For our first episode, we discuss ways the dominant narratives of African American and Asian Filipino-American/Filipino Immigrant communities have benefitted, harmed, and perpetuated White Body Supremacy through an allyship vs. accomplice lens. 

 

E: Welcome to Generation Unconstrained podcast, where we tackle decolonizing by unlearning and learning all the ways you have been taught to be violent to yourself and others, the result of collective biases as it relates to how we determine what is legitimate knowledge and therapy and who can be viewed as legitimate. Nor our perceptions are often limited to Western legacy, which is tied to colonial and patriarchy or violence, even with projects or initiatives with the best intentions. A limited, a peace and a logical Framework often leads to work that extracts and exploits marginalized and oppressed communities. I am E.I am a cisgender African-American woman, daughter, mother, friend, advocate and scholar. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I invite my cohost to introduce herself.  

Nikki: Thanks. Hi, everyone, my name is Nikki. I identify as a Queer Filipino American Ilongga, Iskolar ng Bayan, which is a scholar of my country, the Philippines, and I'm a breast cancer warrior for five years now. My pronouns are they/she/siya. 

E: Thank you, Nikki. So today we'll be discussing the Ally industrial complex, giving a little context. We want to talk about how to be an actor, accomplice or an ally. And I want to begin us off with a brief quote. So, when Malcolm X was asked, how white people could be alive and accomplices with black people in 1964, “he responded by visibly hovering near us. They are proving that they are with us. But the hard truth is this isn't helping to solve America's racist problem. The Negroes aren't the racists where the really sincere white people have got to do their proving of themselves is not among the black victims, but out on the battle lines of where America's racism really is and that's in their home communities. America's racism is among their own fellow whites. That's where sincere whites really mean to accomplish something have got for. So we wanted to talk a little bit about the dominant narratives that Nikki and I have heard and witnessed in our own communities, and we also wanted to just note that we can only speak from our perspectives, Nikki, from the Filipino perspective and I from the African-American perspective. So although we know that there are other dominant narratives out there being perpetuated against other populations and communities of color and different abilities, we just want to express that we're speaking from our point of view. So, Nikki, what are some of the dominant narratives that you've heard and seen in your community?  

Nikki: Oh, that's a loaded question, but the dominant narrative I always keep hearing with the Asian and the Filipino community within the US is the model minority status that we have, and I find it sometimes unfair that we are always defined as basically white, even though we're not actually white. And the reason why I say this is because, you know, Asians even like throughout history, yes, we've been oppressed in different ways, especially when it comes to the forced labor movement that started with the Chinese immigrants that came to Ellis Island. But, you know, over time, the way that race in itself has been socially constructed has influenced the way other racialize groups within the US have been perceiving each other, and so with that said, you know, Asians have always been working so hard because one of the reasons is we want to provide for our families. We want to send money back home and the reason for that contributes to, in a way, the model minority status, because Asians always want to work in spaces where they can always earn that high capital, right, because they want to provide for their family and I I wish, you know, like the model minority status wasn't the dominant narrative because in some ways the model minority provides a hierarchy of oppression between marginalized groups within the U.S. and. You know, in actuality. I personally believe, like I wish it wasn't that way, and in some ways the model minority status also contributes to the other narrative of the us versus them. And it shouldn't be, because at the end, we're all trying to fight white body supremacy that has been putting us down for like centuries. And so for you E, what type of dominant narratives have you heard or experienced within your community? 

E: So I just want to say thanks for sharing that, Nikki. You know, a lot of times when we hear stories, we don't really fully comprehend the depth. And by hearing you explain, you know, the way that you did it, help clarify, you know, some things for me, you know, looking at how our stories are portrayed, you know, in mass media, on television, you know, on the radio. And when you hear these stories, you know, you you have to realize that there are people behind the stories. And so with that, the African-American community, I feel one of the most damaging, dominant narratives is that of the welfare queen. And so that was a term that was coined by Ronald Reagan back in the nineteen eighties to define black women who had multiple children, sometimes by different fathers, as the means to stay on public assistance. And so that came that became synonymous with the black female. You know, they just only wanted to just stay at home and have. Multiple children, you know, so they could get more money and I think. We internalize that to a certain degree, and I think it's going to take. A lot of careful thought and action in our community for that particular classification or stigmatization, if you want to call it, to leave our communities in one of the other ones, that it could be a good thing. But it also could be something that's negative to, you know, all things that have positive and negative aspects to them is the affirmative action. You know, that's supposedly for our benefit in the Black community. I can see where it would be a situation where it would benefit us. But it also makes others look at us like we've been given an unfair advantage just because of our color. And so the way that that's portrayed in mass media and newspapers, magazines and the Internet, of course, it does a disservice and it doesn't tell the whole entire story. And I think it comes from a point of, you know, just white fragility, you know. Being, you know, confident and defensive, you know, when you know whites. Are presented with, you know, what it looks like to be, you know. Racially and ethnically in a space of injustice and inequality. So. Who do you think these narratives really benefit and who do you feel like they harm? Do you feel like they harm? More so. US or the outside population?  

