Is identity politics hurting or helping America? To first answer this question one must determine what identity politics even is. Identity politics is a political belief in which people believe and favor the side that supports their race, identity, sexual orientation, culture or ethic beliefs. It is used as a way to promote ideologies, and promote public action. In today’s age, political politics is a very large, and growing debate within the United States as of right now. In the past identity politics was very helpful, as it was used to help fight against oppressed groups and helped them gain more traction and allow them to have the same rights as others. Some of these groups include the civil rights movement, the LGBTQ community, and the feminist movement, which have brought many rights to women, African Americans and those in the LGBTQ community. However, due to its nature, identity politics also divides us, this can cause difficulty between people and their beliefs that can be hard to overcome due to the fact that identity politics is centered around oneself and their being and identity.

Identity politics can be a good thing. If used in the proper manor it can be a powerful tool to gain political attention, and support from the general populace. For instance It has helped the LGBTQ community gain the right to marriage, it has helped African Americans during the civil rights movement, and help women gain equality within the workplace. However it can also cause some problems. It can create a political divide between the two sides, and not allow for debate between the sides due to the nature of the topics at stake. Another problem with Identity politics is that it can push people away. For example German Lopez says, “Democrats’ struggles to connect to the white working class have contributed to the party’s losses down the ballot” (Lopez). Identity politics has pushed other people outside of it away due to the problems that those in it focus on, creating resentment towards them. This can cause many of those not within the party to feel pushed away and creates more problems. Currently in our nation we can see this happening with Republicans and Democrats and the feeling of an “us vs. them” mentality and many people focusing on themselves rather than for the benefit of the whole nation. Both sides have problems with the us vs. them mentality and this is creating the large political divide currently in the United States. However the basis  behind identity politics is good and it is attempting to benefit many people, especially those of which  feel oppressed by many of the laws and views created by society. Identity politics attempts to end discrimination, not only in the workplace but everywhere and works towards helping to stop sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace. However it can create other problems within it. 

“The dilemma for identity politics’ proponents is that there may be no way to separate high identity politics (justice and civil rights for marginalized groups) from low (the vapid, often reactionary idiocy that demands trigger warnings and safe spaces and seeks to conquer such phantoms as ‘white privilege,’’’microaggressions,’ ‘intersectionality,’ and ‘cultural appropriation” (Rosenberg). Rosenberg claims that these do not exist, they do however there are many times that the use of them or claiming that something or someone is doing these can sometimes be absurd and unjustified. This can create a system where many people are attacked and ridiculed for things often unknown to them, creating a battle between people for often little reason at all. Because of these “trigger warnings” or “safe spaces” people often feel like their freedom of speech is being infringed upon and that they are not allowed to speak freely about topics without being attacked by others. Sometimes the person being attack isn’t allowed to say such things but the attacks can which in turn can cause more problems about what people can and cannot say based on their background. This can be seen as why many people are against the left’s identity politics, because it can be seen as a way to infringe upon people’s right of free speech when people are only trying to help and push people away from racist, sexist, and misogynistic comments, however sometimes the comments and statements people have said and have been ridiculed over can be scene as “far-fetched” and “absurd”.

But, identity politics allows for those who have been oppressed to group together with those in similar conditions due to their backgrounds and to help to allow them to have a voice against the oppression from other forces towards them. It can allow them a place to feel safe and to have a voice against the tyranny that they have felt. Identity politics can give people a way to fight against oppression and to eventually one to overcome it and gain the rights and opportunities of those who do not.

Carlos Lozada, a well renounced author and and critic stated; “Attacking identity politics for its “turn toward the self,” as Lilla does, seems less than fair when those selves have enduring reasons to feel excluded from the whole”(Lozada). Those who are attacking identity politics are people who have never had to experience oppression or problems due to their nature. This can cause people to not see eye to eye on problems and can be scene as there is no problem or the problem is insignificant to those who are not affected by the problem when the party being oppressed has a large disadvantage and has to deal with the oppression and can create many problems. This is why political identity calls for a group to form, the only way to get their message across is to get a large enough group for it to be able to gain traction and to allow for people to hear their message and for any real work against their problem to progress forward.

However, due to it’s controversy it is hard to determine whether or not identity politics is overall positive or negative to our country remains to be seen. It has created a large political divide between the left Democratic party versus the right Conservative party. As of now many do not know how long this divide will last or if it will ever go away, and how deep this divide goes. But, as for now the identity politics is a large part in our government, politics and society and should be heard for their views towards problems and taken into account for the future of our country.  The 2020 election is closing in and identity politics will no doubt play a large part in deciding how that and future elections will go and how future candidates will go about dealing with many of the issues that they have. 

Bibliography

Lopez, German. “The Battle over Identity Politics, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 17 Aug. 2017, www.vox.com/identities/2016/12/2/13718770/identity-politics.

Lozada, Carlos. “Identity Politics May Divide Us. But Ultimately We Can’t Unite without It.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Oct. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/book-party/wp/2018/10/18/feature/identity-politics-may-divide-us-but-ultimately-we-cant-unite-without-it/.

Rosenberg, Alyssa. “The Real Danger of Political Correctness.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 28 Apr. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/07/30/the-real-danger-of-political-correctness/.