Outnumbered
-->
Outnumbered
In countless articles highlighted
during the 2016 election, Americans told interviewers that: “they were being
outnumbered.” This refrain was repeated thousands of times since and will
probably be repeated many more times in the future. But exactly who was being outnumbered and
why? Was this simply a racial concept or
was this an ethnic or nationalized identification?
A recent National Geographic article, “As America Changes, Some Anxious
Whites Feel Left Behind” provided some clues.[1]
It’s author Michele Norris wrote: “Outnumbered is a word that came up often
when I talked with white residents of this eastern Pennsylvania town.
Outnumbered in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Outnumbered at the
bank. Outnumbered at the Kmart, where the cashier merrily chitchats in Spanish
with Hazelton’s newer residents.”
A Google search of the phrase
“outnumbered whites” yields a set of statistical data. Somewhere between 2040 and 2045, according to
Census estimates, white Americans will become a minority in the United States.[2] This will be the first time since the Antebellum
era that whites will be a minority on the continent.
The whites in Hazleton currently
feel that they have become the minority, as the newcomers comprise 52% of the
town’s population. Yet the joke is really on these white folks who are afraid
of the changing world! Why? White
Americans have yet to lose power, they still remain in charge. The white population hasn’t lost any of its economic,
political, or social power. Additionally, because the changes are simply in
their own minds-they created the terminology “Latino” and “Hispanic” that is
signaling the changes.[3]
“Hispanics,” as defined by
Americans simply don’t exist. At least not like American whites have imagined
them. No one in Central or South America
is calling himself or herself a Hispanic or a Latino! [4] The United States, was supposed to be the leader in creating a new
type of race relations. It was going to break down the constructions of the
European past and reconstruct race in a new manner. Instead, Americans have
simply repeated the racial tensions of the past.
So why are white Americans afraid?
Why are they willing to create what Carl Bernstein has labeled a “Cold Civil
War”? And what do they believe their actions are going to avert?
Instead of being afraid, I would
argue that white Americans should rethink this concept. I would equally suggest
that they consider strategies to alleviate their fears. Many of the people that
they are calling "Latino" are as white as they are. Perhaps, even whiter! They are just as many
generations removed from their European roots as some European immigrants to
the United States.
Consider the broader history of Europeans
in creating nations. Virtually every
European nation merged ethnic groups to nationalize. For example, in the case of England or of the
larger United Kingdom, there were various ethnicities or “races,” in the minds
of the island’s inhabitants, that had to be melded together to become Britons,
and when they came to America, the Anglos, Saxons, Welsh, Scots and others became
white. A white identity was created over time, but it was a construction of
convenience. Non-white Hispanics
and Latinos are equally a construction, however this time it is the actions of a fearful group to signify difference
not unity.
Conversely, are we watching those
Ancestry.com commercials? Daily, white
people are learning that they are not “white” as they might believe. Their heritage includes other races and
ethnicities. Yet, none of the figures in these advertisements are “abandoning”
their whiteness.
Americans, in spite of how they
might feel, have to accept the fact that race is nothing more than a
construction of convenience. That at times it creates ridiculous contrasts that
highlight identities that outsiders see as folly. Let me provide a perfect example.
People of African ancestry inhabit the island of Hispaniola, now the nations of
Haiti and the Dominica Republic. Many of
these people are related and yet, they still don’t consider themselves to be of
the same racial or ethnic identities. And
when they come to America, regardless of their complexion, neither wants to be
called black or African American! And their American born children don't want to be called black either. They want to remain Dominican or Haitian in spite of their place of birth.
In reality, most nations are not
comprised of a singular race or ethnic group. We see this across the globe in
places like the Netherlands, Brazil, France, China, Cuba, Italy, India, Israel,
Spain, Russia, Canada, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Trinidad, and
Argentina. The United States, in this case, is not exceptional. However, the
forces behind the American struggle for national identity often lose
sight of those facts when the history of the conqueror is put on trial whenever it
cries of being "outnumbered." [5]
White Americans have to face their role in the suppression and exploitation of
other races during their exploration, settlement and conquest of North
America. They cannot be excused for
their brutal treatment of Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans,
and those that they now label as Latinos. And their fears, both imagined and real, lie
in what they believe a non-white minority will do to them. This condition is
vastly different than situations in almost every other nation.
Never mentioned, but a historical constant
in the minds of older white Americans, are scenarios taken from the Haitian
Revolution. It is the concept of the enslaved rebelling against the masters and
slaughtering them in mass to secure their freedom. Nat Turner’s 1831 American
slave rebellion, also conveys similar images.
