MAGA hats: A relic of a 'dark and racist history'

Thursday, 4 June 2020

MAGA hats are essentially racist, several experts told Stuff.

Are MAGA hats racist or benign? Brittany Keogh reports.

Who would've thought a hat emblazoned with a United States politician's slogan would cause so much controversy half a world away in New Zealand? But during the past two weeks, that's what's happened with Make America Great Again caps.

In late May, new National Party leader Todd Muller came under fire for displaying a MAGA hat in his office.

Then, a teacher wore a Make America Great Again hat to a Black Lives Matter protest in Auckland after African American man George Floyd was killed by a US police officer who knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, sparking outrage both at the event and online and leading to a flurry of complaints to the Teachers' Council.

* Auckland teacher wore MAGA hat to Black Lives Matter march

* Todd Muller: If the cap fits, hide it

AUT associate professor Dr Camille Nakhid says MAGA hats are a symbol of white supremacy.

* The MAGA hat is gone but important questions remain

At first, both men defended their choice of apparel.

Dr Rawiri Taonui, independent writer and former academic.

But after public outcry, Muller packed away his hat and the teacher, who Stuff has chosen not to name, apologised.

MAGA hats became popular among supporters of US president Donald Trump after he wore one while on the campaign trail in 2016.

However, they've since become associated with far-right and white supremacy movements.

While, both Muller and the teacher acknowledged that many people found MAGA hats offensive, each said they did not mean any harm by displaying or wearing them.

Muller said he considered the hat merely a piece of 'memorabilia' from a political junket.

The teacher, who works at Manukau Christian School, claimed he was 'in no way trying to communicate a message of racism'.

But those justifications don't fly with either anti-racism or pro-free speech advocates.

'Things are never just a thing. This is not just a hat,' said AUT associate professor of social sciences Dr Camille Nakhid.

Instead, MAGA hats are an emblem of an underlying belief system.

'People who wear it wear it because they know that it’s a sign of white supremacy. You’re trying to make a point,' Nakhid, who is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, told Stuff.

As a child, Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon was taught a lesson on racism by his father.

She was frank when voicing her opinion on why some New Zealanders liked MAGA hats: 'This is a white supremacy nation'.

'This is stolen land. Unless we actually come out and say that nothing will change,' Nakhid said.

In her view, white people know racism is a problem in New Zealand, they just don't want to do anything about it because they benefit from it.

'The only way [people of colour] can get them to remove their knees from our necks. We have to push their knees off our necks,' she said.

Dr Rawiri Taonui, who was New Zealand's first professor of indigenous studies, agreed Kiwis drawn to the ideology of Make America Great Again likely share the same beliefs about immigration and fear of other cultures as its American sympathisers.

'There’s nothing wrong with the idea of wanting to make your country great. But the Make America Great Again campaign is unfortunately reflecting a highly racist section of American society - one that’s reacting against African Americans, indigenous American and any sort of immigrant of non-European,' he said.

'These things are never neutral. There’s a dark history behind this.'

He said Muller showed 'poor judgement' by displaying the MAGA hat, while the teacher appeared to ascribe to right-wing and fundamentalist Christian views, based on videos he had posted online.

Thomas Beagle, spokesman for the New Zealand Council of Civil Liberties, said while people are entitled to freedom of expression, they should realise their actions have consequences.

'You can say things and then people can actually draw their own conclusions about what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.'

He agreed MAGA hats were a symbol of white supremacy: 'I would definitely look badly at anyone or showing one'.

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said the MAGA hat was 'politically loaded' and associated with racial division and intolerance.

'People have the right to freedom of expression. However, it is equally important for people to be thoughtful about how they express themselves, including how their expression might impact upon others.”