Racism

[Moderated]

Hi.I have read all the comment and I do feel it is interesting. My parents are Algerians and expatriated to France. I grew up having both cultures and studying Languages at university. I myself expatriated to England but now live in Italy.I have a touch of 4 cultures which have all transformed me in many ways. I have some of the British calm, a resistance to heat from Algeria, an opinion on everything from France and more recently a real appreciation for balance in life and the importance of relaxing from Italy.

I officially have no roots!

I am sure you will know now that racism, I have seen and lived it! It's ugly but the most important thing is how you react to it. In france, I witnessed a whole generation expressing their anger on  the matter with the most disgusting way: violence and vandalism. Why do something even uglier? Calm  and intelligence are needed and it is not always easy to do but essential in order not to confuse the message. There is a famous quote I try to apply , especially when teaching spoilt adolescents: "Don't argue with an idiot! People looking can't tell the difference!". The wording is most definitely inaccurate but the message is right.

I have seen racism in all four countries. At times, it is verbal and open. In others, it is hidden behind cowardness or fear. And other times, it is disguised by humour.

In any of the situations above I have adopted the same approach: I get on with my life without response as I know that I am probably happier than they are.

Racism exists because of ignorance and stupidity.

We see the daft, bigoted film from the US, the stupid cartoons from France and so on.
Quite why a few people try so hard to offend is past what I can actually understand.

Peace and love, regardless of race, religion, skin colour or whatever other daft reasons some twits pick as a motivation to hate someone they don't know.

i never experinced racism except 1 calling me black wen i was in uk for 3 weeks hence hearing ppl above i really do think ppl who r racist should really stop it and just think them as ur brother and sister from another mother ....

That's excellent! Love it.x

buvaneshB2 wrote:

i never experinced racism except 1 calling me black wen i was in uk for 3 weeks hence hearing ppl above i really do think ppl who r racist should really stop it and just think them as ur brother and sister from another mother ....

buvaneshB2 wrote:

i never experinced racism except 1 calling me black wen i was in uk for 3 weeks hence hearing ppl above i really do think ppl who r racist should really stop it and just think them as ur brother and sister from another mother ....

I have experienced racism.
I was in Central Java when some idiot decided it would be a fine idea to call me a non believing dog.
In Islam, a dog is a serious insult.

The fool looked at my white skin and assumed.
I'll bet he felt a right twit when I uttered the Muslim declaration of faith before going to catch my bus.

I'm hoping, realising I'm Muslim was enough for him to question his ideas and see they're wrong.
I hope so but bigoted idiots tend to find reason to hate when none exists.

The color of a persons skin is the most obvious and first thing we see.  It is deep in our being to see and identify "our kind".  People feel better, safer around their own.  Look at any social setting such as a school lunch room, prison yard or most any where else people naturaly group together based on the color of their skin.
I grew up in America and have lived in South America Europe and the Middle East.  In America we are told that White people are the only racists and that if you are white you should go out of your way to proove that you are NOT racist.  It was a shock to me through my travels that the most rasist cultures are outside America and Western Europe.  Mexicans are divided between Spanish and Native looking Mexicans, Arabs seem to hate everyone, and through it all no matter how racist or non-racist a place or people are someone always "feels" oppressed.

I think that's what is come down to, everyone defines "Racism" differntly.  What is acceptable to you might not be to me and so on and so on.  To me, it's about the person and if we get along, if that person is a jerk or they do not work or we just do not "click" then it is not racist just because we have differnt skin.  So don't "Play the race card" but remember that not everyone thinks like you, it's their right to not like you because of your skin just like it's your right not to be judgeged because of it.  In the end what do you care if someone doesn't like your skin?  Do you really care what they think?

Myself, I'd rather identify a person that was like that and avoid them.  If you are a white living in a black area or country you will stick out.  Us westerners tend to be more sensative to it because our countries try to regulate peoples beliefs and interactions, western countries are moremixed and we are use to seeing differnt races and life styles.  Go to Sudan as a white guy dressed up in Gay Pride Day rainbow hot pants and feathers and you might not make it out alive, do the same thing in London or N.Y. and they won't bat an eye at you. 

Be your self, love your self but understand the world will not change to fit your belifes of how people should interact.  Live in a place that has the same values you do, you will be happier then trying to fight aginst the status quo all the time.

