Heads Up: Self-Interest is Not Reverse Racism
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Heads Up: Self-Interest is Not Reverse Racism
To fellow AM members, and all Asian lurkers - it is natural that as word spreads amongst ourselves and Asian men one by one adjust their behaviour, you will be beset from various quarters with vested interests in the status quo. Accusations of reverse racism is a textbook sample of the rationale of those you will encounter who have a vested interest in seeing you not advocating for your own interests. I make no bones about it - I unashamedly take every opportunity in my social and professional life to help out Asian men and their interest. I met with my Asian dentist’s son (who is applying to medical school) and gave him a detailed insider’s primer on questions, scoring criteria, feedback on answers, and common pitfalls of applicant essays. I make sure my Asian residents make my Asian medical students look good in front of other attendings and vice versa. I give them heads-up on pimping material so they look good on rounds the next day. I keep in touch with my younger male cousins who I see a lot of myself in and give them real, actionable wisdom about their state in society instead of useless platitudes that hamstring them and internalize blame.
This is not mutually exclusive with treating non Asians (particularly whites) respectfully. But some may cry racial nepotism, or giving unearned advantages on the basis of skin colour. As far as I am concerned, my actions would need to be multiplied a million fold before the scales would be rebalanced. The youthful and naive me believed in a colorblind society. And in a perfect world, reality would sync with this ideal. But one will eventually realize, just as I did, that the strategy of unilaterally playing by colorblind rules when everyone else does not is folly. It requires the participation of all for it to work. What is seductive about this programming/narrative is that egalitarianism appeals to our best nature, but the tragedy of human nature will ensure that tribal tendencies exist. The difference between us the the white trolls who cry reverse racism, is that they want to take the moral high ground. I can freely admit where my interests lie, while they refuse to acknowledge their own advantages, and demand that we practice colorblindedness, while they, behind the scenes, do not.
It is no coincidence that the only trolls on r/AM are all white. One common tactic is to argue that AM unfairly paints all white guys as racist and personally responsible for past White actions, and by extension, we are guilty of the same racism we hate them for. This superficial equivocation might hold water if one had the cognitive abilities of a 5 year old. That is not our problem - it is the hypocrisy and the cowardice. How? Yes, it is true, white guys today are not slave owners, nor is there a secret Dr. Evil White cabal micromanaging Hollywood, and no, most white guys today are not directly responsible for those things. All of that is a ridiculous strawman argument to reframe themselves as victims. But while the average WM have no bearing on past events or current power structures, they nonetheless still derive benefit from that legacy, and unless they are actively trying to change it, their selective outrage at having group actions brought up by default makes them obstacles to Asian male interests. They draw benefit, while simultaneously claiming plausible deniability because hey, they’re just going through life. This is a subtle tactic to shame you into silence. I have never seen a white guy troll white supremacy forums giving equal admonishment of their fellow white’s racism, but they find plenty of time to call “reverse racism” in minority subs. I have never, ever heard an “East Asian Studies” white guy objectively discuss Asian-White dating dynamics. I have, on the other hand, heard plenty of self-righteousness when it is suggested more may be at play than just “love”. I have heard dismissive generalizations “you guys just need to treat women better”. It would be quite disingenuous if they were actively aware, but I suspect many of the more earnest trolls here actually believe they are just.
Selective outrage at “reverse racism” while remaining silent at racism is like someone who refuses to recycle because they are not the CEO of Monsanto and therefore “not personally responsible” for the environment, while still enjoying their products, but also defending Monsanto if their neighbors complain about polluters.
I can freely admit I am pro-AM. The vast majority of WM are also pro-WM, naturally. But they try to deceive you. I am preaching to the choir, but I hope this post finds its way to the eyes of a lurker, an Asian teen, or a waffling recovering Uncle Chan
. The majority of the white trolls who come here would, to their dying breath, rather play dumb and pretend like there are no systemic advantages to being white in the West and wonder what on earth these Asian guys are going on about. So again, Asian lurkers/members, don’t listen to when others loudly advocate for racial blindness only when it suits them; listen to the times they are silent.
