnic cate*ories an" enhances o$r ability to concept$ali+ethe treatmentof*ost if not all Latinosin the U'1'' nd the third (on(ept in.ol.es an e'pansion of i"entitycate*ories--ethni( and ra(ial and ethno-ra(ial4that argue will help $sto $n"erstan"theeconomicand political realities an" transformations in the c$rrent era.5a(h(on(ept o)ers an alternati.e to +inaries either through a larger set of (on(eptual resour(es or through trans(ending

gi.en +inaries in a +ridge (on(ept' "ut the o.erall point is that, as &e address ea(h of these issues, the binaryof threat an" promise sho$l" co$nsel a*ainst $ni(e" political pro,ections)as if we co$l" empower only one set of forces in this t$* of war. e nee" ,rather, to chart the likely contra"ictory eects of every step that is taken.

This t$rns case the black-white binary fract$res coalitions)isolates blacks an" ca$ses nihilism eective resistance towhite s$premacy m$st incl$"e reco*nition of m$lti-colore"racism an" relin/$ishment of the binary.

5li6a+eth 0artine+, 7-08-20!, &riter, a(ti.ist, edu(ator, tea(hes 5thni( 1tudies and9o*en:s 1tudies in the California state uni.ersity syste*, (urrently s &ithLatin< and *ultinational youth groups, pu+lished .e +oo;s on so(ial *o.e*entsand &riter for = Maga6ine, >ethin;ing 1(hools and other pu+li(ations on Latinussian and 5astern 5uropean i**igrants are not thetargets of rando* identity-+ased .iolen(e or national s(apegoating to Ae/plainA e(ono*i( do&nturns' 5uropeani**igrants are not tagged as inassi*ila+le (ultural inferiors nor is their di)eren(e ra(iali6ed in the &ay that so*e

Latinos, ra+s, and sian *eri(ans e/perien(e' hus nati.is* today ta;es a de(idedly ra(iali6ed for*, di)erentfro* earlier periods in U'1' history &hen, for e/a*ple, er*an i**igrants &ere shunned, er*an street na*es

&ere (hanged, and fran;furters &ere rena*ed hot dogs' The tar*et of nativism to"ay is araciali+e" other who threatens the ima*inary i"entity of the %.&. nation toan e'tent no $ropean c$lt$re probably can) *iven that that ima*inaryi"entity is centrally $ropean base". A c$lt$ral amal*amation of $ropeanan" Latin elements that mi*ht occ$r nat$rally as Latino n$mbers in the%.&. rise strikes many people with horror. NativismBs ra(iali6ed attri+utionsenco$ra*es people to t$rn a blin" eye to the in,$stices that happen to2non-Native2 peoples, su(h as those pro(le" as terrorists orthose standing on the(orner day-la+or *eat *ar;ets or those tryin* to cross bor"ers. 4t p$ts non-native*ro$ps o$tsi"e the pale ofpeer group (on.entions of tolerance) respect an" civilri*hts.Rn this .ie&, the problem with Latinos is not ,$st that they are seen asforei*n b$t that their c$lt$ral back*ro$n" makes them inel$ctably forei*n)both incapable of an" $nmotivate" towar" assimilation to the s$perior)mainstream) white An*lo c$lt$re.e+ates o.er +ilingualis* thus in.o;e the spe(ter of a(on(erted resistan(e to assi*ilation rather than language rights, and the pu+li( (ele+ration of nationally spe(i(holidays, su(h as APuerto >i(an ayA or Me/i(an ndependen(e ay, and e.en the presen(e of ethni(-spe(i((uisines (an (o*e to signify a threat to the i*agined (o**unity of nglo nationalis*' espite the fa(t thatMe/i(an-*eri(ans ha.e +een li.ing &ithin the (urrent U'1' +orders for longer than *ost nglo-*eri(ans, they areall too often seen as sOuatters on U'1' soil, interlopers &ho A+elongA else&here' his has nothing to do &ith (lai*s

to nati.e in(lusion and e.erything to do &ith (ultural ra(is*'8 Anti-Latino racism mobili+es very

speci(c narratives involvin* history an" c$lt$re as well as acco$nts of

racial hierarchies an" the eects of race-mi'in* to portray all Latinos

ne*atively.hus, the colora/is is only one of the a'es that nee" to be

$n"erstoo" as pivotal in racist i"eolo*ies. >a(is* (an and has operated through a .ariety ofphysi(al features, (ultural (hara(teristi(s and origins, and status as Anati.eA or Anon-nati.eA to e/(lude groups fro*engendering e*pathi( identi(ation, or fro* deser.ing so(ial in(lusion and politi(al representation' hese *ultiplea/es produ(e a *e(hanis* for the (lassi(ation and deli*itation of su+sets of people that then Eusties

