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As an American-born resident, I too wonder about the obsession with race and ethnicity. It's like Americans can't rise above it, and must dwell on it every day of life. It also smacks of closet racism.
Because people do associate with their mother country. Go to a bar this summer during the World Cup or now during the Olympics most folks aren't USA fans. When Mexiciplays games in the US it's a home game..
Most countries are worse, look at Serbia, Turkey, Spain, Ireland, and the UK they nearly tore each other apart over pretty minor ethnic difference. The USSR did blow apart over Ethnic differences. As did Gran Columbia in South America
I think the biggest difference is that the USA is one of the most diverse nation in the world. When you have a country of 130 million people who arent the same race as the majority, I think it becomes a bigger issue. Especially when the 130 million 'minorities' in the country are institutionally victimized and not represented high enough. The USA is just embracing the cultures it has, and watching the majority group start to lose its dominance. Sweden or the UK or Latvia were not built on the agglomeration of many different cultures coming together to form a melting pot of races/ethnicities/religions. The US was and still is. People here talk about race alot either to a) show the growing influence of minorities in our media and politics , b) to show how fast a place is changing and diversifying. And like the poster said above, other countries tear eachother part over racial/ethnic differences, which does not happen in the USA. You might say "IN Sweden We do not..." .. well Sweden has 10 million people and does not have centuries of mass immigration shaping its land. The US has 325 million people... and would not be what it is without immigration. Its a much larger scale. People are more proud to be a certain ethnicity or race here in America, its just a different place.
I've been to other countries, including ones with a high mix of diverse peoples/cultures. However, I saw none of the bias, obsession, and attention on race/culture like here. I even talked to various people about it, and they couldn't understand the dysfunction in America. They/I weren't sure where it comes from, and why it continues to get promoted, but it might be partly due to media and culture here. I.e. forces within the country that somehow think they or we all benefit from such childishness and narrow-mindedness. Fear and control also seem to be roots in this problem area.
My grandparents on both sides have many times proudly talked about early and mid-twentieth century life, and the joy of various cultures coming together, living civilly and enjoyably together. It saddens them now to see much the opposite.
Last edited by Thoreau424; 02-15-2018 at 11:40 AM..
The US is not the most diverse country in the world. It's not even in the top three. It's a fallacy to think that other diverse countries don't have long and difficult conversations related to race or ethnicity. These issues become highly political and have involved wars.
If anyone wants to know why the US in particular talks a lot about race, one need only look at our history. From the horrors of slavery to the native american genocide (which still isn't officially classified as genocide) to the Jim Crow years...race and ethnicity have been a governing factor in the country since its inception. We've never lived "civilly and enjoyably" together. One group of people habitually subjugated other groups based entirely on race and ethnicity. It's an important discussion to continue having.
I don't get why people act like race is a complete non issue ; most people have some sort of racial preference in terms of where they want to live. I would expect most minorities wouldn't want to live somewhere that's 99% white, and vice versa.
It's not race. It's culture/ethnicity.
I'd feel more comfortable as a mexican american with 20 black american soldiers, or 20 chinese american soldiers, or 20 white american soldiers in a foreign country.
You think american blacks where all lovey with the native blacks in the battle of mogadishu ?
It's not race it's culture.
I feel more comfortable among working class whites than I do with upper class hispancs.
I grew up in Albany Park Chicago one of the most diverse neighborhoods on the planet. By 1st grade I had friends who's parents were from all over the world. Vietnman, Colombia, Poland, Pakistan, Cambodia, China, India, Bosnia, Ukraine, guatemala, salvador, Filipino, Puerto Rican,etc etc.
As 1st generation kids we were pretty well adapted to American culture and shared a lot of things in common outside of our apartments. It wasn't about race. It was about culture. We shared the same culture.
Then we went back home after hanging out and we lived in another culture.
I think the biggest difference is that the USA is one of the most diverse nation in the world. When you have a country of 130 million people who arent the same race as the majority, I think it becomes a bigger issue. Especially when the 130 million 'minorities' in the country are institutionally victimized and not represented high enough. The USA is just embracing the cultures it has, and watching the majority group start to lose its dominance. Sweden or the UK or Latvia were not built on the agglomeration of many different cultures coming together to form a melting pot of races/ethnicities/religions. The US was and still is. People here talk about race alot either to a) show the growing influence of minorities in our media and politics , b) to show how fast a place is changing and diversifying. And like the poster said above, other countries tear eachother part over racial/ethnic differences, which does not happen in the USA. You might say "IN Sweden We do not..." .. well Sweden has 10 million people and does not have centuries of mass immigration shaping its land. The US has 325 million people... and would not be what it is without immigration. Its a much larger scale. People are more proud to be a certain ethnicity or race here in America, its just a different place.
Sorry!
Sweden is also going through some pretty major immigration problems right now. It seems no one there can agree on a sound immigration policy.
I have to ask as a Swede living in USA, why does it matter? Why are Americans so obsessed with race and ethnicity and religion, asking for a friend?
On internet forums we discuss a wide variety of topics, this being one of them. this one thread does not speak for "Americans" just simply a group of people having a discussion.
Dwindle your point of view, it makes no sense lumping a group of a dozen people on an internet forum to a whole nationality of people.
I've been to other countries, including ones with a high mix of diverse peoples/cultures. However, I saw none of the bias, obsession, and attention on race/culture like here. I even talked to various people about it, and they couldn't understand the dysfunction in America. They/I weren't sure where it comes from, and why it continues to get promoted, but it might be partly due to media and culture here. I.e. forces within the country that somehow think they or we all benefit from such childishness and narrow-mindedness. Fear and control also seem to be roots in this problem area.
My grandparents on both sides have many times proudly talked about early and mid-twentieth century life, and the joy of various cultures coming together, living civilly and enjoyably together. It saddens them now to see much the opposite.
The differences in your experiences however is that you are living your life in one country and you are visiting another country...
living in a country you get way more of a feel of everything that is going on and get a good sense of the culture... visiting a country you are basically sightseeing and maybe experiencing a small fraction of the culture.
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