Shayna Conde Nicole Cardoza Shayna Conde Nicole Cardoza

Rest against capitalism this holiday season.

Because the United States of America has an unofficially Christian foundation, the Christmas holiday has always been front and center in winter holiday celebrations. Although the gift-giving aspect of the holiday stems from the story of the three wise men who bestowed gifts upon the newborn Jesus, the tradition has morphed into a modern-day capitalist monster. For most of history, this time of year was about spending time with one’s family. Still, after the publications of The Night Before Christmas (in 1823) and, especially, A Christmas Carol (in 1843), the idea of “Christmas shopping” flooded the Western marketplaces and changed the way we experience the holiday season forever (Bustle).

Happy Friday! As I reflect on the last few days of 2020, I'm making rest a priority. The holiday season often brings immense pressure, and the last days of the year often stress us to be more productive. Rest might feel like a selfish indulgence, but it's actually a revolutionary way to reclaim our sense of self and identity in a capitalistic society.

I appreciate how Shayna, the author of today's piece, draws the correlation between holiday expectations and the relationship between productivity and capitalism. Her words center the Black experience, but remind all of us that grace and ease is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and each other. 

Tomorrow is our weekly Study Hall where we answer questions and share insights from the community. I'll have an exciting update about our community growing, too! As always, you can support our work by making a one-time gift on our website or PayPal, or subscribe for $7/month on Patreon. You can also Venmo (@nicoleacardoza).


Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Be honest with yourself and your loved ones this season: What is your financial situation this year? Is your spending linked to your idea of self-worth? Does this stem from racism?

  • Find communal ways to celebrate the holiday season, like volunteering at a food bank, gathering on a family Zoom call, having a holiday game night, or making gifts together.

  • If you can spend money on gifts this season, buy from Black and Indigenous-owned small businesses instead of Amazon or Wal-mart. Follow hashtags like #Blackownbusiness, #indigenousownedbusiness, #buyBlack, and #buyindigenous for ideas.

  • Follow @decolonizingtherapy and @thenapministry for practical ways to support BIPOC self-care this season.

GET EDUCATED

By Shayna Conde (she/her)

The capitalist history of modern Christmas

Because the United States of America has an unofficially Christian foundation, the Christmas holiday has always been front and center in winter holiday celebrations. Although the gift-giving aspect of the holiday stems from the story of the three wise men who bestowed gifts upon the newborn Jesus, the tradition has morphed into a modern-day capitalist monster.  For most of history, this time of year was about spending time with one’s family. Still, after the publications of The Night Before Christmas (in 1823) and, especially, A Christmas Carol (in 1843), the idea of “Christmas shopping” flooded the Western marketplaces and changed the way we experience the holiday season forever (Bustle).

The toxic relationship between holiday capitalism and the intergenerational trauma of slavery

Intergenerational (also known as transgenerational) trauma is defined as a form of trauma whose “effects are not only psychological but familial, social, cultural, neurobiological and possibly even genetic” (American Psychological Association). The effects of the traumatic experience of transatlantic slavery are long-lasting and constantly being unearthed by those of us in the diaspora. 

One way intergenerational trauma shows up is in the need to constantly work and produce as a means of identity. During slavery times, the monetary value of an enslaved African’s life was based upon what and how much they could produce (Measuring Worth). Although the time of transatlantic slavery is over, our current oppressive systems further instill in us that if we are not working until we drop (and can show proof of that labor), then we are worth less than others.  The relationship between the ever-hungry capitalistic beast of modern-day Christmas and the ever-working, generationally traumatized Black person can be a dangerous one.

“Because the holiday season often requires us to keep track of and pay attention to a greater number of responsibilities than usual, the brain’s prefrontal cortex goes into overdrive. Over time, a high level of demand can decrease memory, halt production of new brain cells, and cause existing brain cells to die,” explains psychology professor Dr. Ellen Braaten (Harvard Medical School).

