racist experiences

[Krum]

A long time ago when people were black and wite and couldn't speak(so they put up signs in which it was written what they said)ad everything was very fast and piano music was playing...

[Athena Appleton]

Hmmm...

Okay, my opinion could probably come across as being racist, but just imagine me saying it as kindly as I can, and that I really don't mean it in a hostile attitude.

I don't believe that people should be treated badly because of the color of their skin. Nor do I believe that they should be set apart (or set themselves apart) because of the color of their skin.

It bothers me that there is a "Black History month". I believe that Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and other black historical figures should be taught alongside everyone else. This, I think, is true equality.

I had nothing to do with what black people went through 150 years ago, or 75 years ago, or 50 years ago, but growing up as a white child, I had to endure comments from black children that "I" had "them" as slaves. "I" (as a six-year-old) was responsible for oppressing "them."

I have a problem with the term "African-Americans" (the vast majority of them have never been to Africa... nor have their parents or grandparents, and Americans should just be plain-old Americans). I have a problem with magazines, tv shows, stores and awards shows being specifically for blacks, because if whites did that, it simply wouldn't be accepted. I have a problem with Hispanics coming to America and not bothering to learn our primary language (English.) When you're in Mexico, there is no catering to English-speaking people.

In an ideal world, all people would be judged solely on their own virtues and there would be really no need for this prejudice that exists. But, hey, it's not an ideal world, so I pass the magazine section of the grocery store and see one called "Ebony" and roll my eyes and go about my business, and hopefully things will come full circle again soon.

[han lin]

i understand that athena.

i think its annoying when peopel move here because they want to be here and dont want to learn the language. it makes things very difficult. if they want to keepo their own cultire then its up to them but they should at least make an effort?

i live in a very small town in dorset where there are very very few races other than caucasian.

there was one black boy in the wholoe of my school. still, noone treated him ay differently


i dont think ther eshould be any difference.

I know people from different races have been through loasd of s**t in the past but most people havent suffered because of people alive now. i dont think people alive now should be made to make up for the mistakes made by people dead long before we were born .

i dont know
i dont think there should be such a tpic as racism.

its like having different coloured eyes or hair you dont discrimiate against those people and you aren't overy nice to them because they are different from you or incase they think you are prejudiced or anyone else thinks you are prejudiced.


i dont know
its really strange

[Won Wheezy]

You're all right, peeps. For most people with dark skin, racism is only connected to white (caucasian) people. But it's indeed not. I also think that it's a form of racism to have clubs, magazines, TV shows and so on especially for ethinic groups. On the other hand, there IS still a lot of racism towards those groups, so I suppose they use those media to feel that they are not alone with their problems.

What I totally agree about, is that immigrants should try to learn the language of the country, because so would I if I had to move to Turkey, or Senegal or whatever. It really winds me up when I meet people who have been living in this country for 20 years and still only speak a few words German. The main problem is, that a lot of immigrants just "keep to themselves", meaning they do not try to interact with locals at all. In Vienna, as everywhere else, there are houses and whole streets where only people of one origin live. A lot of the women, especially, hardly ever get in contact with the new language or culture, except at the doctor's.

I think that it's important for immigrants to keep their culture and language, but should also make an effort to integrate themselves, as I often think they don't WANT to be integrated. But, having said that, I do also understand that they feel intimidated and "unwanted".

It's just a vicious circle, really. Immigrants have some bad experience and think that all locals are racist, then keep to themselves to avoid problems, then locals thinking they don't want to be integrated, then starting to be suspicious, then immigrants......blablabla. I think you get what I mean, also if it seems a bit confuzzled, lol.

So, it takes both sides to make a change, not just one.

[pinky p]

this year for school a had to give a persuasive speach for english class. my subject was con affirmative action.

affirmative action was started in the 60's and 70's, in the time of MLKJ and rosa parks and the civil rights movement. it was started to give African Americans equal oppertunities (that is spelled very wrongly, i know). it makes it easier for AA's (and also other minorities and women) to get into college, get jobs, etc.

i think that back then, it did serve a purpose. many many people then were prejudice and AA's did not have the save chances as whites did. in today's world, however, i don't think it is needed. sure, there is still prejudice in our country (the US... i don't know if any of this applies in other countries so don't take it to heart if you don't live in the US), but there always will be some and certainly not even close to a majority is prejudice.

so why, then, should the black student who is just as qualified as the white student get in when the other is not, simply because of his or her race? some people call this reverse racism, when it really isn't. it is plain and simple racism.

i have no problem with helping out students who need scholarships because their family is poor and they just can't afford college, but to do it simply because of their race is wrong. feel free to tell your opinion, this is just mine.

[D.A. Member]

This is a very touchy topic and everyone has their own opinions about the subject and everyone thinks they are right so with that being said here is one of my most painful experiences with racism.

I was in 9th grade and I had a thing for this boy in a different school. We definately liked each other. One day he told me that he told his mom he liked me and asked her if I could come over to eat at his house. Somehow in their conversation it came up that my mom was white and my dad was black. She flipped out and told him that he had to stop seeing me immediately. We both liked each other so much. It was very sad for me. Then I found out that my best friend told her mom why I was calling her every night crying and her mom said that it was too bad that my mom married a black man and that my mom should've known better. That REALLY hurt!
Coming from a family that is mixed I didn't realize that there are people out there that would rather die than have someone from a different ethnic group marry into or even date someone in their family. I used to get really mad when I thought about that but over the years I have come to accept this because it is their opinion even if mine is completely different. There are even relatives that I have never met because they had the opinion mentioned above.
I would love it if race didn't matter and if everyone was really treated equally but the sad truth is that to alot of people it really does matter. The only way that I see racism ever ending is if everyone is all mixed up to the point there is only one "race" that way no one would be able to say they are better than the next person. That's why I judge people on a person to person basis and not on something that someone of their same ethnic background did to me. For a while I found myself giving mean looks to women that were the same background as "The Mom" and then I realized, "Hey stupid, not everyone hates you because you're 1/2 black" And you all are right, Racism is not just a black/white thing....it happens with all ethnic backgrounds.
I respect all of your opinions no matter what because it takes some big ones to even write on this topic. I told this story not for sympathy but to show that racism is unfortunately out there still no matter how much we wish it away and because it affected me so much...I have much thicker skin now but that story still bothers me the most. Everyone has an opinion and that was just mine. Jeez, I need to get back to the happy place before I need a room here in St. Mungo's.

