the intricacies of Intersectionality

addressing individual identities

There is no doubt discrimination in the US is widespread, all over the country we see never ending attacks on personal freedoms. We see women, people of color (POC), LGBTQ+, etc… face discrimination for their identity. Although the idea that one’s identity can be oppressive is not a new concept, the role of intersectionality in oppression is. Kimberle Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality in 1989 as a way to help explain the oppression of black women. Intersectionality is the concept that each one of us has a different set of characteristics, including but not limited to gender identity, sexuality, (dis)ability, racial identity, nationality, and ethnicity, that create a unique experience and oppression. Using intersectionality can make the world a safer place and attack hate and discrimination as a whole. For example, an Asian man cannot fully relate to the experiences of an Asian disabled woman. Despite having the same racial identity, they might have a difficult time relating to one another because they have different overlapping identities. But unfortunately misconception is acted on time and time again by the media. ​

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The media often represents POC in an oversimplified fashion which can end up creating tropes and stereotypes. This singular narrative does not apply to everyone it is supposed to represent. Instead of using one common narrative to represent a group as a whole, creators need to consider how a combination of experiences and backgrounds shape their audience. Intersectionality involves taking into account a spectrum of identities and listening to people we hear from less to move beyond the simple, popular narrative. A person wouldn’t expect an apple to taste like a banana just because they are both fruits, so why do we expect a Chinese teenager to identify with an Indian mom just because they are both Asian? TV shows and movies like to pat themselves on the back for including a “diverse character” and expect everyone that shares a similar characteristic to enthusiastically relate to the character, a tactic called tokenization. Representation of marginalized groups does not need to be perfect, there just needs to be more of it so that people aren’t basing assumptions off of one character and a whole group isn’t expected to feel depicted by one experience. 

The negative impact of representations that aren’t fully constructed is also extended by the little representation that oppressed characters have on screen. The limited representation leads to solidifying harmful stereotypes and biases as well as creating a surface-level classification of BIPOC. Many times marginalized characters are used as a comedic tool for the show. Whether it is making fun of the character’s culture, accent, traditions, or always using a character's disability as a punchline. People seem to think it is acceptable to use marginalized people’s experience as comedy or to add humor to a “joke”. For example, Comedian Rosie O'Donnell did a racist impression of an Indian doctor at her standup show, because she felt it was acceptable to poke fun at what she wrongfully thought was a “good” stereotype. Despite O’Donnell’s assumptions, she still hurt the community she was discriminating against.    
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With low levels of diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) representations, it can be exciting to see AAPI representation. But it should not fall on the shoulders of one character to portray a lifetime of experiences for a variety of different people, not only because everyone lives a different experience, but because we are made up of more than just one element. Yet, we expect one BIPOC character to be enough representation for all BIPOC, even when the representation plays into stereotypes and creates a single image in people’s mind about what the BIPOC experience is, such as the Asian model minority myth or Black women being loud and aggressive. 
 
Overall, in order to address racism, sexism, and other social justice issues, we need to use a broader scope to analyze these issues because they involve multiple identities and intersectionality. Discrimination occurs on multiple levels, including age, gender, sexuality, race, and religion. Whether it be a mixture of their age and sexuality or their gender and their religion.

To help combat this discrimination we can take time to implant solutions on a multitude of levels. By creating a more diverse representation of marginalized characters and making sure that marginalized people are at the forefront of creating these representations, we can move away from enforcing stereotypes.

While many of us probably find it easy to visualize ourselves as a combination of overlapping identities, we are quick to match people to one label and base our assumptions about that person off of it. Understanding our habits and making a conscious effort to battle our assumptions and keep an open mind, can help us see others as a whole.

Also, refraining from using oppressed people’s experiences as a joke and calling out others who do, can educate people on the importance of respecting everyone’s experiences and avoid perpetuating a single image.

Although this problem is widespread and tackling it will demand change at all levels, there is a lot that can be done to combat discrimination and promote intersectionality at an individual level. Take time to explore more on the concept of intersectionality and oppression to educate yourself on how to be a better advocate. Check out our other blog about Critical Race Theory in Schools to learn more!