The "Jews (or any marginalized people) are ours when they succeed, or are moral, but when they do something wrong, they're not, they're just Jews" is really really common. in 1922, Einstein said something to that effect, "If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew."
I can't really claim America is any better in the fairy tales department. Look at what we say about Manifest Destiny and Slavery. The myths the powerful tell to make it look like they are always right and always righteous I think are a commonality across all people and all times.
As for anti Rromani racism, the problem is that poverty and lack of education is itself caused by and a form of structural racism. You can see the same thing in the US with anti-black racism and racism against Latin@s. And in Europe, Rromani people often have to choose between getting an education, if its even open to them in different countries, and leaving parts of their culture behind to assimilate enough to be accepted, or keeping their culture and family, but remaining in poverty. Unfortunately fixing racism is about remaking institutions and shaping white attitudes, not Rromani ones. No one can fix the racism against their own group. But if white leaders aren't listening to what the Rromani community says it needs then they're not going to get anywhere.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2015-04-18 02:26 pm (UTC)I can't really claim America is any better in the fairy tales department. Look at what we say about Manifest Destiny and Slavery. The myths the powerful tell to make it look like they are always right and always righteous I think are a commonality across all people and all times.
As for anti Rromani racism, the problem is that poverty and lack of education is itself caused by and a form of structural racism. You can see the same thing in the US with anti-black racism and racism against Latin@s. And in Europe, Rromani people often have to choose between getting an education, if its even open to them in different countries, and leaving parts of their culture behind to assimilate enough to be accepted, or keeping their culture and family, but remaining in poverty. Unfortunately fixing racism is about remaking institutions and shaping white attitudes, not Rromani ones. No one can fix the racism against their own group. But if white leaders aren't listening to what the Rromani community says it needs then they're not going to get anywhere.