#non indegenous

[athena5898]

Given the nature of my blog at this point, i tend to shy away from posting about media stuff. Buuuuut I think there are a lot of younger people experience this slightly "political" dude bro phenomenon so I kind of want to walk them through it. So Dawntrail the most recent ff14 expansion. Is actually pretty good. Now if you listen to some aspect of the community you are going to get some other........."perspectives" on that. Dawntrail is flawed, of course it is. This is the expansion that would have been in development during mid to post 2020 AND it's the expansion that needed to come around after Enwalker to build up the new story. Endwalker that spent YEARS building up to a climatic finish. What does this have to do with the first paragraph? Well, I'll tell you.

Dawntrail focuses on the story of a coming of age of a nontraditionally feminine woman lead Wuk Lamat (who is voiced by a trans voice actor) and we, the heroes of the world, are now going to help and take a back seat to this person. Who she and the entire expansion is based on Indigenous people from various parts of "America" so you know, they should be front a center and our out-of-town asses *should* take a seat in the back (some of you will read this and immediately go "oh that's why it's getting extra hate") If you do not know and was lucky enough to not be a woman or non cis het white male in the 90s trying to play video games or enjoy nerd culture....All of what I just stated is a big problem. Dude bros as I like to call them, (aka someone who you will always be curious if they were or would be part of Gamer Gate. Also please note a dude bro doesn't have to be a man...trust me on that) hate this kind of shit. They naturally feel threatened when the media's focus is not about them. So what do they do? They take legitimate criticism of something and BLOW IT THE FUCK UP. Suddenly that thing that was kinda annoying, is now just the fucking worst. A story beat drags on a little long? Worst media ever. A character has a minor plot hole? Worst media ever. dialogue a little blah at one point? Worst media ever. etc etc etc These are the same kinda people mind you who will write a 8 page essay how (insert average mid action movie here) is the most amazing masterpiece of a film. (which I don't really care about, but it shows that these people are not exactly the most objective purveyors of media arts as they like to claim to be when it's suddenly about their misogyny and white supremacy) I'm bringing this up cause I'll notice some well meaning people being confused saving things "well...I kinda get *this* part of the criticism but...not this other stuff. Why is it a big deal" or some version of this. They don't actually care that much, they just care that an Indegenous GNC cat woman is getting more screen time then their precious gods gift to Eorza WoL. If they had made this expansion about a white guy or our WoL and it wouldn't of gotten nearly the same level of backlash. People will disagree with me, but I'm sorry this is just a fact. And because this is the reading comprehension website, no it's not bad to dislike Dawntrail. No it isn't bad to think a character is annoying. But the patterns are there and the chances of this JUST being about the real issues is just fucking zero. You dont' spend that much time complaining about ONE character as the focus if it isn't about the bullshit dude bro gamer pride. Honestly given how fucking gay this game is I have no idea how these people play this game without burning up like a vampire touching sunlight ALSO...I'm a ex wow player who played that game for the story (I was 14, give me a break) from BC all the way up to 7.2. So I kinda know what i'm talking about when it comes to toxic dipshit gamer behavior *looks back at that last paragraph* god that's so fucking sad. Oh fun fact, according to Wuk Lamat's voice actor Sena Bryer, all voice acting for the new area in Dawntrail was given to Latino/Indigenous voice actors for every single character. (from this area of course) *edit* lol yeah anyone saying i'm wrong is just a fucking grifter or liar. Found this while looking something else up. You know it's bad when the god damn director has to step in and say "yo you little assholes cut it out" https://www.pcgamesn.com/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn/naoki-yoshida-wuk-lamat

[wingsdippedingold]

SJM’s consistent use of making every other man “golden skinned” is not her creating poc characters, it’s literally just the fact that she thinks tan guys are hot.

People point to the batboys as an example of diversity, when she has made no effort to make them anything but her ideal of white under their spray tan. There are no cultural hints, or specific feature, or anything that give the impression that they are poc other than their skin tone. Yes, Bryce is mixed in CC, but she still fits Sarah’s favorite “copper tan” skin tone.

