Reverse Predjudice

[Living4Him03]

I am a caucasian female and my roommate (well for just two more weeks) is African American. Two of my best friends in the world are black. They are so sweet to me and they are like sisters to me! However, my roommate acts rude around me and seems to dislike white people. She hasn't said that she does not like white people, but it has been implied through some of her actions.

I am not sure if she is predjudiced or just has not been exposed to any other culture besides her own and just can't relate to me. I think maybe it's a little of both.

Anyway, if you are white (I hate how we use "white" and "black" as if there are no variations in skin color) have you faced predjudice from an African American, Hispanic person, or other minority? What was that experience(s) like?

*Note* to all those who like to stir up trouble, this is not the place! This thread is for intelligent discussion and sharing of experiences, not to belittle others, promote one's own agenda, or to spread hatred. If you are here to start debates or arguments, DO NOT post in this thread. I would like for this thread to not be closed by a moderator due to someone's immaturity. Thanks!

 

[fishstix]

I sort of did once, but I eventually managed to convince everyone involved that we are really all just different shades of brown.

 

[Pirch80]

Hmmmmm that's extremely strange. Around here in California African Americans or blacks are extremely outgoing and friendly. Now of course you don't want to make one mad but you don't want to do that with anybody. But here they're pretty nice and some of the nicest people I met were blacks. Now the thing you sometimes got to watch out for are Asians because they're sort of less talkative and I have noticed seem smarter in school.

 

[Living4Him03]

Sorry Pirch, but I just reported you. I specifically asked that no racist comments be made in this thread. If you cannot post something intelligent and unbiased , then DO NOT post in this thread! You have made some racist assumptions about Asian people and talk about black people as if all blacks are angry. I will report anyone who comes into the thread just to post and be stupid and ignorant. I asked for experiences, giving examples, encouragement, etc. NOT for people to come into this thread to bash other people or belittle or ridicule them in any way and I believe that you have done just that Pirch.

 

[Onwardclimb]

Living4Him03,

I'm black--NOT African-American--I consider the word/label "African American" as being equally offensive, if not more so than the word/label n*gg*r. I am NOT from Africa--even if I was, Africa is a continent and NOT all the people on that continent are black!-, neither are the majority of my ancestors, although, granted some were, but seeing as how my ancestors from there were slaves, I have NO knowledge of who they were, or where in Africa they were from.

My heritage is made up of pretty much every race/color hence black is an accurate description of who I am, because the way you get the color black is the mixing together of all the colors and that describes my heritage perfectly.

Anyways, I've recieved/experienced racism from my own people as well as from other minorities who are typically on the receiving end of racism, but I was just wondering if I could share my experiences here, or not. I guess when it comes down to it, what I'm asking is whether or not blacks are allowed to post in your thread ? I really couldn't tell by the way it was worded.

God bless,
Onwardclimb

 

[dawnmo]

Let's see...I get a lot of racism around here from some white people because I'm part native. It doesn't help matters that the KKK is still a little active around here I can pass for white, but some of my family cannot.

I am also sometimes discriminated against from my grandmother's people because I look too white. I have curly hair, some freckles, and green eyes. So then I get the "Cherokee princess" remarks, which I do NOT like either.

So I'm stuck in the standard two-world limbo - not fully rejected by either, but not fully accepted by either.

One of my friends is Hispanic, and his mother didn't like me hanging around him because I was white (well, she thought I was white). Most of her experiences with white people had been bad, so I can see why she'd act that way. She mellowed out quite a bit after she found out I was technically a mestiza like her, and also after she saw that I was determined to stand by her son (as a friend, nothing more) in the bad times as well as good.

I had a black friend in high school, I was the only non-black person in her group of friends (her friends went to another school). When we started hanging around one another, her friends were a bit suspicious of me. After they got to know me though, they treated me like they would anyone else.

 

[SDSUMarcus01]

Being a minority (asian)... I have experienced racism from white people before (more so than any other race).

Now don't get me wrong, most of my friends are white, but if I were to see a group of white people with shaved heads, I'd walk the other way... this is irrespective of the fact that I have a shaved head.. it's just that I associate that kind of thing (on white people) with racism from experience.

