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Race/Ethnicity Questions 11-20

THE QUESTION:
R20: Why is it that there seems to be more information on African-Americans’ heritage in the classroom than Latinos’ heritage?
POSTED MARCH 11, 1998
Courtney M., 22, Lawrence, KS

ANSWER 1:
I would think that the appearance is for two reasons: The first is that you hear of Black History Month, those 28 days of February, when the media take some time to recognize blacks in the history of this country and the world. This in contrast to the 30 days celebrating Hispanic-American history from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, which the media has not taken the time to play up.

Also, there was a huge civil rights movement about 30 years ago that was an effort to counter many of the things that were legally in place to hinder the advancement of blacks in America. These hindrances also affected people who were of other minorities, but the most obvious to be affected were blacks. This was a key time in our country’s history.

Because of this, it may seem that you get less Hispanic history, but if you would ask your school board to make note of who your children are learning about who reflect the different racial/ethnic groups, you’ll likely see that many of the people mentioned come from more than one background.
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Apryl P., black, Oak Park, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
There has been some effort recently to fill the void caused by lack of educational materials in Latino history. The Chicago Metro History Education Center, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, IL, has created a curriculum in Chicago Latino History. It is believed to be the first of its kind. Requests for information on this project have come from all over the country, so it is evident a real need has been addressed.
POSTED JULY 17, 1998
R. Stewart, board member, CMHEC <rostew@aol.com>, Chicago, IL
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THE QUESTION:
R19: I am volunteering in the fourth grade to help the kids write stories. We’ve had a great time. Lots of stories, lots of laughs, lots of candy, lots of bookmarks. But I frequently have trouble understanding some of my young black students – particularly the boys. I ask them to slow down, talk louder or whatever, and I still can’t make out all the words.At least one youngster has started speaking clearer to me. I’ve taught many older black males (college age in a historically black university) and know they can switch their dialect at will. How can I help these youngsters reach that point? By the way, this is an integrated class with a mixture of blacks, whites, Asians and Latinos. I’d like some advice on dealing with this situation. Thank you.
POSTED MARCH 11, 1998
Cindy S., NC

ANSWER 1:
It is a white privilege in society to speak the acceptable use and proper pronunciation of words. I am a white woman married to a black man with 36 nephews who have the same characteristics that you speak of. Time will help you understand them from being around the dialect. Like all things, listening and asking them to speak slower, not “more clearly,” will bridge the gap for you. I admit to my nephews that I am not as familiar with the dialect – so can you slow down for Aunt BJ? This puts the emphasis of the deficiency on me. Secondly, I would recommend a great book that talks about the dynamics of racism in the school system called Healing Racism in America by Natan Rutstein.
POSTED MARCH 16, 1998
BJ Winchester , 33, Jacksonville, FL

FURTHER NOTICE:
Yours is a considerable challenge. I’m not sure you can have much success without “away from class room” help. I am black. Several years ago my wife and I, both professionals, were counseling some public housing youngsters. After hearing the do’ (open the do’) and the sto’ (go to the sto’) a few times too much, I asked one of the kids to spell the words. Of course, I got d-o-o-r and s-t-o-r-e. I then asked her to repeat those words and got door and store. When I asked why she didn’t use those words correctly in speech, she replied, “Why do we have to talk like that? We ain’t in school.”
POSTED MARCH 16, 1998
Greg Ross, 47, Atlanta

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
As an African American and a former speech therapist in a public school setting, I can tell you only to be more specific about the speech patterns causing the communications failure. Model the desired speech behavior. Give immediate feedback about your experience of listening to your students’ speech. What exactly will the student need to do in order to better communicate with you/others? What is missing from the student’s speech?
POSTED MARCH 18, 1998
S.L., Ann Arbor, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
The major problem you and other well-meaning professionals – black or white – are having is that the current educational system refuses to take the necessary English as a Second Language (ESL) approach to ensuring these students become bi(multi)lingual. What also has gone unacknowledged is that the English language was yoked to Africans just as surely as the variety of African languages, religious practices and sovereignty were (partially) stripped from them. The power dynamic of this reality after 400-plus years has remained fundamentally unchanged. Hence, the resistance to domination vis-a-vis the English language is understandable on a very basic level. An ESL approach that pays proper respect to the linquistic cultural antecedents stands the best chance.