She literally describes their skin the same way people who describe dark brown skin as “dark chocolate caramel espresso macchiato” do.

She reminds me of people who love girls with spray tans, but not girls with naturally tan/dark skin. It’s a fetishization, nothing more, nothing less.

Fans are the people who do the legwork when it comes to making characters poc, and Sarah takes all the credit.

Nowhere is Amren described as anything distinctly Asian. She is small, tan, black-haired, and angular eyed. She very well could be envisioned as a white person. Sarah purposely rights her characters descriptions as vague so that if someone wanted to envision them as poc they could without her having to make an effort.

Of course her face is “pretty bordering on plain” which is Sarah’s favorite way to describe “exotic” people (literally as anything but distinctly beautiful), so maybe she really is a poc.

+ The illyrians are one of the notable exotic “tan skinned” groups of people (and the only non-high fae group) who are very clearly Indegenous inspired, and are stuck with traits like cruel, savage, and uncivilized, incredibly harmful stereotypes poc have been fighting to break for YEARS.

[hasellia]

Reblog for a bigger sample size.

Say in the tags what you voted for and if you live in or outside the US

[iristhemuse]

It's also interesting then how indigenous/non-european people are shown in TV , art , or even how they are spoken about!! Like "they dont have a language/complex society , they are violent/belligerent etc" and how that correlates to how Neaderthals/general cavemen are portraid in media.

As if the media were biased As if indegenous/non-european people being portrait as less evolved than european/white americans were more than a coincidence.

Like think about it , when was the last time that an indegenous person was portrait as someone that just is , they are not violent, or concealed by their "culture" (i.e what western media sees as indegenous culture), their only personality trait isn't being indegenous etc? That doesnt mean that their culture should be erased from their character, it means that they live side-by-side with their culture and not under it.

Not pertinent to anything in particular but I do think it's kinda weird that we keep depicting cavemen in media crawling around on all fours covered in dirt with tangled, matted hair, speaking in broken, cobbled-together toddler language when like.

They were us.

Like literally genetically they were US, just like. A while ago.

Like

Would you trust a TV caveman with a baby? Probably not

A real life caveman though??? I think they'd be at least okay at it

[antoniovargas]

curious on your thoughts on the phrase “spicy white” then 👀 I think that’s the (kinda dumb but I get that it’s used mostly ironically) phrase that spain/portugal/romano/veneziano fall under

as a so-called "spicy white" myself i'm not gonna lie i think its fucking stupid. and honestly at this point in our post-post-ironic clown world saying something 'ironically' has basically the same merit as saying it in earnest.

i know people like being silly on here, but i don't think it's a necessary or helpful designation. in fact i actually believe it's harmful and only contributes to further polarization when mediterranean europeans are distinguished or categorized as somehow less 'white'. you know who does this? the kkk. the kkk does this. and even some especially dense neo-nazi boneheads who couldn't point out these nations on a map.

obviously it's important to be proud of your unique ethnic heritage. obviously there can be (emphasis on can be, since this isn't always the case) stark contrasts in the cultures or appearances of northern vs. southern europeans, but this magical line doesn't exist as much as americans believe it does; and this extreme distinction is both a modern phenomenon and useless for a number of reasons.

european people benefit from white privilege universally; regardless of whether their last name is smith or sánchez, regardless of whether they're tanned all year round or pale as a ghost. of course, there are individual nuances to this privilege, but that's largely irrelevant.

as you might be aware, italians have not always been treated well or taken seriously in the anglosphere. i'd argue we're still marginalized in ways and heavily stereotyped. this doesn't mean we're not white, it's moreso based in anti-catholic sentiment and a culture of distaste for anything deemed too 'ethnic', too 'smelly', too loud, too foreign. (plus, side note, most italians are not as dark-skinned as americans think)

as far as iberians, in addition to discrimination similar to that faced by italians outside italy, i find they're often misrepresented as non-white due to linguistic/cultural proximity to people of color; e.g. spain to mexicans - the majority of whom are mixed indegenous mesoamerican and spanish - or portugal to brazilians, who tend to be very multiracial after centuries of brutal colonialism and slave trading.

