What's your feelings on racism/racial issues in America?

[Arkitech]

I've been wanting to do a post on this for awhile now but for whatever reason I never got around to it. Often times on this board I read about a few thoughts here and there on how people feel on racism, sometimes I think some posters are way off based while others seem to have more vaild concerns. So to kick this off lets do this:

Whats your race/ethnic background/family origin/etc?

Have you ever been discriminated against? Explain

What do you think about racism/racial issues in America?



Black

Yes. I've been chased on a few occasions and called negative names I won't repeat here, I've had people spit at me and few other incidents I don 't feel like going into.

I kinda have mixed feelings on the racial climate, on some days I can really see how certain people try really hard to get along with all types of individuals and other days I see the ugly face of racism in black, white and all other ethnic races.

 

[DarkManXY2G]

Asian American

Yes, I have been called many different ethnic slurs and my girlfriend being of a different race has not helped. Also being followed around like I'm a criminal in almost any store I go into hasnt been an enjoyable experience.

I think there is racism, but I think its from both sides these days. In fact I think that most minorities are more racist. I have also noticed that some minorities are also quick to throw out the race card or use race as an excuse as to why things arent going their way regardless of whether it is justified or not.

 

[n0cmonkey]

American.
I have been discriminated against, but I don't want to go into it.

What I dont understand is why people need to push the racial thing. I see so many people saying they are "African American" or "Asian American" or whatever. Why do they need a label? Why can't they be happy with being American?

Pick one, some continent on the other side of the world, or the one you are on.

 

[ConclamoLudus]

I think race relations have a long way to go, but I think that the focus is often in the wrong direction. I think that we have certainly come a long way though.

I am caucasion. I was discriminated against when I got dumped by a Puerto Rican gal, because, in her words, her friends in the Hispanic Student Union at the college I went to, were really bitter about her dating a white guy. I'll acknowledge the fact that she could've been using that as a silly excuse to dump me though. It was long ago and we were never that serious.

 

[Red Dawn]

Asian..Caucasian that is. I've witnessed much more blatant racism on the part of my fellow Caucasians than I have from minorities though I've witnessed it in those groups too.

 

[ScottyB]

Lets see I am the following (in order of largest percent to smallest):

German
Spanish
Irish
French
Native American

I have been discriminated against by adults based on my age: I once needed change for a twenty at a gas station and the woman wouldn't give me change saying they didn't ha ve any on sundays and about thirty minutes later my mom stopped by the shop and I asked her if to see if she could get change and she got the change for the lady.

I have been verbally(racially) assulted by a black women: I was with my mother while she went to a hospital in Detroit and I had to stay in the waiting room. The room was full of blacks and they were making a huge mess. After they left a black cleaning lady walked by and looked in and shook her head and said loudly "cracker."

 

[CPA]

I'm Polish by ancestry, American by birth.

Are Polish jokes racist?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Alot of people will say racism is dead... yeah it's dead in pop culture so you won't see racism on TV, except when it's being condemned. Racism is very much alive in Cypress, TX. In my geometry class in HS (regular, not honors) there were 3 or 4 rednecks who were always talking about 4 wheelers or black people.

My brother, a civil engineer, works with contractors who say they have to own guns to protect them from "them n!ggers".


I'm Trinidadian, Indian ancestry with some European and alot of other races thrown in in small amounts. I have yet to experience any racism towards me.

 

[rh71]

<--- Asian American

Racism is still there, though less outrightly displayed/spoken these days... but I do have hope for newer generations.

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Alot of people will say racism is dead... yeah it's dead in pop culture so you won't see racism on TV, except when it's being condemned. Racism is very much alive in Cypress, TX. In my geometry class in HS (regular, not honors) there were 3 or 4 rednecks who were always talking about 4 wheelers or black people.

My brother, a civil engineer, works with contractors who say they have to own guns to protect them from "them n!ggers".


I'm Trinidadian, Indian ancestry with some European and alot of other races thrown in in small amounts. I have yet to experience any racism towards me.

I see it on tv all the time. People like Chris Rock are continuosly calling white people "crackers" and talking about how bad the "white man" is to them.

 

[Fencer128]

Originally posted by: CPA
I'm Polish by ancestry, American by birth.

Are Polish jokes racist?

Don't even go there! What defines "race" is a hot issue. IMHO Polish/Irish/French etc jokes may/may not be strictly racist - but the bad feelings caused by them can lead to the same results that racist jokes produce. If you're struggling to use the word "racist" you can always try "xenophobic" or (better) "jingoistic".

Andy

 

[n0cmonkey]

Race and nationality are entirely different.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Alot of people will say racism is dead... yeah it's dead in pop culture so you won't see racism on TV, except when it's being condemned. Racism is very much alive in Cypress, TX. In my geometry class in HS (regular, not honors) there were 3 or 4 rednecks who were always talking about 4 wheelers or black people.

My brother, a civil engineer, works with contractors who say they have to own guns to protect them from "them n!ggers".


I'm Trinidadian, Indian ancestry with some European and alot of other races thrown in in small amounts. I have yet to experience any racism towards me.

I see it on tv all the time. People like Chris Rock are continuosly calling white people "crackers" and talking about how bad the "white man" is to them.

