African American And Post Colonial Criticism - 1341 Words

Leah Vaidya Professor Rothenberg ENLS 2000 29 October 2017 African American and Post-Colonial Criticism The discussion of African American theory must begin with the discussion of the exclusion of African American history and literature in education in order to maintain what Tyson calls â€Å"the cultural hegemony†, which is the prominence and control of white people in America. The reason why they are not included is because, as Tyson says, the inclusion of African American writings and history upsets the racist stereotypes presented about African American people. A large part of these stereotypes rest on an idea called racialism—which asserts racist ideals based on moral, intellectual, and physical differences that have biological origins.†¦show more content†¦The first is the fact that everyday racism is experienced by people of color so frequently that it has become the norm. This can include everything from micro aggressions to the denial of the existence of racism by white people in America. The second is interes t convergence which refers to the fact that racism often ‘converges’ with other interests of capitalist America. The third is the social construct of race which addresses that ‘race’ is an idea that must be defined. This idea is complicated even more by the fact that sometimes once nonwhite groups are now considered white. This fact, while complicating the definition of race, reveals that race is just a social construct that reflects societies ideas about it at a specific time. Another example of this is seen in the census, in which people for many years have not been able to choose more than one race. The fourth is differential racialization which means that dominant group treats different minorities in different ways at different times. Based on the â€Å"needs of white society†, various groups can be stereotyped as good or bad. The fifth tenet is intersectionality which refers to the fact that race is not isolated, but intersects with class, sex, gender identity, etc. The final tenet is the voice of color positions which asserts that people of color are better to speak about race and racism because they experience it first had. These six tenets serve as a spring board to discuss many other ideasShow MoreRelatedEssay on Colonial Oppression of Women1123 Words   |  5 PagesColonial and Postcolonial debates along with the issues of Feminism have always been challenging discourses. The present day world with the constant cultural encounters and clashes as well as the ideas regarding pluralism and multiculturalism motivates a curiosity on the part of the onlooker to search the answer to the question who is who in todays world when there is a continuous struggle between different countries not only politically and militarily but also culturally. 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