Today in American Studies, we spent most of our double period talking about the diction and bias of an excerpt from a apparently popular textbook - popular as in often used by U.S. History teachers around the country. Most of our focus was on whether the author was expressing a pro-Indian bais - which I believe he was - or another bias. The idea of the textbook as an apology to the Indians was brought up. To that I added the notion of condescension. The idea of a condescending apology is one I would like to expand on here.
It is something of a complex, the American tendency to blame everything on the whites and coddle formerly, and sometimes currently, oppressed and/or damaged minorities. (At least in words) In the excerpt we read in class there were particular words/numbers that made the bias quite clear. "Indians are Cheated" as a subtitle is a perfect example. Indians here are clearly the victims, being cheated by the horrible whites (because cheaters are always bad people). So, writing it this way can be viewed as a "self-humbling' apology. However, the fact that the Indians were cheated (not robbed, for instance) implies that they are stupid enough to be fooled, a downright condescending notion.
The "self-humbling" apology is in itself incredibly condescending. As Golda Meir, a former prime minister of Israel, is quoted as saying, "Don't be humble. You're not that great." Humbleness suggests that there is something to be humble about. Giving Indians a "self-humbling" apology can be viewed as blatently rude, more sophisticated and subtle, but similar to a child pointing and saying "ha ha, I beat you, dumbie!"
My question is why Americans accept this kind of thinking, frequently agreeing with it? (Though I doubt after reading this anyone would admit to that point blank.)
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Oh, that's an easy one. Because they can. At the heart of things, they think they are better. At the heart of things, they think that they always know better, and in their absolute wisdom they are willing to accept their wrongdoings with a grain (or three-hundred million grains) of salt.
ReplyDeleteLove that quote, by the way. NTS: never be humble again.
Shirley -- I agree with Merlin on that quote -- fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThough I am unclear still on what the "self-humbling" apology is, exactly. Is it the same as the "condescending apology"? I know this sounds like a nitpick, but if your reader is not quite clear on your operational definitions of terms, s/he can miss your point.
Otherwise, I really like the fact that you tried to extend class discussion into the blogosphere.