My facebook friends reply unanimously: yes. Not one person contended and said otherwise. I'm not shocked at my friend's responses because I also agree that everyone is a little racist from time to time. We all have underlying factors that make us awkwardly tip-toe around the minority or other races besides white Caucasians. And think we are like that because of past-discrimination and past-emotions from them. We don't want to make them feel that way again. At the same time, we are all a little uneasy around them. One friend commented, "EVERYONE is racist...no exceptions." I believe in the no exceptions part. In reality, however, I wish this wasn't true. I wish we all weren't racist and I wish discrimination and segregation was never thought of. It saddens me that we are all like that. I imagine putting myself in the minority's shoes, and I would absolutely hate it. So why do they have to go through it all?
8 comments:
I'm really surprised. I don't know what the difference is between your friends and mine but only one person said yes, some just made fun of the question but mostly they emphatically said no. Whether it's because it's a social site and so public, I don't know...
I think if someone really believes that everyone is a little bit racist( a negative and stagnant belief about race) and then wishes that weren't so, it seems to me that that's the equivalent of wishing for world peace. If everyone is that that seems to be a natural part of human nature. I don't believe racism is a part of human nature.
I guess it's difficult because we don't know what everyone's definition of racism is.
I think we have to be careful when we say that "everyone" is racist- with no exceptions because then we start to generalize or even make it ok (because if everyone's doing it then it's ok if I do it...)
Well to answer your question about why minorities suffer from racial bias probably has to do with the founding of America. We were colonized by Anglo Caucasians, and therefore became the dominant culture of this country. Unfortunately, pride and a lack of multicultural diversity led to racial prejudices forming.
I will have to agree that there really are no exceptions. I think that everyone would like to post, "No, no one is racism and especially not me." However, that would be a lie. It is impossible to not have certain beliefs or stereotypes about race/ethnicity. It is built into us from an early age through tv, media, parents, peers, teachers, etc.
I like that fact that your friend was so honest, especially on a public forum. And I agree with him--everyone is a little bit racist, no excpetions. Look at how much attention is paid to a missing or murdered white child as opposed to a minority child in the same situation? Would Elizabeth Smart received so much attention if she were a black girl from the south side of Chicago? We could blame the media, because they frame the stories and give more attention to missing white children, but then the media would turn around and blame the viewers and say that they are only giving us what we want. Sad.
I agree with alot of the comments, everyone is a little racist. It is a sad situation, but it is what it is. And it's not always against people of different ethinicities. Caucasians experience somethings as well.
Racism is one of the imperfections of man. It's a test for us to look past the differences in skin color and look on the inside.
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