dis(ri*ination and e/(lusion' N$mero$s *ro$ps e'perience more than one a'is ofracism, in(luding fri(an *eri(ans &ho are derided for a .ariety of physi(al features as &ell as geographi(alorigin' "ut *y argu*ent in this se(tion as +een that to $n"erstan" anti-Latino racism weespecially nee" an attentiveness to these m$ltiple a'es) since all four comeinto play a*ainst Latinos.hus, we nee" an e'pan"e" analysis of racism an"an attentiveness to the speci(c forms it can take in re*ar" to "ierent*ro$ps) rather than contin$in* to accept the i"ea that it operates inbasically one way) with one a'is) that is "ierentially "istrib$te" amon*

vario$s *ro$ps.n its o.er-si*pli(ation of ra(is*s,

the black-white binary inhibits o$rability to acc$rately "escribe an" $n"erstan" c$rrent social realities) insome cases eclipsin* the severity as well as the comple'ity of the

problem.nd any foreshortene" $n"erstan"in* of the problems re"$ces

the possibility of eective sol$tions as well as the possibility of makin*

common ca$se. 4t is important to move beyon" the black-white binaryof

ra(e forreasons of "escriptive acc$racyof our (urrent so(ial realities, b$t alsofor reasons of


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political e;cacy in the str$**le a*ainst racism. 3acism9s persistence into

the 51st cent$ry bespeaks its resilience) its =e'ibility of tar*ets) an" itscapacity to move to new *ro$n" an" to shift from biolo*ical to c$lt$ral

,$sti(cations.t is li;e any other language ga*e &hose pra(ti(es and *odes of intelligi+ility are (apa+le ofshifting +e(ause they are grounded only in shifting histori(al and (ultural terrain' he .ery fa(t that racismisgrounded not in natural fa(ts +ut in so(ial (onstru(tions *eans that it

is an ever-present threat)capable of new metamorphoses an" mobili+ations , and resistant to a nal (ure'

Their rea"in* of history is overly simplistic an" rei(es whites$premacy.

Linda Martn Alco, FF-07-20!5, Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and the CUNYraduate Center, !Latino%as, sian-*eri(ans and the "la(;-9hite "inary,#http$%%&&&'Estor'org%dis(o.er%F0'230G%2FFGIGJuidK3G3827?uidK2?uidKI?sidK2FF02I8II088F

The "isco$rse of social ,$stice in re*ar" toissues in.ol.ing race has been"ominate"in the U'1' by&hat *any theorists na*e the 2black#white para"i*m)2 which

operates to *overn racial classi(cations an" racial politics in the %.&., *ost(learly in the for*ulation of (i.il rights la& +ut also in *ore infor*al arenas of dis(ussion' Quan Derea"e(nes thisparadig* as the conception that race in America consists , eithere/(lusi.ely or pri*arily, of only two constit$ent racial *ro$ps) the Black an"hite ... 4n a""ition) the para"i*m "ictates that all other racial i"entities

an" *ro$ps in the % nited & tates are best $n"erstoo" thro$*h the Black#hite

binary para"i*m. He argues that this paradig* operates e.en in re(ent anti-ra(ist theory su(h as thatprodu(ed +y ndre& Ha(;er, Cornel 9est, and oni Morrison, though it is e.en (learer in s +y li+erals su(h asNathan la6er' Rpenly espousing this .ie&, Mary @ran(is "erry, for*er (hair of the U'1' Ci.il >ights Co**ission, hasstated that the U'1' is (o*prised of Athree nations, one "la(;, one 9hite, and one in &hi(h people stri.e to +e

so*ething other than "la(; to a.oid the sting of 9hite 1upre*a(y'A7 To $n"erstan" race in this

way is to ass$me that racial "iscrimination operates e'cl$sively thro$*h

anti-black racism. Rthers (an +e a)e(ted +y ra(is*, on this .ie&, +ut the "ominance of the

black#white para"i*m works to interpret all other eects as 2collateral

"ama*e2 $ltimately ca$se" by the same phenomena, in +oth e(ono*i( and

psy(hologi(al ter*s, in which the gi.en other, &hether Latino#a, sian *eri(an, or so*ething else, is