[Won Wheezy]

The sad thing is, most of these people don`t even know WHY they dislike people with other ethnic backgrounds. I think a lot of it is just being scared off everything different, the other thing is that children grow up with this opinion. Shame.

[Evil Wizard Petting Zoo]

If I ruled the world, I would do away with those boxes on applications that say "mark which applies to you- white/black/spanish/asian" I think that's cr*p. That right there is part of the problem. I know that everyone from all the races will never get along together, but those kind of questions don't make anything better. Everytime the distinction is made between black/white, the void between the two gets larger. That's how we will go back to separate bathrooms, waterfountains, etc. It's crazy. I know I can't force everyone to get along, God doesn't, He gives us the free will to hate or love whoever we choose. So it seems impossible that everyone will get along one day. I just think everyone needs to be openminded, tolerant, patient, and not say anything if you can't say anything nice!

About affirmative action, it was good when it was made, when there was a lot of racism, but now it has served its purpose. So my whole point with this is that we should forget about those boxes where you choose black/white/spanish/asian. We're all just people.

[pallas artemis]

f I ruled the world, I would do away with those boxes on applications that say "mark which applies to you- white/black/spanish/asian" I think that's cr*p.

I know what you mean. Everytime I fill out an application I'm torn. I mark "native american (indian)" because that is what I see myself as even though my mom is pure caucasion(sp), she's like Swedish and German or something like that, but evertime I mark that I think how mad I would be if I ever found out that I got excepted for something just because they hadn't yet met their quota for "ethnic" workers or student, etc.

I'd be ferious but at the same time I'm not going to mark "white" when that's not true

[Phaerie]

Yeah.
Why should it matter what race somebody is. Everybody should be equal.
In employment it should be who is the best person for the job, not have we filled our ethnic minorities quota.

It is not what we are born, its who we grow up to be thats important, and that is decided by the choices we make, not the colour of our skin

[Krum]

It's a neverending cycle!!!
The black guy gets a raise because he's black and white people hate him so his boss thinks he has done a good thing.But, seeing the black guy get a raise when they are both equally good workers, the white man starts hating him because he's black and has it easier

[pinky p]

yes, it certainly isn't helping things. would you rather have the best qualified dentist/air plane pilot/whatever or the one that's a minority?

[Phinea Rogue]

Does anyone know the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury? He talks so well about minorities and political correctness. In this novel it all results in burning all the books because in every one of them something offessive to someone can be found:

‘Coloured people don’t like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Burn it. Someone’s written a book on tobacco and cancer of lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book.’

[Jinxed Angie]

I suffer from Xenophobia(sp?). Ppl here don't like forigners or what they like to call "estrangeiros" (mostly the old ppl the rest of Portugal depends on forigners for turism.

[Reverie Revenge]

When i moved to Vienna I would get p***d off with black guys trying to chat me up on the underground/subway, because this happens to me a lot (might be a blonde/ blue eyes thing, I dunno why, lol). And at the beginning I would just not talk to them, or tell them to leave me alone. But then I thought "would I react the same way if this guy was Austrian?"

Really good point, Won Wheezy!
I may sound offensive, I'm apologising in advance

I like to chat w/ anyone as long as they're cool but that's a friendly chat. If guys want to conquer me, I try to bash their ego to pieces (feministic, wanna be a hunter myself, can't help!!!)
So - mostly guys w/ Mediterranean temperament wanna conquer girls but I don't like Mediterranean beauty. I like nordic guys (Ville Valo *sigh* for example: green (optional blue) eyes, pale skin, black hair - blond too).

I've been asking ppl if they find my personal taste rasistic and all the answers were: ''No''. I'm not that sure, b/c I've never desired a guy of other race. They might look cute but not my thing I'd be glad to hear your opinion (and a bit scared too )
I hope e-friend from India won't get mad at me, Indians are white race, after all And I like cool friendly conversations about b****i photos

Before you all get mad at that provincial country from central Europe (Slovenia), I'll tell you I'm unique among girls I know. They all fall for exotic guys, (we're a transitional country for imigrants!) Turkish, Latino, black and Asian, and Mediterranean of course
Apart from myself I know only one girl that likes Nordic Vikings

Last year I was in Vienna and there were many interesting folks in the subway - I'd deffinitelly chat w/ them if they made contact but as a tourist I was too busy looking for the right station to start the conversation . Anyway, Vienna subways aren't a least bit scary, they're very nice
Won Wheezy, where did you live before you moved to Vienna???

United colors of racism:

That's right, racism may happen among any races:
a schoolfriend of mine had daddy from Africa but she looked more like a mix between white and Asian. One day 2 Gipsy girls attacked her, tried to scratch her face for being ''lower race, black race'', though she didn't look black at all
Another white girl told her ''slave''.
Her mum was the subject of common gossip b/c she decided for guy from Africa ... --> but all that happened a long time ago, the situation is improving b/c in EU we're more borderless.