I'm not sure about the reason, but after revolution I meet more arguing people in Cairo, inside the metro or in the streets, for no reason. Some man and even woman in the streets spit out without care not far from me. I know here it can happen 'normally', but I feel a little sad when it happens.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

mas fred wrote:

I have experienced racism.
I was in Central Java when some idiot decided it would be a fine idea to call me a non believing dog.
In Islam, a dog is a serious insult.

What does it mean when someone calls you a sheep?

They either need glasses or they're a farmer who was fooled by my sheep impression as I hid behind a bush so he wouldn't shoot me.

Racism is a normal human disease.. Racism comes in many forms, and it is within each of us. racism exist between brothers &sisters families and communities etc.. of course it gets more obvious and personal from ones race/religion/color to another..
one tend to become more sensitive to racism when he/she find themselves on a none familiar territory or country if u well.. however, for every ignorant in this plant there always another good person next  to him/her;
whats funny tho is that ugly people can be beautiful but sometimes can't hide their ugliness, therefor they can either become racists or an object of racism.

Tealm wrote:

I'm not sure about the reason, but after revolution I meet more arguing people in Cairo, inside the metro or in the streets, for no reason. Some man and even woman in the streets spit out without care not far from me. I know here it can happen 'normally', but I feel a little sad when it happens.

Tealm, the reason for this (people "arguing" more and generaly voicing their opinions more) is because in places where saying what is on your mind could result in harsh punishment from oppresive governments or groups when that controling power be it a dictator, political party or religious community is no longer willing or able to suppress free speach peoples thoughs come pouring out, unfiltered.  Mixed with decades of anger and the inability to express ones veiws the easiest emotion and speech that people let out is normaly anger.

I saw this first hand in several middle east countries, it's like a boiling kettle, when the steam comes out it's very hot.  After a while it will go away, if the kettle is removed from the heat and the water cools.  In Egypt and other "Arab Spring" countries the people (some of them) are dismayed by this new found freedom, they do not understand that the fundamental issues that caused them so much hardship under a dictator (employment, education, poverty...) are still there after they became free.  They thought that a light switch would "pop" on and all their problems would go away over night, now they are upset because they are still unemployed, poor and are now under a new kind of dictatorship but this time it's one of their own choosing.  So people get upset,they don't know who to blame and an easy target is someone who doesn't look sound or think like them.

It goes both ways , people in the south such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kerala etc do better education wise than in the north.
You can see they dominate the IT industry, and moreover Mumbai is sort of south

In India there are different ways in which people feel better than others, its not just skin colour, also caste, profession etc

nav56 wrote:

Is racism same as colour prejudice? I am of an indian origin and see so much colour prejudice among the indian people... looking down on other indian with darker skins. Even in Bollywood movies this is so reinforced that it makes me boil.. It is amazing how Indians with darker skin have accepted this and think of people with darker skins as inferior..

When white goes to black country they feel racism, again when black goes to white countries they also feel racism, so racism is everywhere in various form and color.

Mizan: Yes you are right - but I think some countries have more racism than others.

I see you are from Bangladesh, and I dont think there is racism against foreigners there - but there might be other issues then, and this is probably what you mean by in various form

Japan. People do not like foreigners here. And it is really difficult to get a job, make friends. Since Japan was closed many years ago,they really do not like "foreign thing" here. People just stare at you and think that only japanese ppl exist.

Julien wrote:

Your place is wherever you want it to be Jo Ann!

I believe racism is one of our world's major problems. Let's (peacefully) fight against it, hopefully the internet will help, and try to make people understand themselves even if the color their skin, their religion, origins, languages and history are different.

if there's anything that is not going to end in the world is racism and stereotypes.

lots of love
Hericles

Hericles: I am afraid you are right because racism is basically greed in humanity - it is an uncivilised way of life in which the ego and materialism dominates the mind.

In a spiritual state of mind there is no fear, and one knows his true "Self", and knows all souls in all the worlds are inter-connected.

RACISM IS M*CK!!!!

@FeckTV - Lower your caps lock please when wrtiting!

Thank you,
Aurélie

right...

Even in Europe you might be not blond enough to be called white... even though your skin tone is pale, eyes are blue and hair is like wheat. An the worst thing is that you can't call it racism because officially all white skinned Europeans are caucasian...

And now in time of the economical crise we face some repercussions of the immortal nationalism and it is vivid in every single country. In my country it is easier to be a foreigner or even dark skin toned one than to admit oficially that I am atheist or that I do have left-winged opinion on the role of religion in a public life.

