The New York Times Fridge Quiz Is a Referendum on Class and Whiteness
In this article, which is actually an opinion piece, the author discusses how a quiz by the New York Times reinforces assumptions on class and Whiteness. The following three quotes from the piece stood out to me because of the focus on pitting white people against each other and the comments surround white supremacy.
“These stereotypes seek, through the lens of white supremacy, to explain why some white people “fail” despite the advantages of whiteness.”
“White supremacy scapegoats an underclass of impoverished white people by implicitly and explicitly naming them as inferior.”
“And while the Times does acknowledge the fact that just over 12 percent of respondents indicated they did not have enough food during the previous two weeks, it also runs the risk of glossing over a fundamental issue of our time: food insecurity. Even before the pandemic, access to healthy, fresh food in red states—and especially in those state’s rural “food deserts”—has been a serious problem.”
Maya what a powerful find! The article was incredibly thought provoking drawing attention to the ways we treat white poverty. The way we have taken something as seemingly inconsequential as diet and turned it into a way further oppressive, damaging rhetoric.
This quote really hit hard for me: “This conflation [of income and performance] allows an educated, liberal, and predominantly white class to continue to define themselves in opposition to tasteless, lazy, ugly, and foolish whites, and to continue to vilify poverty.”
I think we can all take something away from your post and this article, Maya.
For news articles, op-ed posts are generally my favorite and the most entertaining to read. The term “white trash” can mean varying things to different people, however I think that this derogatory term might be used predominately by white people viewing other white people, generally in the same population or socioeconomic status as less than. The article, which you posted has many different levels within. More populations are living in urban areas compared to before, but at the same time we have another major divide within America of the individuals living in rural areas. Economically, socially and politically. We are one nation, under one world that we all share, but I think many times this is forgotten. So much reality around us is socially constructed, but the way it has been socially constructed is completely flawed and now it is time to remove the blinders and see things differently, compared to before.
I really like how the article ends in suggesting ways to counter the term “white trash”. Many times people do not hold accountability for their words and they are just spewed without any careful thought or consideration. Using this type of vocabulary only re-enforces and continues the disparity.
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Super insightful and fresh perspective.
This is going to help so many people.
It was a pleasure reading this.