He's joking. I make fun of my black friend, using stereotypes like Kool Aid and fried chicken, my friends make fun of me for being from Trinidad, etc etc. That's not racism. Do you think Chris Rock hates white people?

 

[Fausto]

White.

Interestingly, the one act of obvious racism I was subjected to came at the hands of my former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. and some of her supporters while attending one of her "town hall" meetings. I was shouted down whenever I tried to ask a question, and when it came time to move into smaller "breakout groups" for discussion I was herded into a room with every other white person at the meeting (about a dozen of us out of maybe 250 total attendees). Nice, huh? :disgust:

Too much to type out all at once, but I will make one point. Racism is easy from a distance, but get up close, work and live with those different from yourself and you'll likely see all your misconceptions and biases crumble. Atlanta may have plenty of obvious racial tension, but we're also one of the most integrated communities in the US thanks to this "breakdown of stereotypes by proximity"......a good thing, IMO.

 

[Fencer128]

Just for completion (I guess someone would post this if I didn't)

Definition of race

From point 4 of the above, you could maybe perceive race to apply to people of the same country of abode.

Andy

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Alot of people will say racism is dead... yeah it's dead in pop culture so you won't see racism on TV, except when it's being condemned. Racism is very much alive in Cypress, TX. In my geometry class in HS (regular, not honors) there were 3 or 4 rednecks who were always talking about 4 wheelers or black people.

My brother, a civil engineer, works with contractors who say they have to own guns to protect them from "them n!ggers".


I'm Trinidadian, Indian ancestry with some European and alot of other races thrown in in small amounts. I have yet to experience any racism towards me.

I see it on tv all the time. People like Chris Rock are continuosly calling white people "crackers" and talking about how bad the "white man" is to them.

He's joking. I make fun of my black friend, using stereotypes like Kool Aid and fried chicken, my friends make fun of me for being from Trinidad, etc etc. That's not racism. Do you think Chris Rock hates white people?

They are racist words, it doesn't matter if he hates white people or not. Do you think if a white person that likes blacks walked through a black neighborhood saying, "How do you do, n!gger?" to ever black person he say they would say, "Oh, he doesn't hate blacks so he isn't being racist."

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

After seeing The Two Towns of Jasper, I'm becoming convinced that America has deeply ingrained societal attitudes which sunder along racial lines.

 

[3L33T32003]

I belong to the human race. And so do all of you.

That said, I practice racism every day. I do what I can to help my race.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ScottyB

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Alot of people will say racism is dead... yeah it's dead in pop culture so you won't see racism on TV, except when it's being condemned. Racism is very much alive in Cypress, TX. In my geometry class in HS (regular, not honors) there were 3 or 4 rednecks who were always talking about 4 wheelers or black people.

My brother, a civil engineer, works with contractors who say they have to own guns to protect them from "them n!ggers".


I'm Trinidadian, Indian ancestry with some European and alot of other races thrown in in small amounts. I have yet to experience any racism towards me.

I see it on tv all the time. People like Chris Rock are continuosly calling white people "crackers" and talking about how bad the "white man" is to them.

He's joking. I make fun of my black friend, using stereotypes like Kool Aid and fried chicken, my friends make fun of me for being from Trinidad, etc etc. That's not racism. Do you think Chris Rock hates white people?

They are racist words, it doesn't matter if he hates white people or not. Do you think if a white person that likes blacks walked through a black neighborhood saying, "How do you do, n!gger?" to ever black person he say they would say, "Oh, he doesn't hate blacks so he isn't being racist."

Technically, you're correct. The problem is that you're taking Rock's humor and words out of context. There's a difference between his act and a blatantly malicious statement regarding white people. I have several good friends who are black and it's perfectly acceptable for me to tease them about being wimpy with regard to cold weather and them to rag on me for being the world's worst basketball player (I really am...it's pathetic). Taken out of context, this is racism. In context, it's just good friends giving each other a little grief.

 

[Arkitech]

Wow some really positive comments in this thread, maybe there's hope for the human race after all.

 

[hdeck]

race is a myth.

 

[xeno2060]

Unfortunately, this terrible part of humanity will exist forever. Unless humans evolve in to a superior lifeform. :frown:

 

[Spamela]

1. Caucasian ("Euro-Teutonic" as i like to say)

2. not in any significant way.

3. some random thoughts (hope these don't lead to a flame war 'cause i'm not going to debate my opinions):

IMHO:
it exists and is openly virulent (to the point of hatred) in some people/places.
i was raised in the 60's & things are light years better now than they were then.
i work in an extremely diverse environment, many minority families live on my block & near my home & i get along with pretty much everybody.
i don't feel that i've suffered at all due to affirmative action, etc., & believe that most white men who complain are trying to rationalize their shortcomings.
if you're Caucasian, then you're not likely to be able to imagine what being non-Caucasian is like.
i anticipate things continuing to improve over the next 20 years.
i feel that the key to continued progress is for people to associate with others - at school, work, church, neighborhood, & other social events.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: hdeck
race is a myth.

You're just saying that because you know white people suck.

 

[dejitaru]

I'm racist. I hate those damn races, every one of them.

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