Gender and Race: the 'ideal'

The reading by Nakano-Glenn was very interesting to me. Colored men are taken as the universal racial subject, while white women are taken as the universal subject of gender. The author then points out how colored women are left out of both categories, making them "invisible both as racial and as gendered subjects." I found it interesting that white men are also left out of the 2 categories. However, unlike colored women, white men are not considered "invisible".

When Nakano-Glenn introduces the issue of class, she discusses Asian immigration. In America, middle and upper class Asian immigrants, who are educated and wealthy, are naturally 'whitened', while lower class, non-educated, Asian immigrants are naturally 'blackened.' It is as if society automatically believes that white people are richer and more educated than black people. In my opinion, it is these stereotypes which allow white men to be left out of gender and race discussions, while not becoming invisible. It is as if the white male status is assumed to be 'ideal.' But is it?

Last May, I met a man from South Africa. He explained to me that on a job application in post-apartheid South Africa, a person is required to put their gender and race. Black women get the most points, followed by black men, indigenous women, indigenous men, white women, and finally white men. Therefore, it is much easier for a black woman to get a job than a white man. The question in my mind was: is that job policy ethical? Assuming that white men have the 'ideal status' in society, this policy could be ethical to make the job search more fair. However, what is the 'ideal status' and what makes it ideal? Are white men 'ideal' because they supposedly face the least discrimination or are their other factors? Should the people who are born into this 'ideal' status genetically (by being male and white) be given fewer points on job applications to make up for a culture's natural discrimination against women and people of color, even though they have no control over their race and sex? Does anybody really know who experiences more discrimination, a man of color versus a white woman? Is this South African policy taking the issue of race and gender too far or does it really help to create equality?

After reading the article by Nakano-Glenn, I immediately thought of South Africa and the racial, gendered, job policy. The South African society has attempted to turn the 'ideal' upside-down to make the "invisible' more visible. Is this good or bad?