Just in the past week, we've seen two acts of racism that made waves and headlines all over the world on social media. One being an older white woman going on a racist rant over two women checking out at a JCPenny. The other one is when popular Youtuber Adam Saleh was escorted off his plane because he was speaking to his mother on the phone in Arabic, which made those (white people) around him uncomfortable. One thing these stories have in common is white silence.
White silence is when white people are witnesses to blatant acts of racism but choose to ignore the situation that is happening right before them.White silence is problematic because even if one believes what's happening isn't right, it still creates a mob-like mentality against the victim. White silence helps no one but the aggressor because no one is fighting against them.
I will give context to the subject but here's video of the rant.
In JCPenny, two Hispanic women were just checking out during the busy holiday shopping season. One of the women left and came back quickly with two more items to be checked out. A simple eye roll would've been necessary, but nope, this lady went beyond. In her rant, she begins yelling about how the woman should go to the back of the line. Then she goes on to tell her "You need to go back to wherever the f*ck you come from lady." The cashier rolls his eyes and tells the lady yelling to watch her language. She also tells the women that they're "nobodies" because they're immigrants. She also suggests that the two Hispanic women were on welfare. One person seems to have stood up for the two women in the video but the older white woman defends her racist claim. At the end of the video, the woman actually says "I'm sorry I'm that way but you all need to realize that you're not the only ones around here." She's sorry that she is loud and belligerent, not that she's racist.This lady should realize that other people have feelings and more importantly that racism is unacceptable.
Here's what should have happened. The older lady shouldn't be so racist in the first place but what can you do in a country that is in the dawn of the Trump Era. (That has to be a discussion on its own for another time). Second, the cashier. He should've (or he should've been trained to) called security when a customer is causing a disturbance. Also, more people should have confronted the racist woman instead of freezing up or worse, laughing at the situation behind a behind a box. She should learn then and there that what she was saying isn't acceptable.
People really are questioning if this rant is racist. YES, THIS WOMAN IS INDEED RACIST. Telling someone to go back to where they came from is racist. Suggesting that immigrants should "act like everyone else" is, in fact racist and xenophobic. Calling people "nobodies" because they're immigrants is racist, xenophobic, and dehumanizing. Assuming someone is on welfare because of their race is racist. Saying to someone "Speak English, you're in America; don't know it, learn it." only breaks the charts in xenophobia and racism. But only one person stood up to them. White silence enables. White silence is still violent.
The mall responded by banning the racist woman. The store responded by compensating the two Hispanic women for their experience. People have discovered where the racist woman works and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets fired if she hasn't been fired already. Louisville mayor Greg Fischer said that he is glad that the video has prompted people to have conversations about racism in America.
In the next situation, we have popular Youtuber, Adam Saleh. He is known for his skits and pranks and being racist and sexist but again, let's save that discussion for another time. Here's his video while he was being kicked off his plane.
He was speaking to his mother in Arabic which made those around him "uncomfortable". A man rose up and yelled at him yet Saleh was the one kicked off the plane for causing a "disturbance". He and his friend were escorted off and while he was being escorted, he took video of what was happening. He spoke into the camera and showed his audience the passengers and some waved "bye" to him while he was being escorted. He said the plane was full of racists. No one defended Saleh but one passenger who wasn't white either. People booed, video over.
I am absolutely horrified as most people should be. People reserve the right to speak any language they want. People were uncomfortable because they're xenophobic and racist. They perpetuate the ultimate stereotype that Muslims are terrorists. Delta has had a history of racism as well such as not believing a black woman was a doctor when another passenger had health difficulties or kicking a Muslim couple for speaking Arabic, texting, and "sweating".
Some people were skeptical of the story because of the youtuber's history of pranks. Some of his pranks include hiding in a suitcase at an airport or suggesting what Arabs shouldn't wear on a plane. His story is real but regardless of whether the story is real or not, we cannot deny blatant racism or hide behind white silence.
