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holliHaving gotten over, a little, my initial reaction to current events, which mostly consisted of swearing, I think I have to make a real post now. Because I've been thinking about what it means to be an invisible minority since IBARW, and more and more the conclusion that I've come to is this: the only way to not be invisible is to make fucking sure that people see you.
Because when I list Jewish characters in the fiction I love, the list is way too short. And when I list Jewish fans, I *know* the list is shorter than it should be, because nobody makes a big deal out of the fact that they're Jewish until they have to. And it seems like an awful lot of people don't seem to get that "Judeo-Christian" is a term that means something entirely different to the people in the front half than it does to the people who generally use it.
Being invisible means that it doesn't occur to anyone that we *should* be there; it means that when we *are* there, it doesn't occur to anyone that we're not just like them, or that we don't *want* to be just like them. Think about how many Jewish characters you see when you turn on your television. Not actors, not writers-- characters. Did Willow Rosenberg have a bat mitzvah? Does she ever act like her Jewish identity has been a meaningful influence on her life? Are there *any* Jews on TV who act that way?
And as for the idea that Jews have it "better" than most minorities, so we should stop complaining-- wow. Shut the fuck up. You know how I know anti-Semitism still exists? Because of assholes who say shit like that, is how. The fact is, you don't have to scratch the surface much at *all* to find a fuck of a lot of anti-Semitism in this country, and it's only bothered trying to hide itself in the last quarter-century. And the really insidious thing is, I suspect a big reason for that is that American Jews have gotten really, really good at looking like the rest of white, Christian America. It gets harder to be an anti-Semite when you can't tell who the Jews are. Once they stop being invisible, though-- ah, there's all the old bullshit, rearing its ugly head again.
And one more thing, because I need to say it: I don't recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ. I don't consider his birthday to be a secular holiday. Yes, I know it was co-opted from the pagans. It's still Jesus's birthday. You can call it a holiday tree if you like, but I'm still not putting one up in my house.
I'm not saying I won't do secret santas, since "non-denomniational holiday gift exchange" is damn unwieldy, and I'm as religious about language as I am about religion. But... it's still a secret santa, and I still grew up knowing that even if I'd been a good little girl, Santa wasn't bringing me anything. He's not *for* me. He's not secular, any more than the tree or the candy canes, and insisting that he is-- that any of it is, and we shouldn't be take offense at the idea that it is-- well, no. I'll help you pick out your tree, help you decorate it, celebrate cheerfully alongside you, but I'm still lighting a menorah when I get home. There *is* a difference, and it matters to me. The only thing I like less than self-imposed invisibility is the kind other people try to force on me.
Because when I list Jewish characters in the fiction I love, the list is way too short. And when I list Jewish fans, I *know* the list is shorter than it should be, because nobody makes a big deal out of the fact that they're Jewish until they have to. And it seems like an awful lot of people don't seem to get that "Judeo-Christian" is a term that means something entirely different to the people in the front half than it does to the people who generally use it.
Being invisible means that it doesn't occur to anyone that we *should* be there; it means that when we *are* there, it doesn't occur to anyone that we're not just like them, or that we don't *want* to be just like them. Think about how many Jewish characters you see when you turn on your television. Not actors, not writers-- characters. Did Willow Rosenberg have a bat mitzvah? Does she ever act like her Jewish identity has been a meaningful influence on her life? Are there *any* Jews on TV who act that way?
And as for the idea that Jews have it "better" than most minorities, so we should stop complaining-- wow. Shut the fuck up. You know how I know anti-Semitism still exists? Because of assholes who say shit like that, is how. The fact is, you don't have to scratch the surface much at *all* to find a fuck of a lot of anti-Semitism in this country, and it's only bothered trying to hide itself in the last quarter-century. And the really insidious thing is, I suspect a big reason for that is that American Jews have gotten really, really good at looking like the rest of white, Christian America. It gets harder to be an anti-Semite when you can't tell who the Jews are. Once they stop being invisible, though-- ah, there's all the old bullshit, rearing its ugly head again.
And one more thing, because I need to say it: I don't recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ. I don't consider his birthday to be a secular holiday. Yes, I know it was co-opted from the pagans. It's still Jesus's birthday. You can call it a holiday tree if you like, but I'm still not putting one up in my house.
I'm not saying I won't do secret santas, since "non-denomniational holiday gift exchange" is damn unwieldy, and I'm as religious about language as I am about religion. But... it's still a secret santa, and I still grew up knowing that even if I'd been a good little girl, Santa wasn't bringing me anything. He's not *for* me. He's not secular, any more than the tree or the candy canes, and insisting that he is-- that any of it is, and we shouldn't be take offense at the idea that it is-- well, no. I'll help you pick out your tree, help you decorate it, celebrate cheerfully alongside you, but I'm still lighting a menorah when I get home. There *is* a difference, and it matters to me. The only thing I like less than self-imposed invisibility is the kind other people try to force on me.
