Essay on Passing ⋆ Sociology Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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Passing is a process by which one’s racial, sexual, religious, cultural, ethnic, and/or national identity crosses over from one culture or community into another undetected. Though generations the term has come to be applicable to many diverse communities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations (LGBT), as well as people of Muslim faith and/or Middle Eastern descent, as well as other ethnic groups. The historical connotation of the term is intimately connected with black America. ”Passing,” ”crossing over,” or ”going over to the other side” typically refers to a black person whose appearance is such that they can pass for white. The profound structural roots of racism against blacks that led to the drastic choice for some to pass, is explained by centuries of abusive laws and policies that enslaved, segregated, and oppressed blacks. The historic 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision ushered in over 60 years of legally sanctioned segregation, commonly referred to as the Jim Crow era. Reinforcing a ”separate but equal” ideology, that maintains separate realities for blacks and whites in the USA, this is a period of extreme oppression for blacks, socially, economically, and physically, as many were victims of mob violence and lived under the constant threat of lynching. Rather than endure the racist and segregated world that blacks were subjected to at this time, in some instances those who were able opted to pass for white. In the slave era preceding Jim Crow significant race mixing had occurred. Through rape, forced breeding, and a host of other coercive means, several generations later, the concept of ”colored” had developed into a social construction which no longer strictly represented one’s phenotype.

Though passing and segregation were not new developments of the twentieth century, the dawn of the 1900s saw a definite rise in the number of light-skinned ”blacks” passing for white as they particularly felt the sting of segregation. In order to fully exploit economic, social, and educational opportunities, some blacks, who were able, generally passed into white society on three levels: basic, complex, and fundamental. At the basic level of passing, an individual might occasionally accept the mistaken assumption that she or he is in fact white. This allows black citizens certain freedoms that they would otherwise be denied, such as moving about the cities where they live without fear of violence, shopping in any store, and eating at any lunch counter. The complex level of passing is more purposefully planned. Individuals might work on one side of town under the premise of being white, where s/he could earn money and advancement, or even attend a university as a white student. Yet when they return home at night or during holidays, they resume their black lives. This level is quite complicated and dangerous. In order for individuals to navigate this dual reality, they must move seamlessly from one world into another, all the while keeping their two worlds — one black and one white — completely separate. The fundamental level of passing sees the black person actually casting off his or her entire black identity in favor of a white reality. The adjustments one makes for this level of commitment are not merely cosmetic. Instead, one must make profound changes to one’s thoughts, memories, beliefs, history, culture, language, politics, ethics, and so on. Though the term passing is commonly used as a historical reference, it is important to note that in the multicultural polyethnic new millennium, color, and now culture, is as ambiguous as ever. Thus, one cannot ignore other populations for whom passing remains a viable option, such as LGBT communities, Latinos, and people of Middle Eastern descent. In a post-9/11 world, amid a culture of ”don’t ask, don’t tell,” many populations other than blacks are employing various elements of passing in order to navigate the rough waters of inequality.

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