Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 16:49:37 EST
Subject: race...


Jim;
interesting comments and actually I agree with a lot of them. I do however
think there is a question here, and maybe I can use the example of "mix" that
was cited. I see nothing in the word that would lead directly to assuming
something perjorative and implying "pure race" . Is it simply in your mind
impossible and not acceptable to discuss "race"? If I say that I'm part German
and Polish, what am I saying? Only that my parents were from those countries.
Now if one of them was of Indian descent and I said Polish, but of ethnic
Indian origins...what then? I see how ludicrous the discussion of race can
become, and usually how meaningless, but if I wanted to communicate my parents
ethnic and cultural background...how should i do it? Is it wrong to say Im a
mix of Polish and German, those were two languages spoken in my house as a
child, along with English. Where is the problem? I would argue that "mixed
race' does not mean "mix of pure race"...not at all. If I say my Mom was
Polish...that only means she was born in Poland, spoke Polish, and grew up
with Polish cultural conditioning...NOT that she belonged to some imagined
pure race of Poles (the last people by the way who would sugges anything like
that). It does not grant legitimacy on regressive notions of "purity". If one
cannot make the distinction in one's language and vocabulary (and hence in
thinking) between pure race hate mongering and scapegoating, and the use of
useful terms like "mix' in the discourse of everyday life (as Marcuse put it)
then that person has a seriously impaired speech condition. I think I know
what you wnat to say with this, and I think i was guilty in my remarks of
sounding offhand and cavalier, which is a wrong tone to take about a topic
this serious. So I apologize for that, but I think you must not create these
hard line positions where people who probably share your (at least to some
degree) positions on matters of rascism and intolerance are going to be
attacked for using words like 'mix"...and I guess I still find nothing
offensive in that word.  Anyway, thanks for your thought out response...I'm
still thinking on it. js


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