Racism: have we made any progress from the 60's?

I wouldn't know, I'm white.

 

This issue is sadly still with us I believe in the sense that stereotypes still exsist. I for one, refuse to accept these as acceptable for any reason and I do all I can to discourage people from thinking along racist lines.

Although I am basically 'white', I am from mediterranian decent and a landed imigrant to Canada when I was 3. I have unusual features in the sense that I look like I am from somewhere else, (or so I have been told), and I often get asked about my ethnicity. It's ok, but sometimes I feel as though I should ask, "why do you ask, or why does it matter". I don't though, because I need to trust that it comes from purely a place of interest, rather than from a place of judgment.

While growing up, I endured a lot of bullying about my looks and about my last name. I remember how much it hurt, but I'd rather have that learning on my side, as it helps me to have first hand experience on a matter that many people just don't think about, or have little awareness of.

I remember how my father had such a hard time trying to find a job in so many countries, and how much the language barrier was an issue inicially, but he caught on really quickly as he is a brilliant man in that area.

So yea, I have talked mainly about my experience, but afa has it changed since the 60's, I'd have to say it's improved in some ways definitely, but there is still a ton of room for improvement. I dislike it, no... I'm gonna say that I actually "hate" it, when I hear white people, or even non-white people slam First Nations peoples, suggesting that they are all lazy alcoholics who live on dumpy reserves, or that East Indians (East Asians) are all out to be terrorists or that they beat their women etc when it happens in any race. I hate generalizations that come from a place of fear and ignorance, because they hurt people.

I dislike generalizations that suggest that all Black people can dance and sing better than any other race, (although they are my favorite style of singers and dancers), and I cannot stand it at all, when people suggest that Italians (that's my background), are all fat, lazy, crazy and stereotypically sitting around drinking red wine and eating pasta all day). It's silly and breeds ignorance.

 

I am also white, but I do think that there is still too much racism going on. While things are not as bad as they were in the 60's they are still bad. It makes me want to cry.

 

well said.

 

Of course we've made progress, but there still is a great deal of racism. Not only is there still racism, but also ageism, ableism, sexism, and tons of other 'social dividers'. We've gotten better at accepting/embracing differences, but we still have a ways to go.

 

Racism isn't even close to what it was in the 60s. Nearly everything the Civil Rights leaders pushed for has come to pass. We now live in a day and age when racist sentiment is looked at as an oddity rather than the norm.

If you're not celebrating the strides we've made in this area over the past 50 years, you're not paying attention.

 

Racism is a power struggle. Those in power (in the US, to be white is to hold more power) want to keep the power.

 

Black people and other ethnicities can be racist too you know

 

Generational bias has played a role in the prevalence of racism as people with racist dispositions raise children their values are imparted to them. Here the severity of racism can vary widely from a "white supremest" to someone who thinks their parents are out of their minds. Several generations may be needed to minimize it to truly minor entity.

Its eradication though is impossible as the world is not a homogeneous society and differences will exist and be used to divide people

 

I cannot answer that question. I can only say for myself i truly HATE racism. I cannot understand a racist person. I cannot understand the condemnation of an entire people based solely on the color of their skin, the roots of their ancestry, the actions of their ancestors. i want to cry. I do. I cannot understand it, therefore I cannot explain the whys...

 

There was a "Kids In The Hall" episode years ago that contained a skit about this very issue.

I loved it, actually, because it contained the words; "O what does it matter? We're all pink inside"...

Felt good to me.

 

Your question leads the answer and makes a very large assumption. You're clearly stating that you think racism is a problem, and you want validation for this stance.

I can't give it to you. I live in the southern United States in a city that is 75% black. Racism here is only a function of a lack of education, and at worst is people segregating themselves from others that they don't understand. Otherwise, normal educated people of all races are getting along better than they ever have.

The issue of racism as you're calling it is nothing more than an issue of education - or the lack there of. This issue goes far beyond the scope of small minded people who don't like those other small minded people who don't look and act like them.

That's the real issue today.

 

Agreed.

 

Considering that, apart from people who have fantasies about living in revolutionary times, you'll find very few black people who would willingly travel to the 60s in a time machine and set up a home there, I'm going to say: No, it is not worse.

 

You could start by not assuming that people agree that racism is an 'important' issue. Many people no longer feel that it is. I am one of them. For the most part in the United States, it's nothing more than a hold out viewpoint for a small minority of people (of any race). The rest of us have moved on.

No, but I am stating that racist = uneducated in almost all modern instances. And if we are to remove the last bastions of racism, we need to do it by ignoring the issue entirely because all it's doing is fueling the fire of people who don't want to drop it, and instead focus on educating our population - which will affect a multitude of other issues like poverty, crime, productivity, health care, and more.

 

I would hardly say that racism isn't important any more. It's not blatant and obvious like it used to be, but society is still functioning in a way that treats the white, christian, heterosexual, able-bodied, middle-aged, educated man as the top of the societal ladder. If you are missing out on any of those, you face adversity in some way shape or form. Racism is just one of the social injustices that is still common place.