Culturally Conditioned Anti-White Racism

If you think that hatred of white people began in response to lies perpetrated against the Tea Party, think again. 

Augustin Cebada,  in front of the Westwood, California Federal Building July 4, 1996:  “You old  white people.  It is your duty to die… They’re taking up too much space and air … Right now we’re [Hispanics] already controlling those elections, whether it’s through violence or non-violence.”

And if you think that vicious maligning of whites is not fashionable today, in the age of Barack Obama, consider this.

Last week at a local community center I am speaking informally with a mid-40s black man and an early-30s white woman.  Nothing new there, since the three of us chat regularly.  Both the man and woman are highly educated and always have presented as amicable, engaging, and entertaining.

In the midst of an unremarkable discussion, the woman mentions that recently she had to wait to see someone who was attending to an elderly woman.  The 30 something then complains that the old lady had slowed her down.  She adds, “I hate old people.  [A brief pause]  Well, not all old people.  I don’t hate old African Americans or Asians.  Just old white people.”

Neither I nor the black man say a word, but I can tell by his expression that he is shocked.

You and I both can speculate as why a rather “nice” white woman would make such a vicious comment about someone whom she did not know and would inject race into the event.  I can say unequivocally that I believe it is rooted in our culture’s doubles mentality that tolerates and even sanctions racism against whites and whites alone—even white against white racism—a social conditioning so pervasive and effective that it poisons the mind of an otherwise nice white woman.