A Response to Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Essay on “The Good, Racist People” in the New York Times

By Guest Writer | Tuesday, March 12, 2013 | 2 Comments

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By Ken Narasaki

On March 6, a guest op-ed column by Ta-Nehisi Coates appeared in the New York Times entitled The Good, Racist People, which addresses “the idea that racism is not merely the property of the morally deformed.”

I live in a neighborhood that gentrified crazily over the past 15-20 years, and it’s a tight-knit, nice block where people look out for each other. Part of this shows up in crime watch postings where neighbors send out emails warning other neighbors about suspicious behavior after a wave of “knock-knock” burglaries in the area.

I have objected in the past to warnings that prominently include racial characteristics of people who may be “behaving suspiciously”, especially when it seems to me that their racial characteristics are part of what makes their behavior “suspicious”. To be clear, I am not calling the people posting these warnings racist, but I know that if the race description was “Asian male”, I’d be super-pissed. I don’t want our neighborhood to be one of those where people can get stopped by the cops for being the “wrong” race.

The Good, Racist People is not about this, but it describes one of the reasons why I feel saying this out loud is necessary.

Worst case scenario: you have Trayvon Martin.

Best case scenario: you are telling people they are not welcome because of their color and you are contributing to the collective fears of our racist culture.

People argue that cops ask for this kind of information when real crimes take place, but I think it’s a slippery slope when we take it upon ourselves to use race to help bolster our case that someone is a possible criminal. I can already hear the arguments about the relevance of race, statistics, reverse racism, etc. etc. But the author’s point is one to remember: Good people can say and do racist things. Their good intentions do not erase the perhaps unintended effect.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ken Narasaki is an Asian American actor and writer; his plays include NO-NO BOY, INNOCENT WHEN YOU DREAM, THE MIKADO PROJECT (with Doris Baizley), and GHOSTS AND BAGGAGE.

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LTE2

“but I know that if the race description was “Asian male”, I’d be super-pissed”
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It’s a bit of a contradiction saying this while you wear a tshirt indentifying yourself as an Asian man.
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The linked article would have meant something if it meant something but there is no reason to think an Oscar winning actor may not have a criminal impulse, history has shown several do. John McCain’s citizenship was questioned. Without foundation, George W. Bush was routinely charged with criminal behavior. Mr. Coates needs to do his homework.
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The perpetuation of Travon Martin as victim may also be considered a form of racism, time and evidence has shown George Zimmerman (the ******WHITE******-Hispanic) had reasonable grounds for using fatal force. Did I mention blacks groups continually pointed out George Zimmerman was a ******WHITE******- Hispanic? Ignored by the media and other groups that several people stepped forward to provide testimony to Zimmerman’s good character in his manner of dealing with people of all races.
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Blacks will never get past racism until they stop merchandising racism as it so suits them, many times to advance a dishonest cause.
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The issues of race are fairly complex and stem from a variety of experiences. Platitudes about race will not correct the problems or causes.
EastAsianNationalist

The NYT article is yet another attempt at “expanding” the definition of racism to create a creeping, enlarging sense of victimhood. Nowhere does it say, or prove, that Whittaker was stopped and accused of theft simply because he’s black. The entire comment section just makes that assumption based on stereotypes. Resist the bullshit. Fight liberalism.

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