Do you know racists?

[HEyHEY]

I'm watching Crash. And it seems all the racists in the movie are white. But, in my life, most of the racism I've experienced or seen is from non-white people. That may be because I grew up in Vancouver, which is a fairly progressive and chilled out place. But, when I lived in small towns in Canada, I did often hear racist comments from white people.

In the city, however, most of the racism I've witnessed was Koreans talking smack about Chinese or Syrians saying things about Yemeni's, or Asians against white people....etc. In my home and school life racism was frowned upon (except my Mom, but she was more racist out of not understanding that generalizing is not cool).

Point I'm making is, though I know there's racism in Canada, toward Natives especially, I didn't see much of it growing up in Vancouver. So, I'm watching Crash where it seems all the white people are racists, and I wonder where this generalization comes from. In the cities of the US is racism rampant in the white community?

[blondeatlast]

1. Keep in mind that I live in Phoenix, Arizona--but yes, I'd say there is lots

of racism, but it's pretty covert, although in the past decade or so it's not really all that covert, either.

[notadmblnd]

2. don't we all? you should hear some of the things Mexicans have to say about Salvadorians

White people do not have the market cornered on bigotry.

on edit: I did not like that movie at all.

[HEyHEY]

3. According to hollywood we do

kind of bugs me.

[onehandle]

4. I live in Georgia. We are running backwards to the 1950s.

Racists have total control of our state.

[akbacchus_BC]

5. Hi you, that is an old movie! Not sure if racism was involved. But

Sandra Bullock was remarkable. I loved that movie.

[Lyric]

6. Every major society has a dominant race that is racist to a minority race.

I don't know why we humans are so terrified of the "different", but evidence of that fear spans national and cultural boundaries.

[Fuzz]

7. Yeah, but they don't think they are.

[sakabatou]

8. Not personally.

[JonLP24]

9. I don't at the moment

I cut them off as friends or acquaintances which leads me with very few friends. I think living in Mesa has something to do with it as I seem to not have a problem with it in Washington outside of Ft. Lewis. In the military I cut off quite a few people there.

As far as the movie, it was over-the-top I think but I do like the cast. Would love to see the same cast in another movie.

[laconicsax]

10. Why, yes I do.

Racism is incredibly pervasive in our society and culture, anyone who denies knowing racists is either lying or not paying attention.

Hell, I've read racist posts here on DU.

[SidDithers]

11. Wait. Is that the Keanu Reeves Crash, or the David Cronenberg Crash?...

:hi:

Sid

[akbacchus_BC]

12. You still have those blinders on? Good for you since you now not

living in BC!

[oldlady]

13. "othering"

yep. I think all groups of people partly define themselves by what they are "not" and view those they have marked as "others" negatively -- maybe the "others" are seen as less educated, informed, evolved, moral, hard-working -- whatever. Often, these groups are race-based. I live in a racially diverse neighborhood and have heard every race disparage every other race in some minor or major way. Recognizing it as universal doesn't let me off the hook on speaking up every time, though. If that meets your definition of "racist", then yes. Now, I know some people feel only the society's dominate race can be racist, but in the context of my neighborhood whites would not be the dominate race -- in terms of my city, yeah sure -- but, not my neighborhood.

[speltwon]

14. Spend some time in Hawaii

Samoans and Tongans generally hate each other, and especially hate being identified as the other. Few bigger insults to a Samoan than being asked if he's Tongan. Koreans loathe the Japanese. That goes WAY back. Koreans and Chinese have been so subjugated by the Japanese, they hold a grudge. Little blonde kids in Hawaii schools grow up tough as fuck because everybody picks on them. etc.

[Mariana]

17. My blonde cousin grew up in Hawaii and still lives there.

She began to dye her hair dark when she started high school and she continued to do so for all her adult life. She's 45 and still dyes it.

[Biker13]

18. Agreed!

Biker13 grew up in Hawaii,(Army brat) and was picked on constantly. He's white and blond. He tells me all the time that's what responsible for him becoming what he is, tough as nails and he takes shit from no one!

I never realized this until I met him. He always says he would be different if he hadn't grown up in Hawaii.

Biker's Old Lady

[ProgressiveProfessor]

25. As someone who grew up there, some of it is class based as well

The American dream is seriously broken there.