Your roommate may just be generally grouchy. Is she your roommate by choice or was it randomly selected? It is possible she could be a little wary of you, or it could be that she grew up around her own ethnic group which makes the idea of hanging out with other ethnic groups strange.

I grew up hanging out with people of all races so I really don't have a problem with it, however, I know some asians who grew up ONLY hanging around other asians, and they tend to get a little strange when they aren't in that environment.

 

[Living4Him03]

Thanks for the responses. My intention with this thread was to see if white people or people who belong to a majority group have been discriminated against by a minority group member(s) or whether or not a member of a minority group has been discriminated against by another minority group.

I did not specify that only certain races could post here and my use of the term "African American" was not meant as a broad description of all black people. One of my best friends is from Africa and she does not like it when people call her African American. However, I also feel uncomfortable using the word "black" or "brown" or "white" for people because I just don't think they take into account someone's heritage. Onwardclimb, I think your response was a bit heated and I did not intend to stir up debates.

This thread was actually not meant to discuss whites discriminating against others...I believe that topic is over discussed. I don't deny that it happens, but I would like to discuss other types of discrimination here. I think that the segregation going on, at least as I have seen it in the south, is ridiculous. I can understand why it happens, but it's just so sad that when my roommate brings her friends in they look at me like "um what's this white girl doing here?" and have said similar stuff. It's just sad that our towns and cities are so segregated that some people grow up only around their own culture!

 

[Onwardclimb]

Two people of different races can and often do share the same culture.

That said, I'm sorry that you thought my post was "a bit heated". I certainly didN'T intend for it to be received that way. I was really just wondering if your thread was open to blacks too.


God bless,
Onwardclimb

 

[fishstix]

It could be really difficult posting actual examples without coming across as being somewhat biased or "heated". There are some people from each and every group out there who are prejudiced against other groups. But I hesitate to post any real examples due to the risk of having my post itself considered prejudiced.

 

[Living4Him03]

I think if you post in a way that isn't like "see, these people are all just predjudiced against these people" it's okay, but what I don't want is people coming into this thread and saying they have experienced predjudice, yet themselves are predjudiced. See what I mean? I am just concerned about this thread being closed because someone decided to be dumb and post something mean.

If you post your story or experience in a way that is not making a whole culture or race of people look bad and you don't throw in a bunch of cuss words, it should be fine. I just want this to be a discussion, not a big debate or a chance for people to belittle people they don't like.

Onwardclimb,
The reason it seemed your post was heated is because you begain it with "I am NOT African American" and used a huge NOT to create emphasis. This made it seem as though you were upset. It seemed you were upset with me for using the term "African American". I hope this is not the case.

I was not excluding minorities from this thread due to racist reasons. Which I am sure you aren't implying, but as a white person, I have faced predjudice from my black roommate and I was simply wondering if other white people had faced something similar and how they dealt with it. I would also like to hear about minorities being discriminated against by their own ethnic group. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[mina]

All of my really close friends have been of a race different than I. I like a guy that is of a different race. I hate racism and predjudice in any form. I'm white but i've been accusced of being racist because I disciplined a child in my classroom that happened to be black because he threw a marker across the room and hit several other children in the head. That was dumb and made me mad because it really had nothing to do with his race, but everything to do with him acting inappropriately towards and harming other children that happened to be black also. So I really don't see what race had to do with it- no matter what color he was he would have gotten in trouble for it.

 

[Onwardclimb]

Onwardclimb,
The reason it seemed your post was heated is because you begain it with "I am NOT African American" and used a huge NOT to create emphasis. This made it seem as though you were upset. It seemed you were upset with me for using the term "African American". I hope this is not the case.

Living4Him03,
I was NOT upset with you, but the title itself upsets me and I guess reading it triggered my "emphasized" response. As I said before, to me it's equal to/worse than being called a n*gg*er.

I was not excluding minorities from this thread due to racist reasons. Which I am sure you aren't implying, but as a white person, I have faced predjudice from my black roommate and I was simply wondering if other white people had faced something similar and how they dealt with it. I would also like to hear about minorities being discriminated against by their own ethnic group. Sorry for the confusion!

It's okay, THANKS for clarifying !!!!!

