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Home , White feminism

Black and White , a Post-Colonial Visión

MiREILLE Hutchjson*

¡l^e ¿ave e/jo.Krt each olhcranH l/ie ed¿e of each other's ballki, tht ¡varis ihe ¡ame if we hse. Same daj women's bhod willangea! upan a tieadplanel if m win ¡¿en ¿s noUüag weseekb^ndhistoej Jbr o new and more postibk metliag

Bctnice Joluison Reagon

Abstract. This artickwill ana^^t ihe differtnces helwem the onefeminist theory? And, is diere a hopetowards a needs of all numen in the Nort/jandin ihe Soutb. lí mU United House? examine Üje exclusión of coloreá women in Westernfeminism, This árdele is situated in tlic perspective of tiie althoiigh not all-weslem mmen arewhite. ¡t will ana^sf tome Post-Colonial studies and will only try to point domination issues mtbin thefeminisl movement, its reasons, and ouf part of the deconstrucdng and reconstructing thepossibilities, Mtljin the conlext of Post Colonial Slndies. process regarding riie issue of a new paradigm in die context of a possible . InCroductioo I. Development The Post Colonia] literature had clearly two schools of thoughts or rwo distinct theories regardingmost studied ChandraMolíantysuggests that the first project is topics, since history seems to have drown differences in oneof deconstructingand dismantíing, diesecond the Black and Wltite communities, and time has not one of building and constructing and hopefully necessanlybeen the best factor to narrow this gap. uniting- These two projeccs appear to be contra- The available is not exempted from dictory but unless weaddcess diemsimultaneously, these two distinct theones ortwo schools of tliou^ts, that Tliird Worid feminism run the riskof maiginaliza- is related to the and to tlie White feminism. tion or ghetroization from botli right and left and Why? Is their histotyso different and canone speakabout from Western feminist disecarse. what one dees not know? Can one speak for a group or Arun Mukherjee reckons that groups of women just for one person? Is diere a real reason or excuse to who identify diemselves as women of Color, have ignored one ancther or dominated a group as in the Native women, Third Worid women, African case of American feminism? American women and attacked At the IV Forum on Women, in Beijing, China, 1995, tlieoretical constructions of theWhiteAmglo-American and tfie discussions and panels were divided into geographic, White Frencli as being imperialist, racist, historical or cultural groups ratlier than themes! Should Eurocentric and exclusionary. However not all White this suggest ro us tiiat women from different regionshave feminists seem to be aware of tliis crisis of legitimization, differentneeds, representations and sources of neither all Western feminists are white or middle ciass and domination therefore different concerns and strategies? ñor forgot the oppression caused by class or . Finally, in a Post-Colonialist period, are diere still die Therefore, tiiis arricie will onlyanalyses the differencesof colonized people and the privileged ones? Or can we die two categories of feminism, considering mainly class. considerdiatpeoplearenai-rowing thegapbetween women from the Third Worid and Western women, in order to readi * Vahersily of OlMwa, B-mnii mirei//e@aix¡.¡iól¡aiva.úi

