Home / Archives / Race/Ethnicity Questions 631-640

Race/Ethnicity Questions 631-640

THE QUESTION:
R640: I noticed the creator of Y? Forum is a white male, and that there is a plea for donations to keep the site up and running. I have several questions: 1) Why do people responding to questions think they have the authority to answer ethnic-related questions when they haven’t lived in the shoes of other ethnic backgrounds. 2) Why is it that Caucasian people feel black people are lazy or don’t want to work, when in actuality we basically built this country on our own blood, sweat and tears? Is it OK for white males to run scams on the Internet or do high-tech crimes to make their living? I guess Anglo America feels this is a form of work – to rip people off any way they can. White men are always running business scams in every way possible, but no one makes a big issue about it.

POSTED MARCH 29, 1999
African American <de_lightful1@hotmail.com>, New York, NY

ANSWER 1:
There are a lot of questions in here, but I will try to give some of them a shot. First, although there are some instances of clearly unqualified people posting answers to ethnic questions on this forum, the moderator keeps reasonably good control and it does not seem to happen too much. Second, I am sure there are white people, some of whom actually are Caucasian, who think black/Hispanic/American Indian/whatever people are lazy and do not want to work, but by no means is it all white people or all Caucasians. Stereotypes go both directions and are usually wrong in both directions.

I can’t speak for how the original questioner built this country with his (or his ancestors’) blood, sweat and tears, but I can comment that at the same time that his ancestors were slaves in this country, mine (actual Caucasians from Caucasus) were serfs in Czarist Russia, which amounts to almost exactly the same thing. It is a misconception to think African Americans are the only people who have a history of oppression. Nearly every ethnic group in the world has had their time; it is just that blacks have the most current history of oppression in this country.

Finally, I fail to see how this site is a scam. A scam involves a false promise of financial return, services, products or some other deception. No one is promising anything of the sort from this site. This forum claims to be nothing more than a place for people to ask sometimes difficult questions and have a reasonable expectation of getting a thoughtful answer without being accused of racism, sexism, ageism or any other ‘ism’.
POSTED MARCH 30, 1999
Randy S., white male, atheist, Atlanta, GA

FURTHER NOTICE:
I’m trying to decide if you’re just venting anger or really want answers to your questions. When I answer a question put to a culture different from mine, I’m expressing empathy. Without empathy, we cannot build cross-cultural bridges. If I cannot make the effort to cross that bridge, then I am confined to make decisions based on stereotypes I have seen and heard about that culture from others. If I as a minority will not allow others to cross that bridge, I am branded with the stereotype that intolerant thinking fosters. Only when someone makes the effort to look at life through my eyes can they question their own previous stereotypes about me.
POSTED MARCH 30, 1999
Alma, white lesbian <pridewks@seacove.net>, Kempner , TX

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
1) R627 asked about blacks being able to dance. After reading the responses, I wanted to explain how white culture encourages sports for boys and dance/music for girls, and that there is pressure not to cross boundaries. By adding that, I was trying to put it in context. It is an interesting point, though, and I would like to hear what others have to say.

2) Here, you lose me. You begin with a prejudicial statement (“Why do Caucasians feel blacks are lazy or don’t want to work”), and then call Y? Forum a scam. A scam is when someone tries to cheat you out of money without delivering anything. Does this sound like Y? To have a web site, you have to buy a server or pay for a remote server sit, write HTML or Java, pay for the electricity to run the server, fix the server if it is having problems, srt through the responses, etc. The donations are to cover expenses. If there is a profit made for providing people the opportunity to cross barriers and communicate, then good for him. If you have an issue with it, don’t make a donation. Sounds like sour grapes to me. I’m amazed how often I hear the creator of the site attacked, when his crime was trying to bring people together through communication and understanding.
POSTED MARCH 30, 1999
Craig, gay white male, 35 <cmorris@loft.org>, Minneapolis , MN

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I would like to know what motivates the director of Y? to post messages like this. Is it the need for comfort and reassurance? Martyrdom? Masochism? White guilt? To be honest, I’d guess a combination of A and D, because I honestly don’t believe this post would ever have seen the light of day if it was a white person saying “I see this forum is run by some sort of liberal, PC, bearded hippie communist! Which is no surprise! Where do all those blacks and minorities get off passing judgment on white people all the time? Why do they think whites are racist when the civil rights movement could never have made any headway without support from the white majority? Why do they expect us to support equality for them when black scholars spend all their time trying to destroy the reputation of any white person who ever did anything for their causes? The truth is, the majority of crime against black people are done by black people – hell, it beats working! Speaking of which, I see you expect donations for running this commie site. Isn’t that just like a liberal to expect to mooch a handout from my hard-earned money! I work for a living, pinko! Get a shave!”

And before those of you with no sense of humor scream at me, the previous was simply a parody of the original post, not my opinion.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1999
Colette, 33, white female <inkwolf@earthlink.net>, Seymour, WI
From the Director: From time to time, submittals critical of the methodology of Y? are posted, generally those that raise the issue of how users interact with each other. This is done in the interest of promoting further discussion and obtaining feedback on our efforts – positive or critical.

