Why Is It Still OK To ‘Trash’ Poor White People?

Calling people “white trash” is demeaning to them and is an example of a microinvalidation (micro indicating that it happens between individuals or at the micro-level, not that it is a small aggression). This comment invalidates their lived experience by minimizing the value of it. Often, when the person making the comment has this brought to their attention, they say “it’s funny” or “it’s just a joke…” further dismissing the emotions of the target of the offensive comment. This specific comment isn’t just demeaning to the white people targeted, but also to people of color as explained in the article. Classism and racism often intersect, and this is one more painful and perhaps, surprising, example.

Journal Prompt

US²’s third Core Principle states “We must intentionally include so as not to unintentionally exclude.” How does using language or making jokes that minimize other groups go against this principle? How do you think (or what bias do you hold) about people from a different socio-economic class than you? Does that bias affect how you talk about or treat them?