racism

[stonemonkey]

is it a big issue? have we progressed? does it still simmer below the surface? will we ever be rid of it? why is that every time i see a black dude in the street holding hands with a white girl i think of a certain shakespearean tragedy? i know that's terrible and so wrong, but i'm afraid that's my first instinct. i hate myself for the fact that that is the first thing i think of before i correct my thinking a split second later.

[stonemonkey]

if that post was out of line, i'm sorry and i'll delete it if the moderators don't get to it first.

[paiger81]

I think racism is still in this world. When I was age 9-11, I lived in an extremely racist part of the country and was told all sorts of stuff since my parents "mixed races"-half white, half mexican. Though technically, mexicans are still considered caucasian, but that was lost on these people.

I don't know if all racism is intentional, more of conditioning, we are used to "the big angry black dude" or "the wetback illegal mexican" because those are the stereotypes. Not all black people are angry, and not all mexicans are illegal.

Hope that made sense. Hope these posts aren't offensive....

[gluegun]

I definitely believe that racism is still prevalent. I was in a mixed race relationship during graduate school and I was positively shocked by the way that people reacted to us. In fact, I think that our different cultural backgrounds is ultimately what tore us apart.

[gluegun]

Hope these posts aren't offensive....

I hope that these posts aren't offesive as well. I think that racism (along with all other atrocities) NEED to be discussed. The fact that racism often brews below the surface and isn't said out loud is what makes it so lethal.

[bigboom]

being asian i do have to say racism is still quite prevalent. in our age group its not as bad but in the older age group you can still see it in their tendencies. even in the workplace its very visible as well. it sucks but what can you do?

[paiger81]

Originally posted by bigboom
it sucks but what can you do?

I absolutely hate that way of thinking. I don;t like thinking that I should just let racist statements just go on by.

[gluegun]

I don;t like thinking that I should just let racist statements just go on by.

The problem is that racism isn't that out in the open. Often times racism doesn't manifest itself through "Statements". It is more of an unspoken snap judgement.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by paiger81


I absolutely hate that way of thinking. I don;t like thinking that I should just let racist statements just go on by.

what are you going to do though? raise a stink everytime you run into it? thats more of a hassle then its worth. and it does happen more than people exepct.

yeah like gluegun said its not always in a statement, actions of people say just as much.

[wordsmith]

Right...the racism (and other discrimination as well) that I encounter most often ISN'T of the blatant, verbal slur, refusing service, etc. type. It's more an underlying thing that guides attitudes, spurs people to make assumptions about the way a certain group of people "is," react subtly in certain ways to groups of people...it's more subtle and pervasive, harder to pinpoint and point out and say, "Hey, that's racist." It's embedded into our culture, in a way.

P.S. Paiger, I live in a town with a high percentage of Hispanic families, and it stuns and amazes me that these families are considered "not white." A lot stuns and amazes me about how our society deals with its many ethnicities.

[paiger81]

Well, it is very confusing. Certain "hispanics" are white, and then some "hispanics" are non-white. The term Hispanic is so broad that it is hard to differentiate.

[Crimson King II]

Racism exists.

But I also find that those who scream the loudest against racism will also not hesitate to use the siren song of "racism" to their advantage, which I believe takes advantage of the real discrimination and victims of discrimination, which seems inherently racist as well. In other words, there is racism, there is also a difference between racism and opportunistic assertions of racism, and until the differences the races have with each other are discussed honestly and free of secondary agendas, then there will always be racism.

[and1grad]

Originally posted by Crimson King II
Racism exists.

But I also find that those who scream the loudest against racism will also not hesitate to use the siren song of "racism" to their advantage, which I believe takes advantage of the real discrimination and victims of discrimination, which seems inherently racist as well. In other words, there is racism, there is also a difference between racism and opportunistic assertions of racism, and until the differences the races have with each other are discussed honestly and free of secondary agendas, then there will always be racism.

I agree with this 1000%

[stonemonkey]

the reason i ask the question is because i'm wondering whether our generation is going to be any better than the previous one.

and i think that while it's not as blatant now, certain attitudes and stereotypes still exist below the surface.

what can we do about it? i have no idea.

[wordsmith]

As long as there are people in the world who have no desire to learn about and respect things that are different from them and what they know, and as long as respect takes second seat to fear and judgment, there will always be racism, there will always be all the "isms."

[stonemonkey]

how much of it is intrinsic human nature to fear something that is not like us? is it learned or innate?

[wordsmith]

I think it's learned more learned than innate, though I'm far from an expert or sociologist.

Look at human development. When babies are tiny, they fear the unfamiliar. Take them away from their mothers and present them with a new stimulus, and they will cry more often than not. But when they become toddlers, they don't fear new, different things in the same way, they're naturally incredibly curious about them. It seems like it stays that way, until outside influences tell them that certain things, people, etc. are threatening or to be feared. I don't think they'd automatically fear things that are different just for the sake of them being different. I think it's more conditioned by societal forces than it is an innate thing.

[Crimson King II]

Stonemonkey's statement illustrates why racism will pervasively exist for a long, long time (no offense Stonemonkey...I don't think you're racist by a long shot)...why are we to assume that someone of another race IS "not like us." I think when the underlying assumption that races ARE different is gone, and we truly and genuinely buy into and inherently believe the concept that they are not, only THEN will there be no racism. Just an observation...

[wordsmith]

But, CK, races and cultures ARE different. That's not a bad thing.

[stonemonkey]

OK, major clarification, i was referring to how much of racism is due to the fear that ppl have of others who have DIFFERENT APPEARANCES.

when it comes down to it, humans have much much more in common in each other than they have differences. from a genetics perspective, it's debatable whether the concept of 'race' even exists.

so while 2 ppl may have the same attitudes and beliefs, they may not ever know it if they can't get past the different appearances first.

[gia]

I guess I'm more of an individualist. I think everyone is different. Within the same culture and/or race. It really upsets me when people assume things about me because of my color. I hear the media say things about how the "black community" feels a certain way and I don't feel that way. They didn't poll me. Anyway, I guess I'm saying that everyone has their own opinion and values and I don't want anyone boxing me into a particular group.

[wordsmith]

Originally posted by stonemonkey
OK, major clarification, i was referring to how much of racism is due to the fear that ppl have of others who have DIFFERENT APPEARANCES.

when it comes down to it, humans have much much more in common in each other than they have differences. from a genetics perspective, it's debatable whether the concept of 'race' even exists.

so while 2 ppl may have the same attitudes and beliefs, they may not ever know it if they can't get past the different appearances first.

Okay, I gotcha. I agree, now that you've explained it.

[stonemonkey]

phew! this is such a minefield, discussing this on a messageboard

[stonemonkey]

old_school, that's an interesting article. here's another (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00055DC8-3BAA-1FA8-BBAA83414B7F0000)