The insidiousness of white supremacy isn't just that it exploits the labor of Asians & other POC, but that it appoints token POC to enforce it—making the system even harder to dismantle.
(Please don't repost my art. RTs appreciated. Support my work👉: patreon.com/joshualuna) 1/
(Please don't repost my art. RTs appreciated. Support my work👉: patreon.com/joshualuna) 1/
The token serves several purposes: 1) insulate white-controlled institutions from accusations of discrimination, 2) "prove" that hard work is sufficient to overcome structural inequality, & 3) keep other Asians/POC out, especially those who would question the institution. 2/
Gatekeeping other Asians/POC from white-controlled institutions not only convinces those POC to believe they're unworthy of resources they deserve, but pits both the token and their victims against each other (lateral violence), distracting them from their mutual oppressor. 3/
It's easy to envy the token, since a token will always receive more resources & rewards. But the token position is limited & precarious, which means they must constantly perform for both sides to keep that position (and its rewards) and to prevent someone from replacing them. 4/
Yet the token is just a smokescreen for the ugly truth: In a white supremacist world, all Asians/POC (incl. the token) are disposable. Asian creatives & other creatives of color aren't seen as talents to be nurtured, but a product to be extracted & credited to someone else. 5/
This isn't just theory—I experienced this myself in my professional life. To clarify, I'm not focusing on Asians because Asians are inherently more toxic (which is a racist myth), but because it's my experience as an AsAm. All marginalized communities are at risk from tokens. 6/
The worst part about being harmed by a token is that while they will move on unscathed (to a new project, a new victim) their victim may be burdened with damage that takes years to undo. After all, how can a victim successfully build resources when a token keeps stealing them? 7/
This is difficult to talk about because the people doing this have the power to crush you for speaking up—the system is designed to protect itself. But I'm choosing to speak up because I wish someone had told me what I now want to tell others: you don't have to tolerate abuse. 8/
If you enjoy my comics, please pledge to Patreon or donate to Paypal. I recently lost my publisher for trying to publish these strips, so your support keeps me going until I can find a new publisher/lit agent
patreon.com/joshualuna
paypal.com/paypalme2/Josh…
patreon.com/joshualuna
paypal.com/paypalme2/Josh…
