The article “When Parties Become Racialized: Deconstructing Racially Themed Parties” gives a detailed analysis of racially themed parties and highlights the reasons as to why these parties should be criminalized as they depict racial remarks that often have degrading effects to students of color (Garcia et al).
The authors argue that racially themed parties when analyzed using the Critical Race Theory (CRT) often exhibit elements of race and racism that can cause strife between student of color and the predominant race, which is usually the white students (Garcia et al).
The authors highlight views of opposing scholars who argue that racially themed parties are a way of portraying diversity in institutions of higher learning. This is countered by the authors’ critical analysis of what race, racism and racial micro aggressions are.
The authors assert that race and racism is embedded structurally, economically and socially in the various institutions of higher learning. The dominant race often practice color blind racism without their knowledge. Racism is manifested in the behavior of various individuals who might not even recognize if their actions can be termed as racism.
These parties, despite the organizers and the participants claiming that they are not racist should accordingly be discouraged and stopped entirely.
The authors are convincing enough in the manner in which they define racism, race and racial micro aggressions that show that the parties should indeed be discouraged.
Questions
1. Should unintentional behavior that depicts racism be an issue to point out in the society?
2. Why would the organizers of the racially themed parties present the positive aspects of the targeted communities rather than portraying that which is derogatory in nature?
3. Do the white race students have any democratic right of presenting foreign culture while ignoring their own?
Important terms
1. Race
2. Racism
3. Racial micro aggression.
Work cited
Garcia, Gina. A., Marc P. Johnston., Juan C. Garibay., Felisha A. Herrera and Luis G. Giraldo. “When Parties Become Racialized: Deconstructing Racially Themed Parties.” http://journals.naspa.org/jsarp.
