Appalachian Americans: The Invisible Minority - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com:
Appalachian-Americans are not generally discussed in multicultural textbooks or thought of as a distinct cultural group, yet they exhibit major cultural differences when compared to the common social construct of 'white America'. For this reason they continue to be marginalised, even in a time when acceptance of ethnic minorities and ideals of a pluralistic society are the norm...
...Coal companies hired thugs to intimidate both miners and outsiders who might bring attention to exploitation that bordered on slavery. Union members' houses "were raided by dozens of machine-gun-carrying deputies. Miners were beaten and murdered..." (Rorrer, n.d.)...
...The centuries-old stereotype that anyone with an Appalachian accent possesses a "natural stupidity," is still perpetuated by the media. Television shows like "Beverly Hillbillies", "Green Acres" and "Hee Haw" have been described as "the most intensive effort ever exerted by a nation to belittle, demean and otherwise destroy a minority people within its boundaries" (Bower & Growick, 2003). In one night of reruns, hillbillies are shown being conned into buying the White House, cuddling a talking pig, and rising from a corn patch "to cark the sickest jokes on TV..." (Bower & Growick, 2003). ...These excerpts are only part of the article, which is long, detailed, and well-cited.
2 comments:
Another excellent article
Regarding the failure to include people of Appalachia, in multicultural texts, a few years back, I was in a graduate program with a major focus on diversity. Regardless of the course, a significant amount of time was spent discussing this - whether relevant,or not to the subject being studies. In one particular course, this region was included in an overview of the diversity in this country, with content describing people of Appalachia as uneducated, distrustful of outsiders, and poor. Little additional information about the region was mentioned.
The overriding theme of the course was that people of European descent were responsible for every bad thing that had ever happened to a person of color. This premise and the demand for "social justice" and "economic justice" were repeated and repeated - meaning, I took it, that no one of European descent should ever feel anything but guilt. Nothing would make up for the wrongs our ancestors had done to the people of color. Suffice to say, while some valid points could have been made, the over-the-top guilt trip, and subsequent call for the author's particular brand of "social justice" actually weakened the case being made.
Additionally, there were no demands for anything for the people of Appalachia who were, obviously, of European descent. A few brief words about their problems, then on to the people of color, who deserved much more consideration.
As you mentioned, except for the brief reference to that region, it was pretty much irrelevant in discussing diversity, in this text, and in others used in this grad program.
If CA hadn't homogenized around them, I wonder if the Okies would have developed into another white minority.
I have idly wondered if some of this App discrimination is a hold over from the days of William Wallace since most of the Appalachians are Scots-Irish.
I sat through one of the very early diversity courses (mid 70's) in a university in Appalachia and it mirrored your experience. Lotsa of white man's guilt, though I caused a minor problem when I pointed out that whites helped many Cherokees escape the Trail of Tears. The prof thought that was simply an aberration.
Some days are tougher than others in the quest to remain Liberal.
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