Two seemingly disparate news caught my attention today, namely:
Germany: Xenophobic Stain: Hoyerswerda Gets Second Chance with Refugee Hostel
The Netherlands: Most of the Dutch are happy with their lives in general
The first item, from Germany is about a very violent racist attack that took place in 1991. From the article:
In September 1991, a mob of right-wing radicals armed with Molotov cocktails, tracer ammunition and stones attacked hostels for contract workers and asylum-seekers in the city of Hoyerswerda in the state of Saxony and terrorized residents for five full days. The young men who attacked the home, filled with frightened people from Mozambique, Vietnam and Romania, were brimming with hatred.
The attacks made international headlines not only because it raised the specter of xenophobia in the states that once belonged to East Germany, but also because local residents simply looked on as the violence escalated. Some even applauded the thugs. Police in Hoyerswerda were unable to get the situation under control and ultimately officials at the hostel removed the foreigners and took them elsewhere.
Hoyerswerda marked the beginning of a wave of violent outbreaks against foreigners that continued during the early 1990s, with shameful attacks in Rostock, where an asylum-seekers’ home was attacked, but also in the western German cities of Solingen and Mölln, where a total of eight people of Turkish origin were killed when arsonists attacked their homes.
But this is the part that caught my eye (emphasis mine):
Twenty-three years have passed since the attacks that brought shame on the entire country. Now, the city of Hoyerswerda has announced its plans to open a new hostel in a special education school that closed last year and is currently being renovated to provide accommodations for asylum-seekers.
And later on this:
‘We Need To Be Good About Communicating’[…]
Preacher Michel also feels strongly there’s no chance of the events of 1991 recurring in the city. “There was considerable turmoil after the Berlin Wall fell – many people were unsettled, and even the police didn’t know exactly what they had authority over.” He believes there was a feeling at the time that people couldn’t truly express themselves – a situation that no longer exists today.
Two things worth noting here. On the one hand, “racism as bringing shame to the country”. Racism is not exposed because of its inherently violence towards People of Color or because of the long lasting consequences on the lives of PoC. Racism brings “shame” to white people. The affect of racism (as in, who is affected by it) is not on the victims but on how “badly” it reflects on the white dominant culture. On the other hand, “racism as a matter of feelings” and “racism as a result of bad communication”. Rather than expose racism as part of a centuries old history behind white supremacy, racism becomes a problem of “self expression”, reduced to a few problematic individuals that cannot “express themselves” properly.
This exact same white approach towards racism is deployed in The Netherlands as well. Here’s this item from two weeks ago:
D66 campaign leader Ingrid van Engelshoven said she did not believe any more international organisations in the field of peace and justice would locate to The Hague if the PVV is in charge.
In addition, established institutions may leave the city, she warned. ‘I can well imagine the PVV’s standpoints would conflict with international organisations’ ideals and they would consider leaving if made a good offer by another city.’
Racism affects white reputation. Racism is an “embarrassment”, it makes us look “bad”, it could make us lose money. Addressing racism, then, does not become an issue of justice towards its victims but of preventing whites from being embarrassed and enduring potential material consequences.
Which brings me to the second news item of today about Dutch happiness. From the article:
The Dutch are happiest with their homes and least happy about their finances but most are nevertheless satisifed with life, according to new research by the national statistics office CBS.
Here’s the thing: I’ve written about the high rates of depression among PoC in The Netherlands. “Happiness” as a sociocultural project is very important to Northern Europeans. In The Netherlands, not a month goes by without one of these “studies” that decree the Dutch to be “one of the happiest people on Earth”. Foundational myths are based on recurring ideas of “conviviality” and “coziness”. In these instances, happiness and conviviality are not just individual goals but a Nation building project. In The Netherlands, this “conviviality” is expressed by the concept of “Gezelligheid”. In Germany, it’s through Gemütlichkeit. In Denmark, a similar state is invoked with the word hygge. In all these instances, conviviality is an important part of social interactions. I contend that this white conviviality is at the root of the discourses around racism that I mentioned above. “Racism is bad because it kills our convivial/ cozy vibes”. Whiteness is exposed for its unwelcoming nature. The racism exposes a culture that is anything but convivial for PoC. Because of that exposure, racism becomes “bad for white people”.
At the end of the day, none of these ideas around shame and material loss for white people address the real problem: justice for People of Color and the correction of a historical wrong that continues unabated.
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