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I get stupid questions/comments a lot. These are the most annoying ones: "Why do you have to call yourself African-American, why don't you just call yourself American?" (Why do you care?) "Why can't Black people just get over slavery?" (Really annoying, as I myself rarely bring up slavery unless it's a conversation specifically about slavery).
I agree with you - except for the African-American one. I never ran into that in person. But I hate that slavery comment. One of my coworkers is a history major and we had gotten into a conversation about slavery and genealogy when one of my other coworkers had the nerve to say "I get so tired of hearing about slavery every damn Feb. It happened years ago - why are they still talking about it" Uh- the same reason people still talk about the Civil War, the Holocaust, the Aztec Indians - because it's history. It's not like same made up event that I just throw into every day conversation. "Hey, how are you today?" "I'm not out working in the cotton fields like my ancestors so I can't complain"
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Originally Posted by lovedeep
Or when they try to touch my hair because they're "curious" to see what it feels like. (I find that extremely rude, I don't like to be touched by complete strangers).
I hate that; especially when I get my hair braided and they say "how is that attached to your head" when i was a kid I understood but as an adult I find it hard to believe you've never seen braids before.
On a side note: When I was about 9, my granddaddy took me and my little brother (he had to be about 7 or 8) to the beach. We kept fighting and after like 50 warnings my granddaddy decided to take us home. We cried all the way back to the car and when my granddaddy was shaking out the towels, this white lady came up and asked my brother if he was okay and did he need any help. My brother said something like he didn't want to go and all I remember was sitting there forever, waiting for my granddaddy. Then my brother got to get out and go talk to some guys on a bicycle while i had to stay in the car.
Last week my brother was telling this story to some of our friends and it turns out the lady thought my little brother was being kidnapped (our paternal grandmother was Asian and my brother's mother was a very very light skinned woman so my brother has a light complexion, straight brown hair and slanted eyes) and she told the beach police. They questioned my grandfather and my brother, and I guess they believed them and let us go.
I never knew that's what happened but when my brother was telling the story (that he now thinks is hysterical) I was thinking "well why didn't she think I was being kidnapped too? I was crying just as hard as he was."
I agree with you - except for the African-American one. I never ran into that in person. But I hate that slavery comment. One of my coworkers is a history major and we had gotten into a conversation about slavery and genealogy when one of my other coworkers had the nerve to say "I get so tired of hearing about slavery every damn Feb. It happened years ago - why are they still talking about it" Uh- the same reason people still talk about the Civil War, the Holocaust, the Aztec Indians - because it's history. It's not like same made up event that I just throw into every day conversation. "Hey, how are you today?" "I'm not out working in the cotton fields like my ancestors so I can't complain"
I hate that; especially when I get my hair braided and they say "how is that attached to your head" when i was a kid I understood but as an adult I find it hard to believe you've never seen braids before.
On a side note: When I was about 9, my granddaddy took me and my little brother (he had to be about 7 or 8) to the beach. We kept fighting and after like 50 warnings my granddaddy decided to take us home. We cried all the way back to the car and when my granddaddy was shaking out the towels, this white lady came up and asked my brother if he was okay and did he need any help. My brother said something like he didn't want to go and all I remember was sitting there forever, waiting for my granddaddy. Then my brother got to get out and go talk to some guys on a bicycle while i had to stay in the car.
Last week my brother was telling this story to some of our friends and it turns out the lady thought my little brother was being kidnapped (our paternal grandmother was Asian and my brother's mother was a very very light skinned woman so my brother has a light complexion, straight brown hair and slanted eyes) and she told the beach police. They questioned my grandfather and my brother, and I guess they believed them and let us go.
I never knew that's what happened but when my brother was telling the story (that he now thinks is hysterical) I was thinking "well why didn't she think I was being kidnapped too? I was crying just as hard as he was."
That is quite true. When I was in high school, someone made the comment that the Dr. King holiday was "little more than a free day off" and even went as far as calling King a "communist". I think many people know they are being insensitive, but they don't care, or they feel justified in doing so.
Your experience on the beach reminds me of an experience I had as a freshman in college. I went to an office inquiring about a job(in case you are wondering about how this relates to race, I am black). I found out about an opening online. I inquired about it at the office. I was told by the lady at the desk that there were no jobs open. I responded by telling her that I heard about the position online. She said that there were no jobs. I gave her a disgusted sigh and walked away, saying nothing more, no yelling, no loudness, just a glare and a sigh of disdain. After that I went to a computer lab to relax and surf the net. The campus police came looking for me and asked me questions because apparently there was a "disturbance" in the office I happen to come from. I thought "what disturbance? I didn't yell at anyone." I found out what had happened. I explained to the police I didn't yell at anyone or scream. The police officer understood and told me that sometimes people will do that because in some way I scared someone. I thought "I'm not that large(5'5" 125-130lbs at the time. I weigh 120-125 now), how could I scare anyone?" At the time I was just an 18 year-old reacting to a situation the way I normally would. I learned that day that I didn't have to scare anyone by yelling or screaming. Sometimes I wonder if race had anything to do with it.
