Whenever someone says that “identity politics” or “woke-ism” (whatever that means) or “cancel culture” are new concepts I kinda roll my eyes. Because these are political fights that have been prominent throughout US history.

You often hear political commentators today say stuff like “We didn’t use to have this cancel culture.” Here are some real examples of US “cancellations” historically. Losing your job to get a new one next month isn’t cancellation. Being violently persecuted is. Examples:

The claim that “we didn’t used to have identity politics” is even more absurd, considering US history has almost entirely been about identity. 3/5ths compromise in the constitution. Jim crow. Internment of Japanese. Emergency Immigration Act of 1921. All identity politics!

And the idea that being “woke” is new is also silly. The word is now exists as a pejorative for multiculturalism/diversity/inclusiveness. But there’s always been Americans fighting for these things. Abolitionists. Civil Rights leaders. All had fierce opposition who hated them.

So to pretend that this is some unique point in American history and everyone was unified and happy and didn’t talk about race before this is completely ahistorical and a false reimagining of what America was.

This has always been a country that has been bitterly divided on racial issues. The big difference today is that the country is much more diverse and poc have growing political power, so they are pushing their perspectives and ideas further into the mainstream.

The nostalgia of a “pre-identity politics, pre-cancel culture” America is false, those things have always existed. What has changed is that poc are amassing more political power and challenging old narratives and persoectives about this country.