Is America more or less racist than other nations, such as European countries (accuse, nationalist)

[soonerguy]

There are some pockets of racism in the world worse than the US, and there are some much less racist places, too. But the US is pretty bad in my opinion. It's covert here. And sometimes not so covert. We say one thing, but we do another. We spout a certain set of beliefs about what we think we are, but in reality, our actions and true beliefs say something else.

I live in Oklahoma and it is very bad here. And it's bad in Texas, Arkansas, and other places in the deep south. I don't want to get political because that is not what this thread is about, but I've noticed a lot more since the election of Obama. I think feelings and beliefs that people had supressed bubbled to the surface. And now it is bubbling over. I had thought we were further along than this, but apparently not so.

I'm white, and of course I'm in the minority with my beliefs among family, friends, and neighbors of my own race. The majority of whites just can't see it and don't get it and most never will. They've never experienced it. They have no frame of reference.

[ScoopLV]

Look at the strides we've made just in my lifetime. I was born during a time when blacks and whites were legally barred from marrying. Now we have a biracial president.

Every successive generation rejects the very premise of racism more and more. As the old racists die off, there are fewer and fewer to take their place. If you believe old southerners, every single one of them marched with Dr. King, and nobody was on the other side wielding Pickrick Drumsticks.

[9162]

Originally Posted by caribny

In the African nations where there is a back lash against the whites, when these places were white controlled blacks were treated horrendously. In addition most of the violence in these nations is black on black In Zimbabwe far more black farm workers were killed than white owners by people attempting to take over the farms.

So don't equate white racism against blacks in Europe and North America with this. Blacks didn't begin the fight in Europe and North America.

When it comes to black vs. white racism there is no chicken and egg. It is clear that white racism came first. Look at how willing West and West/Central Africans were to sell slaves from rival nations, or fellow ethnics who they felt needed to get punished to whites. Obviously these blacks didn't think that the whites were any more the enemy than were blacks from rival states. They didn't trust the whites, so prevented them from moving inland, but they quite happily traded and there seems to have been minimal conflict during the slave trading eras.

Without a doubt you represent a primary problem so common within your race, which is the inability to live in the present and not in the 19th century. The whites in Europe are "newcomers" and contribute to the prison population, they are owed nothing, the whites in Africa contribute significantly to the economies of Africa, which is why when apartheid was abolished in South Africa the white population was not allowed to leave and take their hard earned assets. The South African federal government knew the nation would slip into chaos if allowed to happen. Even with decades of restricted trade agreements against South Africa it remained the wealthiest nation in Africa.

[coffeendonuts]

No

In some parts of the world and country, people PRETEND to be open minded to save face. The racism and discrimination are a bit more subtle.

Just because there's rarely actual violence occurring that is racially motivated does not mean racism doesn't exist

Although small incidents like this occur:
Chicago man allegedly slapped, spit on African-American judge he called

Also, a lot of people from Europe think that they're better simply because the racism isn't targeting blacks. But there IS racism and prejudice towards other groups

[vision33r]

Originally Posted by Buffyfan

My friend, who is Hispanic, lived in Germany for many years said she was accepted as someone to "date". She said they loved her exotic look. But, when it came to marrying, many older Germans disapproved.

Women always fell for this, men are the most color blind when it comes to seducing women but asking them to marry you instantly reveal their hidden racist self.

[coffeendonuts]

Let folks choose to be ignorant about the reality of where they live

I've been told by international students and friends that racism does exist. One from the Netherlands told me this, one from Britain and the was Irish.
And I've known blacks from or born in France who say it exists there. It may not be violent, but it exists in the attitudes and treatment towards blacks and Muslims and Asians

Also had a black guy from Canada say that there are generally certain negative attitudes towards Asians and people from the caribbean(a Jamaican born, Canadian raised female friend also vouched for this). They are to them what illegal Mexicans are to the US (opinion wise). They're stealing jobs, committing crimes yadda yadda

[xander.XVII]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

At the same time in the United States, you will not find the governor of Texas waging "ethnic cleansing " ie murdering hundreds of thousands of people for their religion as what occurred in the Balkans in the mid 1990's.

