Internalized Racism
Internalized racism is the belief by racialized individuals that derogatory messages about them are true.
As such the individual becomes the agent of one's own subjugation.
Those who suffer from this type of self-denigration and self-hate must find a way to work through this psycho-emotional experience. This project explores reflective writing as an open process to address the deep hurt of internalized racism. Reflective writing is an inherently expressed, multi-voiced and reflective process that can empower individuals, giving them the tools, trust and power to facilitate their own healing on their own terms.
Using the fields of narrative therapy and composition studies, four main benefits are discussed as they are synthesized and categorized from the relevant literature.
In general, reflective writing addresses internalized racism by
(1) externalizing the problem;
(2) allowing the individual to re-author one's own story;
(3) providing expressive space for working through emotions; and
(4) facilitating the dialogical interaction between the multiplicitous and conflicted aspects of the self.
Working Definitions of Internalized Oppression and Racism
When a victim experiences a hurt that is not healed, distress patterns emerge whereby the victim engages in some type of harmful behavior. Internalized oppression has been described as the process by which these patterns reveal themselves.
[T]hese distress patterns, created by oppression and racism from the outside, have been played out in the only two places it has seemed "safe" to do so.
First, upon members of our own group--particularly upon those over whom we have some *66 degree of power or control . . . .
Second, upon ourselves through all manner of self-invalidation, self-doubt, isolation, fear, feelings of powerlessness and despair . . . .
Thus, internalized oppression commences externally. In other words, dominant players start the chain of oppression through racist and discriminatory behavior. This behavior could range from physical violence prompted by the victim's race, to race-based exclusion, to derogatory race-based name-calling and stereotyping (such as "we don't need any more wetbacks--they just take away our jobs"), together with capitalization on the fears created by those stereotypes.
Those at the receiving end of prejudice can experience physical and psychological harm, and over time, they internalize and act on negative perceptions about themselves and other members of their own group. How might internalized oppression appear generally--that is, not in regards to a particular ethnic or racial group?
Patterns of internalized racism cause us adults to find fault, criticize, and invalidate each other. This invariably happens when we come together in a group to address some important problem or undertake some liberation project. What follows is divisiveness and disunity leading to despair and abandonment of the effort.
Patterns of internalized oppression cause us to attack, criticize or have unrealistic expectations of any one of us who has the courage to step forward and take on leadership responsibilities. This leads to a lack of support that is absolutely necessary for effective leadership to emerge and group strength to grow. It also leads directly to the "burn out" phenomenon we have all witnessed in, or experienced as, effective . . . leaders.
Internalized racism affects our behavior in many other ways, yet always with the result that we harm ourselves and sometimes others.
.
Internalized racism is the belief by racialized individuals that derogatory messages about them are true.
As such the individual becomes the agent of one's own subjugation.
Those who suffer from this type of self-denigration and self-hate must find a way to work through this psycho-emotional experience. This project explores reflective writing as an open process to address the deep hurt of internalized racism. Reflective writing is an inherently expressed, multi-voiced and reflective process that can empower individuals, giving them the tools, trust and power to facilitate their own healing on their own terms.
Using the fields of narrative therapy and composition studies, four main benefits are discussed as they are synthesized and categorized from the relevant literature.
In general, reflective writing addresses internalized racism by
(1) externalizing the problem;
(2) allowing the individual to re-author one's own story;
(3) providing expressive space for working through emotions; and
(4) facilitating the dialogical interaction between the multiplicitous and conflicted aspects of the self.
Working Definitions of Internalized Oppression and Racism
When a victim experiences a hurt that is not healed, distress patterns emerge whereby the victim engages in some type of harmful behavior. Internalized oppression has been described as the process by which these patterns reveal themselves.
[T]hese distress patterns, created by oppression and racism from the outside, have been played out in the only two places it has seemed "safe" to do so.
First, upon members of our own group--particularly upon those over whom we have some *66 degree of power or control . . . .
Second, upon ourselves through all manner of self-invalidation, self-doubt, isolation, fear, feelings of powerlessness and despair . . . .
Thus, internalized oppression commences externally. In other words, dominant players start the chain of oppression through racist and discriminatory behavior. This behavior could range from physical violence prompted by the victim's race, to race-based exclusion, to derogatory race-based name-calling and stereotyping (such as "we don't need any more wetbacks--they just take away our jobs"), together with capitalization on the fears created by those stereotypes.
Those at the receiving end of prejudice can experience physical and psychological harm, and over time, they internalize and act on negative perceptions about themselves and other members of their own group. How might internalized oppression appear generally--that is, not in regards to a particular ethnic or racial group?
Patterns of internalized racism cause us adults to find fault, criticize, and invalidate each other. This invariably happens when we come together in a group to address some important problem or undertake some liberation project. What follows is divisiveness and disunity leading to despair and abandonment of the effort.
Patterns of internalized oppression cause us to attack, criticize or have unrealistic expectations of any one of us who has the courage to step forward and take on leadership responsibilities. This leads to a lack of support that is absolutely necessary for effective leadership to emerge and group strength to grow. It also leads directly to the "burn out" phenomenon we have all witnessed in, or experienced as, effective . . . leaders.
Internalized racism affects our behavior in many other ways, yet always with the result that we harm ourselves and sometimes others.
.