Now that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s thrown his hat into the 2016 ring, it’s apparently open season on him.
Yesterday, the Washington Post gave airtime to the notion that Jindal has abandoned his Indian-ness to get ahead in politics:
“There’s not much Indian left in Bobby Jindal.” http://t.co/1N3ZPV47El
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 23, 2015
Today, The New Republic followed suit, digging up a February post throwing controversial conservative Dinesh D’Souza into the mix:
How Dinesh D’Souza and Bobby Jindal advanced in the GOP by erasing their ethnic identities. http://t.co/o7GjJjTZCL pic.twitter.com/UlVi8LS0ya
— The New Republic (@newrepublic) June 24, 2015
Here’s just a sample:
It’s tempting to dismiss D’Souza as an outlier. He’s aligned with the right-wing of the Republican party, while the vast majority of American South Asians identify as Democrats. Still, anyone who spends time among South Asians will recognize the popular currency of attitudes like D’Souza’s. Moreover, D’Souza indicates a wider problem, given that one of the Republican Party’s most prominent Islamophobic voices is Louisana Governor Bobby Jindal, a South Asian. D’Souza’s racism and Jindal’s xenophobia find a more muted parallel in the career of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, whose advancement includes suppressing public references to her Sikh heritage and being presented by her campaign as a “proud Christian woman.” The careers of D’Souza, Jindal, and Haley carry an implicit message: Racial minorities can advance in the GOP by erasing their ethnic identity and/or attacking other minorities.
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Pretty disgusting, right?
https://twitter.com/NoahCRothman/status/613794034310586368
New TNR living up to expectations https://t.co/od6tOD4pAb
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) June 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/JayCaruso/status/613795037328097280
— Sister Delecto Toldjah ? (@sistertoldjah) June 24, 2015
But please, allow the piece’s author Jeet Heer to explain:
Shorter @HeerJeet: Calling Nikki Haley an immigrant is vile. Saying Jindal and D'Souza aren't immigrants enough is totally cool.
— NeoN: Automataster (@neontaster) June 24, 2015
@neontaster Not saying they're not immigrant enough. Saying it's wrong for them to ally themselves with anti-black and anti-Muslim bigotry.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 24, 2015
You accused them of "immigrant self-hatred." Don't backpedal now. https://t.co/f5Fo4a9aXE
— NeoN: Automataster (@neontaster) June 24, 2015
@neontaster Well, identifying yourself with white supremacy (as against the rest of American culture) is immigrant self-hatred.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 24, 2015
@neontaster I have no objections to people assimilating to the non-racists parts of American culture.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 24, 2015
Gee, that’s awful generous of him. And not remotely condescending or bigoted at all!
https://twitter.com/KevinNR/status/613800290173620224
https://twitter.com/Matthops82/status/613801869828333568
Democrats are still unapologetic straight up racists. https://t.co/DOx5QLTP1r
— Area Man (@lheal) June 24, 2015
.@HeerJeet @neontaster Suggesting that someone loses their racial identity because they disagree with you is ignorant and bigoted.
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) June 24, 2015
@tnr Gross and racist
— Evan (@Mr8rightsid3) June 24, 2015
Racists https://t.co/oJYh7yPd67
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) June 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/sarahzview/status/613804141488398336
@tnr Only progressives decide who is authentically ethnic!!
— JFitz (@JFitz1104) June 24, 2015
OH LOOK!! The BIGOTS are on parade ==> @tnr <== #RacistAndProud
— American Insurgent (@Who_Me_Two) June 24, 2015
@tnr Brilliant. I mean it's racist and stupid. But brilliantly so. Jazz hands for you.
— Chris Tsotsoros (@ctsotsoros) June 24, 2015
@tnr Cruz, Thomas, Scott, Rubio, now D'Souza & Jindal. Progressives attack persons of color for not being ethnic enough. Who're the racists?
— Razor (@hale_razor) June 24, 2015
@tnr wow, progressives being racist. This is my shocked face pic.twitter.com/fSX2iRkiQW
— Howard Roark (@shortwave8669) June 24, 2015
@tnr Clearly, you have no shame. You also forgot generations of immigrants came here to ASSIMILATE and become proud Americans!
— Just June ?????? (@MissJitter) June 24, 2015
@tnr This is what we do to brown people guilty of wrongthink! #diversity
— Cardinal Curmudgeon (@Gimblin) June 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/Thorrison/status/613795661046259712
https://twitter.com/SmuggieMike/status/613794434174554113
.@tnr How despicable. I'll bet that you believe that some blacks don't "Vote Black." You are the reason why we can't have nice things!!
— Medbob (@medbob) June 24, 2015
@tnr one of the most racist prices of crap I've ever seen.
— Gregory Alan (@rightgreg61) June 24, 2015
https://twitter.com/CplSoletrain/status/613795682684538880
apparently @TNR feels the need to pick up on Nazi Racial Mythology and discuss the racial essentialism of the Aryan races anew
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 24, 2015
The left beats up on @michellemalkin for the same thing. The left likes its minorities exoticized and wearing colorful tribal dress.
— Ursus, Director of Weather and Banana Programming (@AceofSpadesHQ) June 24, 2015
Exactly.
@ShaanBhambra More unfortunate/typical: Author (@HeerJeet) is getting an absurd amount of "racist" and "fear-mongering" accusations. Gah.
— Asha Thanki (@ashathanki) June 24, 2015
@ShaanBhambra @iamashafierce_ I don't mind the "racist" accusation since it comes from obvious dolts.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 24, 2015
The dolt doth project too much.
Jonah Goldberg of National Review — which was also vilified in Heer’s piece — had a question:
When will @mindykaling get the @BobbyJindal treatment? Asking for a friend.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) June 24, 2015
Asked, and answered:
@JonahNRO @mindykaling @BobbyJindal When she comes out as a Republican…
— Safing Sector (@Gplavallee72) June 24, 2015
Editor’s note: This post has been edited to clarify that the TNR piece was originally written in February 2015. We apologize for any confusion.
***
Update:
Looks like TNR’s been doing some tinkering:
https://twitter.com/andylevy/status/613835538827755520
Yes indeed:
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/613840591584145408
***
Related:
‘How is this not racist?’ WaPo gives airtime to blatant bigotry about Bobby Jindal
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