Nikki: That's a really great question. You know, based off the reading for this podcast, which is decolonization is not a metaphor by Tucking and Yang, I think who truly benefits from all of these narratives are are settlers, some settlers that have internalized colonialism and still perpetuate externalize colonialism. And you know, the reason why I say this is because in their reading on page six to seven, one of the things that really resonated with me the most was when they stated subjugation of bodies are used for forced labor like slavery and settler colonial context is distinct from other forms of indenture whereby excess labor is extracted from persons. And then another is settlers are actually not immigrants. Immigrants are beholden to the indigenous laws and epistemology of the lands they migrate to. The settlers become the law. Supplanting indigenous laws and epistemology is therefore settler nations are not immigrant nations. And the reason why I bring this up because. Not only. It says a lot about who contribute, who like benefits from the narratives, these dominant narratives right. From our community, but it also in a way helps us intersect and overlap how our communities have been subjugated basically through our bodies. And so I think another way to also look at this is right. Like who actually perpetuates this? Or, you know what like what is contributing to people, you know, having these informed decisions or thoughts about these certain topics within our communities. And one of the things is very prominent is mainstream media, where they. Perpetuate xenophobia, structural racism in a way like sometimes inequitable systems that only benefit basically settlers, which in the context of the US as the US white Anglo-Saxon. And I think the way that not only that this is enforced, but And not only perpetuated, but this also can, in a way, look very different compared to each community. But the reason why I brought up what I said earlier is just like the intersecting factors of how our communities do face different dominant narratives. But at the same time, we're fighting the same thing, which is white body supremacy. And so you with that said. Like for you. What Marginalized narratives or alternative narrative narratives? You think that are getting drowned out or silenced by the dominant narrative that's being perpetuated within your community? 

  

E: You know what, this is a good question, so I have a quote by Thomas Sowell and he says, Affirmative action in the United States has made blacks who are largely who have largely lifted themselves out of poverty look like people who owe their affirmative action and other government programs. So. I want to talk a little bit about I don't know if everybody is familiar with the affirmative action lawsuit out of Harvard Law School that involved Asian-Americans and how they were decrying the schools lack of affirmative action across marginalized groups when it comes to being accepted to the school. And so there were two sides that were arguing the side that said Asian-Americans didn't have a right to be granted affirmative action status on the basis of, like you said, Nikki coming from a privileged background or coming from a situation where they weren't considered as marginalized as another group. And so. When? We picked. Or when we get pitted against other marginalized and oppressed groups, I feel like each of those situations. Make us. I want to say angry, but then I want to say forces us to stop and think how and why. The narratives. Play out like they do, like why is it that, you know, we can't share in whatever it is we're trying to achieve? Why does one group have to benefit above the other group? Or why does one group have to be drowned or silenced?  

Nikki: Right.  

E: So with that. My question is. Why do you suppose these narratives at the or in the first place, like. Is there because we internalized all of these? Oppressive. Processes or do you feel like there's another underlying core behind the whole entire situation? 

  

Nikki: I think for me, from an immigration policy standpoint and looking throughout US history in general. You know, as I said earlier, how our bodies that were either forced or even voluntarily able to come here was to contribute to the labor and an economy of the US. And so because of the over abundance of us coming here. Right. They had to like the US, white Anglo-Saxon folks had to figure out how do we dissipate these marginalized communities so then they don't rise up and again rise up to overthrow us. And so, you know, there's like a lot of examples throughout history that has cultivated this narrative of, like, the us versus them. And I think. You know, one of the things right now that's happening currently in California about the anti-Asian hate crimes and the ones that are, you know, are being impacted are elderly Asians. And the ones who are committing it is Black Black folks. But there is a lot of conversations within this topic where folks are unfortunately trying to go towards more anti blackness initiatives like increasing policing, etc. But at the same time, that isn't like the answer because at the end. white body supremacy still lives on when in actuality it is the root of our concern and I think one of the things that also contributes to like what you said is like the internalized oppression that we have because, you know, we we bring colonialism into the mix that has influence the way that we see each other physically, the way we want to be perceived by others, the way we want to thrive in society. And one of the things is sometimes having a lighter skin. Right, like doing all these skin whitening stuff. And so at the end, like this narrative. Has established power and has continuously been establishing power. I personally believe it's the way that folks are being educated in the US first and foremost. And second is like mainstream media in general, just does a great job in influencing the perceptions of people in the US, you know. And so with that said, like, how can we, like, tie this in to ally and ally of shit versus accomplice e o Negi? 

  

E: Yeah, I love the way you decipher, you know that you know. Perspective, and I couldn't agree more. You know, we need to stop. Fighting against each other and start fighting for each other, and so with that, that's how you become an accomplice and an ally, you know. You. Use your voice, you know, you use your dollars, whether it be political, you know, you can. Spend money with, you know, lawmakers that are. Putting laws in place, you know, that support these initiative, you can vote, you know, when it comes time to vote, don't just stay at home, go out and vote. Learn about these agendas. That the politicians are, you know, rooting for and I personally, I want to be a disruptor. I want to bring down the whole status quo. And so for me, that means walking the walk and talking the talk. Whether it be putting my money, my time. And just putting things like this out there where people can hear a different perspective. And gain understanding and knowledge to help them make better decisions. And with that. I say, Nikki, there's been a very, very, very interesting topic, and I'm so glad we had an opportunity to bring our ideas out and share it with our audience. And. That's it for me.  

 

Nikki: Yeah, no, I completely I completely understand. And, you know, as you said, it really resonates with how, you know, allies sometimes always often carry this romantic notions of oppressed folks that they wish to help. But, you know, in actuality, it's like, are you actually helping? This community that's oppressed or like it's kind of like when you think about it, what is your what is your agenda? You know, like are you motivated by guilt or shame to help oppressed folks or. Are you really all about everyone's liberation, basically. Yes. Yeah, so, you know, with that said, thank you, everyone, for tuning in to our first episode, we do want to end by saying don't remain complacent. Remember, the first step toward ending oppression begins with acknowledging discomfort and pain as you face your part in perpetuating oppressive practices, then realizing cognizance is a necessary part of the liberation and growth process. 

 

E: Good night.