place" in the cate*ory of 2 black 2 or 2 close to black.2n other &ords, there is

basically one form of racism) an" one contin$$m of racial i"entity) alon*which all *ro$ps will be place".he +la(;%&hite paradig* (an +e understood either des(ripti.elyor pres(ripti.ely or +othD$ as *a;ing a des(ripti.e (lai* a+out the funda*ental nature of ra(iali6ations and ra(is*sin the U'1', or as pres(ri+ing ho& ra(e shall operate and thus enfor(ing the appli(a+ility of the +la(;%&hite

paradig*'G &everal Latino#a an" Asian American theorists, su(h as 5laine i*, aryR;ihiro, 5li6a+eth Martine6, Quan Perea, @ran; 9u, ana a;agi, and (o**unity a(ti.ists su(h as "ong H&an i*

have ar*$e" that the black#white para"i*m is not a"e/$ate ) certainly nots$;cient ) to e'plain racial realities in the %.&. hey ha.e thus (ontested its (lai* to

des(ripti.e adeOua(y, and argued that the he*emony of the black#white para"i*m in

racial thinkin* has ha" many "eleterio$s eects for Latino#as an" Asian

Americans. n this paper, &ill su**ari6e and dis(uss &hat (onsider the strongest of these argu*ents andthen de.elop t&o further argu*ents' t is i*portant to stress that the +la(;%&hite paradig* does ha.e so*e

des(ripti.e rea(h, as shall dis(uss, e.en though it is inadeOuate &hen ta;en as the &hole story of ra(is*' AsianAmericans an" Latino#as are often cate*ori+e" an" treate" in ways that
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/25115747?uid=3739256&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21102494840991http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/25115747?uid=3739256&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21102494840991


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re=ect the fact that they have been positione" as either 2near black2 or

2near white)2 b$t this is not nearly a"e/$ate to $n"erstan"in* their

i"eolo*ical representation or political treatment in the %.&.Rne *ight also argue

that, altho$*h the black#white para"i*m is not "escriptively a"e/$ate to thecomple'ity an" pl$rality of raciali+e" i"entities) it yet operates with

prescriptive force to or*ani+e these comple'ities into its bipolar schema. Criti(s, ho&e.er, ha.e (ontested +oth the (lai* of des(ripti.e adeOua(y as &ell as pres(ripti.e e(a(y' hat is,

the para"i*m "oes not operate with eective he*emony as a prescriptive

force. +elie.e these argu*ents &ill sho& that contin$in* to theori+e race in the %.&. as

operatin* e'cl$sively thro$*h the black#white para"i*m is act$ally

"isa"vanta*eo$s for all people of color in the %.&.)and in *any respe(ts for &hites as&ell or at least for &hite union households and the &hite poorD' &ant to start &ith a story that e/e*plies the(lose asso(iation +et&een Latino%as and sians in the ideologi(al traditions e*+edded in the legal history of theU'1' n FI the 1upre*e Court of the 1tate of California dened Chinese *eri(ans as ndians, that is, Nati.e*er i(ans' his ruling (a*e a+out after a &hite *an, eorge 9' Hall, &as (on.i(ted of *urder +ased upon theeye&itness testi*ony of a Chinese *eri(an' HallBs la&yer appealed the (on.i(tion +y in.o;ing the la& that saidAno +la(; or *ulatto person, or ndian, shall +e allo&ed to gi.e e.iden(e in fa.or of, or against a &hite *an'A8 nsupport of his (lai* that this la& &as rele.ant to HallBs (ase, the defense la&yer (ited the hypothesis that all Nati.e

peoples of the *eri(as &ere originally fro* sia and tra.eled to the 9estern he*isphere o.er the "ering1traights' hus, he argued, the Chinese *eri(an *an &as a(tually the ra(ial an(estor of Nati.e *eri(ans, and+e(ause the latter &ere e/(luded fro* testifying in (ourt, this Chinese *an should +e e/(luded also' he 1upre*eCourt of the 1tate of California a((epted this argu*ent and upheld the appeal, freeing Hall, and thus lin;ing thelegal status of sian *eri(ans and all those &ith indigenous *eri(an an(estry, a (ategory that in(ludes *any or*ost Latino%as' he story does not end there' he 1upre*e Court of the 1tate of California &as (on(erned that as as(ienti( hypothesis the "ering straight theory *ight one day +e dispro.ed, &hi(h &ould then destroy the +asis forChinese e/(lusion in the (ourts and allo& the* to gi.e testi*ony' n order to a.oid this out(o*e, the Court de(ided

to e*+ellish the argu*ents *ade in appeal' Qusti(e Charles Q' 0$rray interprete" le*alprece"ent to ar*$e that the terms 2black2 an" 2white2 are oppositionalterms) from which he concl$"e" that 2black2 m$st mean 2nonwhite2 an"2white2 m$st e'cl$"e all people of color. Th$s) by the law of binary lo*ic)Chinese Americans, after ha.ing +e(o*e Nati.e *eri(an, then also became black.Rf the *anyOuestions that one *ight li;e to go +a(; and pose to Murray, perhaps the *ost o+.ious is the follo&ing$ if

