Internalized Oppression & How to Combat It

Internalized Oppression is the unacknowledged beliefs and behaviors one acquires from their environment that causes self-hatred and internal conflict. In today’s post, I will discuss my struggles with this issue, what it looks like in people, and how to combat it.

My Own Struggles Continue.

If Mexicans are as into family and being good people as they say they are, then why is Mexico so dangerous? – Username withheld.

I’m Reminded of How People Perceive My Own People.

It’s the end of a long day, and I’m ready to kick up my feet and watch some mindless television. I’m trying to get into daily meditation but lying back and watching some cheesy reality TV is enough to clear my mind of all thought. I get a notification from my phone, and I have new emails. The pad of my pointer finger hovers over my email icon for a second before I finally touch it to open my inbox. And that’s when my evening soured.

Months ago, I browsed Quora.com and answered some questions about Latinx communities. Since then, I have gotten weekly emails that list questions I might be interested in based on previous activity. The first question at the very top of the body of the email read as follows: If Mexicans are as into family and being good people as they say they are, then why is Mexico so dangerous?

That one question delivered to my inbox triggered a wave of painful memories. I got up to cook dinner to distract myself, but it didn’t work. I recalled a sunny morning drive last summer when I went out with my friend, Brenda.

My own friend doesn’t think very highly of Latines. But this is nothing new for me.

I was her one brown friend. Brenda grew up in a town with a prominent Latinx population, which is unusual for Oregon. I was still relatively new to Oregon when I first met Brenda. After meeting at the park where our children played together, she and I sparked a friendship.

Was I ready to accept that her fragility would overshadow my hurt feelings, which meant she wasn’t the friend I thought she was?

One morning, we got up early to pick up a coffee from our favorite coffee kiosk and run some errands when she mentioned her anxiety over her daughter starting school. Brenda told me she would see about having her daughter attend a different school which would be inconveniently further away from home. She explained she didn’t want her daughter to be among the few white kids in her class. 

“I was always one of the few brown kids in class. It’s no big deal.” I replied.

“Yeah, but that’s different.”

Silence.

“How so?” I asked. But I already knew where she was going with this.

“Uh…well..you know. I don’t want [my daughter] to learn any bad habits or start misbehaving.” Her voice became high-pitched as she continued, “You know what I mean!”

Would I affirm what she believed to be accurate, like “a good” brown friend is supposed to do? Should I drop it, knowing that I would be met with defensiveness if I tried to show her she was being racist and/or xenophobic? Was I ready to accept that her fragility would overshadow my hurt feelings, which meant she wasn’t the friend I thought she was?

“Not really. But ok.” I said coldly.

We changed the subject.

I spent the rest of the day trying to block the memories of others saying similar things about my people and other minority groups. It felt like living through constant injustice. 

The outcome of speaking up about racism was being gaslit, a behavior that leaves one with feelings of confusion or powerlessness. 

From what I’m seeing, nothing is changing anytime soon. It might get worse.

That was in 2015. Soon it would be 2016, and undocumented immigration, the detention of asylum seekers and those with expired Visas, and concerns over the Browning of America would flourish. 

When people think of the decreasing white majority as “the browning of America,” I wonder if they consider that the racial landscape of the Americas was brown for tens of thousands of years. Do they know how ridiculous it is to associate America with being European? No, of course not.

Since 2016 alone, I lost count of the times people took to social media to suggest the growing population of POC would result in the US regressing into a developing country. Is that even possible?

Of course, rarely do people come out and say it so boldly. Instead, you get the message delivered passively to maintain plausible deniability. 

The association of being Black and brown with cultural inferiority is prevalent. It’s so deeply embedded into the fabric of the mainstream culture- including the language- that it goes unrecognized. And with immigration on the rise as climate change-related disasters and political turmoil ravage the most vulnerable countries, the idea that the United States will become a “third-world” country without a white majority increases. As a result, POC and other minority groups are subject to backlash.

Correlating problems found in developing countries with their people’s perceived “inferiority” is fundamental to White Supremacy. It’s also a major talking point for Conservatives.

Although we, as racial minorities, know better (because we know our cultures and people), we are immersed in the same messages of White Supremacy. 

We attend the same institutions and assimilate into the same culture. Add in the constant negative portrayals in the media, the regular influx of racist rhetoric we are subjected to from the people around us, and the lack of context. What you get is social conditioning of the same ideas about race.

My daughter came home the other day with a look of concern across her face. Someone asked her if there were a lot of [Latinos] at her school. She wondered why this peer asked to which they replied, “Because Mexicans are always in gangs.” 

The comment troubled her for the rest of the day, and I knew this memory would remain in her psyche. Past, present, and future racist rhetoric would repeatedly cause this memory to surface. 

What Internalized Oppression looks like:

Internalized Oppression refers to negative thoughts about a particular group we adopt on our own accord.

For example, if you are Black, you might think, “being black is a bad thing” or “I can never succeed if I’m not white.” This happens because of our conditioning and society’s portrayal of minority groups. It affects your chances for success, happiness, and satisfaction in general.