I question whether a white person will ever have much success attempting to instruct due to the unchanged power dynamic. However, a white woman named Claudia Winnifred Vass has written a seminal work titled “The Bantu Speaking Heritage of The United States (UCLA Press)”, in which she argues that the black folk in question, for the most part, speak not a non-standard form of English but a non-standard form of African language. Asa Hilliard, noted Fuller E. Calloway professor, has also written extensively on this, as has pre-eminent African, Senegalese scholar the late Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop. Their works will answer why black folk use future tense to represent the present, why the stresses fall on vowels such that sto’ is deemed fitting and proper as opposed to ‘store’, why oftentimes no copula is used in the expression, “She gone.”, and, lastly, why ‘axes’ is enunciated as opposed to ‘ask’. We must remember: English has been around only since about 1500 A.D., whereas most African languages long pre-date that period.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
B.T.M., Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Your (B.T.M. above) response points out a problem with the black perception that they are excluded from many things in society. You exclude yourselves. Trying to rationalize improper English as some primary language and gain acceptance for it widens the rift between blacks and the rest of society. Why condone a manner of communication that guarantees isolation? You have no greater claim to be taught a mutated version of any African language in school than I do Polish or German.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
B.B., white, Temperance, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
As an educator, I have found that when I begin with what the students know,appropriately validate it and build upon it by demystifying the social phenomena of language, I am within strict conformance with what fellow educators refer to as pedagogy (teaching).

What you are responding to is termed “white guilt,” which is typically identified by the knee-jerk reaction of white backlash. You presented the cogent, but specious reference of “exclusion,” as if it somehow adequately addressed the unhealthy power dynamic created as a result of enslavement. It did not. It also wrongly suggests that what I was advocating was inclusion, which, from what I have previously stated, has no causal basis. Lastly, your argument suggests that you equate “exclusion/inclusion” with proper English instruction, and that blacks are somehow undeserving of this. Surely you aren’t saying these things, are you?
POSTED APRIL 3, 1998
B.T.M., black male,Detroit
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THE QUESTION:
R18: I hope this question does not prove offensive; I ask it in all sincerity: Do blacks have any epithet for whites that is at all comparable in its intensity and in the hostility expressed that the “n-word” has for whites? That is, is there a black equivalent of the “n-word” that is used for whites?
POSTED MARCH 10, 1998
Glenn P., white male, 39, Washington, NJ

ANSWER 1:
I cannot think of a word that equals the n-word. “Cracker” and “Honky” come to mind, but I doubt either of those words makes a white person feel less than human. When someone calls me the n-word, it tells me that they think I am below human. It’s difficult to put into words. In my home, we don’t use it. This may be going into a different area, but I was really disappointed when Oprah Winfrey, and her guest Chris Rock tried to explain to her mostly white audience why it’s OK for black people to use the word but it’s not OK for white people to use it. I could never use it as a term of affection.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
Nicole M., Jacksonville, FL

FURTHER NOTICE:
Although I am a 26-year-old white male, I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood and have a majority of black friends. There are many words used as slang for whites, e.g. ‘whitey’ ‘cracker’ and everyone remembers ‘honky,’ however, most white Americans do not take offense at these words; they mostly ignore them. The only whites I’ve noticed take offense to these words are people like myself, whose skin is white, but due to growing up in a mostly black community take this as an insult. The reason is that in my heart I feel absolutely no tension towards other races, and almost feel a closer relationship to blacks. But that was all I really was around as I was growing up.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
– Eric, Detroit

