Austin Racism??? (Houston, Dallas, Galveston: appointed, fit in, cliquey)

[CptnRn]

As I was growing up my family moved around a lot, my father was a journeyman electrician who had jobs all over the state. If he was going to be at one for an extended period of time we would move to that area for awhile. Always coming back to our "home town" otherwise. All this moving exposed me to a variety of cultural prejudices, each area seemed to have its own. By the time I was in high school it was obvious to me that human beings have an unfortunate need to try and convince themselves that they are superior in some way. Typically this manifest it self in prejudices against whatever groups were in the minority. As the new family in town we were almost always in at least that minority and always had to prove ourselves whenever we moved to a new location.

My home town was mostly mormon, so us Lutheran's and members of other religious groups were looked down on. Many of them would to go to another town to find a Mormon electrician before giving my dad work. All the whites of course looked down on the migrant mexican farm laborers that they relied on to tend their crops in the summer. In another town near the indian reservation most of the whites looked down on the indians, especially the ranch kids. The townies looked down on the farm and ranch kids. In another town which was mostly Catholic, they looked down on everyone who wasn't.

This seems to be a basic human weakness, the need consider one's self and peer group as better then "those other people". It is probably a trait leftover from "tribal" days when each village pretty much had to defend itself from outsiders, "outcasts". Hopefully it is a trait that we are in the process of overcoming as globalization makes us realize that we really all belong to the same village.

[Schnaiy]

Food for thought Captain!
Thanks for sharing, I really enjoy learning about other people's perspectives. We are shaped by our life's experiences and even if one has never travelled outside of his/her own country, forums like this allow for travel and expansion of the mind. I'm really enjoying this forum and learning a lot from the many people who take the time to post their thoughts/perspectives on everyday issues/concerns.

[CptnRn]

Another thread prompted this question, but perhaps its better posted here.

Gays who try to do business only with other gays, and african americans who try to do business only with other african americans.

Is this a new kind of prejudice? Not at all unlike whites who only do business with whites?

[SL1966]

It's not uncommon as I've seen all kinds of ethnic groups who prefer doing business with those of their own ethnicity. New arrivals to the US more commonly do this to avoid language difficulties. The offspring raised here tend to spend their money with anyone they choose to.

I don't think it's entirely prejudiced. I mean to say that we all get to pick and chose who we spend our money with. Everyone picks comfort if they can afford it, but always do go by price with anyone if money is tight.

[Schnaiy]

It's the "ONLY do..." with a certain group of people/business that I have an issue with.
I think it is great to show your support for businesses by patronizing them, but to the point of excluding all other businesses, that seems short-sighted and very limiting.

I love that in this society you are spoilt for choice. It is everyone's choice where they shop for instance, but one of the reasons there is so much choice is because people vary what and why they like something or where they want to shop and businesses want to capture a large audience to be profitable. It is about meeting consumer demand. If your store (and products) is reaching a small portion of the population, then you are likely to be driven out of business because you won't be able to compete with businesses that have a larger target audience and turnover. It also leads to a divided, separatist society, quite destructive.

[SL1966]

Originally Posted by Schnaiy

It's the "ONLY do..." with a certain group of people/business that I have an issue with.

Well yeah, that is flat out racism. I've seen it in happen, but in all due fairness .. It was more of the exception than the rule.

[matador3]

Originally Posted by BentBow

Thank you!


I didn't think I made it too hard.

There was plenty of land to go around back then, tejanos and indians lived without conflict because they shared. It was the German immigrants who wanted everything for themselves and this was the root of the problem.
Why is it that anglos feel they have the right to anything? Why do they hate so much? I guess most of those german immigrants brought their hate genes and carried out the tradition that would later be carried to extreme proportions by their compatriot Hitler.

[SL1966]

Originally Posted by matador3

Why is it that anglos feel they have the right to anything? Why do they hate so much? I guess most of those german immigrants brought their hate genes and carried out the tradition that would later be carried to extreme proportions by their compatriot Hitler.

What you're saying is racist itself. Are you seriously ignoring what the Spaniards did to the indigenous people when they arrived? Dig even deeper and you'll see what the indigenous people of the America's did to each other as well. Killing people for real estate is not the sole property of the Germans. This has been going on since before there was a thing called race.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by matador3

There was plenty of land to go around back then, tejanos and indians lived without conflict because they shared. It was the German immigrants who wanted everything for themselves and this was the root of the problem.
Why is it that anglos feel they have the right to anything? Why do they hate so much? I guess most of those german immigrants brought their hate genes and carried out the tradition that would later be carried to extreme proportions by their compatriot Hitler.

This is a very racist comment. There are plenty of property owner throughout this world, in every society with people of every nationality. You are romanticizing one group of people and demonizing another. Native americans often warred with one another Human history is much more complex than how you view it.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by matador3

There was plenty of land to go around back then, tejanos and indians lived without conflict because they shared. It was the German immigrants who wanted everything for themselves and this was the root of the problem.
Why is it that anglos feel they have the right to anything? Why do they hate so much? I guess most of those german immigrants brought their hate genes and carried out the tradition that would later be carried to extreme proportions by their compatriot Hitler.

Your statements display an amazing lack of knowledge about the actual historical facts.

Among the Native Americans that lived in Texas before European colonization were the: Alabama, Apache, Aranama, Atakapa, Caddo, Comanche, Coahuiltecan, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coushatta, Hasinai, Jumano, Karankawa, Kickapoo, Kiowa and Wichita.

The French had a colony in Texas long before Spain ever did. The Spanish established mission forts in Texas before they had any colonies soley for the purpose of discouraging further French expansion from Louisiana. And then abandoned them for two decades because of indian hostilities.

Some of the worst atrocities against indigenous races in the history of mankind were committed by the Spanish, a race that most Mexicans descend at least partially from. Remember the Conquistadors? Spain stole Mexico and the Tejas territories from the natives. Spanish settlers later rebelled and took Mexico from Spain. Tejano settlers later rebelled and took Texas from Mexico.

The Tejanos and indians were constantly in conflict. Spain had neither the manpower or resources to protect its small settlements in Texas from indian hostilities so they opened immigration to others.

Texas grew rapidly, from a population of approximately 3,500 (primarily of Mexican descent) in 1825[37] to approximately 37,800 (only 7,800 of Mexican descent) in 1834.

Tejanos included immigrants from Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, many other Europeans and Americans of all nationalities. Even those of Mexican descent included many with European ancestry.

As others have pointed out, your hate speech towards anglos and Germans is the most racist thing anyone has said in this thread.