National Oppression
Encyclopedia
National oppression is the mistreatment of people depending on what their nationality
is. When analyzing national oppression, the difference between a country and a nation must be set apart. A country
is a territory of a nation is defined by geographical boundaries. A nation
is defined by social relationships - people who share common customs, origins, history, economic relationships and frequently language.
There are also some situations in which many nations exist in one country. An example in today’s world is the United States
. There are many nationalities living under one rule. Racism is the biggest example of oppression of a certain “nation” in one country, the United States in this example. The black population has become a nation within the United States, but this is often hidden because of racism. Racism against African Americans is an expression of national oppression.
Africans Americans who were brought to the United States as slaves each had a distinct culture (came from many different nationalities). A new African American nation was formed within the United States because of their common experiences and oppression of slaves. In regards to the dominantly white society, the African American nation is an oppressed nation in the United States.
“Statement on National Oppression, National Liberation and Socialist Revolution.” Fourth
Congress of FRSO. 2004.
Coobtee, Muna. “Fundamentals of Marxism: What is National Oppression.” Socialism and
Liberation Magazine. Oct. 2005.
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
is. When analyzing national oppression, the difference between a country and a nation must be set apart. A country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
is a territory of a nation is defined by geographical boundaries. A nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
is defined by social relationships - people who share common customs, origins, history, economic relationships and frequently language.
There are also some situations in which many nations exist in one country. An example in today’s world is the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. There are many nationalities living under one rule. Racism is the biggest example of oppression of a certain “nation” in one country, the United States in this example. The black population has become a nation within the United States, but this is often hidden because of racism. Racism against African Americans is an expression of national oppression.
Africans Americans who were brought to the United States as slaves each had a distinct culture (came from many different nationalities). A new African American nation was formed within the United States because of their common experiences and oppression of slaves. In regards to the dominantly white society, the African American nation is an oppressed nation in the United States.
Sources
Tyner, Jarvis. “The National Question.” 2003.“Statement on National Oppression, National Liberation and Socialist Revolution.” Fourth
Congress of FRSO. 2004.
Coobtee, Muna. “Fundamentals of Marxism: What is National Oppression.” Socialism and
Liberation Magazine. Oct. 2005.