'you speak spanish? but you're white! oh you're spanish? so you're not white?? you are?? yeah so how is spanish your first language?'

this circular (and obviously false) logic is something i see ameritards use a lot, equating spain to mexico or vice versa because durr mexicans speak spanish; but anyone with remote knowledge of world history should be able to distinguish a colonizer from their colony.

also just another thought, if italians and iberians fall under such a categorization so would the french, the greeks, any balkan or slavic people, pretty much anyone who isn't a full blown white anglo-saxon protestant (english, scottish, german, dutch, etc.) (and yeah not everyone who is pale/blonde is a WASP either) and we definitely don't go around calling russians ~spicy~ so again my point stands.

ik the term isn't literal either but just pointing out too like, food from these regions are overwhelmingly not spicy so define spicy lmao. im not sure how it originated, but in conclusion i diagnose "spicy white" to be facticious and homosexual (read: fake and ghey)

[oyspa]

Indegene IPO: Issue booked 1.30x on Day 1, so far. NII, retail portion oversubscribed; check GMP, subscription status

Indegene Limited’s IPO shows good subscription interest, especially from NIIs and retail segments. The price band is ₹430 to ₹452 per equity share. Indegene raised ₹548.77 crore from anchor investors. The IPO closes on May 8. Indegene IPO subscription status: The Indegene IPO is off to a good start, with retail investors following non-institutional investors (NIIs) in the lead. The employee…

[stressed-depressed-veganess]

Pinned Post

Hello! I am Doxion, Doxi or Dox for short, and i am a queer aroace vegan/vegetarian flexitarian. I'm 25 at the time of writing and my pronouns are she/they.

while i still feel uncomfortable with eating meat, i have fallen out of vegan beliefs somewhat. However, i still believe its good to be plant based for the environment at least.

While this blog does not have a dni, i would like to kindly say fuck off to terfs, ableists, fatphobics, and nazis/neonazis.

This blog supports the right of people to choose if veganism is right for them.

This blog supports indegenous, neurodivergent, or those of non-english cultures to decide not to be vegan/be vegan in the way that makes sense to them if they feel it is right.

This blog supports people recovering from eating disorders to decide if a vegan diet is right for them or not.

This blog supports listening to those with personal issues with veganism, and being considerate where possible.

This blog supports fat people and does not support diet or weightloss culture in any way.

Thank you.

[selfconstructiontheblog]

A body of statistical research has shown major health discrepancies between White Australians and Indigenous Australians; the latter reports this as a result of racial inequality. According to a cross-sectional-based-population study, “Indigenous men and women can expect to live 10.6 and 9.5 years less than non-Indigenous men and women respectively.” (Markwick, et al.) These low life expectancies for the Indigenous peoples of Australia in comparison to White Australians are a sign of racial inequality. This has been deduced by the same research study; “A large and growing body of evidence consistently implicates racism as a key determinant of the health of Indigenous Australians.” (Markwick, et al.) Evidence indicates that racism is causing the health of the indigenous peoples of Australia to weaken. The same article illustrates this, “Today, Indigenous Australians continue to face institutional racism which creates and sustains their lower socioeconomic status...” (Markwich, et al.) The lower class always has weaker health care resources, which can also account for the health differences between Australian Native and White Australians.

Native Americans have also experienced racial inequality as a result of systematic difficulties in healthcare, which often causes them to avoid medical counseling. As a journalistic article on racial health disparities records, fifteen percent of Native Americans “avoided seeking health care for themselves or family members due to anticipated discrimination.” (Wylie, et al.) The racial inequality present in the modern day becomes strikingly more clear as indigenous peoples distance themselves from medical assistance due to fear of continued discrimination. The same article reads as follows, “Results suggest modern forms of discrimination and harassment against Native Americans are systemic and untreated problems.” (Wylie, et al.) Prejudice found within institutions is known as systematic cultural bias, and it’s this problem that fuels discrimination. The discrimination and harassment of indigenous peoples in the U.S. is a problem stemming from systematic oppression. Knowing where the problem comes from is the first step in solving it. The same article postulates, “Native Americans have experienced worse health outcomes than whites since Europeans first arrived in the Americas more than 500 years ago.” (Wiley, et al.) This emphasizes the long period of time Native Americans have suffered from European colonization. 

