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notes on structural intersectionality ...

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Polsc 219 Rosa Squillacote Structural intersectionality is when different identities interact and the produced result was not intended. Kimberle Crenshaw discussed how the location of women of color differentiates their experiences of violence from white women. By exploring the reality of race and gender bias fearlessly and courageously, we can perceive how combining the two creates more mistreatment. Ann Cammett argued how traditionally conceived modes of oppression such as gender, race, and sexual orientation are not independent of one another. They connect with one another to create systematic discrimination for individuals with several identities. The domestic violence that women of color go through is the result of intersecting patterns of racism and sexism. The black family structure has long been disrespected in terms of the absence of men. Society asks, “Where are the men? Why are the women doing what the men should be doing?” We should consider that perhaps the men have been killed or in prison and therefore unable to be present. Black men are easily targeted by the police and wrongly convicted for crimes. In the hit television serious Everybody Hates Chris, we are in Chris Rock’s life as a teenager in the 1980s. He states in a narrative that his father Julius is one of the only four fathers around his neighborhood. The show depicts how Julius works two-jobs day and night to provide the best for his family, which allows his wife Rochelle to quit jobs that she doesn’t like. This challenges the stereotype about black families having absent fathers and single mothers. Julius is not only present to financially support his family, but to teach his children obedience and respect. I include this detail from Everybody Hates Chris to explain that yes, many black fathers are absent

from their children’s lives, but not every black father. A household can have two levels of reality; trauma and absence, and love and commitment. Malcolm X said, “The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman.” He also said they were the most neglected and unprotected. It may seem like a lot has progressed since slavery and segregation, but the truth is racism and mistreatment of women still exists. Kimberle Crenshaw wrote about intersectionality, identity politics, and domestic violence against women of color. She focused on the two dimensions of violence male used against women, battering and rape. Antiracists regarded racism as a contribution to the violence of black women by black men. Crenshaw stated that racism might be included in the cycle of violence because black men feel distressed from a white dominant society. They are oppressed and don’t have access to the power white men enjoy, which leads them to release their frustration out on their woman and children. Their patriarchal homes serve as a sanctuary from the humiliations they face in the racist society. Be as that may, it certainly does not justify violence against women. We see this in the television series Underground, in season two where Ernestine enters an abusive relationship in the new plantain she is sold off to. In a scene, her new lover Hicks strikes her across the face after being hit by an overseer himself. They share this toxic relationship where he gets abused by the overseers and then returns home to abuse her. Crenshaw discussed how activists received intense resistance from Asian (brown) and African American women when they tried to provide support for their situations. Director Nilda Rimonte, of Everywoman’s Shelter in Los Angeles explained how it is a brown woman’s duty to maintain the honor of her and her husband’s family. This makes wives obliged to keep quiet because revealing that her husband hits her would bring shame to the family. Being from a south Asian family myself, this is not uncommon to hear for me. While my own family does not

encourage silence in the face of wrong, I do hear stories from other families in the community. If a husband is abusive toward his immigrant wife, she has no choice but to deal with it because she is dependent on her husband. Large portions of women do not trust the criminal legal system and they exclude themselves from being questioned about domestic violence. Black women are hesitant to inform the police because they would rather not have their private lives examined, controlled, and generalized. They are stuck between this tension of wanting to address, but not wanting to reinforce the stereotype. In “Queer Lockdown: Coming to Terms with Ongoing Criminalization in LGBT Communities,” Ann Cammett summarized how the effect of mass incarceration serves to keep communities that lack political power even more powerless. Our criminal justice system puts a toll on low-income people of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. The United States holds 5 percent of the world’s population but is the world’s number one jailer, holding 25 percent of the population incarcerated. I remember reading about certain politicians who stimulate fear of crime to people by claiming there are high rates. Cammett stated the temptation of linking the use of imprisonment to an increase in time but said it is not factual. Violent crime has not increased corresponding with the growth of the prison population. Instead, poor people are at risk of increased criminal justice involvement by the “war on drugs.” The system works in favor of the white supremacist hierarchy, where in terms of drugs, crack gets the most offense because it is found in black communities and associated with gangs. Heroine/coke on the other hand, is found within rich white communities and therefore a less offense. Our system does a terrible job at fixing racism in our society. It is no coincidence that the immense majority of incarcerated persons are poor, with two-thirds being people of color. This

provides a continuation of a system where racism remains persistent with the historical connection of race and servitude. Structural inequality works through intersecting inferiority to make certain groups of people powerless to criminalization. The LGBTQ community is drawn into the jail system in numerous ways that include homelessness and poverty because of their sexual identity and expression. They endure negative effects because of the marginalization of queer youth, anti-gay bias in the judicial system, and exposed to trauma and rape while being incarcerated. It is vital for activists and communities of the LGBTQ and civil rights to prioritize the concerns of low-income people of color and LGBTQ who are affected by our legal system.

Works Cited Admin. "Underground Recap: Cato Gets in Serious Trouble + Georgia’s Big Secret Is Revealed." Urban Belle Magazine. N.p., 08 Apr. 2017. Web. Cammett, Ann. "Queer Lockdown: Coming to Terms with the Ongoing Criminalization of LGBTQ Communities." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. Crenshaw, Kimberlé. "The Urgency of Intersectionality." Kimberlé Crenshaw: The Urgency of Intersectionality | TED Talk | TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. Crenshaw, Kimberle. "Mapping the Margins." N.p., n.d. Web. "Malcolm X – Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?" Genius. N.p., n.d. Web....