It's so hard to see that people can judge you by the color of your skin.

I went to London about 2years ago so I agree with what you were saying. I guess most countries are open now to diversed culture anyhow

I don't know why people discriminate others, people don't choose to be born in a particular place or to look like in a particular way.

All I can say is that : Piano Keys are Black and White, but they Sound like a million colours in your Mind.

Some poeple don't even know why they are racist, that so sad..

i will be greatful to visite ur city london ...so i hope a msg from u
i m from Algeria
see u

Actually, I think racism is a natural, basic, instinctive, reaction to strangers. Most people instinctively feel more secure - more comfortable - with people of their own kind: men with men and women with women, families with relatives, villagers with fellow-villagers, Manchester United fans with Manchester fans (sniff!), nationals with compatriots, people of a certain faith with others of the same faith, people of one culture with others of the same culture, people of one ethnic or racial group with others of the same ethnic or racial group.

Expats are less susceptible to those natural preferences. In general, our experiences make us rather more likely to seek out people who are different; but sometimes we have to make an instinctual choice between one naturally preferred group and another.

Years ago, my job used to send me to annual Miami Conferences of NGO managers from the US, Caribbean and Latin America. I automatically gravitated to the company of fellow Caribbeans (of several colours, races, languages and cultures) rather than to that of fellow-whites, or even fellow-expats. My comfort-zone lay with the former, not the latter. It's all about comfort-zones, I believe. Does that make sense to anybody?

Of course race-hatred is another thing altogether. But I think it is just an extreme form of the same preference.

Gordon Barlow wrote:

Actually, I think racism is a natural, basic, instinctive, reaction to strangers. Most people instinctively feel more secure - more comfortable - with people of their own kind: men with men and women with women, families with relatives, villagers ...

I disagree with this as  strongly as humanly possible. Kindly look up the definition of racism.

You may be right, Hericles. But what word would YOU use to describe the kind of racial preference I described?

Xenophobia.

Yes, well, but xenophobia means "fear of and/or hatred of foreigners", which is a rather narrower scope than my choice of words, and not quite the same. One person may dislike dealing with people of a different race, another may dislike dealing with people of a different religion. Are both dislikes covered by "xenophobia"? I wouldn't say so. One can hate one's next-door neighbour's religion or race without disliking him or her personally. No?

Here in Canada I don't experience much racism but I think there is a bit of it around. Some First Nations/Inuit people have a bad reputation and can be unfairly treated because of it, which is a real shame. In spite of that, here in the big cities, they tend to be very multicultural and diverse.

It differ from person to person and place to place
Where i do work we have combination of various nationalities
working toghather for the company
Hardly sees any of recism type things

For the expat living in south korea is there any racisim there??

IT is really sad to see that we can kiss a dog, a cat but we can't tolerate to even see other races around, just like they don't have the right to live. Shame on us, really shame us

Hi Julien,

I have been living in Australia for quite a while now and yes I do feel racism here. Interesting because I think it has got worse in the last ten years under Howard who defined Australian, in narrow terms, while at the same time allowing significant migration and immigration from Chinese and Indians. I would like to live in a multi-racial city that is still not trying to work itself out like Sydney is.

What do others think?

Sunila

Its an interesting topic. A bit of a tough one too. I'm a White South African, and since moving to England, I get a lot of 'But you're White?' That's generally from people who are a bit ignorant and know nothing about South Africa as a country. I don't think its racism as such. Just a lack of knowledge. I've had a few jabs at my accent and the fact that 'I'm another one of the many masses that come to the UK from abroad' but at the end of the day I don't get upset. We live in a global world. People best embrace the diversity in it.

HaileyinHongKong wrote:

I would think most people in England know the history of South Africa.

Then again, people in my country seem to think Chinese and Japanese are the same.

Excuse me for saying so but I would very much doubt that. Maybe 'many' people in Britain, i.e. those who have visited SA, but I doubt if 'most' people know more than the very basics of the history of the country.
PS I lived in SA for several years as a kid so do know some basic South African history.

This from a recent blog-post of mine, reminiscing about hitch-hiking in Sweden in 1963. I would hope that things are different now!
"The highlight of the evening was the angry reaction of my hosts' toothless old grandmother to being introduced to me. On the evidence of a recent TV documentary she knew that Australians were black people, and she felt insulted by her family's attempt to pass me off as one of them. She sulked for most of the evening..."