I have a daughter that is English, French, Cherokee and African American, she looks Spanish and jokes when she wears bright clothes that she looks Mexican, she is beautiful and when I look at her I look at the future of America. She is what in another generation or two we will all look like. I have never heard her complain about racism, just harassment from ignorant people.
Why do you want all Americans to look the same?? If were all mixed there would be no diversity. I think people should be allowed to preserve their ethnic identity without being labelled as some sort of racist. I disagree with the idea that if you would prefer your grandchildren to look similar to you you are somehow a racist. If a Mexican, Korean, or Haitian would prefer their kids to marry someone of the same background to preserve their culture, why is it racist if a white wants the same?
I have quite a number of friends, co-workers, and relatives who at one time or other were victims of racism by blacks or latinos, and in several cases it was violent assaults.
And of all the blacks and latinos I know, not a single one has ever been violently assaulted by a white. Worst thing that might have happened was name-calling. One black guy got some vandalism once.
Racism against whites is no joke, happens every day, and I'm afraid doesn't get the coverage it should.
Actually, you have observed what statistics say; race crimes against whites outshines any race crime against ethnic minorities by huge numbers.
I've traveled all over the world and I have found that 'white' people are the least racist anywhere in the world. I know blacks would oppose that, but I find blacks the most racist people on the planet. What exist in white societies are miniscule to what exist in other societies and other non-white nations. The largest racist groups are asians (Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans etc) and blacks in my experience. There's is enormous, overwhelming racism from these two groups and I constantly hear and see it when traveling to these nations (on TV, in their media, their own behavior), or interacting with them anywhere else. In Africa the situation has become 100x worse when whites are no longer in charge, and this may make some surprised as it did me: many blacks actually want whites to come back and rule africa like before because they told me "we are now treated worse than ever in our life. It was better with the whites". How many people want to acknowledge that! People don't want to acknowledge things like that. But that's the truth and a common statement I heard in South Africa, for example.
Its peculiar to me that they also seem the largest group always accusing whites of racism. I also find that blacks love to blame their own failures or inability to take responsibility on racism. As soon as anyone who is not Bill Cosby speaks out, they start complaining! But why they don't get a job, the place they want to live in, or the salary they want is not due to racism - but because that particular person simply is not good at what they are doing. Anyone who is good at what they are doing can reach to any heights. There is no color code on that. But, they love to blame their own failures and attitude problems on the world around them. They are over sensitive, so clearly this is something they feed to each other like a mantra: we are victims, and anything that doesn't work our way is because we are victims and subject to racism. They also retort to name calling each other all the time. I also find constant exaggerations from them on their assumed racism they have received. I have been witness several times during travels when a black person has the exact same procedure and some delay or limitations I have, but because he/she can't get his/her way there's instant whining about racism. I find it extremely annoying.
With whites, I never hear any racist tendencies and even the very few times I heard anyone make an innocent joke which is not even racial - other whites get offended and immediately react that they don't tolerate any form of racial remarks. On the contrary, I've seen many whites stand up in defence when other ethnic groups judge each other. I travel enormous number of miles per year, and have lived in many countries. The whole concept of racism against another person seems revolting and unacceptable to almost all whites I have met (small towns or rural areas may be more conservative) but I have never seen this attitude to that large degree in ethnics groups. So how large exactly is racism from whites? Statistics show that racist crimes are very small by whites against another minority. There may be a tiny minority whites who feel different, but I have actually never met a white person who is genuinely racist in my entire life, but I've met many ethnic groups who are intensely racist and hate other people. I found this very interesting because it contradicts the common claims. However, I don't find it surprising because who exactly makes all these claims? Ethnic groups who themselves are deeply racist to whites, and anyone else including different peoples in their own fold. For example, black people are very often extremely unforgiving to homosexuals in their own fold and will not accept them at all. How can someone who never stops shouting about racism, judge homosexuals...?
No wonder slavery, which had existed for hundreds of years and started by africans and arabs, was abolished by the British!... In fact, every race has been sold and exploited as slaves - including whites. Black slaves had actually been branded criminals and accused of crimes by their own tribes, and therefore selected and sold off as slaves by their own people to arabs, then expanding the sale to latinos, whites, etc. Over 2 million white European were captured and enslaved by moors (arabs) and sold as slaves around 400 years ago. For some reason this did not persist as long as with some other groups. Maybe because crusaders fought back, but there's also some rather amusing anecdotes they have found on this in at least some cases: some whites were bad slaves so they were not a preferred choice since they wanted them for labor (!) while scandinavian slaves were highly admired for their qualities, honesty, and beauty which ended many moors to marry them instead of enslaving them. Finally they stopped enslaving the European slaves, while they continued to enslave ethnic groups. Why? They don't know for sure why this was.
