Please understand that just because you have a few similar experiences that seem like racism or systemic racism does not mean you truly understand what it feels like.
I read this on FaceBook from a guy with the title “The Love Affair Of an Asian Guy”
If people of color talk about their hardships of being POC, Karen and Becky can easily co-opt our “inclusivity” language to pummel her way into the spotlight and appear as if they struggle the same way we do.
“I know what it’s like for minorities in the workplace because, as a white woman I’ve experienced marginalization and silencing too.”
“I’m white, but grew up with curly blonde hair and my friends had straight blonde hair, so I understand the struggle of Black women who feel othered.”
And BOOM, conversation derailed!
They don’t care about the HISTORY of your racist experiences, or the devices in place that allow these racist interactions to impact everyone else in your community on a systemic scale, or the fact that your mother, and your grandmother, and your great-great-grandfather have been fighting off colonizers too.
All they care about is that ONE TIME they felt bad about being white, and how it fucked up their confidence when they realized they weren’t just Karen from accounting but “Karen” the white Lady.
I think that summed it up pretty well.