What I heard:"1) Irish were the first n-word. 2) Irish were slaves. 3) Christopher Columbus discovered America."
This was said outside the presence of a Black person. Probably more, but I was really tired and have a hard time in a big group.To clarify:
1) That's not a word to be used, at least not by non-Black people, and it can't be diminished by attaching it to white people. It has a history, it was created and used within a historical context of chattel slavery and oppression. Its only purpose is to harm.
2) Irish people were never slaves. They were indentured servants and became free after a time. Irish people were never property. Irish babies were not property of the boss to be sold. Even if they were the "expensive" ones, they were not slaves.
3) Can't discover something that was never lost. Native Americans have entire histories and civilizations and empires and infrastructure. At most Columbus learned about for the Europeans the Caribbean islands. Leif Eriksson was the first to land on America proper before the Spanish Conquistadors.
But I also heard an affirmation of labor. I heard an observation that undocumented Latin Americans are very humble and will take a job for half the pay and live under worse conditions, and they can't be blamed (get them in a union!). I heard an idea that everything was controlled by the higher-ups, but at least I heard a professed support for democracy, which suggests things can be changed. There's a consciousness.
1) That's not a word to be used, at least not by non-Black people, and it can't be diminished by attaching it to white people. It has a history, it was created and used within a historical context of chattel slavery and oppression. Its only purpose is to harm.
2) Irish people were never slaves. They were indentured servants and became free after a time. Irish people were never property. Irish babies were not property of the boss to be sold. Even if they were the "expensive" ones, they were not slaves.
3) Can't discover something that was never lost. Native Americans have entire histories and civilizations and empires and infrastructure. At most Columbus learned about for the Europeans the Caribbean islands. Leif Eriksson was the first to land on America proper before the Spanish Conquistadors.
But I also heard an affirmation of labor. I heard an observation that undocumented Latin Americans are very humble and will take a job for half the pay and live under worse conditions, and they can't be blamed (get them in a union!). I heard an idea that everything was controlled by the higher-ups, but at least I heard a professed support for democracy, which suggests things can be changed. There's a consciousness.
Again, I had no ability to speak in the moment. I managed to challenge some things that were said, but I was outnumbered, exhausted, and people don't want to hear me challenge their ideas.
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