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About 20 years ago (I'm 45) I worked for a utility company. While I and others were receiving training from the company, we would leave the training center for lunch. I noticed that the Hispanic guys and the white guys would eat with their own 'ethnic/race group'. I couldn't connect with either group. The Hispanic guys thought I was white (albeit darker) because I didn't speak Spanish while the white guys must have figured (I'm guessing) that I belonged with the Hispanics.
So then what? I usually ate by myself, that's what.
Over time, I've realized that when you're mixed ethic/race, sometimes you don't quite 'fit' any group.
[whether that's good or bad depends]
Mrs. Chow is half Mexican and half white. She looks more like a white woman than I look like a white guy. We're both pretty dark, dark hair, dark eyes and while we're both fairly light skinned I've been accused by Latino people of "denying my heritage" whatever that means. One old Mexican guy actually went so far as to publicly berate me for "acting white" LOL...
Mrs. Chow is half Mexican and half white. She looks more like a white woman than I look like a white guy. We're both pretty dark, dark hair, dark eyes and while we're both fairly light skinned I've been accused by Latino people of "denying my heritage" whatever that means. One old Mexican guy actually went so far as to publicly berate me for "acting white" LOL...
Whatever....
Hahaa...yep!
While working for the same utility, I was at a Hispanic guy's house. He's says something to me in Spanish. When I tell him I don't speak Spanish, he asked me why not. I tell him about my mixed race background and that my Dad (the Hispanic side) didn't speak Spanish either. He goes on to challenge my statement about where I was born (Vietnam). When I tell him I'm half Asian he says, "No you ain't!"
At 50, I've experienced very little overt racism, but a ton of the subtle variety.
That said, it's not something that I think about until someone brings it up. I'm pretty quick to dismiss most subtle forms of racism as long as it doesn't cross the line into disrespect. Then I've gotta drop the temperature.
My everyday interaction with non blacks is excellent. We don't even discuss race. The majority of my friends are non black although most in my tightest inner circle are black.
Frankly, I like white, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and Native people a lot. After all, they've never done anything bad to me personally.
What kind of subtle racism have you experienced?????
I'm about 2/3 oxygen, 1/5 carbon, and 1/10 hydrogen. Some other sprinklings in there.
My opinion is that "race" is a social construct (unless you can outsmart Linnaeus) created by the State for nefarious activities.
Arbitrarily going back x amount of years within your evolution and assigning another social value (the lines on the maps used by our masters when they play war) is quite futile and just plain silly.
I'm stardust. When I started walking erect I was probably looking around what we now call Ethiopia or Kenya. I have no fondness for the possibility that I was once found on the ocean floor.
And in several billion years when the sun swallows the earth this will all be forgotten.
What kind of subtle racism have you experienced?????
It's mostly of the slick talking variety. Or maybe someone goes out of their way not to be your server at a restaurant. Being followed in a store. People assuming that you grew up poor. Maybe someone assumes that you didn't get a good education or that you didn't have your father around. I've had car dealers assume that I couldn't afford a certain type of car.
Happens all the time. But again, you can't possibly go around addressing every incident. So as long as they don't do anything that borders on disrespect, I let it ride.
It's mostly of the slick talking variety. Or maybe someone goes out of their way not to be your server at a restaurant. Being followed in a store. People assuming that you grew up poor. Maybe someone assumes that you didn't get a good education or that you didn't have your father around. I've had car dealers assume that I couldn't afford a certain type of car.
Happens all the time. But again, you can't possibly go around addressing every incident. So as long as they don't do anything that borders on disrespect, I let it ride.
I'm guilty of this all the time. Whenever I have a real conversation with a black person, I usually note they have way more empathy than the average white person. From this, I make the assumption they grew up poor. (With white people, empathy is usually bred by someone being poor at some point in their lives... either childhood or a hard knock as a young adult or something.) I guess for black people, just putting up with unfair rules about race breeds empathy .. not necessarily poverty. I notice that some black people quickly correct me when I start talking about back in the day in the hood. That's where I come from, and I'm damn proud of it. I don't mean it as a slur to assume you're from there too. I get why that gets old. I mean no disrespect.
I'm about 2/3 oxygen, 1/5 carbon, and 1/10 hydrogen. Some other sprinklings in there.
My opinion is that "race" is a social construct (unless you can outsmart Linnaeus) created by the State for nefarious activities.
Arbitrarily going back x amount of years within your evolution and assigning another social value (the lines on the maps used by our masters when they play war) is quite futile and just plain silly.
I'm stardust. When I started walking erect I was probably looking around what we now call Ethiopia or Kenya. I have no fondness for the possibility that I was once found on the ocean floor.
And in several billion years when the sun swallows the earth this will all be forgotten.
Logically sound, right attitude. Unfortunately, if you're not part of the majority population, it's wishful thinking at best. Had I been born and raised, and still live in, Latin America, I would think this way too. But when you're a minority, there's always that one person, either in real life, the media, whatever, that always has to remind you you're not "one of us"
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
It's mostly of the slick talking variety. Or maybe someone goes out of their way not to be your server at a restaurant. Being followed in a store. People assuming that you grew up poor. Maybe someone assumes that you didn't get a good education or that you didn't have your father around. I've had car dealers assume that I couldn't afford a certain type of car.
Happens all the time. But again, you can't possibly go around addressing every incident. So as long as they don't do anything that borders on disrespect, I let it ride.
That's my attitude. I used to let it bother me when I was a young gun. Not anymore. I ust feel sorry for that person that has so much hate in his heart.
It's mostly of the slick talking variety. Or maybe someone goes out of their way not to be your server at a restaurant. Being followed in a store. People assuming that you grew up poor. Maybe someone assumes that you didn't get a good education or that you didn't have your father around. I've had car dealers assume that I couldn't afford a certain type of car.
Happens all the time. But again, you can't possibly go around addressing every incident. So as long as they don't do anything that borders on disrespect, I let it ride.
I've gotten into it with a few times, you're a pretty angry guy at times, why would you "let it go" about this subtle form of racism
That doesn't follow your posting pattern here in CD?
My family is very racially mixed, we've got all kinds of people under our family lineage. The family get togethers looks like some kind of NATO get together white, black, Asian, Mexican... whatever...
It makes me mad as hell to think that my family members might be discriminated against... makes me mad as hell just thinking about it... how dare they....
I've gotten into it with a few times, you're a pretty angry guy at times, why would you "let it go" about this subtle form of racism
That doesn't follow your posting pattern here in CD?
My family is very racially mixed, we've got all kinds of people under our family lineage. The family get togethers looks like some kind of NATO get together white, black, Asian, Mexican... whatever...
It makes me mad as hell to think that my family members might be discriminated against... makes me mad as hell just thinking about it... how dare they....
Tell me about it, Chow. My sister is married to a Moroccan man. You can imagine how much rage I feel sometimes when I read s--- on this board about what cowards would like to do to all Muslim people. Anyone who wants to harm my Arab brother in law and my Arab niece because of their heritage can go to hell. Terrorists, yes! Of course! All terrorists, the white ones, the black ones, the Muslim ones have it coming. Leave those innocent Muslims alone though.
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