CiENCIA EROO SUM 249 racism and gender. Terms like women's oppression, almost be extended to a complete village like it is often representation of women, sexual differences or gender the case in Africa, is mostly unknown from White subjectivity raised the objections bywomen of color as an feminists, or at the most not conrpletely understood. exclusionary attention to middle-class White women. "...Black women as the least oppressive institution conrmonly experience the family; radrer, it functions as a II. White Feminism and Black Feminism site for shelter and resistance" (Stasiulis, 1991: 284). Another criticism from the Black feminists is the According to Stasiulis, the criticism of Wliite feminism concept of female financia! dependence on male wage by Black feminists is based on the experience of native earners, which they regard as racially and culturally bound. migrant, and racial minority women in the Canadian More often tiran VCdrite women they have had the solé context. These two labels are a sign of the diversity of responsibility for earning income and supporting class analysis and other social categorías. The omission dependants. In the West, women seem to be either of analysis of racism in feminist historiography and so workingoutside their honre, or to be so called modrers at cial science undermines their potential fot building home which is a temporary unpaid position, In many of política! solidarity. As, finally, in the opinión of tliewriter, dre Third World countries, women go outside to work tlie only possible solution and hope is to build política] whether or not they are and regardless of the solidarity, after dismantling and getting discarding the number or age of dre children, in that sense the term histórica] prejudices. mothers at home does not apply in the context ñor their White feminism means mainiy Western feminists, culture. As M. Devault explains in her arricie on Talktng aitiiough not ah of them are white, who have ignored or andListeningfrom Women'sStandpoint, language can exelude undermined race and etlinicity in tiie social divisions and certain categories drerefore we have to use words with identities of tlie definition of . Bycontrast Black greater imagination, in order to intégrate radrer than to feminism means a growing literature, everywhere, diat exelude. conveys and conceptualizes tire histórica] circumstances It may be considered a failure from the White feminists of Black women and other women ofcolor (Stasiulis, 1991: to define immigrarion and cirizenship as Women's issues. 282). The omission of women ofcolor from White feminist The imnrigration policies havehad a destructive influence analysis has in itself been regarded as reflective of tire racism in disallowing drepreservationof fanrily forms odrer thair and ethnic exclusively of the White women's movement. dre nuclear families. Although it is difficult to draw the PorMinh-Ha, thelabels of racial differences amongwomen line between serious problenrs due to heavy an inhuman such as Western, non-Western or Third Wbrld takes the bureaucracy and puré . dominant group as reference, and they reflect strongly Aboriginalwomen in Cairadahave echoed many Black the ideology of dominance. So tire V(Tiite feminists may feminists by sayingdrat racism, rather dran sexism, is the have to come to terms with the complexities and primary source of oppression and drerefore that racism contradictions of powerrelations involving tire intersection comesfirst. Although in Cañada, likein manyodrerplaces, of gender,class,and race, while they might be at tire same aboriginal people,men and women, have been receiving time privileged and oppressed (Stasiulis, 1991: 283). It unfair treatments, and therefore it would not be correct seems to becontradictory, butithas been possible tobelong to assume drat all drose bad treatments, as often cirizens to a privileged class and to still be oppressed in another of secüird class, are necessary due to a sexist or racist category.Several White middle class women, well educated, policy. can relate to experiences of oppression while tliey accept These debates about race and class reflectone aspectof living in privileged conditions. drecrisis in Marxism, as it has focused on producrion and Black feminists have criticized the Wlrite feminists class relation. Debates among Marxistsand Marxists focus coming to generalizo all women from their experiences. on dre relationship between racism aird dre development They reject the claims to universality of the central of capitalism.The relationshipbetween raceand class,and categories and assumptions of Wlrite feministanalyses. between racism and capitalism has received in dre past Also Black feminists criticize tire treatmentof tire family many divergent answers. The new era of new social byWhitefeminists. The family andwomen's roles as wives developments provided finally drepolirical contextfor the and motlrers within it, are central to feminist theory. The development of Blackfeminism and feminism of women role of women as performing domestic labor, especially of Color. SinceDevelopment followed Colonization, and tire bearing and raisingof children is more problematic now Partrrership is replacingDevelopment, tire doorisopen for Black feminists and definitely culturally bound. The for a Nortir and Soudr dialogue and therefore for a new idea of family, and specially family at large,which could definition ofglobal feminism.

