How To Write A Racist Character
This will primarily focus on racists characters in our world but this can apply to fantasy worlds aka 'speciesist'. Let's get started with this personality quiz of "What Type Of Racist Is This Character?"
But first, let's clear up some misunderstandings:
Any race can be racist. A black man can be racist. An asian woman can be racist. An indigenous child can be racist.
Racism isn't just between white-black dynamics. One clear barrier between different races is the black-asian dynamic.
This will focus on covert and overt racism.
Overt racism: Obvious displays of racism
Covert racism: Hidden, coded displays of racism
Dominating (colonialist) Racist
This racist is a character that believes that other races are pitiful, weak, incompetent, childlike, and incapable of leading themselves. A primary literary source if you are trying to write this character is "White Man's Burden". This passage describes how it's the burden of white people to support, colonize, "teach", and control 'uncivilized' groups, such as africans and indigenous groups.
This process involved stripping these communities of their cultures through institutionalized racism:
Teaching christianity and removing them from their normal religion.
Creating schools to enforce a homogenous, unnatural worldview, promoting internalized racism.
Keeping marginalized groups in careers of subservience (cleaners, servants, laundry mat workers, poverty, slavery) for the sake of control
Today, Colonial Racism is more institutional and can be expressed as:
Preventing marginalized people from having status-giving, high-quality jobs. For example, an african-american woman can be portrayed as 'unprofessional' if she wears her natural hair. This can also be seen in seeing POC employees as 'invisible', which has created the coined term of the 'Bamboo Ceiling' is a term to refer to the lack of APIs (asian and pacific islanders) in upper management.
Putting down the seriousness of non-mainstream religions that are associated with marginalized groups. Such as: the commercialization of indigenous religions, associating hoodoo with horror, and the prioritization of Christianity and other mainstream/white(since white people tend to have more power to be racist against all races) religions
A Racist Denier is a new-age racist that tries to argue that racism is no longer an issue and hasn't been an issue for a long time, sometimes will try to deny racism in it's history.
Trying to convince people that the Civil War wasn't about the institution of slavery but it was about a glorious, southern battle for State's Rights that was brutally put down by devious Northerners. (Lost Cause)
Claims that people who are calling out perceived racism, such as a lack of inclusion of race-inclusive characters and police brutality, are "playing the race card"
"I'm Colorblind. I don't see race and I just don't understand why race is always such a big deal with you people.
"They were just people of their times"
Will not admonish their grandparents for saying the n-word since "It was different back then"
Will play the Victim card, saying that all these accusations of racism are an example of people being racist against white people. They will try to equalize being accused of being racist is the same thing as experiencing racism.
"This isn't about race, this is about economic inequality"
These guys are here to make racially inappropriate jokes and when anyone calls them out on it, will claim that "it's just a joke", "it's actually satire", and "stop taking everything so seriously, man? God, comedy is dead".
Examples of how to build this character up:
Will wear sexualized costumes of other races, like deerskin and kimonos, and act like it's just a funny thing
Call people the n-word and defend themselves, saying that they have a black friend and they're fine with it.
Use stereotypes against people in a condescending way. "Alright, alright, we hear ya, Angry Black Woman, you angry, we get it!". "Me no speakee engrish, Mr. Chinching".
Catcalls black women and whenever they reject, says that they're "sassy" and "ugly".
Blackface as "shock humor"
Exaggerating a fake accent
Only having black friends around to justify their behaviors but will never have an equal relationship with them.
Desexualizing Men/Sexualizing Women Dichotomy Racist
This dynamic is seen in asian interpretations with men often seeing asian women, particularly eastern asian women, as:
This is due to the multiple facts that:
When americans were interned and working in Asia for military reasons, such as the Vietnam war, in these war-ravaged countries led to massive waves of prostitution, abusive dynamics, and war brides. This was romanticized in works such as Madame Butterfly.
The Chinese-Exclusion act was also due to a belief that chinese women would corrupt men with STDs and sensuality.
This led to asian men being dismissed, since you can't have An Asian Sex Doll if there's a man to compete, leading to the stereotype of the Asexual Asian Male.
OkCupid reported that asian men were one of the least swiped on race in their dating app. This is why. Because they are seen as:
This can also be seen in the dynamic of Latinos: Latin males are seen as thugs and drug dealers while latina women are hypersexualized. Same thing with AA women, hypersexualized in Blackxploitation movies. So, for examples:
Talks about how hot asian/latina/AA/minority women are
Will grossly oversimplify and just outright get other people's cultures completely morphed in order to portray a sexualized version
Watches anime shows featuring big-breasted high school anime chicks
Talks about asian women like one may talk about a child
Dismisses male competition for love interests if they are a part of a discriminated race
Acts like they are protecting "fragile beauties" from hypermasculine black men and animalistic men of their own race.
Horrifically abuses their partner and will act like it's just a cultural barrier.
Talks down parts of non-americanized culture, such as sushi and rap music
Wants their partners to dress "authentically" aka their hypersexualized and distorted view on how a minority woman looks
Will dump their partner the moment they fail to live up to this ideal.
If they are rejected by someone they were trying to flirt with, they will immediately go into incel manchild territory and throw a tantrum and call them the n-word or another slur.
"You're Good and You're Bad" Racist:
Separates people into broad categories depending on either:
If they fit the stereotypes
How much they seem attached to their culture
Example: Indigenous People
Is always subservient to non-indigenous peoples desires yet is also a bit of a hippie in a not-annoying way: ✓
Gets angry when people wear fake regalia and headpieces when they aren't indigenous, will not abide by the stereotype that all indigenous people are new-age hippies posting about chakras and connecting to your "inner wolf": X
If they are woman, either way, they are a "squaw". Squaw is a slur relatin to the genitalia
Gets angry about racism, is dark skinned, wears their hair natural at work, and likes rap music: X
Pick-mes who want to be accepted by white people so they act like Uncle Toms and Mammys, freely abide by stereotypes, will backstab other races, and will drag on how horrible rap and durags are unless their friend is doing it: ✓
Keep in mind: Any feminine black man will be derided, anger is pathologizes, and expect to hear people making random comments about how 'sassy' and 'sexy' you are.
Bear warning: Black women are deromanticized and hypersexualized
Talks about #StopAsianHate, is connected with their culture in a way that isn't sexy, is anything that isn't eastern asian: X
If they are a woman, they will call you Senpai during sex and make the ahegao face, will call you oppa, watches all your weird anime with you since she totally dates any white man on earth, hates asian men, and is totally fine with being basically a juvenile sexy lamp that works as a domestic servant for white men: ✓
If they are a man, will make fun of Chinese manufacturing with you, only eats Ramen Noodles, is fine with jokes about yellowface, and politely accepts all your "jokes" about small genital sizing and doing math homework: ✓
For women, is sexy and spicy in a way that isn't threatening but sexy, is fine with sexual harrassment and sees it as a compliment, isn't like "those" drug-dealing latinos, will put on a fake heavy accent, dyes her hair so it can be brown, light-skinned: ✓
For men, is fine with jokes about cartel violence and "Me drinko agua, amigos" jokes, exclusively eats Tacos to be "authentic": ✓
Doesn't care for your random jokes about not understanding spanish and "engrish", keeps trying to tell you there are more countries than Mexico and Spain that speak spanish, have any meaningful connection to their culture, dark-skinned, not brown wavy hair, doesn't look like J-Lo: X
How To Apply To Fantasy Races:
False dichotomy between sexualized women and asexual men, used to depower both
Having two different races set against each other trying to fight against each other to be the most Desirable
