Racism

[wondersueak]

I can't even read the quote because the print is so small.

 

 

daydreamer09: that would've made me so mad! It's especially wrong when people try to make other people look racist when there is no proof or evidence or reason.

[Syaoransbear]

I live in canada, so racism isn't as bad here as it is in some other places. We seem to be pretty accepting of other races, except natives. There's a great deal of hostility towards natives here.

 

On this hair forum I went to, the majority of people were white. On a thread about what kind of hair do the people wish they had, most people were saying they wanted straight hair of various colors. Many of the black people on that forum called them racist for saying they prefer straight hair. When people argued that they weren't being racist, the black people said that they WERE racist but they just couldn't see that they were being racist because they weren't black and they wouldn't understand. I really hate stuff like that.

[Kamak]

I hate the societal ideas that only certain people are racist, and the rest are "victims".

 

I'll freely admit that I'm white, lower middle-class and male, which apparently is the perfect formula for being a racist...

 

However, I believe in judging someone by who they are, not by their skin color or the stereotypes that have come with it. I've met plenty of white people that can outrun black athletes, I've seen Hispanics that are better at math than Asians, and most "shockingly" of all, I've seen Jews who aren't good with money. The color of your skin doesn't mean jack squat.

 

However, in that same line, when people ARE being stereotypical, we can't shrink from the fact that they are following stereotypes for fear of being racist. If a black person commits a crime, it's not being racist to throw them in jail (permitted the crime was serious enough to do so). No group is above following stereotypes, there will always be some people who will follow them, and will make the rest look bad, or will follow them just so they can try getting off by saying "you're racist".

 

And here's some food for thought:

 

I got people upset at me before for saying that scholarships given out, or admissions to universities, that were based on systems which gave certain races privileges was itself racist. However, I don't understand how people can stand by and sway that a system that says that a B or C student of one race deserves more money/a better chance at education than an A student because "the A-student probably had an easier life."

 

Admissions should be based on grades. If you say that a student needs a 1300 on their SAT to be admitted, then hold EVERY potential student to that standard. Don't say "well, this person is African American... they generally have lower SAT scores (TTLY not a racist statement, BTW), so let's just lower the requirement to... 1100..."

 

If you're afraid that certain races will be left out, then you must be willing to lower the bar FOR EVERYONE.

 

And scholarships should be need-based AND academic-based. End of story. One of my friends in High School was richer than me. He went out and bought a $250 pair of shoes each month, and would basically toss them out (usually meaning he'd give them away to a friend), wore top label clothes, bought the latest and greatest of everything... etc.

 

He's a B-student and Hispanic... he was ranked 100th in our class of 250...

 

He got over $70,000 in scholarships, through Hispanic programs...

 

Not only did I only get $1,000 despite being an NHS all-honors AP student, but there were plenty of Hispanic students at my school who needed the scholarship money a hell of a lot more than him, and that were ranked higher than him. It seemed like it was given to him "because he's hispanic", not because he worked for it or he needed it. And to me, that seems racist.

 

I'd say more, but my mind's giving out on me... I hope this post was to the point...

 

-K-

Edited July 21, 2010 by Kamak

[Kaynight]

I find it racist that there's a Miss America (where both white and black women can enter) and a Miss Black America (obviously only black women can enter) but they don't have a Miss White America? Isn't that being racist against the whites?

Edited July 21, 2010 by Kaynight

[deanna_nightshade]

I find it racist that there's a Miss America (where both white and black women can enter) and a Miss Black America (obviously only black women can enter) but they don't have a Miss White America? Isn't that being racist against the whites?

*sighs* No, it's not really that racist against whites, because white women have never had any trouble being accepted as beautiful and winning beauty pageants. There's no reason for a Miss White America pageant because white is seen as the default in American culture. The Miss Black America competition started in 1968, but it wasn't until 1984 that a black woman was crowned Miss America.

 

It's unrealistic and unfair to equate something like Miss Black America with a "Miss White America." It's like asking why there are no straight pride parades. White people are the majority, and a "Miss White America" pageant would be pointless. And considering minorities have traditionally been alienated and haven't been able to have a voice in society, there's legitimate value to having spaces that are just for them.

