Anti-Racist Vegan Activism Part 1

April 11, 2008

Remember the anti-racist vegan activism syllabus from yesterday? Well today I’m going to summarize and comment on the first article from Vegans of Color called Colonial mentality in US-based activists? Say it ain’t so!

This is a learning process for both of us. I am not a teacher here, I am a facilitator. I’m processing these thoughts myself and inviting you to comment and critique.*

Here’s the crux or the article:

“I don’t think people should be eating dogs or cats, just as I don’t think they should be eating cows, sheep, pigs, or chickens. But there’s a long tradition of the United States, & the West in general, telling other countries (hint: the non-white ones; sometimes they’re referred to as “the developing world” or the “global south” or “the third world”) what to do — and colonialism & imperialism are hardly things of the past.”

When spreading and igniting moral progress, we must be careful not to assert domination and colonize. We are animal advocates, not advocates of the US. Our judgments of other nations’ treatment of animals must not be influenced by racism or xenophobia. Our activism must not become imperialism.

Sound familiar? It happens in the animal rights movement and it happens in the feminist movement, too. For example, FGM (female genital mutilation) is terrible and should be stopped, but much of the feminist activism regarding FGM a) is basically colonialism and b) ignores the FGM in the west.

Here’s an example regarding animals from my blog: I asked Which Is The Most Convincing Anti-Fur Video? and showed three PETA videos. The one about the Chinese fur trade was most compelling to one commenter because it “indicates a larger problem–that is, China’s widespread unethical manufacturing and trading practices” to which her boycott solution isn’t exactly colonialism, but neither is it entirely free of xenophobia and an assumption that American = better.

The Chinese fur trade is more horrifying to Americans precisely because of the cultural difference that Chinese furriers use cats and dogs for fur and meat whereas Americans use so-called ‘wild animals’ like foxes, mink, rabbits, and raccoons. Both sets of animals are treated similarly and both sets deserve liberation, but because of the false American dichotomy between pets and other animals (farm animals, wild animals, lab animals) the Chinese fur trade is more appalling to Americans.

Another example here:

Because all people can be racist and xenophobic, the AR movement (animal rights movement) is no exception. There are intersectionalities of race, class, gender, etc in all movements and there are prejudices and hate in all movements too, unfortunately. The San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) used the fact that American animal advocates can be racist and xenophobic and changed their description of an art exhibit. They went from this:

“At once intimate and spectacular, Abdessemed’s work aims to convert the banal into the dramatic. Transforming everyday materials and images into unexpected and sometimes shocking expressions, his inventive gestures, as if by alchemy, work to undo dominant modes of perception and entrenched sociocultural norms—they work, in short, to generate new relevance for radical ideas and actions. Actively defying social, cultural, moral, and religious taboos, Abdessemed contrives to subvert common sense and knowledge, received wisdom, and established biopolitical systems.”

to this:

“scenes of food production” and “routine procedure in rural Mexico.”

when animal advocates truly “work[ed] to undo dominant modes of perception and entrenched sociocultural norms” by publicizing the news of this animal snuff film, demanding the exhibit’s removal, and requesting that it be replaced by just as horrifying videos of American “food production.” As I wrote:

“And now there are hints of xenophobia and racism in the mix, too. They’re valid points, in that Americans are often more horrified by foreign brutality than our own, but that doesn’t make the brutality acceptable or appropriate to display as art.”

“in fact, Adel Abdessemed [the artist] set up the scenes himself and did the killings himself for the purpose of art, not food. It doesn’t matter that what he did is often routine procedure for many rural Mexicans. It doesn’t matter that their form of slaughter is probably just as humane or more humane than ours. The fact is, he deliberately killed animals to make art and displaying that art is condoning unnecessary suffering upon defenseless animals. The SFAI condoned and encouraged animal cruelty by displaying that film.”

It’s a tight-rope. On the one hand we must be the voice for animals, they have no other voice. Animal advocates MUST speak up in order to make any progress at all. On the other hand we must be sensitive that our voice is only for the animals and doesn’t carry our privilege. It’s exceptionally difficult to do, for bias cannot be removed from thought and expression, but it’s something animal advocates must try to do.

So how do we respond? We want to be advocates for animals and we want to end their suffering, but we don’t want to play colonist, stomp on toes, and make enemies. How best to assert the liberation of animals without also being racist (or, since we can’t entirely escape racism, how best to limit or squash our own racism)? How should we stand up for animals without being imperialist?

Vegans of Color solution (I assume it’s Johanna’s voice):

“So what should United States animal rights activists with a yen to become involved internationally do? How about connecting with local animal rights activists abroad & listening to them, learning from them & trusting in their knowledge of, & experience with, their culture? And letting them take the lead in their own countries?”

I think that’s an excellent idea. We can be allies instead of leaders. It will require constant vigilance, not to silence ourselves in precarious race or ethnicity-based situations, but rather to silence the parts of ourselves that are acting like imperialists. We ought to be open to criticism, not from anti-animal perspectives, but from anti-colonialism perspectives. We must engage. If we do not engage, no one learns and no animal is spared. But our engagement is as allies, aiding and inspiring, not dominating or demanding.

—

*Open to comment and criticism, however, commenters should be truly interested in anti-racist vegan activism.

I am NOT interested in hearing from people who aren’t involved in either movement. Likewise, I won’t tolerate discussions that sound like this “Well animals aren’t as important as people, so we should forget about animal activism and focus of racism.” That doesn’t help.

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Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under Feminism, Racism, veganism 

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4 Trackbacks to “Anti-Racist Vegan Activism Part 1”

  1. Weekly Digest April 11, 2008 : Elaine Vigneault on April 11th, 2008 6:45 pm

    [...] Anti-Racist Vegan Activism Part 1 [...]

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    [...] about anti-racist vegan activism on my personal blog. First, there was the reading list, then part 1 and part 2. More to [...]

  3. Anti-Racist Vegan Activism Part 2 : Elaine Vigneault on April 14th, 2008 12:32 pm

    [...] Anti-Racist Vegan Activism Part 1 [...]

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