God bless,
Onwardclimb

 

[plum]

Yeah, I've experienced a bit of that racism before. I wouldn't even call it "reversed," because, as we all should know by now unless we're truly ignorant, everyone can be a racist no matter their race. Not just white folks like me *laugh*.
Okay, so I joined the Black Student Union here on my campus last year and was, of course, part of the minority. There were only three white folks and one latino in the group. No big deal though, the whole group was super nice... except I felt severely strange on an outing we all went on to see "Barbershop" in the theaters. I was left alone and out of the group as if it was natural to separate into race groups. This isn't to say I don't know we come from differing backgrounds, but so do other white folks and I. We don't all like the same things, speak the same ways, or value the same standards. That was a small moment of feeling as if my color got in the way of getting to know some really awesome folks. They didn't do it on purpose... it just happens. And I wish it didn't.

I don't know if I like having the label of "white" simply because I am so much more than that (we ALL are). My heritage (Lebanese, Italian, Canadian) just doesn't come out through my features that well (except for the pastey Canuck skin I was blessed with). I wish there were more words to describe who we are, what we value, and what's truly important instead of slapping labels on by default because our lexicon doesn't have better ones.

 

[fishstix]

I wish there were more words to describe who we are, what we value, and what's truly important instead of slapping labels on by default because our lexicon doesn't have better ones.

Or maybe less words - "human being" nicely describes everyone

 

[stubbornkelly]

Sure I have experienced prejudice because I'm white. But I wouldn't call it reverse prejudice, just prejudice.

 

[Living4Him03]

Missju,
You joined the Black Student Union? I did not know that people who are not black could join...maybe that is the way it is on my campus. That is cool though, good for you to expand your horizons and join even if you are the minority in the group!

I agree with fishstix, human being is a great term. Especially since your skin color does not necessarily dictate your nationality! I know it might be idealistic but I hope that someday groups of people and cultures will interact more and learn to understand each other better. I don't know what I would do if I only had white friends. That would be a bummer lol.

 

[fishstix]

Missju,
You joined the Black Student Union? I did not know that people who are not black could join...maybe that is the way it is on my campus. That is cool though, good for you to expand your horizons and join even if you are the minority in the group!

I agree with fishstix, human being is a great term. Especially since your skin color does not necessarily dictate your nationality! I know it might be idealistic but I hope that someday groups of people and cultures will interact more and learn to understand each other better. I don't know what I would do if I only had white friends. That would be a bummer lol.

I remember a black doctor who was a member of a German heritage club, which was cool I'm pretty sure he wasn't German either. I agree that it would be a bummer to have only white friends, as I would have missed out on some wonderful friendships that way.

 

[Chadwickboy]

I'm white, & I go to a school that is predominantly white, so consequently my friends are white as well. But my roommate is black, and I admit I was a little apprehensive at first b/c of prejudices I grew up with, but we turned out to get along great overall(everybody has issues, no matter what race). I think it would be interesting for prejudiced people from majority groups, who have little experience with other races to spend time in an area where <i>they</i> are the minority. The role reversal could hopefully give many people new perspective of what many minority groups have to go through, and change their outlook. I can honestly say that, living in an area that is predominantly white and has racism(mainly towards blacks and hispanics) I disagreed with racism in theory and theology, but not always in practice(although I did have a couple of friends who were black in h.s.) And living with someone of another race has opened up my eyes greatly, because my roommate not only deals with being a minority by being black, but also by being Deaf. And his stepdad is white, so depending on the area they live in( I don't know for sure) I imagine they get it from several angles.

 

[Periann]

I think to an extent we've all grown up with prejudices haven't we? Also, if a minority member is discriminated against by another minority member would it still be called discrimination? Wouldn't it be something more specific? As in, maybe that person is richer, better looking, <insert superlative> than me?

I've noticed this reverse discrimination tendency happening sometimes, like its kind of weird when a young white girl says that she's into Ludacris or some black rapper. And I guess small stuff like that. But Ive never noticed anything like an uproar or something drastic. I think it really has to do with how you were brought up and what you believe in. Maybe your roommate is really only comfortable with people from her own race. If so, that's sad, but some people are like that, and to an extent I think we all have a connection with members from our own culture.

And Living4Him, I dont think the regular discrimination is over talked about, though I understand this is not the purpose of this thread and will respect your wishes on that. I hope that was on topic enough for you though.