Progress and Achievements of the Colored People: Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Progress and Achievements of the Colored People: Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success
John Stuart Mill · en
When you mention “Dagoes” to an Italian, he shrugs his shoulders as much
as to say: “O, yes, there are Dagoes just the same as there are grafting
Yankees.” The Yankee to whom this is said does not get angry because he
knows that the Italian does not mean the Yankee nation.
It is the same with the Irishman and the Chinese. They laugh at the
application of vulgar terms to members of their race that deserve the
appellation—they do not take it to mean the whole race.
There is a reason for this diminution of racial prejudice against the
other races. That reason lies in the fact that education has put the
races upon the same plane of intelligence and good citizenship. When it
comes to caricaturing their race in order to create prejudice or excite
animosities against the whole, they protest and their protests are heard
because they are founded upon reason and common sense, as well as
business sagacity.
The movement among the Jews and Irish to stop the caricaturing of their
race upon the theatrical stage is bearing fruit and is doing much toward
eliminating race prejudice.
All the Jewish organizations have combined to prevent caricatures of the
Jewish traits of character which are notoriously bad, in theaters of all
grades and to punish their representation. It is a business proposition
mainly, but it is effective. “You make fun of the bad traits of my
people,” intimates the Jew, “and I will not trade with you.”
Likewise the Irish organizations are unanimous in their movement to
prevent and punish caricatures of the bad traits of the Irish people.
Says the Irishman, “You keep the Flannel mouth off the stage, or off
goes your head at the next election.” This is the loss of political
influence mainly.
So with the other nationalities: “You let us alone in your caricatures,
or we will not trade with you, work for you, or vote for you.”
The consequence is, that high-minded people, or those who have an eye to
profits and success in their business ventures, find that there is less
to be gained from encouraging the immature, or half educated, the
bigoted, and the ignorant whose race prejudices are based on mere
personal dislike or neighborhood animosity, gossip, or lies repeated
until they are regarded as gospel truth, than in the business of the
educated and cultured classes, or those who believe in equality of
opportunity.
The people who cater to the public are discovering that honey catches
more flies than vinegar and gall.
Comic and even sharply satiric portrayals of Jewish, Irish, or even
Negro foibles are appreciated by these races themselves, just as
Americans of other race strains are amused by caricatures of themselves.
But there are limits beyond which race enmities and prejudices are
fostered, and those limits are to be respected, and will be respected
when the race affected establishes a high standard.