[DeKa]

Why are Southern people so racist? Not all, just most I've met. I'm Hispanic, so most treat me like I don't know English (talking to me in short words divided into syllables, or using sign language) and then start talking about us behind our backs like we can't understand. I've also realized that some not-so-diverse Southern states are more racist. Some people in Tennessee were staring at me - they obviously don't get out much.

User Detail :  

Name : DeKa, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Agnostic, Age : 14, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, 

[Rodf]

You are 100 percent right. I am brown and have lived in the South for 10 years, and believe me, 'Southern Hospitality' is one big, laughable myth. Even if it exists, it is reserved for whites. I've even lived close to Atlanta, and frankly, I found it to be a dump, just like other Southern cities.

There's nothing in the South: no culture, no economy, no sophistication, no great institutions of learning, no cool cities, no progress and no good weather. And it's blessed with blissful ignorance, high crime, poor education, poverty, funny accents, idiotic drivers and historical embarrassment.

Ultimately, you are dealing with a group of people among whom the mindset of 'White Superiority' and the 'benefits' of segregation are very strong and have been passed down from one generation to the next since the Civil War. Add to that generous amounts of good, kind-hearted 'we love all' Christian values practiced by the xenophobic Southern Baptists, and you see what I mean...

And not only was the loss of the Civil War a blow to Southern pride, but to add insult to injury, there was desegregation in the mid-'60s. Therefore, the 'Northerners' not only freed the blacks, but they have also ensured that the white Southerner will have to live and work alongside blacks. And look what's happening: given equal opportunity, blacks have shown they are not as 'incompetent' as the white Southerner's ancestors always made them out to be. So the notion of 'white superiority' goes out the window. Now, white Southerners are faced with direct competition, and their beliefs have been proven absolutely wrong. And when this happens, you have insecurity, fear and hate setting in. And therefore the sight of another black or brown face simply causes more fear and resentment. At that moment the Southerner thinks 'Man, because of you my ancestors got screwed, and so am I. How come you move so freely in front of me? Go back to where you belong!'

Believe me, the best place to live in the United States is the Midwest or Rocky Mountain States, where people have warmth, genuine respect and courtesy for others. Sure, there are problems there, too, but rest assured you will be far away from 'Southern Hostility.'

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Name : Rodf, Gender : M, Race : Brown, Age : 30, City : Charlotte, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Jessica B.]

To Rodf: I am saddened that you are so unhappy in the South. If you are so uncomfortable in this section of the United States, I hope you can find somewhere else to live that fulfills you. I never lived in Atlanta, but I did live in rural Georgia for a brief time before moving back to Mississippi. I found it a nice place, but I just prefer my home state. I can't speak for all Southerners, but if I stare at someone different from me, I don't mean it disrespectfully. I am merely curious, and have never seen a person like you before. I was once eating at a restaurant, and a waiter there was a black man with blue eyes! I very nearly jumped out of my skin in surprise when I saw him; I didn't mean to be uncouth, but you just don't see many black men with blue eyes. In Jackson, where I live, we have a large Asian Indian community, and so Indian people no longer seem unusual to see walking about. There is also a large black community, and some Hispanics (from Mexico, mostly, though my cousin's wife is half Puerto Rican). I am accustomed to these groups, and am therefore less likely to stare (unless you happen to have two heads or something, at which point I may not be able to restrain myself from glancing in your direction every once in a while). Were I to see someone from say, a South American rain forest, I might be curious to know more about them. In much the same way, you don't see many Asian people here, so to meet someone from Japan or Korea is surprising. In the rural areas, the situation is different. The more isolated you are, the more you tend to be racist in my experience. In Smith County, where my elderly aunt lives, to even be seen talking to a black person is a major faux pas. I don't pretend to have all the answers on how to solve this problem, but to clear up a few common questions I get when I meet a Yankee I will say: (1) No, I have never been to a Klan rally. In fact, I haven't heard of the Klan doing anything at all within the last few years. I'm sure they're still out there, but it's not like they ride through the streets of Jackson on a nightly basis. (2) No, I do not eat 'chitlins'. This one came from a Canadian friend of mine. I have never eaten chitlins in my lifetime, nor would I. They're boiled hog intestines! Euch! (3) No, I am not inbred. Nor have any of my male relatives ever anally sodomized any Yankees. However, I cannot speak for other people's male relatives. You're thinking of 'Deliverence' not MS.