250 CIENCIA ERGO SUM Voi 5 NUHC Black and White Feminism PosT-CoLONiAL Visión

III. Disconstructíng and Dismantling areas witli which they had no experience witli, tiieycame out looking only more racist (Muklterjee,1992: 168).The In tliis process of disconstructingand dismantling, severa! hierardiical patternof race and sexrelationship in American aspects have ro be assessed. The term WesUrnFeminist\\'M society merely took a differentformunder feminism, which come from the fact that many scholars have codified. has to be considered, I think, in this section ofdismantling Others as non-western and therefore themselves as process. NX'éstern. The term Coloni-::;ation\vAS> come to denote a variety The hierardiical pattern of race and sex relationship of phenomena in recent feminist and leftwritings in gene already established in American society merely took a ral. The experience and struggles of feminist women of different form under feminism: the form of White women Color has been an appropriation by hegemonic White writing books that purport to be about the experience of women's movements. It was in slave society tliattlieconcept Americanwomen when, in fact,tlieyconcéntrate solelyon of mhiteprivikge gave \Xdiite women a degree of power over the experience of White women; and finally die form of botli Black men and Black women. The institution of endless argument and debate as to whetlier or not racism slavery reveáis tlie privileges gained by tlie \Xdiite women was a feminist issue (Muklierjee, 1992: 168). within a patriarchal and capitalistic society and the In the process ofdismantling tlie status of postcolonial powerlessness of Blackwomen in tlie same societ)'. feminism, we have to address tlie question of what comes The fact that Western feminists write of women in tlie first: race,gender or profession?(Suleri, 1995:273). Is tliere Third World is, I think, a political and discursive practice. an easy definition of postcolonial women? It can be seen as a mode of intervention into hegemonic Cox thinks that all racist phenomena have tlieir roots in discourses.That is to say diat those practicesare inscribed the colonial phase of capitalism. The expansión of in relations of power, and therefore are arbitrary. Since capitalism via tlie amassing of vast profits from the Development replaced chronologically the period of enslavement and proletarianization of colored people Colonization, it is not so surprising to see its hegemonic necessitated the construction of a philosophy of justifi- position today in so many ways. Has development been cation. The major function of racism is to divide the really the beginning of a new era, or is it only a change of working class so that the capitalists can exploit the the terminology of the same intervention? The Western proletariat more effectively. "... Traditionally tlie labor of feminists cannot ignore the complex interconnections females, domestic work, is supposed to complement and between First and Third world economies and the profound confirm their inferiority" (Barry, 1996: 21). Some analysts effect of this on the lives of women in all countries. such as Bourgeault, insist that the imposition of class, as In much research, the image of the XX^estern women has well as racist and sexist divisions, occurred with the been depicted as educated, modern, having control over incorporation of Native peopleintocolonial relations under their own body and sexmality and having tlie freedom to mercantile capitalism in die days of the fur trade. Racist make their own decisions: It seems to appear in tlie global ideologies and practicesbolsteredcolonization ofCañada. media as the model that should be exported. In contrast, Slaves were without rights, could not vote, could not theThird World women are sexually constrained,ignorant, associate with XXTiite people as equals, could not think of poor, uneducated, tradition-bound, domestic, family- interracial marriage, were not welcome in White churches, oriented and victimized. Such a person has been seen as and were segregated in Blackschools (Mandell, 1995: 40). needing help and therefore wanting to be developed by Many historians failed to describe die brutalities endured adopting the other model. by slaves. It is fairly widely accepted that women in theThird World Suleri suggests that in the context of contemporary have been victims of the colonial process and of tlie feminist discourse, the category of postcolonialism must development process. Among the many forms of be read botli, as a free-floating metaphor for cultural socioeconomic deprivation, African slavery on botli sides embatdement, and as almost obsolete signifier for the of tlie Atlantic has probably provoked the most histórica! historicityof race. XXdiile some authors niay diink it useful debate (Barry, 1996: 4). The women of colorare charging to write books like Talking Black: Thinking feminist, into middle-class White women with having played an Thinking Black, diere is doubt that it would really, at this exclusionary politics in the structures of the women's time, help die problem of dichotomy. History should be movement. They have suggested that manyWhite feminists regarded as history and present considered as a new era have appropriated tlie category women to speak only about for new partnership. To answer the question what comes middle-class XXhite women's experience(Muklierjee, 1992: first,an other question could be asked,is racism a variable 166). When some feminists theorists defended their of feminism or is feminist dieory a stream of history and exclusionary works on the basis that theycould not include therefore racist? From reading such sentence:

