A "Fixed Mindset"

Welcome back, and thank you for joining me again! Today we are going to look deeper into the common themes throughout Marc Aronson's book 'Race,' and then connect them to current events. 

Fixed Mindset: the belief that characteristics are unchanging, and existent from birth (Dweck).

We've all heard it before: fixed mindset or growth mindset. However, after greater thought, such a simple concept has an extremely powerful effect on humans, more than you might realize. Let's begin with the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is a perspective in which you believe that certain characteristics (those of a person, situation, etc.) are unchanging and existent from birth/beginning. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is a dynamic perspective that is open to change, an understanding that the world/situation/people have the ability to change, grow and develop. We all like to believe that we have growth mindsets, but in some situations we don't. A simple example could be failing a test and instantly blaming yourself and feeling like you'll never succeed, or that you are always bad. On a larger scale, a fixed mindset is reflected in the way we view races and ethnicities. We try our best to be progressive and open-minded, but quite frequently we have a fixed mindset surrounding people: we believe that they inherit certain characteristics/traits that will never change. 

White = Free: 

In 1790, the USA passed new legislation that accepted immigrants based on "a few simple qualifications, starting with their race. Only "free white persons" were eligible" (136). White meant free. Aronson writes how all men, who have the ability to act like 'men,' are created equal (137). At the time, blacks, indentured servants, Native Americans, etc. were not considered 'able' to act like men. And of course, women were far from accepted, even if they were white. They were deemed "to be overly influenced by their husbands ... whose votes could be bought." The Founding Fathers believed that a voter must be able to form their own opinions, and make up their mind, things that only white males could do apparently. That was the definition of "white." White European Protestants believed that their freedom was a racial right that they earned from birth. As shocking as it sounds, these laws surrounding immigration stood until 1952: a whole 162 years. 

Irish = Helpless: 

Beginning in the 1600's, England's view of superiority clashed with the Irish. The English were strictly Protestant at the time, and the Irish were Catholic. The English view of being 'white,' was also influenced by religion: if you weren't Protestant, you weren't white. The Irish were viewed as barbaric and uncivilized, due to their semi-nomadic roots, different religion, lack of education, and culture. For decades, the English fought to control the Irish and make them more "English." Aronson references, "As Henry Cromwell had said in the 1650's, the Irish needed to become even more English -- even if it took being sold into slavery to accomplish that" (145). When the Great Potato Famine struck Ireland in 1845, the Irish were left with nothing. For most Irish, their whole livelihood depended on potatoes, not only to sell, but to eat. Without them, they were desperate. Through all of this, the English continued to view the Irish as poor, helpless, uneducated creatures, and that that was their problem. "The Irish did not need help; instead, they needed to improve themselves. Their suffering was their own fault, and trying to help them would only make it worse." (145). These views stuck. Forced out of Ireland due to the famine, the Irish fled to America in search of a better life, but sadly, while they were welcomed as 'cheap labor,' they were 'resented as people.' (146). This stereotype surrounding the Irish lasted for decades, both in England and America. 

Black = Slave:

It was during America's slave-holding period when the connection between slavery and race was most deeply intertwined. The US economy relied greatly on slavery to fuel their plantations, and ultimately the growth of the nation. Aronson made the point that slavery was nothing new. The enslavement in the US was not the first time, or the last time. "There would have been no Roman Empire without its hundreds of thousands of slaves. But those slaves came from all over Europe and Africa, and many were considered property only until they could buy their freedom." (135). Most great empires were founded upon, and thrived because of their enslavement of others. What made America different was this: your race defined what you were meant to be. If you were born a slave, you would give birth to children who were slaves, and you would die a slave, "all because of your unchangeable race." (135). Further on in the book Aronson explains the mindset that people had surrounding the Black race: "subhumans who could never change their inherited natures." (173). I see this as a perfect example of a fixed mindset: they believed something about people and were set on the fact that they would 'never change.' 

"This definition of race was soon enshrined in a law that bound "African" and "slave" together with iron logic: Blacks are slaves; John is black; John is a  slave." Aronson (135)

Chinese = Inferior:

After the Civil War, Congress passed legislation preventing Chinese people from earning their citizenship (and later on Japanese Americans as well) (163). The Chinese were the ones that built a lot of the infrastructure in the US mainly on the West Coast, without their labor, the West Coast wouldn't have developed so quickly, or been as prosperous. While the Chinese immigrants vastly contributed to America's success, that didn't help make them any more acceptable as US citizens. "If the Chinese could never become citizens, they were a weak, inferior people." (165). Their lives were seen as meaningless, and the loss of their lives through their work was seen as trivial. 

