Why all the questions?

Parasram, Ajay, and Alex Khasnabish.  Frequently Asked White Questions.  Halifax, Nova Scotia, 

        Canada: Fernwood Publishing, 2022.  ISBN: 9781773635576

 

 

So what questions do you have about race or race relations that you would like answered?  Ajay Parasram and Alex Khasnabish, two mixed raced Canadians, have distilled the questions they have frequently encountered during their online forums (Safe Space for White Questions) on race relations into this title along with what answers they have to the questions.  Since these sessions were held in Canada, a number of the specific examples are Canadian, but the answers are broadly applicable.

 

The book has ten chapters.  Some chapter looks at a particular topic - "Can you be Racist Against White People," "How Does Racism Relate to Other Forms of Oppression?," and "Can Members of an Oppressed Group be Oppressors?"  Other chapters focus more on personal involvement - "How Do We Fix Past Wrongs Without Creating New Ones?, "How Can I Talk About Social Justice Without Turning People off?, " or "What's the Difference Between Cultural Appreciation and Cultural Appropriation?"  There are also chapters on how to be antiracist and what exactly the "Race Card" is.  The authors finish with a list of principals for thinking about racial politics as a white person.

 

So if you are trying to figure out how to navigate this maelstrom of race and culture, take the time to read or listen to Frequently Asked White Questions.  The time will be well spent.