1998-FEDRcn CIENCIA ERGO SUM 251 "... I belong to a group of peoplewho are havinga very courses that introduce students to a diversity of voices difficult timebeing here...the most important thingnowis shouldnot castall mentherole of oppressors of all women, that Black people are beingoppressed and we must work should criticize racism and reverse sexism. with that", (Reagon,1983: 540)it could be suggested that The only reason you would consider trying to team up feminism has been shadedbysome marks of racism. with somebody who could possibly kill you, is because that's theonlyway you om figure you canstay alive (Reagon, rV. Constructing and Building 1983: 541). In herarticle, CoaliUcn PoMcs: Tuming (he Cenlury, Bemice In (he procesa of building and constructing, there are a Reagon explains the importanceof coalition,not because priorityof issuesaround whichallwomen are expectedto it is a comfortable feeling but it is a necessary pain in organize. It cannot be assumed that (he voices of white order to find alliances and to survive. Coalition work middle-class women speak and theorize for all women. cannot be done in The Home; it is done outside being Women from North and South can be analyzed in one dangerous.One cannot rate a coalition successbywhether category, as an homogenous group sharing the same or not you fell good. The women's movement has , in a sociological notion of sameness, and perpetuated a myththat there is some common experience fighting the same batdes. It can be assumed by feminist that comes just because we are women. But if you check scientifíc, economic,legal andsociological discourses that the definition of women in the dictionar)', you maydecide women constitute a group,whichiseverywhere powerless, that in some of the women's gathering some women de exploitedand sexually harassed. Therefore in this context cide to go and see or hear nothing like them. It comes alliances canbe defmed andcommon strate^es andpolicies from taking a word like women and using it like a code can be adopted. (Reagon, 1983: 543). It disturbs me equally deeply to read "Then comes what we really are. And at that point you that only celebrates and rediscovers White foremothers, are not a woman. You are Black or you are Chicane or and does not take into account consideration their collusion youare disabled or youare Racist or youare White.... Being withtheracist and imperialist fotces of thetime(Mukherjee, a woman is not the goveming factor to your existence at 1992: 169). thatmoment" (Reagon, 1983: 543). In most countries women Uve in the common context of Feminists will haveto change,becauseCanadian society political struggle againstclass, race and gender, to ñame is changing in significantways. In Canadian society, it has only the most important, but there are obviously many beendemonstrated that the twomost oppressedgroupsof more. For those who suffer these múltiples oppressions women are Black women and aboriginal women. Again any kind of analysis which create oppositions as women and again the suffering of the Black people has marked and Black, women and minorities, women and the colonized the literature: people is of course a bitter mockery (Mukherjee, 1992: Mariana Valverde said she is Hispanic in América and 170). The terms of doubly oppressed, or triply oppressed, White in Cañada. I, on the other hand, am Blackin América, and double or triple minority that we so often encounter Black in Cañada and Black wherever I am (Simms, 1992: in feminist literature, does,in myopinión,accentuate the 175). The day must come for all of us to say and to feel differences and the exclusión rather than serve positively that this is our world and to take part in it, as each of us the analyses. has to believe that we can make a difference. However, one hopes that this time around, instead of "Even when wehaveour Women-only Festivals, thereis playingthe sepárate but equal game, we can take stock no such a thing... Todaywherever women gather together of the past, calmly assess its mistakes and begin to build it is not necessarily nurturing, it is coalition building" fora more promising fiiture (Mukherjee, 1992: 166). (Reagon, 1983: 543). In thisreconstructing process many women areactively The question that Stasiulis asks is fundamental: which working for anti-racist hiring practices and anti-racist form of power relations' -racial oppression or class curriculum. As the author of the article The Diáded House exploitation- is more determinant in providing the basis mentioned, she was horrified when she realized that her of social inequality, antagonism, and consciousness within notions of American literature were racist, not through social movements for change? Or which evil-racial racist thoughts but because she only studied the texts oppression or class exploitation- is the most primary written by white American men and women and that liad (Stasiulis, 1991: 270). never been questioned. There has beenan obvious hierarchy of the oppressed, In order to build a more unitedapproachto feminism, a and until women understand this hierarchy, we will not be true feminist tíieory should construct women's studies liberated from our unique forms of oppression.

