[Kristina26288]

From my real-life experiences, and also from browsing through Y? Forum and other sites on the Internet, sometimes it seems that the most racist comments come from people who should be more understanding: fellow minorities. Sometimes I think open-minded whites are much more understanding of a particular race's plight than someone from another minority background, who usually has also been a victim of white racism. Why is this? Why would Asians, Hispanics, Asian Indians, Native Americans, etc. view blacks through stereotypical lenses, when they themselves have also been victimized by white racism? By the same token, why do some African Americans lack compassion for other minorities' plights, or are quick to believe the media? I have seen some of this evident among perceptions of Arab Americans after 9/11. At least with an open-minded white person, they're more apt to see a need for a change in their thinking. Sometimes I think minorities are less apt to see they need to change their perception about another race, especially when it comes to African Americans. Why is this issue so ignored by the media and minority communities?

User Detail :  

Name : Kristina26288, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 22, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Karim]

I agree with you totally. After 9-11, almost all racial slurs I got were from blacks and Hispanics. I am starting to think that suffering probably hardens people rather than makes them more compassionate.

User Detail :  

Name : Karim, Gender : M, Age : 23, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[ACC25109]

I can think of a couple of reasons. Let me start with an example: Do you know that some Louisiana Creoles (of mixed black and white ancestry) tried to form their own units in the Confederate Army? At first that might not make sense, until you realize that they thought the Confederacy would win. And who would it make more sense to ally yourself with, racist whites with all the guns, money and power, or virtually powerless black slaves? I think much the same thing is going on when you hear someone nonwhite being racist toward another minority. Even some black comedians told jokes about this after 9/11: 'Oh, now that Ay-rabs are the ones getting profiled, I'm all in favor of it! It gets the cops and the white people to quit from always staring at me!' And some of these minorities are more 'white-looking' than 'black-looking.' Lighter-skinned Latinos, mixed-blood American Indians and even some Asians can get mistaken for white and thus enjoy some of the same privileges of white skin. This is hardly the first time minorities have tried to win acceptance by joining in on the prejudice against another group. Try reading 'How the Irish Became White,' or for that matter, go see Martin Scorcese's 'Gangs of New York.' Many of these minorities also have a long history of their own, prior to even getting to the United States, of discrimination. There is a color bar in Latin America, as well as color/caste bars in India.

Finally, has it occurred to you that this doesn't get as much attention because it's not as important? Who has more ability to make your life and mine miserable, racists in the GOP like David Duke and Ann Coulter, or the East Indian shopkeeper on the corner?

User Detail :  

Name : ACC25109, Gender : M, Race : Mexican and American Indian, Age : 37, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[RhondaOutlaw]

Just about every ethnic group that has come here has treated African Americans poorly. And Muslims are no exception. Whenever an injustice was committed against a black person, I didn't see any 'ethnic' people rallying with us. In the aftermath of 9/11, when Muslims were treated badly, unfairly labeled as terrorists and criminals, my thoughts were, 'Well, now you know how my people feel.' Now they, too, know the humiliation of being labeled 'less than' just because of their color or your religion. My empathy lies with my own people, who are still being treated 'less than.' So sorry, I'm all out of empathy for others.

User Detail :  

Name : RhondaOutlaw, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 41, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Account Representative, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Dominique]

I think that maybe minorities discriminate against fellow minorities because it takes the pressure off them, even for a brief period of time. There is a theory (the theorist escapes me) that says the oppressed eventually become the oppressor when given a chance. I'm not saying this is right, but before you go with the compassionate white vs. the angry minority stance, remember that studies have been done to show that still, in 2003, the defense attorney representing a criminal (whether he or she is minority or not) on trial wants the jury to be mostly composed of minorities, because they tend to be more compassionate than white jurors when it comes to judging someone on the basis of a criminal activity.

User Detail :  

Name : Dominique, Gender : F, Age : 20, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Scientist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Brian23048]

Most of the racial minorities mentioned don't get the same degree of flak when making racist comments as whites. G.W. Bush and others were pretty quick to stifle any Arab-bashing after 9-11, although they clearing planned on bashing a bunch of Arabs with bombs and bullets. Blacks and Mexicans can make statements about themselves and Arabs because no one's going to file a discrimination lawsuit against them. Whites just keep the comments to themselves then bring out the B2- bombers.