I offer these two events for particular reasons. In the aftermath of the Haitian Revolution,
the United States found the appeal to “European” whiteness too strong to
promote the hemisphere’s second successful revolt against a European
power. (Keep in mind that this is the
same nation that later invokes the Monroe Doctrine urging Europeans to stay out
of the Americas, yet, has a mixed legacy in supporting independence revolutions
and the formation of democratic governments in Central and South America.) Turner’s
unsuccessful rebellion resulted in the deaths of 60 Virginian whites and the
deaths and executions of its black participants. It effectively ended the
Virginia slave debates and altered the state of “slave-master
relationships.” From this point forward,
slave masters lived in fear of another Nat Turner developing on their
plantations.
Throughout the Antebellum era,
anxious whites feared interracial relationships. Following emancipation, many
states, especially those below the Mason-Dixon line made such unions
illegal. Americans feared miscegenation,
and during the beginnings of the 19th century also expressed fears
of “race suicide.” As late as 1960s, some states still banned interracial
marriage. A court case, Loving v.
Virginia in 1967, brought that chapter to a conclusion. However, by 1980 only 3% of all American
marriages were of mixed races.[6]
At the same time, just seven percent of new marriages were interracial.
The millennial generation, in part
due to the test-driven era of schooling, which minimizes the study of history,
as well as changing attitudes, is not learning and absorbing these stories like
their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did. A 2010
study indicated more than 15% of all new marriages in the U.S. can be labeled
interracial. In 2015, 17% of new
marriages were interracial, and in 2017, interracial marriages are roughly 17% of
all marriages.[7]
Currently, less than 1 in 5
marriages are interracial. But statistically, for many, this is sounding alarm
bells. Some cities like Honolulu (42%), Las Vegas (31%) and Santa Barbara (30%)
indicate growing percentages of new interracial marriages.[8]
Some cities like Detroit, Baltimore,
Honolulu, New Orleans, Miami, Montgomery, Birmingham, Memphis, New York City,
Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Chicago have greater non-white populations
than white populations, but nearly all southern cities have extremely low rates
of interracial marriage.
The percentages of non-whites in
various states might contribute to mental sensations of feeling outnumbered. Asians
are 57.4% of the population of Hawaii, 14.9% of Californians, 9% of New Jersey,
Washington, and Nevada, 8.2% of New York, 7.1% of Alaska, 6.5% of Virginians, 6.4%
of Maryland, and 6% of Massachusetts. Blacks are more than 10% of the total in
21 of the 50 states. They equal or surpass 20% of the populations of Virginia,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Alabama, North
Carolina, and Delaware.
Latinos surpasses 10% in twenty-one
states, including Arizona (30.9), California (38.9), Colorado (21.3), Connecticut
(15.7), Washington, (12.4), Florida (24.9), Hawaii (10.4), Idaho (12.3), Illinois
(17.0), Kansas (11.6), Massachusetts (11.4), Nebraska (10.6), Nevada (28.5),
New Jersey (20.0), New Mexico (48.5), New York (19.0), Oklahoma (10.3), Oregon
(12.8), Rhode Island (14.9), Texas (39.1), Utah (13.8), and Washington, D.C.
(11.0). California, New Mexico, and Hawaii, are majority non-white states, with
Hawaii holding the sole distinction of a non-white state with its largest concentration being Asian Americans.
The data reveals that the
sentiments of feeling outnumbered should be greatest along the coasts, the
nation’s southern border and some midwestern states. However, the greatest
areas claiming to be outnumbered are in places like the historical South, as
well as places that have lower non-white populations, that have rejected
interracial marriage, and where non-skilled labor occupations have or are
disappearing[9].
The real, as opposed to the
imagined, fear should be tied to socio-economic factors that create productive
lives-good employment, health, and happiness. Most whites are doing okay, but
some could be doing better. People of color, unlike whites, have and in many
cases are still doing with less for generations. Their rise in the middle class
masks the vast poverty of minorities in various categories. In contrast, the
alteration of the white middle class is explained as a decline. For the first
time in over a century, white Americans are not addressing the issues of the
outside world. Life across the globe is getting harder, but Americans are
retreating from those problems and looking inward. Older Americans are angry about these changes,
but they are not taking the pro-active steps to help their children and
grandchildren. As a result, white kids are putting off marriage and having fewer
children.[10] The costs of their desirables, including
homes, cars, and health care, are rising; and they cannot obtain college
degrees without massive debt. For many, the white imagery of the American Dream
is disappearing. Consequently, the white
population is aging. Their birth rates are declining, and the number of white
deaths is increasing. For the first time the number of white deaths is greater
than the number of white births.[11]
Coupled with a steep decline in white immigration, America’s white population
will decline, and conversely, the percentages and numerical statistics of
non-whites will increase.[12]
This public lamenting of the loss
of “whiteness” in the United States is held in stark contrast to corporate
America’s commercialization of bi-racialization. Advertisers eager to capitalize on the
“browning of America” are not afraid to feature mixed race families and couples
to sell all types of products on television and in periodicals.
