If you see the Internet as raceless, colorblind and digital, think again my friend.
It’s a breeding ground for 21st Century racism.
Witness the instances of the nearly instantaneous anti-Asian racist tweets soon after the Asiana Airlines crash this weekend.
On social media, you can see the knee-jerky reaction. It’s racism in real time. Time for bad racist comedy.
Sample:
@JKastanis13: Asian airplane crashes?!? Not a surprise cuz they can’t drive!!!
What’s this have to do with diversity and higher-ed?
Well, if you haven’t noticed, Twitter is one of the main places most of your higher-ed, and pre-higher-ed types like to do their communicating—and display their ignorance.
Who’s on Twitter: According to a 2012 Pew Survey, while Facebook still reigns supreme, Twitter outranks Pinterest, Instagram and Tumbler, with a particular appeal to adults 18-29, especially African Americans and those in urban areas.
What I found encouraging was that it wasn’t just Asian Americans calling out the racists. It was people like Elon James White, the host of the radio show and podcast “This Week in Blackness.”