2black2 an" 2white2 are oppositional terms) then) instea" of 2black2meanin* 2nonwhite)2 "oes it not ,$st as lo*ically follow that 2white2 co$l"mean 2nonblack)2 in which case all people of color e'cept African

Americans wo$l" be white:This concl$sion isno *ore or less fallacio$s or a+surdthan MurrayBs (on(lusion that A+la(;A *eans Anon&hite,A a (on(lusion that e/(eeded e.en the Aone drop ruleA inholding that one (an +e +la(; e.en if one has no fri(an an(estry at all' lthough this (ase +egan &ith a strategy tolin; the Chinese to *er i(an ndians, it ends in a ruling that pres(ri+es a +la(;%&hite +inary' nd it suggests that

by $se of the black#white binary to concept$ali+e all racial i"entities in

the %.&.) an" by "e(nin* whites as those witho$t one "rop of 2other2

bloo") it became possible to separate whites o$t in reality, a spe(i( group of &hitesD,

an" then protect an" ma'imi+e white privile*e. F0 5.en though it (oales(es the

(onditions of the vario$s comm$nities of colorinto one ru+ri(, suggesting the possi+ility ofsolidarity, italso "e(nes themessentially by their relation to whites, as non-&hites'

2hite2 becomes the pivot point aro$n" which all *ro$ps are "e(ne".

This allowe" the state to make one all-p$rpose ar*$ment a*ainst the

ri*hts of non-whites) th$s increasin* the e;ciency with which it co$l"

maintain "iscrimination.


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The black-white para"i*m arises from a estern form of"$alism an" stren*thens white s$premacy by preventin*confrontation with m$lti-facete" i"entity white s$premacy isconstantly m$tatin* an" o$r conceptions of how it operateshave to evolve as well.

5li6a+eth 0artine+, 7-08-20!, &riter, a(ti.ist, edu(ator, tea(hes 5thni( 1tudies and9o*en:s 1tudies in the California state uni.ersity syste*, (urrently s &ithLatin< and *ultinational youth groups, pu+lished .e +oo;s on so(ial *o.e*entsand &riter for = Maga6ine, >ethin;ing 1(hools and other pu+li(ations on Latina6a (o*+ines three sets

of roots - indigenous, 5uropean and fri(an - all in &idely .arying degrees' n short we represent aprofo$n"ly $n-American concept7 0e'icans in the %.&.also "efy theeither-or,"$alistic min" in that, on the one hand, &e are a coloni+e" people "isplace" fromthe ancestral homelan" with roots in the present-"ay %.&. that *o backcent$ries.hose an(estors didnBt (ross the +orderW the +order (rossed the*' t the sa*e ti*e *any of usha.e (o*e to the U'1' *ore re(ently as Ai**igrantsA see;ing ' The comple'ity of 3a+a baMes

an" fr$strates most An*los they want to p$t one neat label on $s.t +aXes*any Latinos too, &ho often end up (ategori6ing the*sel.es ra(ially as ARtherA for la(; of anything +etter' @or that*atter, the ter* ALatinoA &hi(h use here is a *onu*ental si*pli(ationW it refers to 20-plus nationalities and a

&ide range of (lasses' "ut we nee" to *rapple with the comple'ity ) for there is

more to come. 4f anythin*) this nation will see more gli*pse at the ne/t (entury tellsus ho& *u(h we nee" to look beyon" the white#Black mo"el of race relations

an" racism.9hite%"la(; are real poles, (entral to the history of U'1' ra(is*' 9e (an neither ignore the* norstop there' "ut o$r eectiveness in (*htin* racism "epen"s on seein* thechan*es takin* place) tryin* to perceive the conto$rs of the f$t$re. @ro* theti*e of the ree;s to the present, racismaround the &orld hashad (ertain (o**onalties +ut no

