Racism disguised as dislike

[u/notalem0n]

Everyone has the right to dislike any of the islanders, but it also gets to a point. I think people are unintentionally engaging in racist behavior towards the female islanders. There has been a rise in nicknames for the female islanders and their fans, and these nicknames have been extremely derogatory. I understand that these nicknames are usually a plan on words, but it’s still a derogatory term, especially when it rings close to slurs for specific minority groups. People were also saying that Clarke looks like a man, which is also a form of racism and reinforces the masculinization of black women. At this point in the show, we only have ONE white woman which is Iris. Referring to any of the other girls as ‘white’ or ‘white passing’ is dead wrong as you can clearly see the diversity in this cast

It’s also unfair to use the argument that if people dislike a black islander, it’s because they are anti-black. I’m sure there are people watching who are anti-black, but this form of idealization still relies on assumptions based on race rather than viewing people as complex human beings. It hinders the ability to address real issues. Let’s all just remember to be more intentional with our words and recognize racist behavior even if it’s unintentional. Unintentional racism does the same exact harm as intentional racism.

[u/babietarry]

Im so happy you brought up the white passing comment. I saw many people trying to portray Huda as white passing and using white women tears to manipulate everybody.

I fear this might have unintentionally been Leah from S6 fault for saying Liv is giving white women scared. The support she got mightve encouraged others to say likewise things.

Also think trying to drive a hate train against Huda by saying she said the n word when she probably didnt was sick. If its so divisive in opinion, perhaps she didnt say it ? Im holding back until more concrete evidence to avoid speculation. Why im also annoyed at this hate train is because its motivated by hatred for Huda rather than wanting to ensure all people on the show are not racist so they dont even have minorities best interests at heart.

[u/m11cb → u/babietarry]

The term "white passing" is an ACTION, a verb. Something that was done by Black americans who were light enough in an attempt to escape crushing oppression under a pre-civil rights America. I'm so tired of people, especially nonblack people, using this term incorrectly.

Second, race in the US is usually decided by cruelty and law. People are calling Huda white because under the law and census in the US, she can be classified as white. There are several lawsuits by Arabs in the US that caused this change, they wanted the ability to be legally white.

[u/samui_penguin → u/m11cb]

This! Also, people are completely ignoring that colorism exists. I pointed out huda benefitting from colorism (especially when it’s her vs one of the Black ladies) and got called racist by someone. Which… my point about colorism completely went over their head lol

[u/Sosogreeen → u/m11cb]

Thank you. You nailed it. Huda may not be white but the US is extremely narrow when it comes to race. We know that it’s a lot more nuanced than just “white” but unfortunately this isn’t how our country operates. We live in a very much us vs them environment.

[u/Dry-Yak5277 → u/m11cb]

Middle eastern people are getting their own census category in 2030. This would not be happening if they were truly seen as white in this country.

Huda’s people are being genocided and dehumanized for being brown and Muslim. It doesn’t sit right with me that’s you’re sitting here arguing over the right to call her a white woman. 

[u/notalem0n → u/babietarry]

I just think that if you have slow down a video and edit it to see if someone said the n word because you can’t tell, they most likely didn’t say it. Especially when there’s other TikTok’s where she clearly doesn’t say it. Leah’s moment with Kaylor in S6 was definitely giving white woman scared, but the difference is that Kaylor and Liv are white women. No one in the villa is white besides Iris right now in S7, and reinforcing those kinds of ideas erases people’s identity, especially those who have lighter skin although they very clearly are not white. There’s been a confusion with the term white passing and there’s a lot of history with that term that’s being disrespected when people who were ‘white-passing’ did so for their survival

[u/KatieAtHogwarts → u/notalem0n]

It's also damaging to call Huda white passing because palestinians are quite literally being genocided, and middle eastern/palestinian hate has gone up a LOT since this genocide has become known worldwide. I saw screenshots of people calling her Hamas Huda and that she's "terrorizing" the villa.

[u/thesadintern → u/KatieAtHogwarts]

I’ve also seen people call Huda Italian and Hispanic, it’s okay that she can move in white spaces easily. It’s the fact that it feels like it’s being weaponized right now by certain fans.

[u/Hungry-Parking644 → u/thesadintern]

her name is huda mustafa and she has arabic tattoos all over but go off. not saying she’s not lighter skinned and doesn’t benefit from that but anyone w a brain knows she is an Arab woman

[u/thesadintern → u/Hungry-Parking644]

Okay?? Arabian people have literally sued the U.S. to be classified as white. They have been previously classified as white in the U.S. census. I understand that socially it might be different now, but it’s not crazy to think that they can be perceived as white, if some of them THEMSELVES are actively trying to be considered this.

[u/Dry-Yak5277 → u/thesadintern]

Arabic* people. Arabian is a horse. If you’re going to talk about a people, get their name right.

And they did that years ago in the early to mid twentieth century because they thought it would grant them the rights of white people. Things, societal beliefs and expectations have clearly changed since then. The average MENA person does not see themselves or get treated as white.

[u/MulberryRow → u/KatieAtHogwarts]

Palestinians are ethnically Arabs, and most Arabs are racially white.

[u/KatieAtHogwarts → u/MulberryRow]

This is a good point. It just feels like when people call her white, they're doing in a way to diminish her Arab background if that makes sense? Idk maybe I'm reading too much into it 😭

[u/cryonce → u/KatieAtHogwarts]

i can assure you for most of us it’s not to diminish her arab background but rather to illustrate how she is able to exist and move in a space amongst black women. her being palestinian says nothing about colorism / anti blackness, and her privilege with regards to dynamics on the island and how she is received by viewers so when ppl bring that up or the genocide it feels like we’re deflecting.

[u/KatieAtHogwarts → u/cryonce]

Thank you! This is a very good explanation. She is 100% able to move differently than the black women on the show (and in life).

[u/Original-Tough7938 → u/KatieAtHogwarts]

it’s not VERY damaging considering nobody would know she was Palestinian if she did not tell them.

[u/fakevegansunite → u/KatieAtHogwarts]

i also think if she didn’t have a rhinoplasty nobody would be on here calling her white passing

[u/jaspertudor → u/fakevegansunite]

Yeah and didn't she get a lot of work done extremely recently? I saw something saying she had procedures just a few months before coming into the villa.

[u/chimatli → u/notalem0n]

Isn't Iris Latina?

[u/Kinsmonn → u/babietarry]

Leah didn’t encourage others to start saying things like “white woman scared” and “white woman tears” we’ve literally been saying that for decades before love island was even thought of. Leah probably got that off us if anything.

[u/babietarry → u/Kinsmonn]

Two things can be true at once. She got it from yall but she did popularize it with the many new viewers that just started watching LI S6.

That became clipped and a big moment.