But must the holidays be such a stressful time, especially for communities that were struggling long before COVID became a pandemic? Consider this. 42% of Black people in the United States had hypertension between 2015-2016 (Center for Disease Control).  As of 2015,  over 46% of non-Spanish speaking Black US citizens had cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association). A 2014 study of Black women in a primary care setting found that 49% had symptoms of depression, and 10% experienced suicidal thoughts (Medical News Today). 18.8% of African Americans fell below the poverty line in 2019 (Poverty Talk). And all of these stats were taken before the coronavirus pandemic, and the economic crisis of 2020 even took place. 

Self-care and rest are two means of self-motivated wellness that have not been widely encouraged in the Black community until recently. For much of my childhood years, I would hear that “If you had time to rest, you had time to work,” or other means of conflating rest with laziness. @thenapministry is an IG account that is changing the narrative of rest and recharge for Black people, specifically Black women, since we are afflicted with the “strong Black woman” stereotype (Healthline). Therapy is another form of self-care that has been highly stigmatized within the Black community. The account @decolonizingtherapy is fighting back to get more BIPOCs talking about mental health without focusing on the white perspective. @soyouwanttotalkabout is my means of staying up-to-date with what is happening in the world and the BLM movement without the risk of accidentally traumatizing myself with the mass of trauma porn on major news cycles. The end of this calendar year should be about growth, reflection and unashamed restfulness, especially for my fellow BIPOCs. 

This November, I asked my grandmother, a 76-year old Black Jamaican woman: if she weren’t sick and if the world weren’t sick, what would she want to do with her life? I was expecting her to say that she would go on vacation or start baking with her grandkids or visit an old friend in Sedbergh, but instead, she replied, “I want to work again. It’s what I do best.” It can be difficult for all of us in the Black community to realize that we are more than what we produce when the world keeps telling us otherwise. If we do not know our worth, we will unintentionally pass these pains down to the next generation. Remember that you are not defined by your labor or what that labor can buy this holiday season.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • You are not defined by your labor or what that labor can buy. 

  • Our oppressive systems instill in Black communities that if we are not working until we drop (and show proof of that labor), we are worth less than others. 

  • The Black community’s intergenerational trauma and stress have direct links to serious health concerns that can be exacerbated during the holiday season. 42% of all Black US citizens between 2015 and 2016 had hypertension, and 1 in 2 Black women in primary caregiver roles had symptoms of depression. These numbers have undoubtedly grown during the pandemic.

  • This year has been particularly hard, so take a break without apologizing for it.

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Read More
Isiah Magsino Nicole Cardoza Isiah Magsino Nicole Cardoza

Respect Hawaii’s sacred land.

To the average American, Hawaii elicits a fantasy. Palm trees swaying in the light wind. Hot white sands reflect a radiant sun and kiss a crystal clear ocean. Hula dancers wait at the doorsteps to a hotel overlooking the vast Pacific. But this fantasy is just that, and to many Native Hawaiians, their reality is quite the opposite. This continued exploitation of Hawaiian lands and culture to visitors, many of whom fail to appreciate its deep culture and culture, contributes to the systemic colonization of the Hawaiian islands.

Happy Thursday! Today we're joined by Isiah to acknowledge the impact of colonization on Hawaii, and more importantly, respect and revere its lands. I appreciate how this piece speaks to how pervasive systemic oppression is – how so many issues, both past and present, only exacerbate the challenges we face today.

Looking for a last-minute holiday present? Gift the Anti-Racism Daily to a friend. Or, simply share it with your community to unlock cool swag.

Our newsletter is free and made possible by generous contributions from our community – no advertising or sponsorships. Join in by making a one-time gift on our website or PayPal, or subscribe for $7/month on Patreon. You can also Venmo (@nicoleacardoza).