 

Now that women who are racial minorities seem to have a better chance at winning Miss America, maybe Miss Black America is obsolete. But maybe not.

[kiffren]

Bumping to first page.

[TikindiDragon]

But the thing is, I'm not affected by that in a serious, major way. My chances of facing serious consequences because someone doesn't like white people are pretty small. Prejudice against white people isn't ingrained into politics and society.

 

Also, some people are of the opinion that racism is prejudice combined with power. Therefore, racial majorities can't be victims of racism. I'm not sure if I agree with that, because I think it's valid to use "racism" to describe any prejudice against a particular race.

 

I've always understood 'racism' to mean a predjudice against someone because of their race. Which means it is perfectly possible for someone from a minority group to be racist against white people - if their only reason for disliking them is the colour of their skin then that *is* racist, regardless of which way around the colours are. It doesn't matter wether you are grossly effected by it, or just hvae to suffer a single person treating you badly because they don't like the fact that you are white. Racism is racism, and it's always wrong. And until people understand that, and try to remove *any* kind of predjudice from all sections of society America will still have a problem.

 

I disagree. Ideally, you're right. But practically, the effect does matter. You can't compare the minimal racism white people face to the centuries of slavery, civil rights violations, hate crimes, and prejudice that African Americans have faced in the U.S.

 

Why you dislike someone of a different colour doesn't make it any more 'right'. It's still predjudice, and it's still racism. If you say it's allowable, or somehow less, for black people to hate white people because of their history then you are doing nothing to adress the root cause of the divisions in American society. *Yes* black people suffered a good deal under the white people in the US. But the major suffering is all historical. You can't get up in arms about something someone elses great-great grandfather did to your great-great grandfather. Think about what that would mean in Europe - should everyone over here hate the Germans because of the two World Wars? No. It would cause massive friction, massive problems. Yet it almost seems to me as if the black people in the US are *still* carrying a torch of hatred for things that happened a century ago. No one is moving on.

 

I'm not denying that black people do still face problems and issues in American society. Of course they do. But people have got to learn to let go of history before that will change. If people are still only using history to learn hatred then the racial divisions in the US are going to be around and problematic for years and years to come. A message needs to be sent that *any* judgement made based simply on the colour of a persons skin is wrong. It doesn't matter if the person doing the judging is black or white, if the person they are discriminating against is black or white. If an issue is being decided on something a person was born with then that is just plain wrong. No amount of history can change that fact.

[wondersueak]

(Thanks for the bump Kiffren!)

 

At my school there is a little racism towards whites. Yes, I said it, whites[i/]. Anyone of colored skin at my school (most of them) automatically they think they are cooler than everyone who has white skin.

 

I am a very pale redhead so this means that I am one of the least popular kid in school and the one that almost all colored people in the school dislike because i'm severely different.

 

Exceptions: If you are white and act 100% Black or Samoan

If you are Asian.

[milk egg]

I hate racism...

[alaster]

there is racism every where you go cant really hide from it

people try and target me in thier racist joke but they cant really tell what i am sorta a mix between an afican amrican and hispanic but im not from any of those races expect one so the people who are trying to make fun of me just look plain stupid

[Infinis]

Racism is stupid. >.> Thankfully there's next to zero racism where I live, since we're all pretty much Hispanic here (though I'm so pale I could pass for being white, despite being Hispanic ). Though the way people here make racist 'jokes' gets to me because they aren't funny. >.>

[ShinyTomato]

I think the idea that there is no racism in certain areas is a bit naive, or simply means you haven't experienced it. I live in a very diverse town, and I still get called "Gypsy Rose" by the police I work with, and nasty comments on the BART train.

[deanna_nightshade]

Why you dislike someone of a different colour doesn't make it any more 'right'. It's still predjudice, and it's still racism. If you say it's allowable, or somehow less, for black people to hate white people because of their history then you are doing nothing to adress the root cause of the divisions in American society.