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Name : Jessica B., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 16, City : Jackson, State : MS Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Ike]

When people stare, it makes us feel uncomfortable, but it is not a crime. It is human to be curious about people different from yourself. Make friends with the people who stare. Do these Southerners pique your curiosity? Stare at them! Be childishly curious! You never know: they may want to be your friend. If you get to know each other, they may turn out to be some of your closest allies in fighting racism. My point is that we don't know what other people think, and we must not make presumptions, or we will be guilty of stereotyping e.g. 'all Southerners who stare at me are racist.' Children don't make assumptions about the world; they approach everything with a clean slate. We must approach each other with a clean slate and assume that our kindness will be returned with kindness. If it is not, we have not lost anything in the process. A professor once said to me that he did not believe racism exists, only ignorance. This is arguable. To me, ignorance is not understanding another culture, but racism is the resistance to understanding other cultures. Racism is an unfortunate human trait, like jealousy or malice. But life is about overcoming these things, and developing goodness, kindness, generosity and forgiveness.

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Name : Ike, Gender : F, Race : Asian, Age : 26, City : Jersey City, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Mary]

I think it is an assumption that the South is racist. There are many Cubans and Puerto Ricans living in Florida and other Southern coastal areas who have just immigrated here and really cannot speak the language.

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Name : Mary, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 28, City : Philadelphia, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : social worker, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kristina]

The idea that Southern people are more racist than Northern people came from Civil War times; blacks migrated from the South to the North to find jobs, so it was believed that the South was more racist. However, even in the North, blacks encountered a great deal of discrimination - it may have been in equal amounts as blacks in the South. I have lived in Virginia, a Southern state with mostly white people. I haven't experienced any more racism than when visiting New York or what not. I think it's not location as much as socioeconomic class. Upper-class whites will at least try to not discriminate. Lower-class whites may not care as much, as it seems as if the KKK and other racist groups are more common among lower-class whites. Lower-class whites seem to live more in the South, so maybe this is why it appears these states are more racist. But really, if you are black (or in your case, Hispanic), no matter where you are, you are more likely to have to fight prejudice than a white person.

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Name : Kristina, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Transcriber, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Daniel A.]

It's the way white people think that the entire world is made for them and owes them a living. If you are different from them, then you are usually relegated to the level of a servant, or a curiosity to be stared at. After all, who would want to be anything other than white?

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Name : Daniel A., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 27, City : San Francisco, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Musician, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[J. Ewing]

Being 20 and a woman, I stare at all men. Plus I stare at women (you have to know the competition). To be serious, I am from the North and moved to Georgia. I had never really encountered racism before I came here. I am white but speak differently from them, so I have been termed a 'Damn Yankee.' And I do get stared at like I am from another planet. I try to be respectful when trying to figure out if someone speaks English, but somehow I feel foolish asking someone if they speak English. I have learned some Spanish and apologetically tell everyone my Spanish is bad so that when they reply I can use English or Spanish. Could you let me know what is the polite way to ask?

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Name : J. Ewing, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 20, City : Monroe, State : GA Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Sherman]

I don't think people are necessarily more racist in the South, I just think that white people in the South are more comfortable expressing their racist views. There are people here in California who won't use the N-word around black people because they are afraid they might be heard - and outnumbered. In the South, chances are there will be many more whites around than people of other races, so they feel comfortable about saying what they really feel.

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Name : Sherman, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : Richmond, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Contractor, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[Billie Jo]

I don't know believe that we think that everyone owes us and wants to be white. That is where the problems come into place is that everyone tries to turn the littlest things into something racist and create problems. If everyone no matter what color you are would stop doing that this world would be fine.

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Name : Billie Jo, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 27, City : West Bloomfield, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : nursing, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Bailey]

I agree with this post. I was raised in Little Rock, AR, and moved in August to NYC for college. In one class, we were discussing racism in different regions, and my (native NYer) teacher said, 'Oh, there are racists everywhere...in the South they just aren't afraid to say it.' Quite honestly, I don't feel any less racial tension here in Manhattan. People naturally segregate themselves...helLO, Spanish Harlem, Chinatown, Little Italy? It's natural that people are comfortable within their ethnic groups, but it's not just happening below the Mason-Dixon line. Good observation, Sherman.

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Name : Bailey, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 18, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : College Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mary21965]

Let me tell you something honey! I lived in Omaha,Nebraska much longer than I ever should have and it is the most racist city I have encountered in my life, and I'm from Texas!! The people in Omaha are not even aware they are racists. For example, one boy claimed 'Oh, I'm not racist, I'm not racist. My girlfriend is black.' (Well, if you have to count the type of friends you have, you are definately racist.) And then two sentences later he said 'But I hate Mexicans.' The difference between my encounters in Omaha and in Texas are that the people in Texas that are racist know it! The people in Omaha are blind to their racism. I want you to know that racism is across the board, it's just out in some places.

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Name : Mary21965, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Orthodox Christian, Age : 19, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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