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198 Chapter 14 Where’s the Violence? The Promise and Perils of Teaching Women-of-Color Studies Grace Chang When I am asked what I teach, I respond somewhat reluctantly that I teach women’s studies and often add that I teach women of color studies. Recently I was asked by a white man, “What is that? White male bashing?” and I surprised myself with the directness of my answer. I said, “No, actually, it is probably more like white feminism bashing, or the critique of white, Western feminism.” I was careful to specify that the target of my criticism is the body of thought and practice generally identified as white, Western feminism, rather than those who support its theories. The man asking the question expressed relief and continued to ask eagerly about what I taught. Unfortunately, some white women students in my classes are not similarly reassured by my stated focus and instead exhibit great defensiveness about my challenging their precious and sometimes newfound feminist ideals. In fact, some students have expressed great anger and hostility toward me for what they see as my attacking or ridiculing them and all white people. One student wrote the following in an evaluation of my Grassroots and Transnational Feminist Movements class: This class was captivating and interesting. It definitely challenged my opinions and point of views [sic]. However, being a Caucasian I felt very uncomfortable and discriminated against. I have never been [a] racist of any kind as I was raised to respect all races. But, I felt that the instructor made several racist remarks regarding whites, “white privilege” and many derogatory things against the white class. The reason this bothered me was because it seemed pointless and not relevant . . . I felt like she was making fun of whites, and this made me feel attacked and this hindered my desire to read and come to class . . . I hope Chang realizes how much a turn off her teaching is for an open minded and liberal student. The Promise and Perils of Teaching Women-of-Color Studies 199 Similarly I received this mixed review from one student on the “Rate My Professor ” (or, as I call it, “Hate My Professor”) Web site: “If you’re white, be prepared to hate her. But if you aren’t an ignorant dumb****, afraid to learn about the truth in an aryan-infested world where, yes, homosexuality and extremist patriotism exist, then . . . this is your class, knowledgeable colored person. THIS is your class.” Another reviewer on the same Web site responded, “Actually, I’m white and I love her,” but added, “You either love her or you hate her.” These comments have led me to wonder what exactly it is that evokes such intense feelings toward my teaching style, my subject matter, and/or me. And which is it that students react to? Perhaps one of the most gratifying teaching evaluations I ever received was a comment made the first time I taught a class called Women of Color in US Society at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). The student wrote that I “make the white community feel unsafe and uncomfortable.” I felt this was a great honor, signaling that I was able to unsettle the privileged place of comfort enjoyed by so many students at the institution where I teach—so much so that this student identified or invented a “white community” that he or she charged I was threatening. When I reported this comment to members of my community—including social justice organizers of all stripes in the San Francisco Bay Area—they congratulated me and asked me what I had done to wield so much power. In this chapter, I can only discuss what I attempt to achieve through my teaching style and choice of subject matter and speculate on what may be so threatening. I neither claim credit nor accept blame for the fear, anger, and hatred apparently inspired by my teaching. A Career of Living Dangerously I joined a women’s studies department with certain hesitations about being identified as a teacher and scholar in that area. My training, disciplinary affiliation, and self-identification had always been with ethnic studies or a field that some may argue is still emerging—women of color studies.1 In striving to develop women of color studies as a discipline distinct from women’s studies and its attendant limitations of white, Western feminist biases, I feared that a women’s studies department might not be the...

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