Historical knowledge of ethnic inequalities has grown and shows just how deeply the discrimination is rooted. According to a research paper on discrimination against minority demographics, “Centuries of massive trauma, genocide, forced migration, segregation, and discrimination have been important causes of Native Americans‐white health disparities…” (Findling, et al.) Long periods of various forms of persecution have strongly impacted the health differences of Indigenous and White Americans. The same paper asserts, “...specific anti-discriminatory efforts are necessary for future policies to improve health, including positive portrayals of contemporary Native Americans to change biased cultural ideas.” (Findling, et al.) Adapting the reputation of Native Americans to depict realistic images of their culture is rudimentary in fixing these health disparities.

The texts referenced clearly indicate racial inequality is negatively impacting the health of the indegenous populations of America and Australia. This racial inequality is a result of centuries long subjugation, which continues today in the form of cultural bias. This cultural bias has impacted how healthcare institutions treat the indigenous populations of the aforementioned countries. All of this considered, it becomes evident that the human rights of Native peoples are being violated. Reforming these institutions and reshaping cultural perspectives on Native peoples is a rudimentary element of righting this wrong. 

Works Cited 

Findling, et al. “Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of Native Americans.” Wiley Online Library, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 27 Oct. 2019 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1475-6773.13224

Wylie, Lyoy, and Stephanie McConkey. “Insiders' Insight: Discrimination against Indigenous Peoples through the Eyes of Health Care Professionals.” National Library of Medicine, Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7 May 2018, 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6347580/#. 

Markwick, et al. “Experiences of racism among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults living in the Australian state of Victoria: a cross-sectional population-based study.” BMC Public Health volume, 14 Mar. 2019, 

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6614-

[bongboyblog]

Funny how the West Bengal government gives additional official status to languages like Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Telegu, while indegenous languages like Lepcha, Kol, Toto, Surjapuri, Tamang etc remain ignored.

Stop favouring migrants over natives.

[gringoslur]

so many people forget that....latine =/= indigenous roots....and like hispanic lastname =/= lastnames only for poc?? ("Brown lastnames" ????) u guys are so weird

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

I know the exact post is about two spirit but are you alright with non-indegenous people explaining their gender as not being on the same axes as the "traditional" binary, or is that still too close? Sorry to bother I just don't want to cross any boundaries

My post does explain nonbinary people. It shows the gender binary as the 1d plane, and being nonbinary as a 2d object. That is something I'm fine with non-indigenous people saying or using to explain their gender, or using a similar explanation in their own conversations.

[kryptic-krab]

y

yall do realize neopronouns and non binary identities arent,,,,, a white thing, right? yall do realize that some of the first ppl to use neopronouns were black ppl, right?

yall do realize that non binary identities literally started out as indegenous things, right?

[triviareads]

Hi. Indian here. Just wanted to clarify something that I find bothersome...About India being conservative and Patriarchal historically. It's true India is a primarily patriarchal society and has become opresive over the centuries. But before the many centuries of being colonized, plundered and ruled by non indegenous dynasties, the society was fairly progressive and encouraging of women's upliftment and education. The scholars Gargi, Apala, Maitreyi and Lopamudra were renowned women from the Vedic times. Even during the relatively later periods of theMughal and British raj, we had Queens like Raziya Sultan, Rani Lakshmibai, Ahilyabai Holker, Tarabai Bhonsle and Rani Chenamme who ruled kingdoms and led armies into war and are still remembered as able rulers.

I agree that 1800s were not free times, but these weren't free times for any Indians who didn't benefit the East India Company and later the Crown. Even men from prominent families faced hurdles in pursuing education or employment in British Administration above positions of clerks due to prejudice and racism. Women were obviously a lesser priority.