permanently ('e" character. 4t is evolvin* a*ain to"ay) an" we9" best

labor to rea" the new faces of this y"ra-hea"e" monster. 3emember) for

every hea" that y"ra lost it *rew two more. 1o*eti*es the pro+le* see*s so (lear' Lastyear sho&ed slides of Chi(ano history to a Ra;land high s(hool (lass &ith IG fri(an *eri(ans and three Latinostudents' he i*ages in(luded lyn(hings and poli(e +eatings of Me/i(ans and other Latinos, and *any years of

resistan(e' t the end one "la(; student as;ed, A

&eems like we have ha" a lot ofe'periences in common - so why can9t Blacks an" 0e'icans *et alon*better:A No ans&ers, +ut there &as the rst step$ as;ing the Ouestion'

Black-white binary ba" inacc$rate an" papers over anti-LatinF racism.

5li6a+eth 0artine+, 7-08-20!, &riter, a(ti.ist, edu(ator, tea(hes 5thni( 1tudies and9o*en:s 1tudies in the California state uni.ersity syste*, (urrently s &ith


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Latin< and *ultinational youth groups, pu+lished .e +oo;s on so(ial *o.e*entsand &riter for = Maga6ine, >ethin;ing 1(hools and other pu+li(ations on Latina(e$ he Nor*al 1(ien(e of *eri(an >a(ial hought,#http$%%s(holarship'la&'+er;eley'edu%(gi%.ie&(ontent'(giJarti(leKF70?(onte/tK(aliforniala&re.ie&

The Black#hite Binary Dara"i*m of race has become the s$b,ect of

increasin*interest and scr$tiny a*ong so*e s(holars of (olor' his rti(le uses ho*as uhnBs notionsof paradig* and the properties of paradig*s to e/plore se.eral leading s on ra(e' he s the author

e/plores de*onstrate the Black#hite para"i*mof ra(e and so*e of its properties, a*ong the*

e/tensi.e paradig* ela+oration o.er the years' Paradig*s have limitations , ho&e.er' Amon* them

is a ten"ency to tr$ncate history for the sake of tellin* a linear story of

pro*ress.he author de*onstrates ho& one (onstitutional la& te't tr$ncates history) by

omittin* entirely 0e'ican-American str$**les for "ese*re*ation) an"

presentin* a linear story of the Black str$**le for civil ri*hts. ?mittin*important history from the narrative of civil ri*htshistory becomese'traor"inarily "ama*in*)sin(e it "istorts history an" contrib$tes tothe

mar*inali+ation of non-Black peoples of color.9hile re(ogni6ing the (entrality of sla.ery

and 9hite ra(is* against "la(;s at the (ore of *eri(an history and so(iety, this rti(le see;s to e'pan" o$r

$n"erstan"in* of racism thro$*h the $se of le*al history.he author (ontends that

m$t$al an" partic$lari+e" $n"erstan"in* of racism as it aects all

people of color has the potential to enhance o$r abilities to $n"erstan"

each other an" to ,oin to*ether to (*ht the common evil of racism.

American society has no social techni/$e for han"lin* partly colore"

races. e have a place for the Ne*ro an" a place for the white man7 the

0e'ican is not a Ne*ro) an" the white man ref$ses him an e/$al stat$s.


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Lat Crit

8eployment of Latini"a" scholarship r$pt$res binaryconstr$ctions of i"entity in,ectin* hybri" i"entity into

"isco$rses of race is key to break "own the black-white binaryan" e'plo"e "$alisms.

ngharad N' Qal"ivia, 1pring-//-20!, Ph'', epart*ent Head of Media and Cine*a1tudies, nteri* ire(tor of nstitute of Co**uni(ations >esear(h, >esear(hProfessor of Co**uni(ations, Professor of Media 1tudies, Professor of Latina%o1tudies, Professor in the Unit for Criti(is* and nterpreti.e heory, Professor in theender and 9o*enBs 1tudies Progra* < Uni.ersity of llinois, !Latinas as >adi(al Hy+rid$

ransnationally gendered tra(es in *ainstrea* *edia,# http$%%lass'purdue(al'edu%((a%g*E%sp0I%g*E-sp0I-.aldi.ia'ht*

Yet the presence of Latinas an" Latini"a"also speaks to broa"er

epistemolo*ical iss$es of ethnic st$"ies.9hereas concepts of ethnicity, inrelation to (on(epts of ra(e, spea; to (ultural *ar;ers of identity, they still attempt to locate ethnic"ierence as a marker of "ierence.1hohat:s 2ethnicities in relation2approa(h