There's a book about this published a few years ago.
Why do you want all Americans to look the same?? If were all mixed there would be no diversity. I think people should be allowed to preserve their ethnic identity without being labelled as some sort of racist. I disagree with the idea that if you would prefer your grandchildren to look similar to you you are somehow a racist. If a Mexican, Korean, or Haitian would prefer their kids to marry someone of the same background to preserve their culture, why is it racist if a white wants the same?
And I think people should be allowed to mix and have interracial relationships and families without any social barriers or excessive societal disapproval, but we all know that's taken with more disapproval than the idea of wanting to have offspring of the same race/ethnicity/nationality. Seeing the damage and hypocrisy that "diversity" has brought forth (personally and generally), I think it would be better off if everyone leaned towards looking the same, especially if it involves having different races inter-breeding with one another in consensual and matrimonial circumstances. In reality, it's the modern day concept of "diversity" that I have found to argue against those who want to have interracial relationships & marriages and have mixed children (unless it's Asian and White).
Conclusion: You can have your "diversity" if it means I can keep the access and right to date, love, marry, and have a family with whomever I want regardless of their pigment or mines!
I get stupid questions/comments a lot. These are the most annoying ones: "Why do you have to call yourself African-American, why don't you just call yourself American?" (Why do you care?) "Why can't Black people just get over slavery?" (Really annoying, as I myself rarely bring up slavery unless it's a conversation specifically about slavery). Any question dealing with the hows and whys of rap music as if by virtue of me being black I'm an expert on rap music. Or when they try to touch my hair because they're "curious" to see what it feels like. (I find that extremely rude, I don't like to be touched by complete strangers). But just stupid things like that. I've never had anybody verbally or physically (most people know better) attack me bc of my race.
Don't you hear how hostile, biased, and hateful your own attitude is?
Should I jump and fret every time I hear black people call whites crackers? Its constant. No one gives a ****.
People don't attack you verbally and physically because of race: people in today's society don't react to race, they react to attitude and personality. YOU are the racist but you just don't want to look honestly at yourself and admit it. A lot of this constant hostility from blacks against whites is a hidden form of envy, and nothing else. Your envious if someone is more successful, if they have accomplished more. You blame your own negativity and failures on racism while the problem is YOU and your attitude in life.
We all know that America isn't as racist/segregated as it was about 50 years ago, but racism still lives on in some areas.
Out of curiosity, what are some of your experiences with racism?
The way I see it. . when you're born, you can't really chose if you want to be white, black, etc, but you CAN choose how you act.
Well, I personally don't think it's always the racism that you see that does the most harm.
I get passed over for jobs because I'm not an Arab in an area with a large number of Arab owned businesses. I've gone into Arab-owned garages (I'm an auto mechanic) with my nine ASE certifications that include an advanced performance certification, factory training and years of dealership experience just to get the "OK, buddy" treatment while people that have no business what so ever repairing vehicles are employed in my stead because their name is Abdul.
I've had a number of black supervisors who have no Earthly idea what I'm talking about tell me I'm wrong because the last time they encountered a particular condition someone else told them something different and now they can't understand why my answer is what it is. Bottom line is I can't explain it in way that is simple enough for them to understand because they aren't intelligent enough to get it. Fuel adaptive are a good example of that since numerous different malfunctions will drive the adaptive either high or low thereby causing the MIL to illuminate. Sometimes it's a white person not getting what I'm explaining, but they don't get shoved up the advancement ladder because they fit a description. They remain where they should parking cars and sweeping the floor.
When I'm conducting business I use my "serious voice". I talk a bit slower and deeper. Twice after I've talked to people on the phone about job openings I've had them say after meeting me "I thought you were black". I don't know if they were relieved or surprised. lol One was white, the other hispanic.
Don't you hear how hostile, biased, and hateful your own attitude is?
Should I jump and fret every time I hear black people call whites crackers? Its constant. No one gives a ****.
People don't attack you verbally and physically because of race: people in today's society don't react to race, they react to attitude and personality. YOU are the racist but you just don't want to look honestly at yourself and admit it. A lot of this constant hostility from blacks against whites is a hidden form of envy, and nothing else. Your envious if someone is more successful, if they have accomplished more. You blame your own negativity and failures on racism while the problem is YOU and your attitude in life.
With all due respect, you are the ignorant one. This thread was about experiences with racism, not about your ranting and incoherent posts. Ignorance at its best.
Read the end of his post, where he mentions not having dealt with people physically or verbally attacking him, but posts about what he dislikes (i.e people touching his hair, and asking questions because he's black/as if he's supposed to be an authority on certain matters because of his color).
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