Bowen Yang and the Politics of Affirming White Nonsense
There is nothing more disappointing than watching an Asian person affirm and mirror the ill-informed opinion of a white person, especially when it reinforces anti-Blackness and misogynoir.
I stopped watching Saturday Night Live ages ago, but I know who Bowen Yang is and how monumental his casting was for Queer-Asian representation and SNL history. That said, the recent commentary on his podcast Las Culturistas, cohosted by white comedian Matt Rogers, is yet another reminder that Asians must actively interrogate our relationship to white adjacency, which inevitably leads to anti-Blackness.
(For time's sake, we will pause briefly to side-eye the podcast's name and move on, because "Las Culturistas?!" Where?!)
In a recent podcast episode, Rogers encouraged listeners not to support Rep. Jasmine Crockett's Senate bid financially.
"Anytime a politician is making it about themselves, I'm already done... Don't waste your money sending to Jasmine Crockett. Do not do it."
Bowen Yang, a Canadian-American of Chinese descent, replied,
"I must agree."
No protest. No nuance. This is not a neutral political take; it is a gross dismissal of a highly educated and qualified Black woman in Congress. Rep. Crockett's bravado is not without reason. We know Black people must work twice as hard to get half as far. She has earned her place. Yet she is forced to spar with lesser-credentialed candidates. She has been made to endure blatant racism from her political opponents and peers for the entirety of her career. Mocking everything from her intelligence to her appearance, all the while hurling racist dog whistles at her.
Was the comment in itself anti-Black? No, Rogers made sure to begin his criticism with Beto O'Rourke and Gov. Gavin Newsom, white, cisgender, and heterosexual men, before segueing to Rep. Crockett. Whether Rogers or other white progressives acknowledge it or not, we know that is the cheat code. When you want to put a formidable Black person in their place, you first use a non-Black buffer. It allows you plausible deniability. It's the old "I don't care if you're white, Black, orange, or purple" defense.
Only we know better; we have all been in this very scenario, when a white person wants us to co-sign their critique of non-white people, because when we do it, they get to keep telling themselves that they're not racist. When we do this, we do the work of white supremacy. No amount of mental gymnastics can change that fact. You are choosing self-preservation over solidarity; it's dangerous, and it makes you look dumb.
Rogers and Yang, both queer men who do not live in Texas, on the surface seem to be critiquing the Democratic Party's political strategy, and Yang is simply agreeing with his cohost. But this very scenario happens far too often. Asians affirm whiteness at the expense of the collective.
In my 45 years on this Earth, I've heard more ill-informed white opinions than I care to count. The reason they continue to be platformed, regardless of substance or expertise, is, say it with me, white supremacy. Many white people have not been told enough that they are unqualified, uneducated, or simply out of their depth in a conversation, and it shows by the multitude of opinions they offer without the slightest hesitation. Add a marginalized identity to that unchecked entitlement, and it is a shitshow.
But some will say, "What about Crockett's stance on Israel?" I offer this to all non-Black people: your agreement or disagreement with a Black person's politics can never be a metric of your participation in anti-Blackness. It's sad to have to put it that way. It is a non-negotiable to have an ethic that does not allow it to persist. That's the first thing. We have not transcended race, no matter how much this country wants us to believe that. We do not live in a post-racial society, and we see where pretending has gotten us. In this country, it is safe to assume that anti-Black racism is always in the room, and we have a responsibility not to allow it to go unchecked.
You may be tempted to ask, "Are Black people above critique?" No one is. But I'd encourage you to examine why you're so concerned about your "right" to critique Black people specifically. To put them in their place, so to speak. What is this insatiable desire to take someone like Jasmine Crockett down a few notches? Because I know it has nothing to do with Palestinian liberation or the rights of the people in the state of Texas. One must ask, what is your reason? Who benefits from your critique? What does it add to the larger conversation? Because those things matter a lot, especially now.
Non-Black members of the Global Majority have to admit that whiteness uses us as a proxy and shield to its anti-Blackness and misogynoir. When they say it in front of us with zero protest, our complicity makes it ok.
In the age of social media, anyone and everyone presents as an expert, and while I can affirm that we, as human beings, have intrinsic value. It is not wrong to say that some of us are better qualified than others to take part in specific conversations. Having an opinion is not the same as actually knowing what you are talking about. When we look at the state of this country, it is not too much to ask that you be thoughtful and intentional with how you use your platform.
In Solidarity,
Rebekah