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The intensity and hostility expressed by words comes in part from what we believe about the words. We learn words in the social context of our families, cultures, communities, etc. I was taught that the word “nigger” when directed at me by whtes was used to inflict psychological harm. But more importantly, it was an explicit acknowledgement on the part of whites that they held power and status over me because I was in the minority and inferior. As an aside, I was also taught that a combative verbal or physical responce was an appropriate rebuttal. That being said, I have no equivalent words which by virtue of their social context would acknowledge my power or status over whites. However, phrases like “white men can’t jump,” “white people can’t dance,” “It’s a black thing, you wouldn’t understand,” etc. are attempts to acknowledge “widely accepted ” areas of black predominance and culture. We also have an opportunity because of the increasing socio-economic diversity among blacks to “buy into” predominant stereotypes about poor whites (white trash), Southern whites (rednecks), etc. There are also myriad trigger words for the various “white ethnic groups.”

Finally, while I can appreciate your question, I must tell you that I would really rather not have known such words existed. When I did, I was hurt terribly by them. There is little to be gained by knowing you are the object of intense and blind hostility, particularly when it is acknowledged that there is nothing you can do about it.
POSTED MARCH 15, 1998
Larry, 35, black, New York

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I grew up in Detroit, Mich., and attended an all-white high school. My first contact with blacks came on the football field. After stopping a black halfback from scoring the potential winning touchdown, he called me a “white motherf—-r.” I was taken back because I had never heard the word before. Since then I have heard the word hundreds of times, in more games, while attending college, in the service, on construction sites and in almost every argument between a white and a black. If there is a favorite word for whites by blacks, I suspect this might be it.
POSTED MARCH 16, 1998
Carson K., 61, Brighton, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
The only equivalent I would be able to come up with is “racist.” Although this wouldn’t offend a racist, it would offend a majority of whites who believe they are harmonious with all other races. It is something I feel stings as much as being called a nigger, kike and so forth. It is degrading and hurts when someone is called one but truly believes he is not.
POSTED JUNE 13, 1998
Robert, Los Angeles, CA
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THE QUESTION:
R17: I have been told I am part Native American, and I was wondering if there is an easy way for a person to find out what percent they are.
POSTED MARCH 9, 1998
Linda, Illinois

ANSWER 1:
Easy: Start with parents. Mother 50%, father 50%. Grandparents 25% each (two maternal at 25% each = 50% ; two paternal at 25% = 50%). Great-grandparents = 12.5% each and so forth.

Let’s say your grandfather (father’s father) and great grandfather (mother’s grandfather) were full- blooded Indian. That would make you 37.5 % Indian, a little over a third. In the same situation with your father’s father and father’s grandfather, it would only be 25% because you would not add the percentages on your paternal OR maternal branch together.

Hope that clarified the issue a bit for you. By the way, there are some very good software programs out now for tracking family genealogy (Family Tree Maker is the one I use).
POSTED MARCH 16, 1998
Greg Ross, 47, Atlanta

FURTHER NOTICE:
The “full-blood,” “half-blood,” etc. designation is an Anglo concept, not readily used by many tribal members. Many tribes are matrilineal. Therefore, if a Native American man has children by a non-Native woman, his children are not considered Indian. But if a Native American woman has children by a non-Native man, her children are considered Indian. But not all tribes are matrilineal. You might want to investigate what tribe you think is in your family tree. But even if you find one of your ancestors was Native American, I would be cautious about trying to identify yourself publicly as part-Native American if you have not lived and experienced any of that culture.
POSTED MARCH 23, 1998
WitchWomon, former DJ for pagan and Native American radio programming <WitchWomon@aol.com>
Southfield , MI
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THE QUESTION:
R16: I wanted to know from a black person who has been hired by a company that has a policy of trying to bring in more minorities: Do you feel insulted by this (i.e. that you were a “quota” hire) or do you feel you were hired because of your qualifications?
POSTED MARCH 9, 1998
Carol D., Harvard, IL

