The Historical Self and Self-Self

Citizen brings up an interesting topic between Americas battle between the "historical self" and the "self self". The speaker describes someone who orders the same food as her and went to the same school as her. You believe this overlap to be the start of a new friendship but it leads all into this big mess when the lady expresses her anger for her son not getting in due to affirmative action. It's almost as if the lady is blaming the speaker for her son not getting in. After this incident the speaker describes, "A friend argues that Americans battle between the historical self and the self self. By this she means you mostly interact as friends with mutual interest and, for the most part, compatible personalities; however, sometimes your historical selves, her white self and your black self, or your white self and her black self, arrive with the full force of your American positioning. Then you are standing face-to-face in seconds that wipe the affable smiles right from your mouths. What did you say? Instantaneously your attachment seems fragile, tenuous, subject to any transgression of your historical self. And though your joined personal histories are supposed to save you from misunderstandings, they usually cause you to understand all too well what is meant"(14). This quote describe a lack of unconditional positive regard or mutual recognition. The two races don't completely understand or respect each other because of their historical background. We are supposed to learn from the historical difference and mistakes but instead they act as a barrier between the two. The only way to solve our problem between the historical self and self self is to recognize one another, which will in turn give hope for social transformation.

Personally, I have had this happen to me. Mostly the people who I have had this misunderstanding with are colorblind. They don't take things into consideration with regard to race. They believe and have said things like "individual handwork is the main success in this country". However, they fail to realize the impact of oppression or privilege on any persons chance for success. They pretend as if everyone, regardless of not race have the same access to rights and benefits society has to offer. Then there have been some who believe that racism isn't a thing anymore, but then how do explain mass incarceration of African/Americans or racial profiling. Have you ever had a battle between your "Self Self" and "Historical Self".