Which racist are you?

Racism directed at Asians, often specifically the Chinese, comes in a plethora of forms I have identified across the IU campus.

My generic use of the term “Asian” is for simplicity’s sake and not to devalue the uniqueness of various Asian cultures.

The first form is called “desertion racism.”

This is when people realize they have an Asian professor on the first day of class and never come back. Well, except the Asian students, because they know how hard it is for others to understand them already.

By no means should this form be confused with typical lecture desertion. While lecture desertion involves listening intently throughout the first lecture and never coming back, desertion racism does not require the “listening intently” phase. Walk-outs may occur.

Another style is “passive-aggressive racism.”

This occurs when one of the brave souls who came to class asks the professor a question. But instead of asking, “How do I derive the equation from this graph?” they ask, “Howdoiderivetheequationfromthisgraph?”

It is generally followed by a forced sigh once it is confirmed the teacher successfully misunderstood the question.

This directly relates to the third form, “empathetic racism.”

Student A asks the Asian professor a question and sends a quiet distress call upon realizing the question was misunderstood. Then Student B, God bless his soul, turns around to comfort Student A and loudly says, “If only he freakin’ spoke English.”

Student A’s distress call was soft, but just loud enough to attract the attention of a more outspoken racist, Student B, who could better express Student A’s disgust.

Also related is “proximal racism.”

Two people are talking on the bus about “stupid Asians” while an Asian is in direct audial proximity. The committers pounce on the perceived “fact” that the Asian doesn’t understand them.

The close proximity empowers the racists to speak their feelings, while speaking in the less-direct third person upholds the delusion of distance.

The next form is called “drive-by racism.”

This style bears similarity to general drive-by insulting, a tactic often employed by inebriated locals. The distinct difference, however, is that the insult is straight-up racist.

Just as the third-person conversing common in proximal racism empowers confidence without consequence, the quick, direct-injection style used in drive-by racism allows a more personal, hateful insult with a guaranteed exit strategy.

This is provided that the stoplight ahead stays green, of course.

Another form bears the name “bodily racism.”

This is when people in public are visibly bothered by proximal Asians. Generally the perceived loudness of the Asians bothers them, resulting in manifestations that include eye-rolling, leaning to one side, tilting of the head and
throat-clearing.

Bodily racism can very well be followed by “straight-up racism.”

In straight-up racism, the person straight-up confronts the Asian and proceeds to say something straight-up racist.

Typically the Asian becomes confused or shocked, which is perceived by the straight-up racist as victory.

This brings us to the last and most widely used form, “passerby racism.”

It’s where you sit back timidly and allow any one of these forms to happen.

­— chagiff@indiana.edu