ANSWER 1:
It sounds like you’re working from a false premise, one that, sadly, many white folks seem to have: That any minority must have his or her job because they filled a quota. Diversity, when done correctly, has nothing to do with quotas. It’s about expanding the pool of potential employees. Women and non-whites are just as talented as white males, but the problem has always been getting a foot in the door. The point is to break the old (white) boy system in workplace hiring. When that happens, employers find that Howard and Morehouse graduates are just as talented as Harvard and MIT people. But the bottom line is, no matter how you got the job, you have to be competent enough to keep the job. And no “quota” system will do that for you.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
– Gene F., 34, Chicago, IL

FURTHER NOTICE:
Does the company make known to the person getting the job that they are a part of a quota? I have had jobs that support affirmative action and they do not tell you that you are being hired for that reason. I always feel that I am qualified for the job-based on the interview and a discussion of the expectations of the job itself.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
– Merry , NC

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I am a black male who works for a Fortune 500 company that has an affirmative action policy in place. The policy is the direct result of a class-action lawsuit in which the company pled no contest but was required to implement certain programs. To get to your question, I do not feel insulted in any way. I know I’m qualified for the job. I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in business administration from quality schools, as well as valuable work experience. Affirmative action creates opportunities for people. It does not give jobs to the unqualified. How long do you think a company would remain in business if it hired people based on skin color alone and not skills?
POSTED APRIL 1, 1998
K.C., 28, Farmington Hills, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R15: How does a black person feel about the term “reverse racism” being used? For instance, in affirmative action cases and self-segregation choices?
POSTED MARCH 9, 1998
E. Madison, 28, Lawrence, KS

ANSWER 1:
I immediately feel angry and insulted. When I hear someone use that term, I know they are racist and/or ignorant. They know nothing about history. If they did, they wouldn’t compare their experiences to those of black people and other minorities including women. They don’t know what racism is.
RECEIVED MARCH 11.1998
Nicole M., Jacksonville, Fla.

FURTHER NOTICE:
I think the term reverse racism is ludicrous for a few reasons :

1. Racism is a system of power and prejudice; that is to say those who are prejudiced and have power use that power to rule over those who don’t, and since minority groups have no power, they cannot be reverse racists.

2. The term “reverse racism” means to come to grips with the amount of racism that was and still is prevalent. Society has not fully addressed this issue the way I believe it should.

3. As far as affirmative action is concerned, the majority of its beneficiaries have been white women. This group is larger in number and also historically the most excluded. Therefore, I don’t think you can use affirmative action as a reason to cry “reverse racism.”
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
Angela S., 22, Detroit

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
It’s even simpler than that – to white people who cry “reverse racism,” I ask: “Would you trade places with an equally qualified black person?” Most times, the answer’s no. White people don’t understand that you have to live with being black every day -that you have to deal with people who treat you in a certain fashion based solely on your skin color. White people who are shut out of a job because of their skin color are getting a minor taste of what it’s like to be black – and they don’t like it!
POSTED MARCH 16, 1998
Alex L., Lawrenceville, GA

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I feel that racism is racism, any way you look at it. Affirmative Action is organized racism. Any program that sets qoutas for hiring is very racist. The person most qualified for the job should get it, white, black, male, female.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Mike W., Novi, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I strongly believe that African Americans are hired for the talents and uniqueness we bring to a corporation. As so elequently stated in the previous response, we wouldn’t continue to have jobs if we couldn’t do the jobs, especially in the climate of corporate downsizing. Let us not be naive, however. Without “encouragement” from Civil Rights laws and such, many Fortune 500 companies would have stayed with the status quotas it relates to the demographics of its employees. I am pretty sure these measures persuaded companies to recruit potential internship recipients and full-time employees from historically black colleges and universities, whereas before, the majority of new employess came from favored predominantly white universities with great reputations. This change in recruiting philosophy is especially evident in technical fields such as engineering and the pure sciences.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
M. Green, black, 28 <marcusjgreen@msn.com>, Richmond, VA
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THE QUESTION:
R14: Do African Americans generally expect eventual betrayal from white people? Or do they simply see white people as naive about the nature of racism and, therefore, unaware of when they (whites) might be unintentionally offensive? Is it a survival mechanism learned from living with the constant, wearing effect of racism? Can an African-American ever let down his or her guard and trust a white person?
POSTED MARCH 9, 1998
Susan J., Dayton, OH

ANSWER 1:
I trust people who are honest and sincere and whose values are the same as mine, regardless of their color. I think trust is something that should be earned. So I don’t get chummy and confide in people who haven’t earned my trust. My guard is up no matter what color you are.

