thesociologicalcinema:If Emojis Can Be Flirty, They Can Also Be Racism: A Guide to Understanding “Th

thesociologicalcinema:If Emojis Can Be Flirty, They Can Also Be Racism: A Guide to Understanding “The Unbearable Whiteness of Emoji”Background:2011: Apple makes emoji keyboard an IOS default2015:  is Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year2015: In response to criticism, the emoji lexicon expands:  [peace hand gesture emoji with different skin tones]“Emoji is humankind’s weirdest and most successful ideographic language.”~ Ian Bogost.-Emojis “rely on linked understandings of race and technology”-The way we use emojis matters-Emojis translate widely but ogten face cultural confusion-No matter how many emojis are approved by the Unicode Consortium, they will ALWAYS LEAVE SOMEONE OUTSIMPSONS YELLOW   In 2015, 5 emoji skin-tones were relaeased. But the “non-realistic” yellow remains the default.The yellow tone is based on white skin. In the Simpsons, BIPOC characters were still marked as other.DEFAULT SKIN TONES ARE NEVER NEUTRAL.Yellow as a “neutral” for humanoid characgters reinforces color-blind racism.“For people who are used to thinking of their skin as the default, acknowledging whiteness in their digital hand gestures can feel deeply uncomfortable.”~ Andrew McGillWhite emoji users regularly choose yellow over the color closest to their skin tone.The “cream” tone is used the least even though white users exceed BIPOC users.WHENEVER WE SENT THAT YELLOW HIGH-FIVE, WE WERE REMINDED THAT BROWN AND BLACK HANDS WERE NOT AN OPTION.~ Kumari DevarjahThe yellow “racial opt-out” is not available to Black and brown people.SHOULD YOU USE EMOJIS & STICKERS DARKER THAN YOUR NATURAL SKIN-TONE?-Appropriation often srts with good intentions.-Are you trying to represent yourself? (That is Blackface)-Or, are you relying on sterotypes to convey your message? (i.e., “KWEEN”)“DO [YOU] THINK [YOUR] RAISED-FIST EMOJI LOOKS MORE REVOLUTIONARY WHEN [YOU] PAINT IT BLACK? [YOUR] CLAPPING HANDS MORE RHYTHMIC? [YOUR] PRAISE HANDS MORE DRAMATIC? [YOUR] PAINTED NAILS SEXIER?”~Kumari DevarjanSOCIAL MEDIA AND EMOJISSocial media has become an important platform for social justice. Here, voices with less representation in mainstream media can be heard. Emojis commonly play a role in this activism.For example, since George Floyd’s murder the power fist has seen a huge spike in use.WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR A LIGHT-SKINNED PERSON TO USE A DARK-SKINNED POWER FIST?-Early use of power fist is associated with Black Panther & Chicano Power movements-It continued to convey resistance (ie, 1968 Olympics)-The  was originally a “fist pump” and was redefined by BIPOC activists.-It has been co-opted by people of all skin tones, if you are non-Black: REMEMBER it is not your symbol.WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR A LIGHT-SKINNED PERSON TO USE A WHITE POWER FIST?-In the 1980s the white fist was a symbol of “Aryan Pride” and “White Power”-Using a [white fist emoji] in support of #BLM does not erase its association to white supremacy.TECHNOLOGY IS NOT NEUTRAL“THE POWER DYNAMICS THAT EXIST IN REAL LIFE DON’T DISAPPEAR JUST BECAUSE WE’RE HIDDEN BEHIND A SCREEN.”~ Kumari DevarjanWORKS CITED1. Sweeney, Miriam E., and Kelsea Whaley. 2019. “Technically White: Emoji Skin-Tone Modifiers as American Techno-culture.” First Monday. Vol 5.2. Bogost, Ian. 2019. “Emoji Don’t Mean What They Used To.” The Atlantic.3. Devarjan, Kumari. 2018. “White Skin, Black Emojis?”4. McGill, Andrew. 2016. “Is it Okay to Use White Emoji?” The Atlantic.5. Emojigraph.org. 2020. “Black Lives Matter Emoji Usage Analysis.”6. Blakemore, Erin. 2018. “How the Black Power Protest at the 1968 Olympics Killed Careers.” HISTORY.7. Rhodes, Jane. 2017. “Framing the Black Panthers: The Spectacular Rise of a Black Power Icon.” University of Illinois Press.8. Garcia, Mario T. 2014. “The Chicano Movement: Perspectives from the Twenty-First Century.” Routledge.9. Sahagun, Louis. 2018. “East L.A., 1968: ‘Walkout!’ The Day High School Students Helped Ignite the Chicano Power Movement.” Los Angeles Times.10. Anti-Defamation League, “Aryan Fist.” Nate on Display: Hate Symbols Database.11. Emoji Timeline. 2020. EmojiTimeline.com -- source link

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