F88FD posits ethnicities, espe(ially as represented in l* and other *ass *edia, as "ynamic

an" $nstable , gaining *eaning so*ething only in ter*s of the representation of other ethni(ities &ithin a

gi.en te/tual (onte/t' Latinas, of (ourse, can be e'amine" in this relational

framework. ittin* somewhere between black an" whiteness in the

national ima*inarya.is, 2000D, Latinasas a (onstru(ted (ategory *ain meanin* by

virt$e of their s$ppose" location as an in between ethnicity) not white

yet not black. Yet this is not a si*ple pro(ess as the fa(t is Latinas are not unifor*ly +ro&n' To f$rther

e'plore this cate*oryand its i*pli(ations for *edia and popular (ulture representation we*ust t$rn

to theories of hybri"ity. he (on(ept of hybri"ityis e/tre*ely useful to (o**uni(ations s(holarsfor a nu*+er of reasons yet re*ains to +e fully utili6ed +y our interdis(ipline raidy, F888, 2002W Murphy and

raidy, 2003D' raidy 2002$ 3FGD proposes that &e foreground this (on(ept as it$ Anee"s to be$n"erstoo" as a comm$nicative practice constit$tive of) an" constit$te"by) sociopolitical an" economic arran*ementsA that are 2comple')process$al) an" "ynamic.21(holars fro* *any dis(iplinary +a(;grounds ha.e +een seriouslyengaged in the potential of the (on(ept of hy+ridity e'g' .tar and Coo*+s, 2000W Qoseph and @in;, F888W 9er+ner

and Modood, F88GD &ithin the hu*anities and so(ial s(ien(es'SiT "eyond its *erely des(ripti.e uses, hybri"ity

also opens $pthe space for the st$"y of c$lt$ral ne*otiations) con=icts) an"str$**les a*ainst the back"rop of contemporary *lobali+ation1ho*e and Hegde,

2002aW 2002+D' The concept is foremost a re,ection of essentialist notions , either

of *en"er or of ethnicity an" race ) as well as an acknowle"*ement thatthere is no p$rity to be fo$n" either at the level of c$lt$re) the bo"y)bloo") or 8NA.ranias;aus 2000D di)erentiates +et&een ar(a Can(lini:s F88D so(io-(ultural hy+ridityand "ha+ha:s F88ID *ore literary and psy(hoanalyti( approa(h' Yet +oth Can(lini and "ha+ha (ounter *oresi*plisti( .ersions of glo+ali6ation studies &here a (ele+ratory *ish *ash of people and (ultures are o)ered, and

all di)eren(e is erased' o so*e hybri"ity mi*ht s$**est a playf$l space) where one

can try on "ierent i"entities. ndeed studies of (onte*porary ethni(ity .ila, 200FW Halter,2000W Moorti, 2003D suggest that hy+rid tra(es are .ery useful for (o**odi(ation purposes and the *ar;eting ofethni(ity' n fa(t ethni( a*+iguity is a *ost useful strategy as it has the potential of spea;ing to di)erent seg*ents


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of the audien(e &ith one e(ono*i(al i*age or set of i*ages' s su(h hy+ridity and its a((o*panying strategy,representational a*+iguity, (ertainly ha.e their uses &ithin late (apitalis*' gainst, or in relation to, o.erly(ele+ratory approa(hes to the Eouissan(e of the hy+rid, &e ha.e to (onsider the tensions and pains of hy+ridity4the fa(t that it is not all fun and prots' heoreti(al treat*ents of hy+ridity ai* to retain so*e of the tensions, thepo&er di)erentials, the pulls to&ard syn(retis* inherent in its ine.ita+le attening in *ainstrea* *ass *edia andpopular (ulture' 9hereas 1hohat and 1ta* F88ID use hy+ridity, *esti6aEe, and syn(retis* inter(hangea+ly, Ha*idNa(y F883D distinguishes +et&een hy+ridity and syn(retis*, proposing that the latter is *ore (o*forta+le, sta+le,

li.a+le, longer lasting, and less a*+i.alent than hy+ridity' ith its blen"s an" shifts)

sometimes the "isplay of one c$lt$re more prominently than the other or

others) the instability ) an" "iscomfort of hybri"ity has *reater

e'planatory an" analytical power for the live" Latina#o e'perience in the%.&. over the comfort an" stability of the syncretic representationalterrain Le.ine, 2002D' Rf (ourse, as Na(y argues, there is al&ays a tenden(y and desire for syn(retis* a*onghy+rid populations, usually resol.ed +y the *ar;et and *edia industries as *ere style di)eren(es through(onsu*eris*' Le.ine 2002D e/tends his (on(ept to Latinidad, arguing that (onte*porary *ainstrea* popular(ulture in fa(t (onstru(ts a syn(reti( Latina%o identity' his (an +e e/plored through the representation on Latinas inpopular (ulture as their +odies +e(o*e the terrain of so(ial struggle "eltrn, 2002D' his is espe(ially e.ident in the