People become expressive of the prejudice, stereotypes, and biases they have internalized from society.

They begin to believe these harmful aspects of themselves, act them out, and internalize detrimental beliefs. People from these minority groups often see themselves in a negative light because of the way society treats them. We see this take place with our youths. They begin to believe they have no future and are inferior to other groups. They may turn to dangerous subcultures that offer status and respect. 

Another way a person may react to Internalized Oppression is by openly siding with the oppressor.

They may openly express that there is truth to the stereotypes and totally fault their people for it. They may distance themselves from their communities to gain acceptance and favor with the oppressor. 

This often forms a “white savior complex” where members of minority groups believe that white people are superior to them and need to be saved by them. And although individuals should be held accountable, we must also remember that they are also victims.

It’s also common for oppressed people to feel resentment toward those who are not treated as poorly.

You may be familiar with growing divides within communities of color between darker and lighter-skinned members. Sometimes, lighter-skinned members get treated as less Black or less Indigenous. In other instances, lighter-skinned members get preferential treatment from the other sex and their elders. 

The significance of Internalized Oppression is that it is more than just a belief system; it also includes one’s self-image and sense of identity.

It can often lead to lower academic achievement and more criminal behavior. In addition, it can have far-reaching effects on the person’s whole life. By understanding this concept, people can better recognize others around them who may be suffering from it and may offer other ways to cope if they encounter those who display symptoms. The significance of Internalized Oppression is that it is more than just a belief system; it also includes one’s self-image and sense of identity. 

Four ways to combat Internalized Oppression:

1. Share your struggles and offer support whenever possible.

You can show support by providing understanding instead of judgment, and I’ve learned to do this by sharing my experiences. By sharing my own stories, I have been able to help others realize that they are not alone, abnormal, or a “bad person.” 

For example, a colleague told me she was feeling low because she kept recalling memories of the years she spent hating being Latina. As a teen, she swore she would never have children with a Latino or someone darker than herself. She was prepared for me to shame her, but instead, I told her that what she went through was not uncommon. 

I explained that I’d experienced similar thoughts and had known people of different races who had also gone through this. My coworker thanked me and eventually forgave herself.

2. Be mindful of your thoughts and words.

Be aware of your Internalized Oppression, apologize for mistakes, and educate yourself. 

I was 15 years old and training for my new job in retail by the assistant manager, Tanya, when she began going over Loss Prevention procedures. She told me during training, “No offense, but it’s always Blacks and Mexicans who steal, so keep your eyes on them.” I nodded my head. 

The comment upset me, and I had every right to report her, but I didn’t. To avoid having problems with her, I dropped it. But there was another reason I dropped it- deep down inside, I believed her. I believed it because that’s what people have always said is true.

Years later, I acknowledged this truth about myself. I then decided to do something about it. I educated myself on the subject and learned that even though people believe crime is committed mainly by certain groups, that doesn’t make it accurate. In fact, it’s far from reality. And now, when people repeat similar ideas and misinformation, I call it out with conviction, 

3. Be mindful of the things you say.

Repeating stereotypes reinforce the idea that they are true. 

While it may seem harmless, those stereotypes are harmful to many people in this country who have been historically oppressed. For example, the media often stereotypes Latinos and African Americans to promote certain products. It has been shown that when Latinos are featured in commercial advertisements, they tend to be portrayed as low-skilled workers who do not speak English. This can significantly harm children, who may start believing these stereotypes and view themselves as inferior.

And it’s not limited to race. Although I am a woman and feminist, I find that I have repeated sexist stereotypes about women. I often joke about how women gossip. This may be true for some women, but it’s not valid for all. And men can gossip, too! Yet I continue to perpetuate sexist ideas about gender without realizing it. Women of all races can and do suffer from Internalized Oppression.

Social conditioning doesn’t just go away. The things you say will be heard and repeated.

4. Speak up & say something!

Recently, a news station posted an article about a crime allegedly carried out by a Black woman. So you can imagine what people were saying in the comments section! 

One commenter wrote, “As Black people, we have to do better!”

Many applauded her for saying it, but I did not. Instead, I explained that the Black community is not responsible for Black people who make mistakes or perpetuate stereotypes. 

We must insist that you judge us as individuals and not by the actions of others just because we may come from the same ethnic group or race- just like white people do when it comes to white people. 

She thanked me and told me I made her see things differently. Others, including some POC, told me I was in the wrong and repeated racist talking points. But that didn’t stop me from leaving my comment intact.

It’s your right to live in a world where you’re not constantly reminded of how differences in race, gender, or sexual orientation make you inferior to others.

People will minimize any wrongdoing after repeating stereotypes and racist jokes. But the truth is that these things are never harmless. They may seem innocent, but they hurt people and promote negative ideas about their target groups. So say something regardless of the reaction from others. It’s your right!

Do you have any experiences with Internalized Oppression you’d like to share?

If so, share below in the comments section! Let’s fight the power with love and support. We are here to help each other through our struggles and empower others to be the best version of themselves!

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