User Detail :  

Name : Brian23048, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 28, City : Peru, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : management, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[J-Fleming]

I would offer that it's more complex than the 'white-racist-evil plus non-white-antiracist-virtue equals a particular right to one's loyaly' dialectic you've presented us with. Asians out-perform whites in education consistently. As a 'minority', aisians are less reticent about the losses they incur from affirmative action. Since long prior to quotas, African Americans focused hate and even violence upon Asians, believing that they rob the black community of opportunity. Mexicans, like many Asians, emerge from greater material hardship than African Americans do, and so consider them to be undue complainers. As a white person, although it's considered wrong to mention it, I frequently find myself subject to hate from all three: Mexicans think all whites in the city are gay, African Americans think all whites are gay child molesters, and Asians think we're all ignorant barbarians undeserving of what we've got. Mexicans and Puerto Ricans are divided, and the list goes on. Whites similarly cannot be lumped together as simple racists. In the aftermath of 9/11, a racially motivated attack on a mostly white country that accounted for 17% of the murder rate that year, the backlash against Arab Americans spiked to a level half of, but proportionate to, what jews experience normally before returning to pre 9/11 levels within two weeks. About 400 incidents in total, the majority of which consisted of verbal exchanges and simple vandalism. the only arabs deported have been those illegally in the country with false or insufficient documentation. Before the week was out, our white, therefore nessesarily racist, president held an interfaith vigil on the steps of the Washington Mosque pleading for tollerance, presumably from other white racists. To be sure, there are genuine white racists, but as you pointed out, the last four decades of antiracist awareness has been focussed on reforming whites in particular, leaving what's left of white racism safely closeted while one sees little regret or restraint amongst black, arab, asian and latino racists. It's not as simple as whites vs. non-whites and I don't understand why one would want it to be so. Black racists and arab racists share anti-semitism despite arab exploitation of africans via the slave trade that continues to this day. But then, jew-hatred has again become popular among 'open-minded' whites as well. Perhaps that's where you'll find the battle lines are truly drawn.

User Detail :  

Name : J-Fleming, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[J-Khandi]

I am a muslim male and I am also black. Dont judge all muslims just because of a few bad ones.

User Detail :  

Name : J-Khandi, City : NYC, State : NY Country : United States, 

[Bobbie]

It has a lot to do with perception and the racism Blacks have experienced as a people. Many Blacks perceive the majority race as being more accepting of any other race than they are of Blacks, so when another minority enters the picture, many Blacks feel they are going to be treated better by the power structure. Blacks are aware of the prejudices of other minorities (incidentally, the only 'fellow minority' is a person of the same ethnic group as your own)who take their cues and lack of experience with Blacks from the media and the majority population,and who are often, in turn, seen by Blacks as just another group of prejudiced people to make things harder on them. I will admit that I, for instance, am resentful of the number of foreign born persons that have invaded this country in recent years. My resentment deepens when I see Hispanics being catered to at every turn and allowed to steal into this country illegally and remain here. This is a situation that would NEVER, EVER be allowed if these illegals were Black. Resentment is felt also when whites don't speak out against the wrongs foreigners (especially Hispanics) do but are quick to criticize Blacks when they seek equal opportunity (affirmative action) in their own land to try to gain parity. I agree that this issue is ignored by people of all races, but it truly does exist. In talking with some of my fellow African American friends especially about Hispanics, we sound like prejudiced white people talking about Blacks. It would be interesting to hear some psychological interpretation of this issue.

User Detail :  

Name : Bobbie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 41, City : Eagle Creek, State : IN Country : United States, Occupation : Administrator, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Stoney]

It does not matter if your a minor or a major. Racism does not really exist except in your mind. I will explain, there are only two types of people. There are cool people who are accepting of others and there are assholes,who are not. That's the basic answer to your question in a nutshell.

User Detail :  

Name : Stoney, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, 

[Author]

Posts