That's not what I'm saying though. You seem to be talking about the morality of prejudice, and yeah, in that case you're right. Hating someone because they're white is wrong, and hating someone because they're black is wrong.

 

But prejudice and discrimination at a social level are more complicated than that. Some groups are affected more than others, and majority groups have privilege that minorities don't. I don't have to worry much about being turned down for a job because the name I put on my application is "too white," and if that were to happen to me? It would probably be a one-off thing.

 

If someone calls me a racist word, that doesn't affect me on too personal of a level. On the other hand, if someone calls me a transphobic or homophobic word, that would hurt a lot, and be much more likely to make me concerned for my safety. But I know people for whom it may be the opposite.

 

I agree that we should be emphasizing that any prejudice is wrong, but not at the expense of ignoring the issue or making it about you when it isn't.

[Zovesta]

<.<

 

It's bad. At the same time, it's positively stupid how some people act, what with their "my ancestors were persecuted so I will rant and rave about such" as well as "reverse racism."

This. I mean, have you guys heard about that "get whitey" or whatever they called it? A bunch of black people attacked these white people at the fair. It was a hell of a lot of them.

 

I hate it when people say that everyone is the same, though. Uhm, no, we're not. I mean, besides the obvious bit... people were raised with different cultures and values. >_> Should people of different race be raised the same, then, yes, they would turn out with the same values and the like... but they're not gonna have all of the same ideas if they were raised differently.

[OmegaLily]

I've experienced a lot of racism over the years. The first time was when I was five and painted myself brown all over because I wanted to look like my friends. A lot of parents got offended until they realized I wasn't trying to be offensive.

 

As a white Vodouisant I get accused of attempting to "co-opt African culture and religion. "

 

As a white Haitian-American I get accused of the fact that I "Can't be Haitian" because "Haitians are Black."

 

Stereotypes are bad.

[WestWindReborn]

i have to say i get tired of the guests at the resort i work at saying things like "oh, thank goodness you speak English." that was the most mild, usually it something like that . or here's a good one

 

guest:Are you sure you in housekeeping?"

 

me: uh...what?

 

guest: /grinning a little/ you know, 'cuase you're not Hispanic. (closest i could remember to what he said)

 

me: oh...ha ha ha...

 

at this point i basically played it of like what he said was amusing. I started babbling about the different people we had working here(trying to be friendly and not snap at him) and trying not to show how uncomfortable he'd made me with his comment. thank god he was on his way out and i didn't have to be around him an longer than i was. i hope i never have to see that man again.

[Crisis]

Personally, I despise rascism.

 

/rant

One thing I also dislike is the wrong use of the term "African-American". Just because you're black doesn't mean you're African-American. You're African-American if you were born in Africa, and moved here. If not, you're American, and that's that. I see all these black kids calling themselves African-American, running around in gangs, getting aressted, doing drugs, etc., who've never even been to Africa. My dad worked with a man from Africa. He was one of the lost boys of Sudan who walked across the desert. His parents were killed by a military goverment, his brother was a freedom fighter, and he doesn't even want to think about what happened to his two little sisters. He spoke seven different languages, coul write in five, and had a dergree in biophysics, and was in school for another, and was just a super nice guy. When I see a punk call himself African-American, it makes me sick how he disgraces that man. /end rant.

[kinkou]

Even tho we have made so many advancements, this is one thing that seems to not want to leave. Here's my favorite videos that deals on racism. it's in 5 steps and 5 different videos. It places things in an interesting vision and how best to fight it. One person/couple at a time.

 

There she is step 1

 

There she is step 2

 

There she is step 3

 

There she is step 4

 

There she is step 5: final step

 

 

[DragonKing1337]

Personally, I despise rascism.

 

/rant

One thing I also dislike is the wrong use of the term "African-American". Just because you're black doesn't mean you're African-American. You're African-American if you were born in Africa, and moved here. If not, you're American, and that's that. I see all these black kids calling themselves African-American, running around in gangs, getting aressted, doing drugs, etc., who've never even been to Africa. My dad worked with a man from Africa. He was one of the lost boys of Sudan who walked across the desert. His parents were killed by a military goverment, his brother was a freedom fighter, and he doesn't even want to think about what happened to his two little sisters. He spoke seven different languages, coul write in five, and had a dergree in biophysics, and was in school for another, and was just a super nice guy. When I see a punk call himself African-American, it makes me sick how he disgraces that man. /end rant.