Sometimes I meet white people and I instantly know they are racist even though they try to hide it. There’s always something – a look, body language, a comment – that gives them away. Sometimes it’s very subtle. I also know white people who admit they have racist feelings and want to educate themselves and learn where those feelings come from (stereotypes, from their parents, a bad experience, etc.) It takes patience, but I can work with that.

I do have black friends, though, who don’t want anything to do with white people. When they get home from work they don’t wat to see them or think about them. They feel tired from having to deal with them all day long. It’s like a game or a dance. People tiptoeing around race and differences, not saying what they really mean and not asking what they really want to ask. I understand why they feel that way.
POSTED MARCH 11, 1998
M. Johnson, Jacksonville, Fla.

FURTHER NOTICE:
I never thought I would answer one of these questions until I saw this one virtually screaming at me. No, I do not feel I could ever trust a white person again. I have had far too many instances when I have been burned because I have been too trusting of them. I have had many white employers, friends, peers, etc., and all of them are untrustworthy. I treated them the exact same way as all of my black o Latino acquaintances (and usually went out of my way to be nice), but all with the same end result: An inappropriate comment starting something like “Why do you people…” or “Why do blacks…” or “Do all black people…” This leads to an immediate termination of the conversation, trust and the friendship. I cannot see, even in my young age, ever approaching a white person and striking up a conversation without them saying something inappropriate. I think it all stems from the fact that white people (because they have no culture to identify with) have no sense of loyalty and feel that people of different races are disposable. I feel that if there are some black people out there who can trust you, you should be grateful.
POSTED JULY 17, 1998
L.W., 24, black female, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
To L.W.: I am really sad that your experience of white people has been so bad. I wish there were some way I could change your opinion of us, but that is virtually impossible in a letter. I can only tell you about my situation and my friends and let you know that my color really does not make me unreliable and lacking in loyalty or culture. I work in a laboratory with people of many nationalities, from China, Taiwan, Southern India, Northern India, Ireland, Denmark, Nigeria and the Ukraine, and many more people have passed through. We all get along very well and none of us, to my knowledge, has ever had problems because of our different skin colors or races. We talk about our different cultures to each other, and I enjoy learning about foreign places very much. For example, we swap music and cook for each other. Reading what you have said has made me realize how lucky I am to have such a good workplace. I hope you meet nicer white people in the future – please don’t give up on us.
POSTED JULY 27, 1998
Liz, white <Elizabeth.Baines@bbsrc.ac.uk>, Edinburgh, UK

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To L.W.: My trust has been trampled on by blacks, whites, older people, teenagers, Jews, Christians, Muslims, men, women … the list goes on and on. Don’t adopt the attitude, “Well, I’ll never trust another white person again (or older person, or Jew, or man, etc). The world is (occasionally) a nasty place, and sometimes it’s nasty because of a particular person (who, inevitably, will be of a particular color, gender, age, religion, sexual preference, etc.) That nastiness is not a product of race or creed. They are nasty people because they are nasty.
POSTED JULY 27, 1998
J. Storm, 43, Salem, OR

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
To L.W.: How can you say white people have no culture to identify with? That is quite a stereotype. I’m a white Italian who has plenty of culture to identify with. In fact, I’m very proud of my heritage and have mounds of respect for all cultures. As far as trusting people, you cannot bunch everyone from the same race into one stereotype. I’ve been screwed by people of all cultures (white,black, Hispanic, Indian, etc., but I will always give someone I meet the benefit of the doubt, no matter their race, color or religon. If you are going to distrust an entire race because you have been by a handful of people of that race, you are going to have an uphill fight the rest of your life.
POSTED JULY 29, 1998
L.D., white Italian, Boston, MA

