Day 106 Question 106:
Why are your thoughts on racism? White supremacy? Ethnicity?
So yesterday I took in a lot. I read a lot and I researched a lot. I filled my mind all day with new concepts and learned a whole lot. I have days like that….days where I feel like I can’t possibly absorb as much knowledge as I would like. If sleep weren’t a requirement in order to function normally then I would spend day in and day out trying to absorb everything I could about this world.
For my Graduate class I always try to stay ahead of the game. My work schedule keeps me so busy and when I am off on the weekends I like to enjoy that time and not feel pressured to have to do school work. For next week a discussion that we are having involves the topic of racism. Part of the assignment was to watch segments from a documentary called The Color of Fear. I looked everywhere in hopes of finding the entire documentary but everything I found stated that to buy it a copy would cost $150 or more. I am unsure why this documentary is so expensive but nonetheless I watched the segments that were available through my school website. The documentary shows a group of males (7 or 8) of them and the males are Black, White, Asian, and Mexican. The entire documentary discusses the hardships of each race and how each race is affected by the others. I have to admit that I had a very hard time watching even just these few segments because to be completely honest I felt like the white man was treated unfairly. I understand that the white man is the majority and I understand that other races have gone through some horrible things (at the hand of the white man) but we are now in the year 2012 and racism occurs on all ends. This man was yelled at by the black man and was told that he could never understand what it is to be black and the white man stated that he never had feelings like he was better than anyone else, no matter race gender or creed. He just looked at everyone as human beings. The black man attacked him by saying, “You believe that by everyone being human beings, means everyone should act white!” I just couldn’t wrap my brain around this. They kept barking at him that they hoped that they could come to a common group and reach the same goal but I could not figure out what the goal was. They were unwilling to understand where he was coming from and believed the white man is the oppressor and this man could not even define what it means to be white but they expected him to take on their point of view and find truth in their words. There was no common ground to be found.
I got so worked up during this documentary (just the segments mind you) because I felt like I was thrown into a group of people that does not represent ME. I understand that several years ago black people were slaves to the white people….but I, myself have never been part of this. I do not condone this behavior. I look at everyone as people. We all have air in our lungs. We all have feelings and emotions and so much to share with each other but instead people choose to live through a victim mentality. I called my dad and this is what I said, “Dad, this might be a stupid question, but is it possible for black people or Mexicans or Asians to be racist or are another white people technically racists because we are the majority in this country?” I asked this question because in viewing this documentary I felt like the white man was beaten down for things that were in the past….things he had absolutely no control over. I am sorry but I am so beyond the victim mentality….I don’t care what color/ethnicity/nationality you are. If you want something then fight for it. What even boggles my mind is the blatant racism within our own races. Life goes so far beyond the color of a person’s skin. I have heard far too many times black people refer to themselves as a “N” word (yes I have enough respect to not even type the word because it is a disgusting and disgraceful term) as a term of endearment. Two men can call each other that and it gives them a sense of “brotherhood”. REALLY????????? This was a term coined during a time when this group of people was oppressed in a manner that they were barely considered human and now it is being used as a term of endearment??? Something just doesn’t seem to add up to me there?
Yes, I am a white female. Yes I am in the majority in this country. I, however refuse to see all of the differences between people because of their color, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. I choose to see opportunity for understanding. If someone wants to point their finger and tell me that I will never understand then that is their choice….I will always ask the questions and I will always lend my ear to be educated. If you look at me as being the oppressor then you are judging me unfairly because you are not allowing me to be an individual. You are making me a number….a number that is one of millions. I am sorry but two wrongs don’t make a right in my book. ALL people should be treated with kindness and respect. I know that is a pipe dream but this whole race argument is getting really old in my book. Jewish people were sent to concentration camps and were brutally murdered just for the fact that they were Jewish. These people were treated like lab rats. I read a story once about how a group was used in an experiment. They had different bones removed from their legs to see if they would regenerate. If that is not inhumane I do not know what is????
