by DANNY HAIPHONG
Yang’s hope that Asian-Americans fight racism by marrying themselves to American exceptionalism is nothing more than an attempt to maintain his own economic privileges.
In an op-ed published April 1st, former Democratic Party presidential candidate Andrew Yang commented on the increase in racist assaults against Asian-Americans occurring across the country in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Yang argued that Asian-Americans can best respond to racism by appealing to white America and becoming an even stronger fixture within the social order. According to Yang, Asian Americans
“…need to embrace and show our American-ness in ways we never have before. We need to step up, help our neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear red white and blue, volunteer, fund aid organizations, and do everything in our power to accelerate the end of this crisis. We should show without a shadow of a doubt that we are Americans who will do our part for our country in this time of need.”
In other words, Asian-Americans should respond to their oppressors with loyal service to the oppressive system that produces, fuels, and protects racist state violence. Anti-colonial theorist, revolutionary, and psychiatrist Frantz Fanon argued in Black Skin, White Masks that colonized people are conditioned to view white colonial culture as the standard for humanity. Andrew Yang’s suggestions for the Asian-American community clearly indicate that the entrepreneur of Taiwanese origin has been wearing the white mask that Fanon referenced all along.
“Fanon argued that colonized people are conditioned to view white colonial culture as the standard for humanity.”
Fanon had not yet fully grasped the class dimensions of colonialism in Black Skin, White Masks. Andrew Yang is not only a representative of the Asian-American community but also a capitalist and an entrepreneur. His proposal for a monthly “Freedom Dividend” of $1,000 to every American always carried with it the guarantee that a value added tax would replace an unidentified number of meager social welfare programs such as SNAP. The mainly white Yang Gang was immediately enamored at the idea of an extra $1,000 in their pockets. However, Andrew Yang’s largely libertarian approach to politics ensured that he would throw his weight behind the political favorite of the Democratic Party establishment in Joe Biden.
Black Agenda Report for more