I am not giving excuses about the mistreatment of women in Indian society, it is still very much prevalent. But reducing our 5000 year old history to only 5-6 centuries is unfair to one of the oldest civilizations. Every civilization goes through a period of ruin after centuries of growth but we cannot deny its glory because of its downfall.

Just putting this out there....

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to write this!

I am aware about our rich cultural heritage before waves of invaders and colonizers fucked a lot of it up, and I know that the tides of liberalism and conservatism rise and fall with empires and time- as is the case with any culture in the world. And I'm fairly sure that the British did their fair share of imposing a sort of western conservatism that exists to this day in India, which probably did its part in preventing women from gaining employment (plus, where in the world at this time were women not facing employment discrimination?), as well as Indian men out of sheer racism.

Anyway, my point in an earlier post was not to compare British and Indian society in the 1800s because you just can't compare them without bias (and I will never do so). So when I discussed the role of young women in India and Britain, I was speaking more about the average woman who, unlike these female leaders and rulers you mentioned here (the Rani of Jhansi is a personal favorite- I've read the amar chitra katha on her A Lot), likely were raised to marry, have children, run a household, and not much else. But it was the same in both British and Indian cultures at the time, wasn't it? There were just little variances based on culture, class, religion, and caste.

Moral of the story is, I highly doubt Kate and Edwina Sharma were "free" in either India or London save maybe some stupid ton-specific rules and finnicky clothing requirements (high-waisted hoop skirts and ostrich feathers for court, anyone?) and being scrutinized much more in London (thanks Penelope).

[bryte-eyed-athena]

A New Earthseed Community

I used to imagine what life would be like in a dystopian society where everything has collapsed or is on the verge of collapse. This Earthseed community project has given me the opportunity to actually put some serious thought into how a community might survive in a world that has gone off the rails. However, I am going into this making a few assumptions. First, the world I am envisioning my community living in is very similar to the one depicted in Parable of the Sower. I was considering writing journal entries like Lauren did, but then I thought that was too much like fanfiction. Instead I am going to simply respond to the questions. Second, this is an established community that has already done the hard work of gathering trusted people, escaping to a safe area, and building the community. I’m trying to think about how to make this community survive, as well as thrive, long term after it has already been established. Third, the community has decided to give their settlement a name so I will refer to them as “The Dandelion Community”. Hopefully trying to envision this ideal community can help me with thinking of solutions to solve our real world problems.

Explain two real-life issues that make it necessary to create your Earthseed community. What are you seeking shelter from?

Climate change is wreaking havoc all over the world as it exacerbates natural disasters and displaces millions of people. In California the climate will get hotter and wildfires will cause more damage. Climate change also disproportionately impacts low income people of color who do not have a refuge to escape to once the environment becomes hostile. These are the groups of people that are going to be impacted the most negatively and they are the ones who require shelter and protection.

Police brutality has impacted communities of color and immigrant communities the harshest due to the influence of systemic racism and capitalism. It has created a culture of fear and violence which harms us physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is a system that must be entirely abolished in order for all marginalized people to feel safe. If it cannot be abolished then we must seek refuge in areas where the police don’t exist and have no power.

Quote two Earthseed verses from Parable of the Sower and show how you will apply them to your community. You may be creative in your interpretation.

“All successful life is Adaptable, Opportunistic, Tenacious, Interconnected, and Fecund. Understand this. Use it. Shape God.”

The Dandelion community understands that there will be numerous challenges for them to face if they want to survive. But life is not just about survival it is also about being able to live well. This verse will inspire the community to see their existence as more than just a fight for survival. It will motivate them to seek success defined in these terms. They will internalize this message and learn to be adaptable to new challenges. They will either seek opportunities or turn their dire circumstances into one. They will tenaciously fight for themselves and for their fellow members. They will feel connected with the community and other people they meet on the outside. They will also try to make sure that all their endeavors are fertile in order to produce more good to balance all the bad in the world. With this verse in their hearts they will be able to Shape God.

“Embrace diversity. Unite— Or be divided, robbed, ruled, killed By those who see you as prey. Embrace diversity Or be destroyed.”