It's an utter simplification of what took place.
The ethnic cleansing in Balkans are tied to CENTURIES of ethnic tensions, invasions, religious differences and political turmoils including TWO (the latter in the Balkans cost more lives than American Civil War, US in WWI and WWII,Vietnam,Iraq and Vietnam altogether), dozens of smaller wars, communism, civil wars, foreign occupations.
It's really riddicolous comparing Texas (whose WASP, by the way, I met, basing on what many American users do, I could say that all Americans are like those "people" whose brain was smaller than a nut) to Balkans.
The point is always the same: I met, I saw, I heard.
We aren't speaking whether one or two people are racist, we are speaking of MILLION people and it's obvious we can't know what happened.
It's completely and absolutely obvious that racism is in no way common in either the US or Europe and most people aren't racist and it's obvious the same way that there's racism too.
Stereotypes, prejudices, diffidence are commonest human feelings.

[Juliette La Bretonne]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

Clearly you have never been a black person living or traveling in Europe. Landlords in Germany flat out told American military housing offices they would not rent to blacks. In more than a few stores clerks basically pretended we were invisible or were outright rude. In one restaurant a few of the people had quite a conversation about the family of apes that just came in the door. The worst part was that none of the non-participants looked scandalized or even uncomfortable about the conversation they were hearing until my husband asked in German what type of apes did they think we were. Trust me, it was no better in France, Poland, The Czech Republic, or Italy to name a specific few. No, it wasn't everyone who did it, but there seemed to be much more general tolerance for racist behavior than I have ever experienced in America, including in the Deep South. There were many things that were charming about Europe, the general attitude towards people of color was not one of them. While we were there the distain in the area we lived in towards Turks was astounding, including all the breeding like animals comments. Yes, America has racial issues, but at least the average person here doesn't find the expression of it by those who are racist acceptable.


Probably the greatest indication that most Americans don't envy the European lifestyle is information like this. Most Americans just aren't interested in visiting elsewhere, they even vacation in their own country.

When I was looking to rent a place on Long Island (NY) the homeowners with attached apartments insisted on me stopping by before they would discuss the place with me. They wanted to be sure that I wasn't black. Since I look somewhat Italian... that was alright. (Several said as much, calling me 'the right kind'.)

[UTHORNS96]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Yes, it is true. People who deny this are usually white. Ask any minority where they've experienced more racism and over 80% will say the southern United States and rural areas of the remaining U.S. Racism is still very much part of the culture in the south although it's subdued and hidden more now. Nonetheless, even in the south, they have enough sense not waive nazi flags and throw bananas at players. As far as my experience, it's night and day difference. Being Mexican American, I experienced far more racism in places like Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia. The west coast and areas near there are the most racially tolerant in my experience.

Ha! My grandfather can tell you some stories about racism in California. When he lived there for a while in the military he said it was worse than Texas. Personally the most racism I have experienced was in NYC.

People who just lazily use the south as a scapegoat are actually hurting the progress of race relations in this country as a whole.

Originally Posted by UTHORNS96

Ha! My grandfather can tell you some stories about racism in California. When he lived there for a while in the military he said it was worse than Texas. Personally the most racism I have experienced was in NYC.

People who just lazily use the south as a scapegoat are actually hurting the progress of race relations in this country as a whole.

Just to add on, a black author named James Baldwin did a documentary on the subject centering on racism in San Francisco.

[Suburban_Guy]

I don't think there's a single nation in the world that doesn't have racist people in it, or people that think they are better than other races/ethnicities.

America is big, with many different regions, races, ethnicities, nationalities, there's bound to be racism everywhere.

Look at California. People look at California and think, it's a multicultural melting pot and diverse. Yet there's Klan and neo nazi activity throughout the state. Some places I've heard even more 'hick' than the midwest or the south. Not to mention in some places even non whites cannot get along with each other (asian/black/hispanic racial gang wars).

So racism isn't always about white racism.