Like seriously. I’ve seen this argument being used by otherwise respectable and eloquent activists, both in the case of ‘Avatar: the Last Airbender’ and the recent controversy over La Jolla’ playhouse’s ‘The Nightingale’. And each time it makes me cringe.

Hell, even George Takei, whom I have mad respect for, said that African-Americans are established in Hollywood in a way that Asian-Americans are not, and that the white Hollywood would never whitewash the former group anymore etc.

BULLSHIT.

This is not how white supremacy works. First off, if white people are so reluctant to whitewash Black folks, why the fuck are we still getting lily white white women playing Cleopatra? Why the fuck is nearly every mainstream depiction of ancient Egypt whiter than white bread?

Here’s the thing. Whiteness works insidiously. Where it can, it absorbs and subsumes. Where it cannot, it destroys and erases.

So while white folks are busy fetishizing ‘Asian’ culture and inserting themselves into our histories/ cultures/ mythologies because omg its so pretty and exotic, guess what they’re doing to Black/African histories and mythologies? Inserting themselves where they can (hello ‘The Help’, ‘Blood Diamond’) and erasing/ destroying when they can’t. This is why it took George Lucas decades to get ‘Red Tails’ off the ground. This is why no one wanted to fund the Malcom X movie, or Danny Glover’s biopic on Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian revolution.

Responding to yellowface/ Asian whitewashing with ‘this wouldn’t happen to Black people!’ is flat out ignorant, unhelpful and divisive. 

There are plenty of good reasons to oppose the whitewashing of Asian stories. Reasons that can allow us to cultivate solidarity with Black/African communities whose stories are also struggling for visibility.

damnlayoffthebleach:

firelordalex:

So tonight has been pretty gear-grinding.  I played Minecraft and had a whole empire with ~10 people going when in less than 5 minutes everything was stolen and destroyed.  I come to Tumblr only to see that people are calling me stupid for my opinion that Korra is Water Tribe.

I know that the culture of Avatar: The Last Airbender is heavily influenced by the cultures of both historical and current areas of our world.  Fire Nation is Japanese-esque, EK is Chinese-esque, Air Nomads are like the people of Tibet, and the Water Tribe is like the Inuits.  However, Korra, Zuko, Katara, Aang and the rest of the characters we know and love are not those nationalities.

The world is not being whitewashed because I am completely detaching ATLA from our world.  That is a completely ridiculous claim to make.  I am trying to help get this whole idea of “White Supremacy” buried.  Everyone is fucking equal, and skin color shouldn’t matter at all.  That being said, when casting for a movie that is based off an already-existing series, you absolutely must keep appearance as near as possible.  Skin color is just another part of appearance, as is hair, eyes, height, etc.  So Katara being a chubby cheeked white girl is an abomination of the character and of THE WATER TRIBE.

If you think her being white is racist against Inuits, you would be wrong.  Katara never was, never is, or never will be Inuit.

So please, before you say I have no idea what I’m talking about, try to get an idea about what you’re talking about.  And a side note, never piss me off more than I already am or you will no longer have reproductive organs.

CC: So you’re the asshole I was recommended to check out. Okay, let’s do this.

I know that the culture of Avatar: The Last Airbender is heavily influenced by the cultures of both historical and current areas of our world.  Fire Nation is Japanese-esque, EK is Chinese-esque, Air Nomads are like the people of Tibet, and the Water Tribe is like the Inuits.  However, Korra, Zuko, Katara, Aang and the rest of the characters we know and love are not those nationalities.

You already sound stupid. While they’re not those ethnicities, they’re representative of them so to try and detach the two is fucking moronic.

The world is not being whitewashed because I am completely detaching ATLA from our world.  That is a completely ridiculous claim to make. 

“I am completely detaching ATLA from our world.” Wow, I had no idea you had the fucking authority to do that. Seriously, I had no idea that you could just up and do that. So does that mean I can completely reattach it because I’m giving myself that authority?

I am trying to help get this whole idea of “White Supremacy” buried.  Everyone is fucking equal, and skin color shouldn’t matter at all. 

Oh yeah? You should go and talk to the white people enforcing those beliefs then because while some POC uphold whiteness, we’re certainly not the root of the problem. Everyone is equal and skin color shouldn’t matter but it does. You’re completely delusional if you think that just because you say something like this, you can apply it as a universal truth that everyone will follow.

That being said, when casting for a movie that is based off an already-existing series, you absolutely must keep appearance as near as possible.  Skin color is just another part of appearance, as is hair, eyes, height, etc.  So Katara being a chubby cheeked white girl is an abomination of the character and of THE WATER TRIBE.

Now this is where you contradict yourself. Someone could make the argument that if Katara and the rest of the Avatar world aren’t those nationalities and if they’re detached from our present world, then keeping up with appearances isn’t really necessary. Afterall, they’re a whole nother world so it’s really up to the artist’s interpretation. I’m sneering right now, just so you know.

If you think her being white is racist against Inuits, you would be wrong.  Katara never was, never is, or never will be Inuit.

-_- Katara isn’t Inuit, however, she and her tribe are representative of Inuit tribes and culture. The show was made with various cultures and styles in mind. To detach what these characters are based on from the characters themselves is really fucking stupid, I’m amazed you could type this up without drinking bleach. It’s racist to whitewash them. The diversity present within the show is present for a fucking reason. To lighten the skin color of the Water Tribe is to go against the original intention and to enforce white supremacy and colorism; “skin of color is undesirable” and thus shouldn’t be represented.

So please, before you say I have no idea what I’m talking about, try to get an idea about what you’re talking about.  And a side note, never piss me off more than I already am or you will no longer have reproductive organs.

I know exactly what I’m talking about when I say YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT. I’m talking about the deliberate whitewashing of a diverse series. I’m talking about the undertones of racism in a fandom where said diversity should be celebrated. I’m talking about the fact that you felt you had the authority to detach these characters from the cultures they represent. You’re disgusting and my reproductive organs are still here, bitch.

And you had the nerve to use an Oprah gif while being a moronic fucking racist?