This story can be illustrated
through the reactions to the famous 2013 Cheerios commercial and its 2014 Super
Bowl sequel with Gracie, the cute bi-racial girl conversing with her black
father and white mother. What some saw as a television breakthrough in 2013 was
challenged as a call to racial annihilation. One out three viewers felt
racially threatened by this portrayal of American life. The New York Times reported: “The backlash was so intense that General Mills,
which had uploaded the spot to YouTube after broadcasting it on television,
quickly disabled the commenting function on the post…which has been watched
almost 4.7 million times.”[13] General Mills found it necessary to defend
the commercial but in making the sequel it appeared to defy its critics. In the sequel, Gracie learns that her mother
is pregnant, which was taken as refuting the racial hatred that followed the
first commercial. Yet the response from General Mills took an even tone: “Like
millions of Americans, we just fell in love with this family,” Camille Gibson,
vice president of marketing for Cheerios at General Mills in Golden Valley,
Minn., said in a phone interview.[14]
“The big game,” she stated, “provided another opportunity to tell another story
about family love.”
The further promotion
of these commercials has only highlighted ideas for greater inclusiveness. But
what remains unknown is the true impact of such advertising on the national
audience.
As a result, the nation is getting mixed
messages. On one hand we have those embracing what could become the new
America, indeed the America that already exists, and others fighting this image in various ways.
If this latter group is unwilling
to revise its notions of race, their only alternative is to stop the growth of
non-whites. For a growing number, this
means contesting the immigration of non-whites and increasing the birthrate and
longevity of whites. Clearly these objectives have been supported and employed
by addressing issues of abortion, reproductive issues, incarceration, policing
techniques and shootings, and attacks on gay relationships and marriage. [15]
“Being Outnumbered” should be seen
as social condition. It overlooks the subdivisions of European heritage that
led to the creation of “whiteness,” and supports a uniqueness of American “whiteness”. More so, it is a notion of white privilege
and exclusivity. It is the product of
racial resentment-a form of jealousy that is seen in sharing the benefits of
American society. Elevating such racial resentment ignores the contributions of
people of color to the growth and success of the nation.
There are long lasting social,
economic and psychological costs of these sentiments.[16]
It is important to address the concerns of white anxiety, but they cannot be
considered in a vacuum. To do so will
foster other problems that can easily lead to the destruction of the nation.
However, “Feeling Outnumbered” is a
different social condition. Perhaps this
is what whites should stress-that they feel like they will be outnumbered. It
has not happened yet, and whites will play a role in when or if this situation
will occur.
There are remedies for both of these
ailments. However, it requires changing
mindsets. Foremost is the denial of a history in which only the role of whites
is presented and understood in a positive manner. We should never forget that the
lands that comprise this country were not inhabited by large numbers of whites
before 1700. Our forefathers tried to make this into a white man’s country
despite the presence of others! And it
was not achieved in peaceful manners. We tend to overlook Native American
history and equally forget that Africans were the chief economic engine of the
south. Or that Louisiana developed with diverse
non-white and white populations before it was purchased from the French. That Texas,
for example, which is slated to become majority Latino in five years, belonged
to “non-American whites” in the early 1800s.
At that time, our American ancestors “settled” in the Mexican territory
and then attempted to claim the land through a series of wars. American history vilifies Mexicans to justify
our actions. Similarly, another war with Mexico enabled the U.S. to gain
additional lands in the west. Americans also invaded Hawaii towards the end of
the 19th century, used a war with Spain to obtain Puerto Rico, and
purchased lands from European powers to acquire Alaska and the Virgin Islands.