Now how does this all relate, you may ask. When considering each of the racial stereotypes listed, we see a common theme: whites are superior, all other races are inferior. The whites viewed their freedom as a birthright. The English viewed the Irish as inferior due to their religion. Americans thought that being black meant you were destined to be a slave. Americans also thought that being of Chinese or Japanese descent, your life was meaningless and you were destined for hard/menial labor. The shocking, and sad part is that these stereotypes still run true for many people. Our world is plagued by the fixed mindset. 

All throughout history, free white men have had the perspective that, "Winners win. Losers lose" (165). This hasn't changed. Our global fixed mindset, our inability to shift our views of other races/ethnicities, is our downfall. 

I covered four main races/ethnicities, and the way they were perceived historically, now we'll relate this to current events. 

Ireland vs. England:

Still to this day, there is animosity between Ireland and England. Many Irish citizens still feel looked down upon by the Brits, and feel that they got the short end of the stick. While there are no wars between England and Ireland currently, the war is more-so a generational, societal war of acceptance. In an article for the Irish Times, Jennifer O'Connell quotes Ben Thompson, a real estate agent from Sussex, 'moving here you get a "very quick education in the fact that Britain didn't treat Ireland very well."' Tensions are still high between the two countries, even if it's represented through a light-hearted joke, the Irish still hold resentment, and the Brits still hold stereotypes. Yvonne Murray, who was born in England and moved to Ireland in her teens, explained, “When you speak with an English accent in Ireland it feels like a scene from a western when the saloon falls silent, the music stops and everyone turns to stare.” (O'Connell). The way that the Irish and the Brits view each other is a clear representation of a fixed mindset. They still hold their stereotypes, and are unwilling to admit that they have changed, unable to accept growth. 

Black & Slavery:

To this day, the repercussions of America's slaveholding times still haunt black Americans. For years, African Americans have suffered the consequences of a society that is stuck in a fixed mindset. Finally, they have begun to speak up, most clearly seen through the Black Lives Matter movement. In June of 2020, millions of people protested the unjust treatment of African Americans. To put it into perspective, the Women's Marches of 2017 had around 3-5 million people in a single day. The BLM protests, "more organic in nature -- appear to have far surpassed those numbers, according to polls." (Buchanan). We see this upward trend in support for organizations such as BLM, people are tired. Americans have reached the point where they are sick of the negative stereotypes surrounding African Americans. They are sick of the fixed mindset; they want change. 

“It looks, for all the world, like these protests are achieving what very few do: setting in motion a period of significant, sustained, and widespread social, political change,” Professor McAdam said. “We appear to be experiencing a social change tipping point — that is as rare in society as it is potentially consequential.” (Buchanan)

 

Clennon, Mark. "Protesters outside of Trump Tower." TIME, 30 May 2020, time.com/
     5846390/trump-tower-protest-photo/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Asian Americans & Persecution:

Just this Tuesday, an extreme hate crime against Asian Americans was committed. Robert Aaron Long killed 8 people working in Atlanta spas of which he had been a customer at ("Atlanta Shootings Live Updates"). Six of these people were of Asian American descent. These killings have enraged Asian Americans, and brought awareness to these dire circumstances. According to Noah Smith, a writer for The Print, "negative sentiment towards China has spiked to previously unimaginable levels" in recent years. Fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, hate crimes towards Asians in the U.S. have skyrocketed. Just in 2020, hate crimes were up by 150%, totaling 3,000 incidents in one year (Smith). "Asians in America are often treated as “perpetual foreigners,” excluded from the country’s conception of its own demographic mainstream" (Smith). It is shocking to me that as such a progressive country, we are still so governed by our engrained societal stereotypes. How much longer will it take for us to change? 

"Atlanta Shootings Live Updates"
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Thank you to those of you who read this entire post! It was a long one, but something I am really passionate about. I appreciate your support! I hope we can act as ambassadors of change in our world, and break the mold of the fixed mindset. Please share your thoughts in the comments! 

Works Cited

"Atlanta Shootings Live Updates: Suspect Had Visited Targeted Spas Before, Police Say." The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2021, www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/18/us/atlanta-shootings-massage-spa. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Buchanan, Larry, et al. "Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History." The New York Times, 3 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Clennon, Mark. "Protesters outside of Trump Tower." TIME, 30 May 2020, time.com/5846390/trump-tower-protest-photo/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books Trade Paperback edition ed., New York, Ballantine Books, 2016.

O'Connell, Jennifer. "'You Can Be Anything in Ireland Now, except English.'" The Irish Times, 19 Oct. 2019, www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/you-can-be-anything-in-ireland-now-except-english-1.4054045. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Smith, Noah. "How Biden Can Stand up for Asian Americans as Hate Crimes, Attacks Soar in US." The Print, 18 Mar. 2021, theprint.in/opinion/how-biden-can-stand-up-for-asian-americans-as-hate-crimes-attacks-soar-in-us/623850/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.