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I am a professional white male, and even I don’t trust white people, especially white women, because in business I feel they are deceptive and hide the truth. My girlfriend, who is African American, does not fully trust white people because of several past negative experiences with whites. But she trusts me enough to be with me.
POSTED OCT. 30, 1998
R.L.Y., 37, white male, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To L.W.: I think you need to look at your posting very closely. Think about what you are saying. You have a very negative reaction to white people saying, “Why do black people…”, “Do all black people…”, etc. Then you go on to say that all “white” people are a certain way! You are basically doing the very thing you distrust white people for doing. Does that make sense? If you think it makes sense, then maybe you need to examine your own prejudices. You may be the one taking an honest question far too personally. Look at the number of people asking honest questions listed here. Many of them start with, “Do all black people…” or “Why do black people…”, etc. Are they all automatically racist and lacking loyalty? If you terminate the conversation immediately, how can you tell if the question was honest? Why do you feel the need to “go out of your way to be nice” to white people? Why do you feel that white people have no culture? Ever seen an Italian festival? An Irish wake? A Scottish clan gathering? A Polish wedding? Culture is all around you; maybe you do not notice it. I think you need to recognize that everyone is an individual with unique perspectives and beliefs. Stereotypes are nothing more than an illusion.
POSTED NOV. 21, 1998
John K., straight Irish-American male, 25 <the-macs@geocities.com>, Cranford, NJ

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I was sad to read L.W.’s assertion that she can never trust a white person again, and I beg her to reconsider. White people are not all alike any more than are black people. I live in the South and am a white woman. As a very young child, I became aware of the injustices black Americans were suffering and have spoken out against racism ever since, and still do today. I also teach my children that only the worst kinds of people judge others by the color of their skin. I would never knowingly try to make a black person feel bad with a look, gesture or ugly comment. I have noticed that it is really not a good idea to bring up color at all, as, for instance, I did when I complimented a black woman on the color of her dress by saying how well it looked on her skin tone. Even though the comment was the same as I might make to an olive-skinned white woman, her look told me I had erred. White people do sometimes put their foot in their mouths, but it is not always meant to offend, and sometimes it is a lame attempt to be friendly. Please give us another chance.
POSTED DEC. 2, 1998
Kim M. <pvar5004@selu.edu>, Hammond, LA

FURTHER NOTICE 8:
I think L.W.’s answer shows that all people, regardless of race, creed or gender, have the same basic problem: People tend to generalize things about other people with whom they are not familiar. There is no such thing as “white people” or “black people.” These groups represent many diverse cultural groups. My father’s Finnish relatives are very different than my mother’s German relatives, even though they are both white people and have been Americans for several generations. I can see the differences because I live with them.
POSTED DEC. 3, 1998
J.H., 38, white male, Aurora, CO

FURTHER NOTICE 9:
To me, it seems the black community feels that everyone owes them something, and they walk around with an enormous chip on their shoulder. I attended a class on civil rights when I was in school, and almost the entire class was black people, and I felt they were whining and complaining about this and that, about how they were so persecuted. Please. The blacks were not the only slaves in this country. What about the Chinese community? You don’t hear them complaining about the past. I am Native American (Cherokee). If there is a people in this country still persecuted, it is me and my kin. Go to a reservation just once, and then tell me how persecuted the black community is.
POSTED DEC. 7, 1998
Steven, 29, Cherokee, Dallas, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 10:
Why isn’t anyone else actually answering the question posted? What is everyone so afraid of? I couldn’t believe the backlash to my comments. The whole purpose of the Y? Forum is to read honest opinions and experiences from those who answer questions posted, not to ostracize those who make those responses. If any of the people who posted comments to my response are as apparently offended by my honest answer, you must read and post comments to question R526. The question I answered was related to African Americans’ trusting white people and whether this was a defense mechanism. I answered honestly and truthfully and will not take back one word of it. You will not change my attitude or opinion about white people. In fact, my distrust of white people has increased partly due to some of these responses.