It breaks my heart that we still have arguments like this and that people are unable to see beyond the color of the skin. I work in a restaurant that has this beautiful diversity and my co-workers are my family. I love them for what they have been able to teach me about their cultures but that is not the main reason I love them. I love them for their kindness and their open hearts….they never saw the color of my skin or saw me as the majority or as the oppressor. They saw the goodness in my heart and my desire for friendships. Anyone can be a victim if they want to be but anyone can also be a hero. There is no question as to which one I would choose. We can bitch and moan about what happens in this country and how different races are treated but there is no comparison as to what happens in other countries. I would fear having a female child in some other countries knowing that she could be sold into slavery before she is even a teenager, brutally raped before she even has her own period, never able to receive education because she is considered worthless in her country (as most females are). I have a problem with the victim mentality in this country because I know what goes on in other countries…those are the real victims. In the book, Half the Sky that just finished there was a piece that talked about a 3 year old girl that was raped and because she was now considered unclean her father put a gun up her vagina and fired it. She survived but there was so much internal damage that this girl would be bed-ridden the rest of her life and would never be able to have functioning bowels or kidneys. Also, the healthcare in Africa is not exactly exceptional so just imagine the pain and the infections this young girl endured. That is what a real victim is!!!! When I start to think my life is so unfair and so terrible, these are the stories that I think of.
We are people. We all have the capability for good and kindness. Some people just choose not to ever use those capabilities. Some people are brainwashed by their own people. Yes I do know life as a white person and I am proud to be white but I have been ashamed many times of people from my race….not my race as a whole. Where we stand on the issues does not have to do with the color of our skin….it has to do with what we feel in our hearts. Some whites have been trained to hate Blacks, some blacks have been trained to hate whites, some whites have been trained to hate Mexicans and so on and so forth……BUT some groups have also been trained to hate “their own kind”. Violence occurs every single day between members of the same race. The white man has killed another white man for some reason or another. Watch the news and see gang riots in Chicago and all of the participants are black males. There are stereotypes of about every race and every group. Whites are rednecks. Blacks are thugs. Mexicans steal. Muslims are terrorists. The actions of one or a few should not represent an entire group of people….THAT IS JUST UNFAIR!!!!
I can’t write anymore because this subjects just breaks me. This subject makes my heart hurt because this subject is pulling humanity apart and more than anything I would love to see more people brought together. There is too much blame being placed on people and too many victims. I hope those that read this are able to look within themselves and look at those around them and stop seeing color and just start seeing opportunity….opportunity for friendships…opportunity for love….opportunity for knowledge…opportunity for PEACE!
It's a New Day... 
thanks for tackling that difficult topic … achard one and so universal
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This is a pretty deep thinking post, I will not go into my views etc because I could write a piece as long as yours. I do agree with what you say, but maybe differ a little on the angles or reasons etc. Being UK we are given things to deal with, attitudes, double standards. How ever, fab post and thoughts. I might do a debate follow up..
Very well said. Kudos for tackling such a tough subject. Are we not all members of the human race? Period?
Hi! I nominated you for the versatile blogger award. Check out my site at http://arabwriterchick.com/2012/05/01/the-versatile-blogger-award/ for more details. Cheers 🙂
i would like to think i don’t have racial issues, but sometimes we don’t know until it’s really time to deal with it. i once dated a black woman, so i’d like to think that says something about me. it was only one date, but it had nothing to do with her as much as it did the story she told me about her ex boyfriend.
I really like the way you write about some topics. I agree that this subject is very heart breaking and I don’t understand why people look at one’s color and judge them. I guess its just one short coming that some have not yet over come.
Being Asian, I can say that I will never know how it is to be any other race so that statement shouldn’t even be thrown out there BUT I will say that we minorities rarely condone racial acts towards each other. I HAVE been called a chink, told to go back where I came from, treated unfairly before. I grew up in the ghettos of California and you rarely see whites there. At school, you’re more likely to see a clique of minorities than a mixture (if whites are in this clique, it’ll be very few).
I’m not saying that racism is okay. It’s just people come from different backgrounds and experiences. However, stereotyping is a common thing among humans. What’s the first race that comes in mind when you think poverty? Violence? Immigrants? But I’m sure after some thought, you’ll find that these traits are among ALL races.
I would be a millionaire for every penny I receive when someone asks if I know kung fu, martial arts or Bruce Lee. I’ve had many strangers come up to me and ask me, “Ching Chong Ching Ching Chong?” Most of which are white. I do NOT support racism because hate only condones hate but am very wary of certain areas that I suspect to receive a racial act towards myself, family or friends.
I am not a person who likes confrontation. I’ve never been in a brawl and have never used a gun. I speak fluent English perfectly. You would be amazed at the amount of people that change their overall tone over the phone once they find out I’m Asian.