*ainstrea* *edia and popular (ulture' Latina#os an"the (onstru(tion and "eployment of

Latini"a" challen*e binary constr$ctions of i"entity. 5spe(ially in the % nited

& tates &here the "isc$ssion) rhetoric an" "isco$rse aro$n" race an" ethnicityhistori(ally has centere"and (ontinues to do so aro$n" m$t$ally e'cl$sive cate*ories

of black an" white pop$lations, Latina#os, as &ell as other ethni( populations su(h as

Asian Americans an" Native Americans have metaphorically an" literally

fallen thro$*h the cracks of political an" symbolic "isco$rses.Latinas are a

hy+rid lot4&e share *u(h and &e e*+ody *any di)eren(es' Li;e uany F882D says of salsa *usi(, Latinas

are a hybri" of hybri"s 4and therefore &hat (all a radi(al hy+rid' Qust as salsa *usi( is (o*posed ofalready hy+rid traditions, Latinas e*+ody the *any (o*ple/ tra(es of (ultures and populations that (o*e together

at this *o*ent in the United 1tates' 1o, for e/a*ple, the "ominant ten"ency to re"$ceLatina#o hetero*eneity to a brown race erases the "iversity withinLatina#os. Latina%os (o*e fro* 1outh *eri(a yet 1outh *eri(a is not a ra(ially ho*ogeneous region4

native American) $ropean) African) Arab) an" Asian traces permeate there*ionin addition to the *ore often *entioned parti(ular 1panish and Portuguese tra(es' n addition every

one of those cate*ories) or re*ions) of people is compose" of hybri"

pop$lations. Beyon" the wake-$p call of incl$"in* another ethnicity in the

national ima*inary an" therefore e'pan"in* the ethnic re*ister to a =$i"spectr$m rather than m$t$ally e'cl$sive cate*ories) Latina#os remin" $sthat there is no p$rity within Latini"a") or in"ee" within any ethnic

cate*ory) an" therefore there are no easy bor"ers between ethnicities.Latina%os de*onstrate &hat (an appropriately +e (alled radi(al hy+ridity Valdi.ia, 2003D' Rne (ould +egin +y theperple/ing atte*pt, on the part of the Census "ureau, to a((ount for Latina%os outside of 9hiteness Sas in A9hite,not Hispani(AT and Latina%os +eyond the *eri(as, as in Ain(luding 1pain and Portugal'A @or e/a*ple, Hispani( fro-Cari++eans &ho fa(e this for* for the rst ti*e ha.e as di(ult a ti*e de(iding as 9hite Hispani( Cari++eans, &ho

had either thought the*sel.es in ter*s of nation, as &ith the for*er, or of their &hiteness, as in the latter' Neitherof these groups is li;ely to possess purity of ra(e, nor of any of the other (o*ponents and indi(ators of ethni(ity

su(h as religion, et(' f &e ta;e another (ontri+uting hy+rid (ategory, the 1panish, &e en(ounter the inevitable

hybri"itythat perva"es historical roots ofLatina%os in the % nited & tates' ating +a(; tothe Me/i(an (asta paintings and +efore, the tenden(y has +een to represent the 1panish as &hite lor de l.a,F887D, and indeed in (onte*porary ti*es in +oth the United 1tates Valdi.ia, in pressD and *u(h of 1outh *eri(athe use of the ter* A1panishA (ontinues to signify &hiteness' Yet the easy (onation of 1pain and &hiteness isanything +ut a((urate' s Meno(al 2002D notes, l ndalus &as a (o*ple/ region &herein 1panish, Moorish, and

Qe&ish populations inter*ingled to (reate a syn(reti( (ulture and population, &ith esta+lished di)eren(e +ut also&ith the (o**onalities that result fro* (enturies of (oha+itation and ine.ita+le inter*ingling' 1pain neither &as


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nor is the seat of &hiteness any*ore than Latin *eri(a is' 1pain and the *ain four 1panish languages re*ain ahy+rid lot' his type of histori(al genealogy of hy+ridity, populations, language, and (ultural for*s, (ould +e (arried

out for ea(h and e.ery one of the (o*ponents of Latin *eri(a and thus of U'1' Latina%os' ybri"ity

permeates o$r roots)the roots of Latina%os, as well as the roots of all pop$lations.

