Racism against white people...does it exist?

[slant]

Hello.


Today for the very first time in my life I experience racism. I am white. A lot of people would not consider racism against a white person racism because they are privileged, hold all of the power, and enslaved a lot of people in the past.

Upon offering a suggestion that an action committee be formed for a group of women, I was told in response:


"I just get the vibe that you're going all: white woman solve's everyone's problems, and it's very like...what's the word...hypocritical. I don't like white people, I'm not friends with white people. I've been burned in the past too many times by white people and every time I get to know a white person they burn me. I'm not saying you, but I just don't trust your idea."


I felt that this was kind of racist, but I didn't say anything.


Later the person apologized if she had 'offended' me, but I still didn't say anything because I didn't want to get into an argument. What kind of argument? The one that goes something along the lines of this


ME: Don't you think it's a bit racist that you don't like an entire race of people based on your experiences with individuals? Surely you haven't gotten to know every white person.
THEM: Me? I'm racist? White people are privileged and somehow I'm being racist against them? My whole life I've grown up being told I'm not as good as white people, I've had white people treat me like shit and call me derogatory names. People I know have been BEAT THE SHIT out of just for being their race. And I'm the racist?
ME: I never have said anything racist towards you or anything racist intentionally in my life. I've never beaten anyone up for their race and I never would. I don't make my friends based on the color of their skin and I don't go around meeting one asian person and thinking all asians are like that.
THEM: But you don't understand, you're privileged! We will never be the same! People look at you and they think, 'normal'. People look at me and they think of the color of my skin. People of my racial background get accepted into less colleges, they get incarcerated more easily than white people do, there is an entire institution that is setting up my people for failure. And you, the privileged one, are going to call me racist when I point out the facts? White people dominate society. They enslave people of other races, still do to this day in the factories of YOUR white people owned corporations. I'm not racist. I can't be racist! I don't have the power or privilege to be racist!


I'm not saying these arguments aren't valid, I'm just saying that I feel like...shouldn't racism apply to white people, too? What are your thoughts?

 

[This]

Yes, what she said was racist. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter if you're black, white or green on the inside we are all the same shade of red. Look to our pasts so that we don't make the same mistakes, look to our heritages so we can learn about cultures, look to our genetics so we know what to watch out for with our health. Beyond that there is no need to even really consider race, to judge someone based on the color of their skin is pretty damn ignorant from any side of the fence.

 

[tfg345i4u5lw]

There is plenty of racism against white people. The title of the thread actually sounds a little silly IMO.

Also I'm not white so that makes my opinion way more valuable than if I was a white person. (sarcasm)

 

[Jill Hives]

There is racism for every color of skin and every culture. There are prejudices for every difference, no matter how insignificant. No one race is immune to racist remarks.

"I don't have the power or privilege to be racist!" What a crock of shit that is. Anyone can be racist.

 

[Arquibus]

Yeah, racism is any sort of generalized opinion about race. Just the idea that white people can't face racism is, well, racist. Take me, for instance. I'm white but I got a minority scholarship for being "Appalachian". My hometown is nearly 100% white, but we are generally as poor and have as little opportunity as inner city folks. It's true that violence isn't as bad here, but drug use (Meth), teen pregnancy, dropout rates, and unemployment run rampant. I lucked out getting my scholarship, because most of my class that attended college didn't. Never mind that most of my class didn't, and of those that did quite a few dropped out. So this idea that all white people are privileged, educated, well-to-do folk is as racist as it comes.

Anyway. The important thing is to recognize that you don't know anyone's story until you do. We all got our problems.

 

[sassafras]

What boggles my mind is that there are people out there that do believe that there is no such thing as racism towards [insert race here]. Racism is racism is racism. A person may not have white privilege, but they may be utilizing another kind privilege whenever their minority status permits them to compete in the (sometimes) culturally sanctioned Oppression Olympics in an effort to excuse or draw attention away from their bad behaviour in the present.

Oppression doesn't have to happen on a large scale. It can and does happen individually whenever you are putting someone down for being any kind of race, gender, or cultural background.

 

[youhemmein]

Yes.

I've experienced it many, many times. I've seen racism go many ways and hurt many people. As long as there is race, there will be racism.

 

[Blind Bandit]

Slant, I'm sorry to hearyou had to deal with such a stupid person. What was said was very much racist. That she ignored your idea because your white. Its a scape goat tactic on her part. A definite play of the race card.

 

[Saru Inc]

I actually experienced A LOT of racism towards me when I was growing up.

Its also not just white people didn't enslave people back then, black people enslaved people, Asians enslaved people, he'll, humans in general enslaved people.


Racism is just... It pisses me off. It's like of all things to hate someone for. Really? You picked the one thing about these people they can't change?

 

[acd]

Yep..

The unfortunate thing is that because of their attitude, they will likely end up being a walking self-fulfilling prophecy--meaning they will prob. miss out on a lot of opportunities and relationships because they are so freaking ignorant and negative.