I do have friends from all races (majority are Whites and Asians) and they do fall into each stereotype but are more accepting of that fact and are more open minded about racial differences. What I think that black man was referring to in your post is that, a white person will never know of the difficult lifestyle a black has been forced to cope with. A white could try to understand but that’s different from experiencing it first hand as well as the emotional scars they bear.
However, times ARE changing. Now, it’s all about self-independence. You can blame your color for as long as you like but until you accept it, you’re going no where. I apologize for the long post. I just wanted to give you my perspective on the subject as well as my experiences.
This is a hard subject, and you’ve done an amazing job expressing your feelings here. I, too, am a white woman. I have lived a good portion of my life in the South of the United States and I have been confronted with racism. I’ve had people call it “reverse racism” because it was black-on-white, but racism is racism is racism. Yes, it is 2012, but I was confronted with racism Monday, 30 April 2012, in my OFFICE. Racism is alive and well in the United States. Whether is is black-on-white, white-on-black, or any other variation. To assume that a man, because of the color of his skin, is the reason why you feel put upon is racism. Pure and simple. I wish people would step out of themselves for two seconds and think about what kind of impact their words/actions will have on those around them. The world would be a much nicer place if every would do this.
i hope that i am not racist, i try not to be. i have never been called a racist. i try to accept the fact we are all from god, we live in different areas of the world with different cultures. we have different colors of skins, but we are gods people, and what he has made is perfect
We don’t see color. Literally, we don’t see color.
Bella and DiDi
Your replies brighten my day. I just want to snuggle you both :0)
Thanks Diane! We enjoy your blog. We love snuggles! 🙂
Racism Sucks ! Sometime i wish people were color blind !
My faith teaches me that The Creator made everyone in His/Her image and that everyone is equally a child of that Creator! My Christian faith emphasizes in many scriptural passages that Jesus died on that Cross of Calvary for EVERYONE–period! For me, that is all I need to know to permit me to view everyone from the inside out, not from the outside in!
Hi there Diane, this is one of the best articles I have read on the blogs in a very long time! Seems we have similar problems here in South Africa.
Reblogged this on Mommy's Organics.
Fabulous post Diane and beautifully written! It’s a topic that has boggled my mind for my entire life because I’ve never seen anything but the true spirit inside of a person.
Diane, thank you for your perspective on this complex topic. Most of the time when one thinks of racism, he or she would connect that to white people. I hear equally vile and divisive stuff from my own race (black). It sickens me to think, that in 2012, some people cannot get past the past and are using it as an excuse to live lives of mediocrity. Furthermore, most of us did not live in the time period that slavery (and, in my case, Jim Crow and segregation) occurred, so we cannot possibly know what happened, who it happened to, or even the whys. All we have are assumptions and misinterpretations…depending on who is telling the story and his or her motivations for doing so. With that, I will say that all people need to be open about their feelings toward one another instead of ignoring it, shouting it down, or dismissing it…or using assumptions and stereotypes to inform their thinking.
Thank you for this. It is nice to hear the same opinion from someone of a different race. We are all human beings that have a million things that connect us and I just believe that instead of seeing differences negatively, we should look at them as opportunities to learn and to grow :0) Your comment really means a lot :0)
Reblogged this on Hit The Reset Button and commented:
Racism, when unaddressed, leads to a whole host of other problems: victim mentality, one-downsmanship (is there such a word?), and mediocrity. For those groups that have historically been the recipients of such base and awful treatment, it is easy to assume the role of victim because it’s comfortable and an excuse to indulge in bad behavior. However, what ends up happening is the portrayal of the very behaviors, stereotypes, and assumptions that have been attributed to your specific group of people. Victimhood often leads to the one-down position-a place where it is always about “what they did to me.” I think that is why some black people take a special enjoyment out of calling white people “devils” and over-romanticizing the role Africa plays in the lives of today’s black person. Finally victimhood and one-downsmanship lead to mediocrity. I see that more clearly than I ever have! It is as if the black community has accepted mediocrity as their lot in life. The white man and his devilishness is keeping the black man and the black community down. How crazy is that? No one can keep you down UNLESS you let them! I have learned early in life that no one can make my life difficult unless I allow them to. This is something the black community needs to understand. No one makes you commit crimes; no one tells you to go unemployed; no one tells you to make children out of wedlock; no one tells you to buy and sell drugs…you get what I’m saying. No one forces you to do anything; your lack of creativity, ingenuity, skill, or even knowledge of what you are able to do is holding you back. Being a victim and blaming other people does not empower you; it leads you straight down a path of perpetual physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual poverty. Is that something to be “proud” of?