It seems that women's progress is marked as white mothers being able to leave their homes and pursue their ambitions.
Walking around New York City you see an overwhelming amount of women of color tending to white children and babies. As much as there is white women tending to more privileged white women's kids, there is the racist assumption that women of color are breeders and mothers. There is a meta-narrative that women of color are genetically predisposed to do this. When you see a white woman with a child of color you don't think she is employed to look after the child, you think she has philanthropically adopted it.
Historically African American women slaves were constantly geared to "breed" more slaves and simultaneously to tend to the slave master's children. There was high value placed on African American women's reproductivity, not because anyone cared about African American women but because it enabled white ambitions.
However a woman of color having "too many" kids is a common racist topic of conversation. Recently I was looking through the sex work section of the Village Voice and came across a job advertisement which was looking for Latina women escorts. In the advertisement it clearly stated that it did not want Latina women with lots of kids, it did not want that "type" of Latina woman because this has the potential to affect white men's profits.
Regardless of whether being stereotyped for having kids or not having kids is better or worse, the point stands that being of color is intrinsically tied to being to a mother, whilst white women do not have to be mothers anymore.
There is something unsaid, but completely readable when it comes to a woman of color mothering white kids: these kids are more important than these women's dreams and goals. It reads: "I'm hiring you so my kids will be better than you". Women of color's brilliance is sacrificied in the preservation of white kids and their white privilege.
My Grandma has mothered white kids for many years. There is not much of a reward. She is still doing it and she is almost 80 years old. She has spent her life having to have her own kids, mothering those kids, then being hired to mother white kids, being hated by her own kids because she ran away from her abusive husband, and facilitating the growth of white privileged kids.
The work that women of color do to facilitate white nuclear families is never given any credit, rather it is just expected: they were made to do this. The dreams and ambitions of women of color are rendered obsolete in respect of the growth of new white people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think the concept of the colored woman as an innate caretaker is obsolete. Rather, the trend you have pointed out is the social consequence of economic inequality.
ReplyDeleteIn a socioeconomic climate like that of New York City, whites dominate lucrative professional occupations while minorities are members of the working class. Because members of minority groups do not have the same educational opportunities as whites, they are unable to compete for white collar professions. Just as more colored than white women accept positions as babysitters, more colored than white men accept construction jobs.
I would argue instead that women of color accept babysitting jobs to earn a salary that requires little education or experience. I would also argue that colored women seek to be hired by white families because they have the capacity to pay more.
Still, the point you make about the relative progress of white and minority women is interesting. The method by which we should pursue change, however, has nothing to do with antiquated stereotypes about the black woman as a mother. Minority women (and men) need to have early access to a good education that will allow them to compete with whites for white collar professions.
--B
These women of color, however, choose to become child caretakers. They are not forced at gunpoint - they probably see it as a good option because they are not college educated and have no better prospects. It's not a bad job, as these things go - most of them pay quite well and aren't terribly strenuous. I agree with the above poster that it's a result of socioeconomic and especially educational inequity - not a stereotype issue. There are also quite a few very white Eastern European nannies in Manhattan - they're just less noticeable because they look like their charges. And no one looks askance at a colored woman walking around in a business suit - if the stereotypes were as deep seated as you say, I think people would take more issue to that.
ReplyDeleteI do think there is a trend when it comes to this sort of private childcare, I just don't see it as a stereotyping of colored women as caretakers so much as the result of a disproportionate lack of education.
'I think the concept of the colored woman as an innate caretaker is obsolete. Rather, the trend you have pointed out is the social consequence of economic inequality.'
ReplyDeleteHow is the concept of women of colour as innate caretakers obsolete when economic inequality is keeping it alive?
'they probably see it as a good option because they are not college educated and have no better prospects'
Being aware of the reality of your situation does not make you stupid. If your work involves taking care of the children of people far richer than yourself, you are reminded daily that you don't have a good option. The people who sign your cheque have a good option. You have limited options. That's why you took the job.
'There are also quite a few very white Eastern European nannies in Manhattan'.
this point was covered when Frankie wrote '[a]s much as their is white women tending to more privileged white women's kids'. So why bring it up? For the same reason you cite black women wearing business suits.
Before anyone writes an article about the situation of women of colour tending to white women's kids, every woman of colour in Manhattan has to be tending to white women's kids, and there can be no white women employed in similar roles. Oh, and the women of colour have to be held at gunpoint. Then you'll have an article.
Has saying 'colored' come back in? I thought we were past this.
ReplyDelete'These women of color, however, choose to become child caretakers. They are not forced at gunpoint'
ReplyDeleteActually, probably a lot of women of color who tend to white people's children have been held at gunpoint, especially women of color who have gone through border control in order to get into the country where they tend to white people's children. It's no secret that a lot of women who immigrate to white dominated countries end up doing domestic labour for white families.
As for women of color 'choosing' to become child caretakers, don't you find it coincidental that so many women in similar social situations 'choose' the same vocation? What with personal taste and personality and temperament, it would seem much more likely that, given free choice, there would be a much greater range of jobs. Why would so many women of color choose child care over, for example, astro physics, brain surgery, accountancy, interior designing, architecture, business management and civil serving?
The idea that so many women of color are freely choosing to take care of white people's kids is just insulting. How fucking great do you think women of color consider white people's kids to be? Great enough to devote their whole life's work to? White kids whose parents can afford home based private child care are actually spectactularly annoying. Their own parents can't even bear to be around them which is why they outsource their childcare. Clearly it's not much of a choice.
Also my god what is it with people telling the author about economic and educational inequality? She's a woman of colour, I'm sure she is already aware.
I agree with Hanna, Laura and obviously Frankie. I think that everything they have pointed out makes it clear that the 'problems' that the other people who have posted shouldn't have.
ReplyDeleteSol
Oh god these comments are hilarious! Its amazing how terrified people get when whiteness is under criticism. The article clearly resonates with loads of women of colour and the first two commentators are clearly unaware of how racism works! In fact they obviously don't even believe it exists! which is just so racist!
ReplyDeletePS.
Anonymous said...
Has saying 'colored' come back in? I thought we were past this.
P.s. This comment further illustrates you ignorance. no one has used the word 'colored' accept you! A quick internet search would educate you on the term women of colour!
'In a socioeconomic climate like that of New York City, whites dominate lucrative professional occupations while minorities are members of the working class. Because members of minority groups do not have the same educational opportunities as whites, they are unable to compete for white collar professions.'
ReplyDeleteTell us something new or pipe down. Actually, just pipe down. It is so offensive to lecture people of colour about their own lives. What is wrong with you? You think Frankie doesn't know what inequality is? No wonder you chose to remain anonymous.