Exactly why when I hear a white person complain about "Identity politics", I roll my eyes.
White Identity politics created systemic/structural racism in America.
White Identity politics created the reservations.
White Identity politics ripped children from their homes and sent them off to schools to "Kill the Indian and save the man".
White Identity politics created those all-white towns, all-white schools, all-white churches, and all-white neighborhoods.
White Identity politics created the laws that made Black and Native peoples slaves in America.
White Identity politics created Black Codes and Jim Crow.
White Identity politics created redlining, segregation, the "one drop rule", "Colored" water fountains, Separate but equal, Sundown towns, laws against marriage between Black and White people. And the list goes on and on and on.
White Identity politics gave us job discrimination based on race.
White Identity politics prevented Black people from voting.
White Identity politics made it all about race.
Yet you hear Conservatives say stupid shit like, "Why do they make it all about race?" or "Why do they make it all about Identity politics?".
Seriously?
"They" didn't make it about race - white people did.
And standing up and being proud of who you are in the face of so much damage caused by White Identity politics isn't making it all about "Identity politics" - It's about demanding justice and equality and freedom FROM White Identity politics.
There is also Straight Identity politics that has caused systemic discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Laws made to discriminate and oppression to deny rights.
There is also Religious Identity politics that caused discrimination against Catholics for not being the "right" religion, as well bigotry against Jewish people and Muslim people. And this dates back to colonial America when laws were enacted against certain religions and followers of certain religions not considered the "right" religion (attacks on Quakers). Yes, it's gotten better but the bigotry still exist. Yes, I'm aware of the alliance of right leaning Catholics with Evangelicals - doesn't change the fact that bigots still call Catholics "papists". Doesn't stop them from being one of the three groups the Klan targeted (along with Black people and Jews).
There is also Male Identity politics (patriarchy) with its sexism/misogyny - the discrimination against women. Laws were made to oppress women. So-called (sexist) standards and (sexist) norms and (sexist) laws that denied women their rights and full opportunities.
The oppressors made it ALL about their identity as straight, white, male and the right kind of Protestant and made that the normative way and called it traditional values.
But let people stand up to racism and bigotry and, suddenly, it's the victims of oppression that are said to be the ones who don't want to be just plain Americans.
Always leaving out the parts where the dominant culture created laws based on their identity politics to prevent everyone else from being a true citizen of America, with full opportunities and rights.
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