FURTHER NOTICE 4
I know not all black people are lazy, but in my experience, my daughter had a child with a black man at 18. In six years he has contributed $200 to the child’s welfare. He doesn’t work, but he does deal drugs for money. Then my daughter married another black man who had three children. He hasn’t worked since they were married and lets her support him. Again, no support for his children.

I have no problem with black people unless they have a chip on their shoulder and think that since their slave ancestors helped build this country that they should get a free ride. All of my ancestors came here after slavery was abolished, so I feel I owe them nothing. I work with several black men who chose to go to school and make a life for themselves and are very fine, upstanding people. I also believe that white men who choose to quit school and whine about no opportunities are lazy. It’s not the color that brings on the prejudice, it’s the lack of drive.
POSTED APRIL 1, 1999
Tom, 50, white male, Brazoria, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I have to wonder what prompted these questions. I find this site allows people to exchange ideas, and even though I am Caucasian, I try to try to keep in touch with the thinking of other ethnic groups and how others think of those same groups. It is a matter of curiosity in a number of ways, but I also feel this site allows me a different perspective than I could ever get anywhere else. I believe that you should maybe step back a little and try to see this site for what it is. I also think you should step back and try to judge each person for their character. As for your first question, no one ever portrays themself as an expert on another ethnic group; they merely state their opinion. It is up to you whether you believe their statements to be true or false. You are welcome to submit your comments to anything you do not agree with.
POSTED APRIL 1, 1999
Stacia, female <sljbuttercup@yahoo.com>, WI

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
A rip-off is when you pay money and get nothing in return. Here (at Y? Forum) you get everything free and pay if you feel like it. And whites don’t think blacks are lazy. Some whites think some blacks are lazy. Blacks were very important to the growth of certain American industries, such as agriculture, but did not single-handedly build the country. Responders generally aren’t claiming authority to give the one and only correct response; they’re claiming authority to give their opinion. You can learn a lot from listening to what the man on the street has to say. I learned a lot about you from your question, for example.
POSTED APRIL 5, 1999
B. Hale, white <halehart@aol.com>, Hartford , CT
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R639: What issues or situations do black females encounter at predominantly white colleges that are different from the majority of the population? Can you give examples or stories?
POSTED MARCH 26, 1999
Jerrid F. <jfreema@bgnet.bgsu.edu>, Bowling Green, OH

ANSWER 1:
I went to a predominantly white university, and I found that the largest problems I faced there were social. There just weren’t a lot of dating options, and parties tended to have the same old people over and over. Also, a lot of the white people there had little or no previous interaction with people of other races – especially African American – and so general problems of insensitivity or ingorance arose from time to time. It’s literally having the state of being a social minority magnified to the Xth degree.
POSTED APRIL 21, 1999
R.A., 24, African-American female <ginagate@mindspring.com>, Columbia, SC
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R638: Why are so many Puerto Rican women so beautiful, and diverse in their physical characteristics?
POSTED MARCH 26, 1999
Mike S., 27, white male <niche17@hotmail.com>, Princeton , NJ
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R637: I have noticed that white people frequently equate blond hair color with beauty. In several conversations, I have heard individuals describe a woman as just “blond,” seeming to imply that because her hair was blond,she must of necessity be attractive. I also notice that on the cover of fashion magazines, blond, blue-eyed white women appear to dominate. Why is this look thought to be more attractive than others?
POSTED MARCH 26, 1999
Oni, 21, African American, Cambridge, MA

ANSWER 1:
White people are constantly trying to find ways to prove they are superior to other races. This is just another way of doing so. The really funny part is that most blondes I have seen are ugly or are bottle blondes (they dye their hair).
POSTED APRIL 21, 1999
S. Jones, blonde, white female, Tacoma, WA
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R636: What do black people think about the Eddie Murphy show The PJ’s? There has been a lot of controversy over it and discussion in various entertainment-related magazines. I feel it is very funny and that it has a lot of creativity, both in the writing and animation.
POSTED MARCH 26, 1999
D. Meerkat, 26, white, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R635: I understand that in Eastern Europe there are people of Tartar-Turkomen extraction who cannot blush. Their respones is to bare their teath in a grimace, which is often taken as smiling and causes misunderstandings. Does anyone know if this is true, and can you provide reference material?
POSTED MARCH 22, 1999
Ronald G., 67, male, Lithuanian <gillen@nconnect.net>, Hustisford , WI
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R634: Why don’t more black people surf?
POSTED MARCH 18, 1999
Skull, 24, Caucasion <golue001@mailhost1.csusm.edu>, Encinitas, CA

ANSWER 1:
When I attended college on the West Coast, I surfed Zuma regularly. People stereotype surfers as blond-haired, blue-eyed males, but check in South America and further South and you’ll find plenty of darker-skinned surfers.
POSTED MARCH 24, 1999
Logan S., 29, black male, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R633: Why are white males with long hair not taken seriously in business?