You all need to wake up. We will never all love each other, or trust each other, or walk arm in arm in the battles we face. I can guarantee that if any of the white people who posted in response to my comment were in a retail store and saw one white employee and one African-American employee, they would immediately approach the white one. And if you say you wouldn’t, I know it’s a bald-faced lie. I live in a world based on reality, not one in which people all smile and make nice, neat comments to each other. America thrives on people not liking each other. Psychologists analyze individuals, sociologists study the entire phenomenon and the prescription drug companies’ earnings depend on it to calm us down. Racism is big business. People will hate and distrust each other as long as any differences exist. There will be no end until the world ends. I am just playing the American part of my African-American heritage, and as an American I’m allowed to distrust whomever I want!. To the moderator: I pray you have the gumption to post this response, because if not you will show true bias and racism (no matter if you’re African American or white).
POSTED DEC. 11, 1998
L.W., 24, black female <lwalke20@ivillage.com>, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 11:
To L.W.: Is it perhaps your attitude toward whites that makes them uncomfortable around you? This is why many white people find themselves saying, “I have a black friend” – we feel like we have to prove to you we aren’t racist just to have a decent conversation. I have never made coarse jokes or called names, but I have stumbled when talking to antagonistic people of all races. It is this attitude – “White people should be grateful if a black person ever trusts them” – that causes divisions between races. There is a story I once heard of a man who asked another man, “What are the people like in your town – are they anything like the ones in mine?” To which the man said, “What are they like in your town?” “Mean, selfish, greedy and grumpy.” “Then that is what they’ll be like in my town.” The point is, people often act as you expect them to because the tendency of humankind is to look for evidence to prove ourselves right. Look for tactful, compassionate, friendly white people, and you will find them. We are just like you. We’re human, and we’re not perfect, and just like black people, some white people are not nice. That’s life. But it doesn’t mean you have the right to write off every white person on the planet. That’s called prejudice.
POSTED JAN. 6, 1999
Julie H., 19, white female, Springfield, MO

FURTHER NOTICE 12:
To L.W.: Why do you think “inappropriate” comments like “Why do blacks…” or “Do all black people…” belong only on an internet forum like this one? What’s the difference whether you are asked a question like that in person (which offends you), or on a global questioning forum like Y? Do the questions asked seem inappropriate to you? Why do you generalize that white people have no culture to identify with? How racist is that?
POSTED JAN. 20, 1999
Julie J., female, Ypsilanti, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 13:
To L.W.: It is a shame you feel this way. To not trust a group of people because of the color of their skin is wrong. You are putting all white people in a category because of a select few. What you are doing to white people is exactly what you don’t want done to yourself. I have met many bad people, and they come from all different ethnic backgrounds. An attitude like yours is part of the problem I call racism.
POSTED JAN. 20, 1999
Chris, 23 <clecky@pomeroy.com>, Cincinnati, Ohio

FURTHER NOTICE 14:
To LW: You manifest an attitude you blame me for having. Trust can only be mutual. Lots of times what you describe of others are your own prejudices.
POSTED JAN. 20, 1999
P.B. white, Davis, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 15:
In reference to the response by L.W.: I find it interesting that you distrust white people for displaying the very attitudes you obviously harbor within yourself. Most people, white or otherwise, won’t ask questions like those you indicated until they feel comfortable with and trust the individual they’re talking to. By approaching you with those types of questions, they are displaying a willingness and desire to learn outside of their own perspective. Your reponse, “immediate termination of the conversation, trust and friendship,” is tantamount to saying, “Well, if you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you.” No one benefits, and you load an undue burden of guilt on someone for trying to bridge the gap. By shutting people down you turn an opportunity for communication and tearing down barriers into yet another reason for them to sidestep the issues. That’s why people come to forums like this – it keeps them from having to deal face-to-face with judgmental attitudes like yours. Your attitude of “White people always…,” and “I cannot see … ever approaching a white person…” is a stereotype and, in my opinion, more racist than the statements you speak so distastefully about. Maybe if you were a little less thin-skinned you could be part of the solution. I agree with J. Storm: I’ve been burned by blacks, whites, Latinos, men and women. No one group has the corner on obnoxious behavior.
POSTED JAN. 20, 1999
M.R., 35, North Pole, AK