252 CieNCIA CROO sum Vot. 9 NuBiRo Taca, Novifaaat l9ta>FeaRCMD Black ano White Feminish, PoST-CoLON Visión

"Blackwomenmusf fight the world becauserhey strug^e The issue of die Post-Coionial visión of feminism should daily againsfthe racist,sexist,ciassistpoweroí Wliite men, have a priority place on the agenda of tJte XXIst century and against the sexist power of poweriess Black men" andbegin tooccupy a central position intheg)obal awareness. (Simms, 1992: 177). Since tlie issue of racism has a root, as is mentioned above, Understandingthe historv;and whytliereare been these in the división of labor in the capitalist context, it should two schools of thoughts or two theories in the Post Co have a solution in die establishment of North and South lonial Studies, as mentioned at the beginning, rather patternship within a new paradigm of development, and repeating it or reliving it, will propel women to plan the thereforea place in the global economy. future in ways that do not replicarethe negative outcomes Instead of striving to perpetúate the social differences of the past. and, therefore enlarging rite gapbe^veen Black feminism and White feminism; the globalagendashould concentrare on Conclusión: The United House studying die common problems of discrimination of all women of Color and White women in order to finally From the above analysis of the problem, it is suggested eliminare Blackand White feminism, to build a new glo that not all women, whether or not it is because they are bal feminist dieorj'. black or white, have similar concerns and needs and "It must become necessary for ;ill of us to feel that this therefore cannot have similar interests and goals. is our world" (Reagon, 1983:546). Wliat becomes clearer is that women have several simi As a final comment it should be pointed out that if lar basicsociological concerns,whichcould bestudied,at a nothing else can bind the women together as a group, global level andsolutions couldbe applied locally according womensolidaritycan and will;solidarity was obvious and to the degree of the problem and adapted to the culture. hadanactive presencein the Beijing conference, as 40 000 Womenaround the world havea coherentgroup identity women from all colors, with experiences from all over the within the different cultures -and prior to their entry into world gathered together toexpress commonconcerns and social relations. look for partners in the hope to seekadequate solutions "It is our hope that the house divided will not survive and keep the door ajar in order to builda united house. but will somedaybe thehouse united,a houseunitedagainst Thisglobal solidarity, if nothing else, isdiehopetowards racial, sexual, and class injustices" (Mukherjee, 1992: 174). the United House. tij ^^Bibliography

Barry, D. & Clark Hiñe, D. (1996). More than CbatttlBlack IFomen and States, Montreal McGill-Queens University Press. Slaviry i» theAmericas. Indiana University Press and Indianapolis. Reagon, Bernice J. (1983). A Black Feminist Anthohgj. Kitchen Table Cullins, P. (1990). Black Feminist TlMugbt: Kaowle<^e, Comciousness and the Press, New York. Poítticsof Empmvermenl. Boston: Unwiii Hyinan Envisiuuing Change; Simms, G. (1992). "Beyond the White Veil, Blackhouse", Constance Cualition Politics: Turning ihe Century, Bcrnice Joluisoii Reagon. and David H. Flaherty, Challenging Times the Women's Movement in Frankenberg, R. (1993). White Women, Race Matters. Minneapulis, CañadaandtheUnitedStates. Montral McGill-Queens UniversityPress. Universityof Miiuiesota Press. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty (1990). Question of MulticsilturaBsm Dans the Mandell,N. (1995). Feminist issiies: Race, Class andS'exuali^. Scarborough Post-cohnialCritic: Interviews, Stmt^ies, Discourses. Rouletdge,New York.

Prentice Hall, Ganada. Stasiulis, D. (1992). "Theorbdng Cormections: Gendet, Race,Ethnicily Mohanty, Chandra T. and Clas.s", Race and Ethnic Relations in Cañada. Toronto, Oxford (1991). Under Western Ejes, Feminist Scholarship and Colonial University Press. Discourses. Tbird Wodd Wonien and the politics of feniinisui, Suleci, S. (1995). Woman Skin Deep Feminism andthe Post-coknial Conditien, Bloomington, Indianapolis Press. Post'Cohnial Studies Readers. London Roulledge. (1997). Feminist Cenealogics. Colonial Legacies, Deniocralic fulures. Zavella, P (1991). "Women in Faetones Race and Cla.ss Perspectivcs on Mukherjee, A. (1992). A Divided House: Women of Cohur and Americau Women, Wí>tk, and Family, Genderat tlieCrossruads of Knowledge Feminist Theoty, Blacklioiise, Constance and David H. Flaherty, Feminist Antliropology", in Micaela di Leonardo. The Post-modem Challengingtimes the wonien's movcment ui Ciuiadaand tlie United Era. Betkeley, Universityof California Press.

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