8espite this $n"eniable presence) which "ates back cent$ries to the "ays

before the % nited & tates became a nation) Latina#os contin$e to challen*e

binary an" essentialist approaches to raceCha+ra*-ernersesian, F888D'

&peci(cally the black-white para"i*m e'cl$"es LatinF voicesfrom "isc$ssions on race an" mar*inali+es their c$lt$res LatCrit scholarship is key to brin* this "isc$ssion to theforefront.

Quan @' Derea, F0-3F-F8IJ, Professor of La&, Uni.ersity of @lorida College of La&, !he"la(;%9hite "inary Paradig* of >a(e$ he Nor*al 1(ien(e of *eri(an >a(ial hought,#http$%%s(holarship'la&'+er;eley'edu%(gi%.ie&(ontent'(giJarti(leKF70?(onte/tK(aliforniala&re.ie&

his rti(le is a+out ho& &e are taught to thin; a+out ra(e' n parti(ular, intend to analy6e the role of +oo;s andte/ts on ra(e in stru(turing our ra(ial dis(ourse' +elie.e that m$ch writin* on racism isstr$ct$re" by a para"i*m that is wi"ely hel" b$t rarely reco*ni+e" for &hat itis and &hat it does' Thisparadig* shapes o$r $n"erstan"in* of what race an" racismmean an" the nat$re of o$r "isc$ssions abo$t race. t is (ru(ial, therefore, to identify

and des(ri+e this para"i*m and to de*onstrate ho& it bin"s an" or*ani+es racial

"isco$rse) limitin* both the scope an" the ran*e of le*itimate

viewpoints in that "isco$rse.n this rti(le, identify and (riti(i6e one of the *ost salient features

of past and (urrent dis(ourse a+out ra(e in the United 1tates, the Black#hite binary para"i*m

of race' s*all +ut gro&ing nu*+er of &riters ha.e re(ogni6ed the paradig* and its limit ing e)e(t on

racial "isco$rse.2 +elie.e that its do*inant and per.asi.e (hara(ter has not +een &ell esta+lished nordis(ussed in legal literature' intend to de*onstrate the e/isten(e of a "la(;%9hite paradig* and to sho& its

+readth and see*ingly per.asi.e ordering of ra(ial dis(ourse and legiti*a(y' @urther, intend to sho& ho& the

Black#hite binary para"i*m operates to e'cl$"e Latinos#as 3 from f$ll

membership an" participation in racial "isco$rse)and ho& that e'cl$sion

serves to perpet$ate not only the para"i*m itself b$t also ne*ative

stereotypes of Latinos#as. $ll membership in society for Latinos#as will

re/$ire a para"i*m shift away from the binary para"i*m an" towar"s a

new an" evolvin* $n"erstan"in* of race an" race relations. his rti(le illustrates

the ;ind of (ontri+ution to (riti(al theory that thee*ergent Latino Criti(al >a(e 1tudies LatCrit D

movement*ay *a;e' his *o.e*ent is a (ontinuing s(holarly e)ort, underta;en +y Latino%a s(holars andother sy*patheti( s(holars, to e'amine critically e'istin* str$ct$res of racial tho$*htan" to i"entify how these str$ct$res perpet$ate the s$bor"inate" position

of Latinos#as in partic$lar. LatCrit st$"ies are, then, an e'tension an"

"evelopment of critical race theory Rand (riti(al theory generallyD that foc$s onthe

pre.iously ne*lecte" areas of Latino#a i"entity an" history an" the role of

racism as it aects Latinos#as. identify strongly, and self-(ons(iously, as a Latino &riter and

thin;er' 4t is precisely my position as a Latino o$tsi"er , neither "la(; nor 9hite, that


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makes possible the observation an" criti/$e presented in this rti(le' My criti/$e of

the Black#hite binaryparadig* of ra(e shows this(o**only held binary

$n"erstan"in* of race to be one of the ma,or impe"iments to learnin*

abo$t an" $n"erstan"in* Latinos#as an" their history.s shall sho&, the

para"i*m also creates si*ni(cant "istortions in the way people learn to

view Latinos#as.

race binary kritik - northwestern 2013 6weekjuniors

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