FURTHER NOTICE 16:
To L.D. and others: As far as you saying I will have an uphill battle for the rest of my life, basically you’re saying my life will be business as usual. I have to battle every day with being the only black person in every meeting at work and every lecture hall when I was in college, and having a “second shadow” every time I go shopping. I am definitely not judging an entire race by a handful of people. My judgment is based upon my experiences with the people I have encountered. Because I was/am usually the only black person around, the whites I encounter feel as though they can say anything inappropriate that they want, either directly to me or making sure I was within listening range. It’s so bad that by the end of the day, every day, I usually don’t turn on the TV or even listen to the radio because I have reached my white people “quota” for the day.

I used to be open-minded to all races, but how many times can you be offended or verbally abused by the same people before you come to the realization that you don’t want to associate with them? Yes, I have had bad experiences with black, Latino and Asian people, but nowhere near to the degree as with whites. When you say you are of Italian decscent and identify with that culture, I say congratulations! But being Italian or stating you have culture does not make you any more aware of anyone else’s. Italian is still just plain old white. You could just as easily one day say you were Irish, Spanish, Russian, etc. Blacks don’t have that luxury.
POSTED JAN. 29, 1999
L.W., 24, black female, Detroit, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R11: I’ve noticed that many people think of racial/ethnic issues only in terms of Black and White. Why aren’t Latinos and Asians mentioned? How are they regarded when it comes to racial issues?
POSTED MARCH 9, 1998
Rosa B., 30 years old, Miami, FL

ANSWER 1:
It is a simple case of not speaking up. Other minorities have not been put upon like people of African descent. This is one of the reasons some people may think that everything is fine with other minorities when actually their problems are identical to people of African decent.
RECEIVED MARCH 11, 1998
Merry , NC

FURTHER NOTICE:
I think it’s more a case of the history of this country rather than Asians and Latinos not speaking up. When you look at the country’s history, especially with regard to enslavement, most of the friction has fallen across the black/white line. This is not to suggest there hasn’t been friction between other ethnicities; it’s just that it is perceived as the most prevalent area of conflict. Also, I think part of the reason Asians and Latinos are overlooked in terms of race relations is that these ethnic groups have a higher rate of assimilation into the dominant culture than African Americans.
POSTED MARCH 15, 1998
Cecily W., Atlanta, GA

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Latinos come in part from the same European background as whites: Their Spanish ancestors immigrated willingly, as those of white Europeans did. Therefore, there isn’t quite as much a cultural split. Many Asians in the United States are recent immigrants, fleeing much worse persecution than they find in the local racism. They haven’t really started rocking the boat, yet. The next generation will change that, I’m sure! Most black Americans are descended from captives brought unwillingly to this country for the purposes of slavery. The hostility that this caused has lasted through generations, and it makes the people who fight for black recognition and equality very numerous, aggressive, determined, loud and noticeable. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know.
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Colette, 32 white <inkwolf@earthlink.net>
Seymour, WI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I think it depends primarily on the geographical area in question, and (as horrible as this sounds, it’s not meant to be hurtful) skin color. I am an Asian male. I asked my girlfriend (who is white) why it seems that, whenever the term “interracial dating” comes up in the media and in conversation, it always implies “black and white,” because technically, she and I are an interracial couple. Her explanation was that, unfortunately, in the media’s eyes, there are only two races on this planet: Black and Not-black. The black-white divide is more pronounced. So, depending on where she and I are, some people may not even look at us twice. Yet in other locations, we notice some people’s disapproving glances. I suppose fortunately for us, those experiences are far and few in between. Perhaps part of the issue is that, without looking at my eyes or my hair, if I’m wearing shorts and a tank top, I can’t be distinguished as Asian because of my skin color.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Jerome, 25, Japanese, Clinton Township, MI

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