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

By Isiah Magsino (he/him)

To the average American, Hawaii elicits a fantasy. Palm trees swaying in the light wind. Hot white sands reflect a radiant sun and kiss a crystal clear ocean. Hula dancers wait at the doorsteps to a hotel overlooking the vast Pacific. But this fantasy is just that, and to many Native Hawaiians, their reality is quite the opposite. This continued exploitation of Hawaiian lands and culture to visitors, many of whom fail to appreciate its deep culture and culture, contributes to the systemic colonization of the Hawaiian islands.

“First and foremost, we don’t reject tourists,” begins Kayana Kamoku, a Native Hawaiian who currently resides on the Big Island. “But when our land is treated as a commodity or item of wealth, that’s an issue.” Last year, Kamoku joined hundreds of other protestors to march on Mauna Kea. The development of a 30-meter telescope continues to threaten more than Mauna Kea’s peak (Science Magazine). The telescope is slated to replace what happens to be one of the most sacred realms for the Hawaiian people: a revered place synonymous with a godly shrine (Oha). 

Although this is a groundbreaking development currently affecting Native Hawaiians, it is certainly not the only one. Mark Zuckerberg continues to sue Native Hawaiians for pockets of land within, or nearby, his estate forcing a small family to have to bid for their land (The Guardian). On the island of Kauai, at a development site called Keonaloa, a well-known ancient Hawaiian burial ground was excavated to make way for luxury condominiums (MP Hawaii). On a more subtle level, as people from Asia and the mainland continue to immigrate to Hawaii, the cost of living continues to soar, pushing Native Hawaiians out of their very own island because it is no longer affordable (Cultural Survival). “Native Hawaiians who leave the islands for college dream of coming home. It’s a dream to live in the place our ancestors are from,” says Kamoku. 

As Covid-19 continues to devastate the United States, Native Hawaiians face another issue: is tourism being put above their health and well-being? Since reopening in October, Hawaii has allowed tourists to bypass the 14-day quarantine if they proved a negative test that was taken prior (Washington Post). And although tourism plays a large part in Hawaii’s economy, Native Hawaiians are one of the ethnic groups hit hardest by COVID-19 (Star Advertiser).

The well-being of Native Hawaiians has been placed on the back burner. Locals receive citations for violating coronavirus regulations, while tourists are encouraged to flout them (NYTimes).

Together, these issues illustrate the umbrella effects of the systemic oppression of Native Hawaiians by American imperialism. Native Hawaiians continue to be pushed around and out of their own homes for the sake of catering to travelers (Cultural Survival). Investigate the motives behind Zuckerberg, the telescope, COVID travel, and the development of sacred burial grounds, and you get one common denominator: money from outside of Hawaii. This contributes to the growing wealth disparity between non-Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiians, as Native Hawaiians have the highest poverty rate in Hawaii, nearing 13-percent (Maui Time). 

Such outside business interests have long interfered in Hawaii. Since the late 1800s, Hawaii has suffered from imperialism. Hawaii’s sovereignty was stolen even though it was a sustainable nation recognized internationally. In 1893, 13 white businessmen staged a coup with the United States to get Hawaii annexed, disguised as a treaty. The coup led to the dissolving of the Kingdom of Hawaii, and in 1898, Hawaii was formally annexed by the United States. (Nisei).

A century later, we need to remember that the mountains and other natural elements that seem to illuminate the photos shared on social media are more than that. As Kayana Kamoku explains, “Our land is more than land. We hold it close to us. It is a cultural identity and community.” Hawaii’s sovereignty deserves to be recognized and respected.


If you are a Native Hawaiian involved in the sovereignty movement, please contact us at submissions@antiracismdaily.com — we’d love to share your story.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Native Hawaiians have strong ties to their land. Their land is an integral part of their identity and affects them physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Kanaÿiaupuni and Malone).

  • White colonizers stole Hawaii in correspondence with the United States. This racial scarring still runs deep with young Native Hawaiians (NEA). 

  • Many Native Hawaiians suffer from poverty and are pushed out of their homes as residential prices rise (Ka Wai Ola).

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Read More