I totally agree with Suman. I would go further and suggest racist do not
(and would be ignorant as to) define someone's heritage or ethnicity,
they would simply compare the most visible 'difference' i.e. skin tone.
Thus, any non-white would be seen as 'the other', simple but deadly.
This is one of the reasons Black and Asian people would describe
themselves as 'politically Black', to ensure mutual support through
solidarity under one description. We could ask the question 'whether
definition semantics is or has been used as tool for institutional
racism?' Is it a way of keeping people confused and 'chasing tails' and
creating tensions amongst communities and setting one against the other,
whilst racism is mainstreamed? Is it the ghost of the slaver Willie
Lynch come back to haunt us?
Kind regards,
Dipen
Dipen Rajyaguru LL.B (Hons)
Health Equality & Diversity Specialist
Barnet PCT
020 8937 7709
-----Original Message-----
From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Suman
Fernando
Sent: 23 January 2009 10:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion around Ethnicity, Race
and Culture
It should be noted that Barack Obama seems to identify usually as a
'black
man' not as a 'mixed race man'. I think 'race' may play out differently
in
different contexts but when it comes to racism anyone who looks 'black'
seems to face similar issues (e.g. institutional racism) in mental
health
system. Re 'heritage' (different to 'race'), in a way we are all of
mixed
heritage - or hybrid - some more mixed than others. Race as we usually
use
the term is a socially and contextually defined and I think Barack Obama
and
many people with black and white parents are often perceived (and suffer
disadvantage/ advantage) thru being seen as black (with its subdivisions
of
Asian etc.) or white (with its subdivisions). Barack Obama's race speech
-
'We the people' speech is worth reading.
Suman
Suman Fernando
<http://www.sumanfernando.com>
Hon. Senior Lecturer in Mental Health
European Centre for Migration & Social Care (MASC)
University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent CT2 7LZ
Visiting Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences
London Metropolitan University
-----Original Message-----
From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jacqueline
Beavan
Sent: 23 January 2009 08:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion around Ethnicity, Race
and
Culture
Yes, although we have known since 2001 Census that Mixed Heritage is the
fastest growing group in the UK, it's only in the last few days that
anything has been made of this in the media (an Obama effect!)
Polly Wright and her health theatre company Hearth put on a moving and
provocative production called "Other" that was shown to health/social
care professionals in Birmingham. It had time for discussion afterwards
and was very well received. You might want to explore this option or
something similar for your training.
Jackie
-----Original Message-----
From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the UK
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Truswell
David (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust)
Sent: 22 January 2009 12:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion around Ethnicity, Race
and Culture
Neil
I think that the dual/mixed heritage issues are painfully absent from CC
training. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Regards
David Truswell
Acting Equality and Diversity Coordinator
Central and North West London
NHS Foundation Trust
Greater London House
Hampstead Road
LONDON
NW1 7QY
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