--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I prefer the 1950s where people were…" description: "\"I prefer the 1950s where people were like, \"I'm a white supremacist, and that's who I am.\" Now people want to burn a cross on your lawn and call themse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg" --- # I prefer the 1950s where people were like, "I'm a white… ![“I prefer the 1950s where people were like, "I'm a white supremacist, and that's who I am." Now people want to burn a cross on your lawn and call themselves not racists.” quote by Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg) > “I prefer the 1950s where people were like, "I'm a white supremacist, and that's who I am." Now people want to burn a cross on your lawn and call themselves not racists.” [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A satirical critique of modern identity politics, highlighting perceived contradictions in self‑identification and extremist rhetoric. **In simple terms:** Mocks how people label themselves versus their actions. Key Takeaway Question the authenticity of claimed identities. Themes satire identity politics hypocrisy racism culture war Mood cynical critical provocative Type commentary satire. When to use this quote - political debates - social media discussions - academic analysis of race relations - public policy forums Key Concepts social critique paradox irony Questions to Reflect On - How do labels affect personal responsibility? - Can satire drive meaningful change? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex social dynamics and ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/) [Supremacist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supremacist/) [Who i am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-i-am/) ## Related quotes > [ I know a number of people who - from the comments they make - are going to vote for \[Donald\] Trump when that curtain… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-know-a-number-of-people-who-from-the-comments-they-make-are-going/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I'm certainly not a white supremacist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-stewart/i-m-certainly-not-a-white-supremacist/) [Corey Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-stewart/) > [I think there are no good people at a white supremacist rally, and apparently that's just a real controversial take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/i-think-there-are-no-good-people-at-a-white-supremacist-rally-and/) [Kat Timpf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-timpf/) > [It's hard to imagine that there are people in the country that have types of hateful, inexcusable, racist, white supremacist views.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/it-s-hard-to-imagine-that-there-are-people-in-the-country-that-have/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [With George Bush's policies, I could make an argument for how they affect black people in a negative way. You know what I mean?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/with-george-bush-s-policies-i-could-make-an-argument-for-how-they/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [You can't tame the white supremacist power structure with cheese!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-freeman/you-can-t-tame-the-white-supremacist-power-structure-with-cheese/) [Huey Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-freeman/) > [America has that agenda, a White supremacist agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarface/america-has-that-agenda-a-white-supremacist-agenda/) [Scarface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarface/) > [You cannot sit quiet while the KKK and other white supremacist groups rear their ugly heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-stallworth/you-cannot-sit-quiet-while-the-kkk-and-other-white-supremacist-groups/) [Ron Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-stallworth/) > [Actually, I don't think most people join white supremacist groups because of the ideology or dogma. They gravitate to these groups because they've hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-picciolini/actually-i-don-t-think-most-people-join-white-supremacist-groups/) [Christian Picciolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-picciolini/) > [The U.S. was founded as a white supremacist nation; that's just what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/the-u-s-was-founded-as-a-white-supremacist-nation-that-s-just-what-it/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“America is a white supremacist bully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-aliwat/america-is-a-white-supremacist-bully/) [A.D. Aliwat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-d-aliwat/) > [It's the whole white-supremacist movement, no matter what they call themselves - be it Klan, Nazis, alt-right, skinheads - the basic ideology is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-stallworth/it-s-the-whole-white-supremacist-movement-no-matter-what-they-call/) [Ron Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-stallworth/) > [“I'm not naive…I grew up in a white supremacist compound with a daddy who wanted to murder innocent people and blow up the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-anderson/i-m-not-naive-i-grew-up-in-a-white-supremacist-compound-with-a-daddy/) [Toni Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-anderson/) > [White supremacist? Let's see: if you have a guy who was married for 13 years to an Asian woman and who has two lovely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-murray/white-supremacist-let-s-see-if-you-have-a-guy-who-was-married-for-13/) [Charles Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-murray/) > [“It's very difficult not to come across as a white supremacist when there are so many black inferiorists around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bullard/it-s-very-difficult-not-to-come-across-as-a-white-supremacist-when/) David Bullard ## More by Junot Diaz > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Tell her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/tell-her-that-you-love-her-hair-that-you-love-her-skin-her-lips/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [It took me sixteen years to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-took-me-sixteen-years-to-write/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You ask everybody you know: How long does it usually take to get over it? There are many formulas. One year for every year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-ask-everybody-you-know-how-long-does-it-usually-take-to-get-over/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The one thing about being a dude and writing from a female perspective is that the baseline is, you suck. The baseline is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-one-thing-about-being-a-dude-and-writing-from-a-female/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I used to think those were the barrio rules, Latinos and blacks in, whites out —a place we down cats weren’t supposed to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-used-to-think-those-were-the-barrio-rules-latinos-and-blacks-in/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“I put my hand on her knee. I just wish you'd say you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-put-my-hand-on-her-knee-i-just-wish-you-d-say-you-love-me/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Called her a whore and attacked her walls, tearing down her posters and throwing her books everywhere. I found out because some whitegirl ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/called-her-a-whore-and-attacked-her-walls-tearing-down-her-posters/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [You're Dominican only if you do this, this, and that. And if you do this and that, you'll be accepted to a certain degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/you-re-dominican-only-if-you-do-this-this-and-that-and-if-you-do-this/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Ramfis fled the country after Trujillo's death, lived dissolutely off his father's swag, and ended up dying in a car crash of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/ramfis-fled-the-country-after-trujillo-s-death-lived-dissolutely-off/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-didn-t-grow-up-like-i-did-then-you-don-t-know-and-if-you-don-t/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“If you ask me I don't think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That's enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/if-you-ask-me-i-don-t-think-there-are-any-such-things-as-curses-i/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The only difference between a published and unpublished writer is a tolerance for imperfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/the-only-difference-between-a-published-and-unpublished-writer-is-a/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) [Explore all 486 Junot Diaz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) ## More Crosses quotes > [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/) [Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-the-cross/whoever-does-not-seek-the-cross-of-christ-doesn-t-seek-the-glory-of/) [John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-the-cross/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [...it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-a-huge-creature-luminous-ghastly-and-spectral-i-have-cross/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [“To my fellow Crosses, keep the faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malorie-blackman/to-my-fellow-crosses-keep-the-faith/) [Malorie Blackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malorie-blackman/) > [I told my mom I was going to do a movie about a son who hears a story about his mom and takes her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelman/i-told-my-mom-i-was-going-to-do-a-movie-about-a-son-who-hears-a-story/) [Dan Fogelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelman/) > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [Never forget that the road to Heaven is the Way of the Cross. Jesus has called us to follow Him, bearing the Cross as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-philippine-duchesne/never-forget-that-the-road-to-heaven-is-the-way-of-the-cross-jesus/) [Rose Philippine Duchesne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-philippine-duchesne/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Pay no heed to the passing religious vogue. Go back to the grass roots. Open your hearts and search the Scriptures. Bear your cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/pay-no-heed-to-the-passing-religious-vogue-go-back-to-the-grass-roots/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) Browse all 2,897 Crosses quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I prefer the 1950s where people were like, \"I'm a white supremacist, and that's who I am.\" Now people want to burn a cross on your lawn and call themselves not racists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Junot Diaz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-like-i-m-a-white-supremacist-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crosses" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-like-i-m-a-white-supremacist-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88c/junot-diaz-531_crosses_i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-lik_1360919.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I prefer the 1950s where people were like, \"I'm a white supremacist, and that's who I am.\" Now people want…” — Junot Diaz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Junot Diaz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I prefer the 1950s where people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-like-i-m-a-white-supremacist-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-prefer-the-1950s-where-people-were-like-i-m-a-white-supremacist-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```