POSTED MARCH 18, 1999
Alonzo C., black male, Jacksonville, FL

ANSWER 1:
I used to have hair down to the middle of my back. It was always well-maintained and clean. No different than a long-haired woman, I suppose. I eventually cut it short after hearing comments about it from superiors. While not outright telling me to get it cut, they hinted around enough to the point I was pressured into doing so. My guess is that the business world (I’m in finance) prefers familiarity and conservativeness. Individuality is disdained. For instance, how many men do you see wearing a dark business suit, the so-called “power suit”? Heaven forbid we all should look different!
POSTED MARCH 23, 1999
Patrick, 27, former long hair <hawkstu@juno.com>, Wixom, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
Why should a person’s hair length have any bearing on their ability to work in the corporate world? Well, it does. Men (and women) must conform to the corporate culture when working in that culture, regardless of race. Believe me, if it were up to me, I would dress and appear as I did in college: Long hair, goatee, the works. However, since I am an engineer, I have to dress and look the part.
POSTED MARCH 23, 1999
John K., 25., white male <the-macs@geocities.com>, Cranford , NJ
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R632: Why do some Asian people wear face masks when out in public? I am referring to the surgical or dust type mask that covers the mouth and nose. I assume it has something to do with germs or such, but I only see Asians doing this, wearing them on the bus, in the mall, etc.

POSTED MARCH 18, 1999
White male, 26, Santa Clara, CA

ANSWER 1:
I’m not sure if this explains the particular situation that you have witnessed, but some strict vegetarians are so thorough in their effort not to consume/kill other forms of life that they wear these masks to avoid swallowing bugs. I realize this may sound strange, but it ties into a complete and uncompromising respect for life as part of an entire religious belief system. I know this is practiced among Asian Indians, but I don’t know if that is the population you have seen doing this.
POSTED MARCH 22, 1999
D.M.M., 24, vegetarian <donikam@hotmail.com>, Charleston , SC

FURTHER NOTICE:
The people you have observed wearing masks covering their face and nose may belong to an Indian community that believes in not killing any germ or small insect accidently. They are known as Jains and follow the religion of Jainism. They also follow very strict dietary regimes and are vegetarian. They also finish their meals before dark so as not to intake any insect or any type of life form by mistake. The more strict followers walk barefoot so as not to kill any life under their feet.
POSTED MARCH 22, 1999
Nidhi, 24, Asian Indian <nidhisood@hotmail.com>, St. Louis, MO

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I believe many people wear face masks due to the smog that accumulates in many large cities. In places like China that have populations in the billions, the air can become toxic, so face masks are required.
POSTED MARCH 22, 1999
Joe F., male

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
It is my understanding (from spending a year in Tokyo) that many Asians wear small white gauze masks over their mouths (and sometimes noses) when they have a cold or flu, so that they don’t spread germs. I am not sure if this is effective, but regardless is a positive comment about many Asian cultures’ consideration and care for all, rather than just for the self.
POSTED MARCH 22, 1999
Nate, male <Vagetan@outnet.co.nz>, Auckland , NZ

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I learned, after spending two years in Japan, that the Japanese wore the surgical masks to avoid catching what the person next to them might have.
POSTED MARCH 23, 1999
Jerry, male <gmt@GTE.net>, Tampa , FL

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
They wear them because they have a cold or the flu and do not wish to infect others. I live in South Korea and can attest to this. Humbly though, I only know this to be true for Koreans.
POSTED MARCH 23, 1999
Daniel <djh0912@chollian.net>, Kangnung, Korea

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I wondered this myself until I visited Japan. In some Asian countries it is customary to wear these masks when the person is sick, to avoid spreading their germs. Whether this is effective I don’t know.
POSTED MARCH 30, 1999
Victoria, 30, female, Los Angeles , CA

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
When I arrrived in Japan seven years ago, I thought the people wearing masks were paronoid germ freaks. However, now I know that masks are worn (at work, school and on the train) to avoid passing cold and flu germs. It is typical for a Japanese worker to struggle along with a raging fever at his/her desk rather then take a sick day. I think in Western society it is considered “better” for everyone if a germ spreader stayed at home. But in Japan, battling along under adverse conditions shows loyality to your company, school etc. Also, masks are often worn in spring to combat hay fever. Many Japanese suffer terribly from pollen-related illness. All those cherry blossoms! To see someone casually wearing a surgical mask is surprising to people from Western countries, where such masks are rarely seen outside of operating rooms.
POSTED MARCH 30, 1999
Lucy, female, Tokyo, Japan

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I don’t see that around Michigan, but I just came back from a trip to Japan and saw quite a few people wearing those masks. As it turns out, it is because they may have a slight cold or cough and are taking precautions to not have it spread to other people. It looks kind of weird here, but it’s perfectly normal over there. So relax; it’s a good thing.
POSTED APRIL 5, 1999
Asian male, 25, Warren, Mi
To respond
BACK TO TOP


THE QUESTION:
R631: What special foods do Mexicans eat during the religious holiday of Semana Santa (Easter)?
POSTED MARCH 18, 1999
Ab <annab44@hotmail.com>
To respond
BACK TO TOP

Check Also

Sexual Orientation Questions 31-40

THE QUESTION: SO40: Are there any specific reasons for the lisp many gay men have ...

Leave a Reply