[Luminous Animal]

15. I don't know any now but I do experience racist public policy...

Personally, I know no individual racist since moving to San Francisco. When I lived in Delaware, I witnessed individual expression of bigotry on a regular basis.

In San Francisco what I witness regularly is institutional racism..., the preponderance of toxic industries in poor neighborhoods; repressive police presence in said neighborhoods and an over representation of petty drug busts, gentrification in working class & poor neighborhoods which drive out individuals, families and businesses; and government renewal programs targeting subsidized housing inhabited primarily poor families.

And yes, I am aware that there are plenty of poor whites that are affected by these policies, but in San Francisco, these racist policies overwhelmingly affect black and brown folks in specific targeted neighborhoods.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

26. Activists in the 'loin are fighting a rear guard action, but in the end they will lose

Real estate in SF is just too sought after.

[Luminous Animal]

27. The hotel industry wants that real estate. A lot of beautiful old buildings in the TL.

[tavalon]

16. I knew one

He was my Grandfather and he and my Grandmother lived their whole lives between South Carolina and Central Florida. They rescued me from a horrible situation when I was 13 and raised me until I left for college. My Grandfather once said, that n*****r something, something. Just conversationally and matter of factly. And I couldn't have been with them for more than a year by then. I stood up and told my Grandfather that that word offended me and I never wanted to hear him say it again. He never did. It wasn't until many years later as I was sorting his stuff after he died that I found out he was once a member of the Klu Klux Klan. I promise you, he wasn't active while I was around.

[snot]

19. I wouldn't say it's rampant, but it's sure not rare.

Ditto sexism, ageism, etc.

And there's a WIDE spectrum of degrees.

[Rowdyboy]

20. I'm 57-grew up and lived my life in Mississippi....Hold your breath...My answer is.....

YESSSS!!!!!!!

Every year there are fewer, and the coming generations are going to be much better but today, yes, I know racists.

[wickerwoman]

21. How are we defining racism?

I grew up in Whitey McWhiteville, Seattle where my high school of 1,500 had ten Asian kids and one African American. Nobody called anyone the "n" word, but I did see swastikas drawn on desks with depressing regularity. And if a white person saw a black person coming down the street they would cross to the other side... not quite assuming they were going to be attacked but not willing to take any chances either.

On the one hand, I guess it was less racist because I wasn't exposed to a lot of the slurs and stereotypes (I was 26 before I knew what a "lawn jockey" was); but on the other hand, I did tend to just assume everyone was exactly the same as me. I was shocked to find out that a friend of mine who I had known for about four years was Jewish. It never occurred to me that anyone else's experience of life could be that different from mine. I don't know if that constitutes a kind of racism- the failure to recognize or account for diverse life experiences. It's certainly been a drawback as I've traveled around the wider world.

I think a lot of white people in progressive cities think that because they don't use "those" words that they aren't racists. But they still hold on to a lot of problematic attitudes without realizing it. Like assuming electing Obama means that racism is dead in the US. Or thinking that affirmative action is the only reason someone got a job. Or assuming that the Chinese are "stealing" our jobs or intentionally trying to poison us with their crap. Or thinking all black people know each other. Or the whole looting/finding thing after Katrina which could just as easily have been written by a self-identified enlightened liberal as a drooling neocon.

Anyway, I'm a racist. Arguably everyone is. I don't think one race is better than another, but I do make assumptions about strangers based on superficial observations about them and the way society has conditioned me to think about certain groups of people.

We all interact with new people based on a basket of assumptions we bring to them from our previous experiences (or lack thereof). The best you can do is respect where other people are coming from and be prepared to have your assumptions challenged. And above all recognize the process of stereotyping as it is happening and force yourself to resist the temptation.

[AlabamaLibrul]

22. I'll take "Yes" for a thousand, Alex. n/t

[Rhythm]

23. Know any? Try related to...

The open racism and other bigotries waved around by several of my relatives are the biggest reason i have little if anything to do with them, and happily live 500 miles away from them. That kind of willful stupidity makes my head hurt..

[ProgressiveProfessor]

24. No race or ethnic group has a monopoly on bigotry, prejudice, or racism

[rl6214]

28. I have known a couple

One was white, one was hispanic.