In this current climate of wokeness, antiracism and social justice warrior status; we constantly have a view on marginalized communities and the impact of colonialism. In my work I choose to place the lens on whiteness as a race, as a system and the impact its creation caused on those of European descent. In doing so we get to the root of colonization and the passing down of epigenetic trauma. Should you choose to continue reading, you will embark on a series of writings that will break down whiteness as a creation and a system.
Whiteness, often analyzed through critical race theories and socio-historical lenses, fundamentally encompasses a system where certain privileges, opportunities, and benefits are disproportionately allocated to people who are categorized or identify as white. However, to delve into this complex web, it's pivotal to traverse through the historical alleyways that shaped its emergence and evolution, especially focusing on how this construct came to be perpetuated in the colonial era.
In the shores of what would become the United States, the concept of the “white race” was painstakingly cultivated in the 17th century, wherein Europeans were seeking to establish a sociopolitical order amidst diversity. The stratification of society based on skin color aimed at achieving a dual objective: establishing a controllable majority demographic (white colonizers) and systematically oppressing the minority (indigenous people and enslaved Africans) to exert control and facilitate exploitation.
This creation of a “white” demographic, remarkably, was not merely a delineation of skin color. It implicitly demanded a forfeiture of distinct European ethnic identities and cultures as an “entry fee” to this privileged classification. The immigrants from varied European nations were compelled to shed their rich, diverse histories, languages, traditions, and cultural practices to homogenize into the broadly painted category of “white.” The cost, hence, was substantial – a profound loss of ethnic specificity and cultural richness.
The subjugation of one’s ethnic identity to assimilate into the whitewashed fold was not bereft of consequences. This erasure of cultural history evokes a peculiar form of trauma – an identity trauma that perpetuates through generations as cultural roots become blurred and forgotten. This erasure not only distanced individuals from their unique cultural heritages but also blanketed them under a homogenized identity that was constructed with the primary objective of maintaining a systemic hierarchy favoring certain individuals.
Understanding the trauma induced by this erasure necessitates a trauma-informed approach to analyzing the complex emotions, conflicts, and identity struggles experienced by individuals who are consequentially navigating through an identity that was once shaped by the systemic requirements of colonial era.