If you think about it calling a black person black is close to an insult I myself am black though I dislike both terms since I am neither (my skin is not black it's brown maybe my ancestors were but not me but I am mixed). Calling a black person black is equivalent to calling a japanese person chinese in my mind.Personally I disaprove of saying that "black guy" or that "white guy" or anything similar why can't they just be a person why can't you just ask for their name I understand that it's easier to point them out by their appearance but seriously sometimes it's just unneccesary.

[Crisis]

If you think about it calling a black person black is close to an insult I myself am black though I dislike both terms since I am neither (my skin is not black it's brown maybe my ancestors were but not me but I am mixed). Calling a black person black is equivalent to calling a japanese person chinese in my mind.Personally I disaprove of saying that "black guy" or that "white guy" or anything similar why can't they just be a person why can't you just ask for their name I understand that it's easier to point them out by their appearance but seriously sometimes it's just unneccesary.

usually only say that black guy, or, that Asian, if I'm trying to point out one person in a crowd, and I'll use reference points, but other than that, I'll just say that guy, or that girl and avoid race altogether. We are all just people after all.

[WestWindReborn]

usually only say that black guy, or, that Asian, if I'm trying to point out one person in a crowd, and I'll use reference points, but other than that, I'll just say that guy, or that girl and avoid race altogether. We are all just people after all.

same here.

[deanna_nightshade]

I think when people describe others, they tend to pick out characteristics that are "different" to them. Whether that's racist or not depends on how you look at it, I guess. I try to be careful about treating white as the default, and I usually don't mention a person's race unless it's relevant. But when I have to describe someone's appearance, it is more automatic for me to mention race if the person isn't white.

[dragon_mando]

I shall say here what I said on the sexism thread.

 

Any sort of prejudice against any group of people is idiotic beyond belief. You shouldn't judge anyone in any way until you've met them as an individual, and then you can't judge someone else by how you judged that previous person, no matter how similar they are.

Gender, age, race, etc etc, this is what I believe.

QFT

 

I've never really understood "racism" There are stereotypes that may or may not be true depending on the individual, and I may not like some behaviours that appear typical to a group, but I don't believe I'm racist.

 

For example. I'm very, very white. I hate it because being so pale I burn if I don't put on sunblock and I look like a ghost during the winter. Is this racist? No, it's a preference.

 

Example two: I don't really like the fact that many African-American people I know act like jerks because they can pull the racist card if anyone asks them to behave like everyone else. I'm not going to do anything to them or think less of them for it, but do I have to roll over and let them treat me like trash because someone treated their great great granddad badly? I expect everyone to be treated equally and do the same back.

 

So yeah, I've said my piece.

[Completely Different]

If you think about it calling a black person black is close to an insult I myself am black though I dislike both terms since I am neither (my skin is not black it's brown maybe my ancestors were but not me but I am mixed). Calling a black person black is equivalent to calling a japanese person chinese in my mind.Personally I disaprove of saying that "black guy" or that "white guy" or anything similar why can't they just be a person why can't you just ask for their name I understand that it's easier to point them out by their appearance but seriously sometimes it's just unneccesary.

I can understand where you're coming from, but this still presents me with a problem.

 

I don't live in America, and almost no-one I encounter on a regular basis is American. While I always prefer to call people by name, sometimes I have no choice but to describe their race, since I often get asked about the many ethnicity I work and study with. But then- what am I meant to call them? They're not American, so Africian American wouldn't be true. I sometimes feel that I don't know any other way to describe them than 'black'. I don't mean for it to be insulting or derogatory, I'm just afraid it will be interpreted that way.

 

 

[MedievalMystic]

I destest racism. That being said, I also detest, and am beyond weary, of blacks using the race card every chance they get. Give it a rest already.. >.<