Celebration of the culture of the majority

A followup on my node white pride is hateful, black pride is not. Please read it before reading this one. Thank you.

It seems a large part of the argument against my node is that since the white race is the majority in America, their heritage does not need to be celebrated. I find that absurd. As prole puts it,

it does not mean a celebration of heritage, because white people have no need to celebrate our heritage. we've been almost exclusively the people in power in this country for so long that it's already been celebrated for us countless times over, ignoring the contributions of anyone who's not white, male, and protestant. there's nothing left to celebrate. you want to celebrate white heritage? go to a library, find the history section and throw a rock.

How about China? The Han Chinese have been in power for well, the past 6000 years, if not more. Other than brief interruptions by the Mongols, the Manchus (they were quickly assimilated) and the Westerners, the Han have always held power as well as an overwhelming majority in population. And yet, their culture is celebrated on a daily basis, their heritage used as a focal point of a sense of national pride and identity. America's whites don't even come close to that. Are the Han a bunch of hatemongers?

In fact, the Han are so dominant in Chinese society that "Chinese heritage" pretty much represents the culture of the Han. Does the term Han pride mean Han supremacy? No, it is more of a sign of national pride. Heck, I'm proud to be a Han Chinese.

White pride has been attached to racism, hatred and the KKK for a couple reasons that I can think of right off the top of my head.

1. The infamy of the Final Solution - white pride will forever be linked to Aryan supremacy due to this atrocity
2. The KKK and America's history of racial discrimination

If these events never happened, the term white pride just may not be linked to white supremacy. Just as the French, the Koreans, and the Japanese and all those other ethnicities always celebrate their culture, white pride would have been celebrated as well.

Germany is forever linked to the Holocaust due to its actions. The white race have been oppressive in the past to almost all other races, and for that white pride is linked to white supremacy. It isn't the same thing, but many people see it that way nonetheless.

There are a few parts of this subject that need to be addressed. Firstly what do you consider white pride? Secondly gay pride and black pride movements have arisen because of a need.

Both homosexuals and black people in America along with many other people in regards to socioeconomic status, gender, religion, race, age, and a number I'm forgetting, have to live with discrimination on a daily basis. These minorities face prejudice and hatred everyday. Pride movements address this. They are a reaction and a support for these people. Just because there is a black pride movement does not mean that there has to be a white pride movement. These pride movements are not saying that being white is wrong, in fact they have nothing to do with white people at all. We should be able to allow people to claim their constitutional equality. Pride movements are soley in support of a group of people who are not in the majority and therefore not on a completely level playing field.

White people do not need a pride movement. What purpose would such a movement serve? White people is such a bad term. Who does this include, those only from Euro-American backgrounds, Jewish people, Arabs-who look white? The black people in the US having come mostly from West Africa in the slave trade have a much greater cultural bond.

I am white and I am not ashamed, I'm happy with the way I am but on a daily basis I think my color affects me much less than if I was a minority. I realize that there are many things that I take for granted that others have to fight and have fought very hard for. Almost all of us face discrimination or prejudice in some area of our life. One way to fight this problem is to look at the areas in which one is a majority. Then whenever you see another within this majority acting out prejudice or discrimination a positive action is to let them know that it is wrong. Take me for example. I am white and heterosexual. If I hear racism or gay-bashing I let those people know that I think that what they have to say is wrong. This can be very effective because it is done by peers, rather then the minorities that the prejudiced people already feel are "inferior" in some way.

Proud, or unashamed?

From what I read here (as well as in DMan's now defunct white pride is hateful, black pride is not node), it is apparent that some people are not fully sure of the subject, as pingouin points out in his Decrying political correctness without an understanding of its causes and intended consequences is little more than racism muttered under one's breath DMan is to be excused for this confusion as he is looking at it from a different perspective.

I was born in a country where the colour of your skin was seen as a cause for shame if you were not white. Thankfully, my parents saw fit to raise their child in more understanding and forgiving places. Although I am white, they believed that being brought up in such an environment would have a detrimental effect - with the risk of me growing up believing the "party line" as a supporter of apartheid. We now (after years of travelling) live in the country where I spent most of my youth - where the same problem exists in a microcosm, in the form of religious differences.

Black and Gay pride, as well as many other forms of the same, are celebrations of the fact (which is obvious from the term "Black Pride" ) that there is nothing to be ashamed of as much as any cultural identity issue. If someone feels that there is a stigma attached to being white, then they should feel free to express their pride in being unashamedly white. The only person I have ever met who almost fits this category and could do with a little "White Pride" is my mother. That issue however is mainly to do with feeling guilt about living with the status quo in South Africa for so long, something I'm sure many caring, white South Africans can associate with.

A fitting example *IMHO* (at the risk of opening a whole other can of worms - my opinion of this artist will be discussed in another article, for now please be subjective and try not to allow any judgements of him to cloud the point I am making!) is Eminem's assertion that he is not just a white boy trying to be black, just because he is in a black dominated industry. He is not expressing "White Pride", he is just happy with what he is, and does not see ]either "WASP"'s or "Niggaz" as superior in his business. (I choose someone who has been labelled (rightly or wrongly) a racist as an example to re-enforce my point simply because he has had the courage to step out of the pidgeon hole made for him by society, thereby also risking the hatred of the "White Pride" right wingers - as well as so many other groups...).

The difference with the Hans in China, is that as the dominant culture, it is natural that their ways are prevalent and Han culture is celebrated more. This is to some degree acceptable so long as there is no attempt to curb, put down or discriminate against the other cultures in the society (be they mongol, manchurian or white). For a Han were to turn around and start espousing "Han Pride", for political reasons, would be just as bad as "White Pride" being used in the USA. In the same way, turning to a manchurian and telling him how proud you are to be one of the "superior" Han, is of course hateful and supremist!

In summary, there is no harm in being unashamed of your race/religion/cultural identity or proud of who you are. If however you are proud of being a member of a "better" race then your "Racial Pride" is merely racism!