I have found it funny, the people I've run across who claim to be liberal and progressive think that reverse racism is a true thing, that claiming someone to be "chinese american/black/gay/trans and proud" is the same as what the KKK did and are doing.
I've only run across this argument many times. Someone says their progressive, that they aren't racist and even go as far as saying, "I have black friends, so I am NOT racist." I, myself, am a Politically Correct individual. And I think being PC is an important way to deconstruct the different views people have of culture, other races and ethnicities, among many other differences we can have. We can also use PC to learn and unlearn and allow ourselves to continue doing so.
I do think too many people think racism is just automatically a term that is meant for someone who is actively hating someone because they are a certain race. Just like, being pro-choice, which I believe goes far beyond believing a woman has the right to an abortion, is like how racism is. Racism goes far beyond whether someone hates someone for being a certain race. Of course it does. It's a process of learning and unlearning and continuing that. It is something that goes on in our daily lives, whether you notice it or not and whether it was you that performed an action, knowing it or not.
There are so many actions one can do to "not mean to be racist." Yet, it can be racist and completely appropriating another culture. Too many people automatically become defensive if someone says their action is racist because they may NOT be an actively racist, hateful person ... yet need to keep in mind something they may be doing is racist and disrespectful to someone else.
Many so-called progressives and liberals also chose to be color-blind. They refuse to recognize that yes, even though we are all human, that we DO have differences and ignoring those like, races isn't going to make racism go away. You may think that someone being Asian doesn't matter to you or your family, but if you're white (I am) I think it's hard to say you know how they feel and that their race doesn't matter because you've never been anything but white.
As anti-racist activists, we need to continue to educate ourselves and others. The whole argument of "I have black friends and I am not racist" doesn't make things all better. Being actively involved, understanding as much as you can, education, learning and unlearning can all go a long way. Ignoring the history of the human existence and pretending that nothing ever happened and saying, "well I didn't personally kill off the Native Americans" is not progressing at all, either. Of course YOU personally didn't do that, but white history did and we need to recognize that in order to realize that racism is a true thing.
Reverse racism.
Some white people think that this is a true thing. That someone can be racist towards a white person, reverse racism is a term created by white people. Most I've come across don't understand that they have privilege just for being white and the great argument of, "Yes, I"m white and male, but I'm also poor" comes up. Well, if you're white and a male - that's privilege right there, you need to understand that. I've come quit recognizable to the fact that I am white, therefor that gives me privilege.
We all have our barriers, of course. Me, for example, I am a white, poor, single mother and a woman. I have privilege compared to others, yes and I completely recognize that. I understand also, that I can be oppressed in this society and I am marginalized person in society. But again, I have privilege compared to others. I am white.
As progressives who are anti-racist, there are SO many more parts to not being racist than just saying it and quit obviously, not being an actively hateful person of other races. Some will agree, some will disagree ... it's a process, I think. A process that takes a while to understand, as it did for me. But I think it's a good thing to take in an absorb.