 

[Sai]

yes it exist! in my country lately there has been an increase in hatred against white people. im not white but my family is (including my mom). The actual goverment blames a lot of stuff on white people so there is a kind of tension but its not that bad as other countries.

 

[Stu]

I think it happens a lot more to women then men. I am, by complexion, extremely white. But I have a bad attitude, a "Fuck you" if you will attitude toward strangers in general. When I deal with men who are strangers to me I am a polite, careful listener and always attempt to be measured and dispassionate in my responses to them. But the moment the interaction becomes adversarial to the slightest degree I reassess uberrogo the situation in terms of class and race. I choose my words more carefully, avoiding vanity multisyllabic words or words of odd origin or ambiguous meaning, I get blunter and blunter if we do not come to terms quickly.

I notice that most of the women I know do not interact this way. In fact often it is the opposite in that they employ more empathy and attempt more understanding. If they are of a "higher" socio-economic class they invariably run into stickiness, that whole "white woman trying to save the world" diss which implies that any tragedy they have endured in their lives was of a sitcom variety.

I have had non whites tell me that they do not trust whites. It was unnerving but also it was their truth. In reality I never ask anyone I do not know to trust me. And at that point race has never mattered.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

If prejudice is directed against a racial group, and that group does not create an uproar, then it is not racism.

Is that what the assumption seems to be in many quarters?

 

[Trifoilum]

Holy shit YES slant, YES.

However the damage, stigma, and society-induced moral punishment will be severely less*, thanks for what they called 'white privilege'.

It would be worse if you're male. And straight. And from middle-upper class. And Christian, probably.

It exists, and another forum I'm in are talking extensively about this; so far it seems to be revolved around that privilege.
I could give you the link, if you want

*)Some people uses this to lessen other forms of racism / sexism : "YOU THINK THEY (STILL) SUFFERED? LOOK BECAUSE OF WHAT POLITICS HAS DONE, NOW WE SUFFERED! (so return the condition back!)" I honestly call bullshit. Yes, both forms of discrimination exist, but it doesn't mean one should be condoned than others.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

Holy shit YES slant, YES.

However the damage, stigma, and society-induced moral punishment will be severely less*, thanks for what they called 'white privilege'.

It would be worse if you're male. And straight. And from middle-upper class. And Christian, probably.

It exists, and another forum I'm in are talking extensively about this; so far it seems to be revolved around that privilege.
I could give you the link, if you want

*)Some people uses this to lessen other forms of racism / sexism : "YOU THINK THEY (STILL) SUFFERED? LOOK BECAUSE OF WHAT POLITICS HAS DONE, NOW WE SUFFERED! (so return the condition back!)" I honestly call bullshit. Yes, both forms of discrimination exist, but it doesn't mean one should be condoned than others.

Four for four. Don't worry - I handle prejudice as nicely as you please.

I must say, however, it irks me when any group, or anyone claims entitlement because they are treated prejudicially.

 

[Trifoilum]

Four for four. Don't worry - I handle prejudice as nicely as you please.

I must say, however, it irks me when any group, or anyone claims entitlement because they are treated prejudicially.

four for four?

I wonder what sort of entitlement are preserved for people who are being treated with prejudice... I mean, there's a lot of efforts to 'balance' the scales between the groups with more power and the groups with less power-- positive prejudice, if you may *cough*; but is that entitlement?

 

[#@&5&49]

Being born into a multi-racial family and being married to someone from a different culture than my own I have witnessed and experienced prejudice from both the receiving end and the giving end. One is not any better than the other. Prejudice can come from anywhere and anyone. It can be overt, covert, subtle, direct, indirect, and take on any face and be found in any walk of life. I have watched people who weren't prejudice degenerate into being prejudiced and I have watched prejudice being consciously and unconsciously taught to younger generations. I have seen people ignore it, fight it, avoid it, live with it, join in on it, and rise above it.

I don't condone prejudice but because of my background I can certainly understand where it comes from. Personally I feel that prejudice is an embarrassing aspect of the human species and whenever I experience it I feel sorry for not only the people that are giving and receiving it but for our species as a whole. Hatred is a choice we make as a result of experience. Hatred is not a solution. Remember that old saying "if you're not part of the solution than you're part of the problem". Eldridge Cleaver

 

[the]

I suppose that it is racism. If some Joe Schmoe nobody doesn't like you for your race, why do you care about that? I'm sure there are a million better reasons to not like you than because you are a cracker.

 

[toska]

Yup it sure does. I'm as white as it gets, like super viking, and I spent 2.5 years living in a neighborhood where whites are a small minority. I didn't encounter it very often though. It was actually a very friendly neighborhood. If someone hates me because of my race, it's their problem not mine because I don't fit the stereotype they're trying to project on me.

 

[Faye]

Yes, of course it is possible. I've had it happen to me on several occasions when I was growing up. It usually wasn't ambiguous though- i.e. "dirty white boy". I don't care about that, but I do hate the fact that I've been held back from certain good experiences because of it and also because I didn't speak any Spanish.