Out of all of the Earthseed verses, this is the one that defines the human story. Centuries of conflict and horror could have been avoided if we sought to embrace diversity and unite with our fellow man. Instead, this planet has been divided and conquered over and over. The Dandelion community will refuse to be divided, robbed, ruled, or killed by any one. Their strength will be in unity and the bonds they form with each other will heal them internally. The diversity of body ability, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, faith and so on will give the community a unique advantage to respond to change. The diversity of opinion and experience would be a useful tool and not seen as a hindrance.

Explain where you will create your Earthseed community to be safe.

Safety comes from being in a defendable area surrounded by people with the skills and tools to survive. The Channel Islands National Park is a chain of four islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. It is too far away to swim to and there is enough land to support a large community if they are spread across all the islands. The Dandelion can reserve certain areas for small villages that contain homes, libraries, and facilities to create goods. The rest of the land can be used for farming sustainably as well as a training/play area for children. Once the community is able to build boats they can start to fish farther out into the ocean to provide more variety in their diets. These islands would be easy to defend since they are isolated and far away from the coast. Swimmers wouldn’t be able to get there and the community could devise ways to sabotage the waters so boats wouldn't be able to get through. The islands are also large enough that a stable and thriving community could be built there so people can live peacefully.

Who can join your community and why? Who can’t join? Why not?

Anyone can join as long as they are willing to learn skills and be ready to contribute. They are expected to be understanding of others and respectful of diversity. They also must dedicate themselves to protecting all members of the community from external threats. It is also important that they understand that joining a community means truly becoming an engaged member of the community. This means that they make the effort to be a part of people’s lives and make positive contributions no matter how small. They must want peace and understand that it takes hard work to create the conditions for peace and love to flourish.

What will your leadership model be for your community?

The Dandelion community is very mutual aid based so it is important that every member has a voice and opportunity to exercise power. There will not be a single leader since teamwork and communication are valued highly here. Instead there will be a group of around ten people who gather and discuss the problems of the community no matter how big or small. The community will also gather in weekly town halls to address any grievances or solutions they have directly to the group of leaders. During that meeting they will try to create solutions that take into account the needs and wants of the community. After a month this group of ten people will be replaced with a different set of ten people. Anyone can volunteer to be a member of the group and it's basically first come first serve. Eventually as the group rotated members monthly every person in the community who wanted to be a leader would have been a leader at least once. This way the burden of leadership is shared equally across the community. This also means that no one person can hold total power and become a tyrant. It also means that there will always be someone in charge and someone the group can defer to in order to make a final decision.

Create a future technology (one on the horizon, not something like teleportation or time travel) to help improve life at your Earthseed community.

A water filtration device will be necessary to support the community. It would be non polluting and powered by solar energy. Once water is filtered from the ocean the community members can all go and get as much as they need. There will not be a plumbing system so people will have clay jugs to transport their clean water.

A series of solar powered radios set all around the island chain will help make communication easier and faster. If an urgent warning needs to be sent out people will be able to hear it on their radio. It will also make internal communication easier so people could just ask for things without having to travel.

Long range portable telescopes will help the defenders of the island see any oncoming threats. They will also be a good educational tool for the children when they want to see the stars.

Most importantly would be a submarine that can be used to travel to the mainland safely. The island won't be able to provide for every need and there will be times where trash needs to be disposed of. A submarine with a renewable energy source would be a good way to travel and maybe explore other places that could be safe as well.

Explain/show how your Earthseed community will SURVIVE.

The Dandelion community will survive by using knowledge collected in books and by forging strong community bonds that will encourage mental health. Books on indegenous and sustainable farming practices will help the community create a replenishable food source that feeds everyone. If there are surpluses, scouts could travel to the mainland and give it away. Books about fishing and the ocean would help the community fish safely and prevent overfishing. Books on natural medicine and surviving in wilderness environments can help the community treat and prevent illnesses as well as be attentive to their surroundings. Other books on math and literature and technology can help with basic education and entertainment which will help the community feed their minds and souls. All of this knowledge will help the community become self reliant and understand the world better which will help them Shape God.

