MDDM Folly, Rabbit in the Moon & American race relations inthe news

[Richard Fiero]

alfredjprufrock at club-internet.fr wrote:
>  . . .
>afrocentrism, just as eurocentrism, are the two faces
>of a same coin. i was also saying that in french anyway, and as far as
>i know, they both sound derogatory, and are usually used in a
>derogatory way; the -centrist part of it being the bad part in both.
>who was talking about dead skunks in the center? ha ha.
>
>the idea to me being that there is no center but a network of shared
>influences and power relations. african studies being important in
>shedding light on overlooked parts of history, afrocentrism and
>eurocentrism being instrumental in talking shit.
>that's the way i see it anyway.
>
>greg
>  . . .

I offer the following on race relations from M&D:
"Wait,-- you think you'll be getting through on charm? Indians 
all the way up to the Six Nations and down to the Cherokee know 
about that Coat,-- many have their Eye on it, and you are but 
the minor inconvenience from which 'twill have to be removed."

What in the hell is this talk of --centrism? It makes no sense 
except possibly to an academic.
Let's consider some of ethnocentrism's positive aspects.
1. Tongvacentrism. The Tongva are a Southern California tribe 
which is unrecognized by the Fed as a tribe. They have no land 
and a language which nearly disappeared in forced disuse by the 
dominant cultures of Spanish, Mexican and Anglo covering two 
hundred or so years. Yet they certainly do exist and have a 
rich set of cultural stories serving as admonishments, a tribal 
leadership and structure and the will to recreate their language.
2. White Mountain Apache. One of five Apache bands. What will 
happen to them if they are successfully assimilated and lose 
their cultural admonishments, language, kinship structure, etc. 
There are 10,000 of these people who do not need to be removed 
from their culture.
IMO it's a kind of narcissistic blindness to disapprove of 
centrism on the basis that it reminds oneself of the guilt of inherited hate.