Using critical race theory can explain
this in another way. Often disguised as nationalism, American history is filled
with racism and fear of the other. Englishmen in the American colonies rejected
their feelings of inferiority to the crown in declaring their independence. Instantly
following the revolution, in lands inhabited by unknown numbers of Native
Americans and Africans, who were largely enslaved, the “liberated Englishmen”
realized that they were “outnumbered”. In order to secure their new nation, the
Americans formed bonds with white immigrants from other European nations to
create a new identity-whiteness. It is only through the creation of whiteness
that these men and women of European heritage maintained their safety before
embarking on developing political, economic and social control. However,
forging whiteness was contested. Racial struggle involved English whites
literally and figuratively fighting newcomers from Ireland, Germany, Italy and
other nations. Religious conflicts also existed, pitting groups of whites
against each other. And even before these issues were resolved, white Americans
used military force and legislative action to defeat and dominate other nationalities
and races. In contrast to the narratives learned in school, the expansion of
the United States is a series of racist actions realized in taking lands from
other European powers and indigenous peoples.
Currently, most American whites are
not of British ancestry, but that legacy still dominates our historical,
political and cultural foundations. Yet, white Anglos don’t claim that they are
outnumbered. Perspective, more than any other factor is critical to national
unity. Again, Americans need only to consider the histories of other nations in
addition to their own to realize the pitfalls and traps of racial discord.
American history could easily be
revised to support concepts of inclusiveness, but there are attempts to
continue teaching the same “white” history or an even “whiter” one. Proposed social studies standards in Michigan,
for example, that will even give the KKK positive attention is a reflection of
white fears.
And as white anxiety increases
there will be greater discourse on racial annihilation. White resentment will encourage denying
social services and due process to non-whites. However, such responses often
take a greater toll on whites than non-whites. Examples of these practices can
be seen through welfare reform and the attacks on the Affordable Health Care
Act (Obamacare). Whites, for example, who have often claim not to use the
social safety net, tend to hate it when it is seen as helping minorities. Yet,
when informed that whites are the greatest beneficiary of these services, they
challenge the validity of such facts. And when it is modified or eliminated
whites are often angry and feel threatened.[17]
The paradigm of race in the United
States is one of confusion. Sadly, while each racial group is suffering from
some type of psychological reaction to the shifting percentages of racial
groups, only white Americans are outwardly reacting to their fears. What is
important for all Americans to accept is that no nation can remain the same if
it desires greatness. Diversity of some type is a key ingredient to national
success and every great empire or nation relied on incorporating “others” into
their citizenry.
Even as intermarriage increases, racial
annihilation is not going to occur. There will always be white people in the
United States. White Americans are still projected to be the largest racial group
in American society in 2045. The racial hierarchy that whites have constructed
is not going to be toppled. We have seen that the election of a non-white
president did not destroy the nation. To the contrary, the white power
structure still ruled the nation.
However, the global benefit was the reaction to this event-it was
celebrated as a major achievement. The
larger world saw the election as a sign that the United States was a model of inclusiveness.
It enhanced our global reputation and gave hope to other nations that they
could solve their racial and ethnic conflicts as well.
Although there is no medical or
psychological cure for “feeling outnumbered” or “being outnumbered”, the role
of government (both federal and state) can make a difference. The American
story always suggests that government is the key. The Founding Fathers believed
in the power of democratic government to power their revolution and create this
nation. Abraham Lincoln used the power
of the presidency to address racial issues. He used the resources of the government to end
slavery and emancipate the enslaved. The New Deal is an example of the
brilliance of Franklin Roosevelt in using government to re-order society and
take the nation out of the Great Depression. Similarly, building on past history, Lyndon Johnson’s
Great Society was an attempt to provide equal opportunities for all regardless
of race and class.
Equality can be legislated and
protected. Unfortunately, minds must change
for legislation to work. Education and re-orientation maybe the key towards reform. And, we must start sooner rather than later if
we want to avoid the consequences of what comes next.
Instead of being afraid, Americans
can boldly step into a new world unified and ready to confront their problems
in mutually beneficial ways.
[1]
See: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/04/race-rising-anxiety-white-america/
[2]
Predictions are that whites will be 49.9% of the nation’s population.
[3]
Consider the following: In 2010, the Census pointed out that whites were 72.4 %
of the nation with African Americans at 12.6%, Asian Americans at 4.8% Native
Americans and Native Islanders at 1.1%, mixed races at 9.1 %. Hispanic and Latino Americans of any race
were 16.3%. Some of these Latinos are
multi-racial, while some are solely white of European ancestry, and others are
of either Asian or African ancestry.
[4]
According to Wikipedia, the Census uses the term Hispanic or Latino to refer to
“a person of Dominican, Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central
American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.” Most of the
dictionaries like Merriam-Webster define Latino as a native or inhabitant of
Latin America; a person of Latin American origin living in the US. In essence, using the term Latino is
comparable to using the term European, African or Asian. It does not refer to race, but there is an
assumption of race.