Explain/show what TWO steps your Earthseed community will make to build a better future, i.e. education, housing, conservation, farming, etc.

The Dandelion community recognizes the importance of education and that learning can happen at any point in life. All members of the community will be educated equally and on the same topics. They will learn the basics like reading, writing, and math. They will also learn survival skills, how to cook and clean, how to swim, and how to use tools and weapons. They will also learn how to be sustainable and not harm the environment. As they grow older and develop their own interest they can divert into different fields. Some may wish to become teachers, potters, weavers, fishers, farmers, writers, etc. New members that come from the mainland will also be educated in the same way and if they have certain skills then they will be asked to contribute their knowledge as well. Innovation and creativity are encouraged, but above all the survival of the whole must be put first.

Hopefully the environment of peace and love will encourage the community to want to share their resources with others. One of the reasons Lauren’s original community fell was because outsiders thought that they were rich. In reality, that wasn’t the case, but Lauren’s family was still better off than most. If the Dandelion community found a way to share their resources and beliefs with those on the mainland they would be able to create more stable communities. The best defense against criminality and violence would be to remove the factors that cause it, in this case poverty. By sharing their technology and knowledge the Dandelion community would be able to lift people out of poverty and create stable communities across the coast line. Once those communities are stable enough they would also be able to create stability even further inland. This will ensure the longevity and survival of the Dandelion community.

[rosetintmyworld84]

Proximity to whiteness is the guiding force of racism and white supremacy in the US. This is where a lot of colorism in latino communities comes in, because there are latinos with Indegenous heritage, afro latinos, and white latino (that’s why white, non latino is an option on forms) because there were plenty of Spanish colonizers that just never intermarried with indegenous and slave populations. Just look at the Cuban immigrant populations, and you’ll find a LOT of people who, while being proudly latino and Cuban, will DEFEND TO THE DEATH their whiteness.

And in this hierarchy of white proximity, afro latino is generally thought of as the lowest on the totem pole (because of fucking course). You can even see this in modern media like Benny from In the Heights and Anita in Spielberg’s West Side Story.

Proximity to whiteness is how Italian Americans, using figures like Christopher Columbus to show “how integral Italians were to the formation of the US”, changed the perception of themselves to white americans. It is why passing is a thing, and also why white passing is so complex of an issue. Once upon a time, people were so ashamed to be native American that they would lie about it. On of the In Cold Blood killers, Perry Edward Smith, lied most of his life about being part native American. Better to be Mexican than native American, because at least you might have some European blood in you.

There have still been some ethnic bigotries in the US, Italians (obviously, as they used to be considered black), Irish, Polish, Germans, Slavs; basically anyone not anglo saxon British was at some point considered inferior, but they weren’t as restricted as anyone of a non white race was (or still is). The first immigration bans were against east Asians, Chinese specifically, white Europeans could show up at Ellis Island as stowaways and come right in.

So no, in the United States ethnic groups have never been much of a priority, and many Americans can’t even grasp the concept of them, because first and foremost is your proximity to whiteness, and that will determine how you are treated. White supremacy can be broad and it can be exact, but it will always place whiteness at the top.

Americans are strangely confident that their utterly bizarre ideas concerning ethnicity are universal, and then they get confused when that's not how things work.

Like apparently as far as they're concerned, the spanish are latino but italians are white, despite of ranging in the same colours and speaking languages so similar that I can vaguely make sense of italian by understanding the basics of french and spanish, and they're baffled when J.K. Rowling manages to be racist against white people.

[fandomshatepeopleofcolor]

Does anyone know where to find a comprehensive list of "cryptids" that are actually Native American spirits? Also is Mothman a cryptid?

Recently I've been looking at this website called native-langauges.org, they describe themselves as a non-profit focused on preserving Native American languages.

I'm not sure how comprehensive the list is, but they have a list of different spirits and spirit stories that I've been looking through one by one.

I feel like that's a decent place to start, that's where I'm starting anyway. Although, I think it only is relevant for Native American cultures.

If anyone has a better resource, ideally authored by Native/ Indegenous people then please share.

Mod TZ