IBARW, Jewishness and Intersectionality
Excitingly, this is International Blog Against Racism Week! The theme is intersectionality, so people are discussing the ways in which racism intersects with other forms of oppression (sexism, ablism, homophobia, and so on).
Last year some interesting discussion in the Jewish context came out of IBARW. vaznetti made a very interesting post about racism ( Read more... )
Last year some interesting discussion in the Jewish context came out of IBARW. vaznetti made a very interesting post about racism ( Read more... )
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Now that would be fascinating. I would definitely be interested in reading it.
I actually don't think ibarw would be a good time for us to talk about anti-Semitism in general. Intersectionality, sure -- talking about racism intersecting with anti-Semitism. But I don't think we should try to co-opt ibarw, which is really important.
Agreed, agreed. In a case like this I think it's difficult to see where the boundaries of co-option are exactly, so I think it's worth 1) discussing that question and 2) being very careful. Still, I think there's a lot to be done with intersectionality and possibly with questions about the construction of race (both in the past and present).
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A friend of mine said the expression used to be "Not quite white."
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I am Jewish by ethnicity, but converted to Christianity as an adult. Therefore, when someone classifies me as a Jew, even though I am no longer practicing the religion of Judaism and have chosen to practice another religion, that classification is not religious but ethnic or "racial."
Is ethnic pride itself a "racist" quality, if it is based on birth/descent rather than culture? Is it racist to define someone as Jewish by virtue of birth/descent rather than religious practice, and if so, is self-labeling as a Jew exempt from the charge of racism which could otherwise be leveled against others?
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