Abstract
White supremacy, heteropatriarchal imaginaries, and settler colonialism exist and perpetuate themselves through one essential medium: the individual. Oppressive systems require power differentials and, thus, a power hierarchy. The success of these hierarchical power structures demands the buy-in of every individual in the system, especially those with the least power and positioned at the bottom of the hierarchy. This article uses W.E.B. DuBois’ framework of the “double consciousness” to understand and reframe an often-used concept, the imposter syndrome/phenomenon, to reflect the reality of being oppressed, and uncover the ways that oppression urges individuals to support and maintain systems and structures that create oppressive psychological situations through internalized oppression, interpersonal dynamics, and buy-in to reward structures intentionally or unintentionally. I offer a conceptual reframe to reflect the experiences of “imposters” to the more aptly named “infiltrators.” This reframing allows us to move away from a multicultural perspective or inclusion model where people of color and other oppressed people are only included when oppressors permit it. Instead, I offer a perspective where marginalized peoples come into oppressive systems intentionally to disrupt, transform, and reclaim that may be more aligned with their realities. Specifically, this article will (a) describe institutional oppression as part of the legacy of the imposter syndrome/phenomenon, (b) describe the infiltrator experience, and (c) offer questions for oppressed individuals to question their current state, wonder what healing might look like, reclaim space, and reclaim self.
Questions for Examining Your System of Oppression
In what ways are we striving to be the oppressor?
In what ways are we reinforcing and maintaining the oppressive system?
Do we have an awareness of which oppressive systems we currently reside within?
Which oppressive systems might we be embedded within?
How does the oppressor live within us?
Do we blame ourselves for our victim statuses?
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