[5]
Examples of racial conflict in nation building that highlight issues similar to
those in the United States are most visible in Brazil, Zimbabwe, and South
Africa. In each case there were fixed classifications of race, and limitations
placed on citizenship to favor whites. The non-white populations had limited
access to voting, use of the legal system, and participating in the government.
There were also bans on interracial marriage. The differences between these
nations and the United States are the ways that equality was achieved and how
whites acknowledged their roles in maintaining racism.
[6]
Natasha Balwit, “The Urban-Rural Divide in Interracial Marriage” City Lab May
18, 2017 https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/05/interracial-marriage-in-cities-pew-report/527217/
[7]
Ibid.
[8]
Ibid.
[9]
The “fears” of those claiming to be afraid of being outnumbered are largely
reacting to the presence of Latinos, rather than all non-whites. And such fears,
for example appear to be greater in states like Pennsylvania, Iowa, and South
Dakota than in Florida.
[10] A
recent survey of young adults suggested there were time, social and economic
factors affecting the number of children being born. A sampling of the responses
revealed, that 64% of young adults are having fewer children than their ideal
number because child care was too expensive, 54% felt that they wanted more
time for the children that they have, and 49% worried about the economy. And
that among those not having any children, 36% wanted more leisure time, 34%
haven’t found a partner, and 24% said they couldn’t afford a house. For the
complete list or responses see Claire Cain Miller, “Americans Are Having Fewer
Babies. They Told Us Why.” New York Times July 5, 2018.
[11]
See Christina Zhao, “Race In America: US White Population Shrinks For First
Time” Newsweek June 21, 2018 http://www.newsweek.com/race-america-us-white-population-shrinks-first-time-988309
, Nicholas Bakalar, “Take A Number: US Fertility Rate Reaches a Record Low” New
York Times July 3, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/03/health/united-states-fertility-rate.html
and Jason Le Miere, “Will America Remain White? More
Non-Hispanic Whites Died Than Were Born In US Last Year” Newsweek June 22, 2017
http://www.newsweek.com/will-america-remain-white-population-628280.
[12] However,
if Latinos are re-distributed by white, black and Asian racial categories, the
numbers will not appear as grim! Should we change our Census characterizations
of race?
[13]
Stuart Elliot, “Advertising: An American Family Returns to the Table” New York
Times January 28, 2014. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/business/media/an-american-family-returns-to-the-table.html
[14]
Ibid.
[15]
For example, the number of incarcerated non-whites is much greater than their
percentage in the total population, and this is true for the numbers of
non-whites shot and killed by the police. Gay marriage, LBQT rights, abortion
and reproductive rights are contested daily by forces on the right, and the
hope grows that the Supreme Court will overturn these decisions during the
current administration. It is also
widely acknowledged that black women have a much higher rate of pregnancy
complications than their white peers, that doctors suggest them to curtail
their reproductive years at earlier ages than white women and are encouraging
them to have hysterectomies. See Hillary Beard, If You’re a Black Woman
Considering Fibroid Surgery, You Must Read This” The Root August 16, 2014. Also
see the New York Times Miriam Zoila Perez, “Making Pregnancy Safer for Women of
Color” February 14, 2018; Linda Villarosa, “Why America’s Black Mothers and
Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis” April 11, 2018; and the Editorial Board,
“Easing the Dangers of Childbirth for Black Women” April 20, 2018.
[16] And
they can be harbored by not just whites but also by African Americans and Asian
Americans. At the end of the 1990s, blacks saw that they would lose their
status as the nation’s largest minority, and a weakening of their story in
American society. They argued that slavery brought blacks to these shores
against their will and this is why they required special services. As the other
minority, Asians were also threatened by the rise of the Hispanic label. The collective
African American and Asian American arguments framed Latinos coming to America
freely and then demanding assistance. That narrative negated the presence of Puerto
Ricans, Chicanos and others of Latin American heritage who had no choice in
their placement in the United States. There were and remain various levels of
protest against the inclusion of Hispanics as a minority, and degrees of public
outcry against degrees of Latino immigration. Asian groups have often lashed
out against Latinos for receiving differential treatment. Alleged quota systems
employed against Asians at California’s public universities and throughout the
Ivy League have led to law suits contesting the acceptance of other minorities
and whites with lower academic records. Yet, the Asian argument has to be
steered towards blacks and Latinos rather than whites to gain public support.
[17]
The best examples of this trend are the negative views on Obamacare and
welfare. The negativity surrounding affordable health care was associated with
the “Obamacare” label. Similarly, when
President Trump was told that the majority of welfare recipients are not black.
Surprisingly he asked, “well who is? “
Comments