Do people expect you to hold negative stereotypes about other races and ethnicities? Have you ever had people tell you that Mexicans did nothing but party or that black people were lawbreakers and expect that because your skin lacked pigmentation that you'd agree?
I'm interested in hearing about this phenomenon, I keep experiencing it and I'm very puzzled.
What I've found...let me set this up a little better to begin with.
I'm a native Californian. Anyone who knows anything about California, knows it's the most racially (not just racially) diverse state in the U.S. Where white is a minority. Believe it or not. I moved to Indiana a couple of years ago, where low and behold, there's more than one white family in my area. And what I've found is this. The whole white people are racist attitude that some people say exists, doesn't. White people could by and large, care less about racism. It just never enters their consciousness.
Now, as a native Californian, I was discriminated against for being white. As were my children. Beaten up in the schools. Forced to observe black history month, taught to be proud that we're black, when we're not. Forced to observe hispanic history month, taught to be proud of our ethnic culture, when we don't really have one. My kids have all been beaten up because we're not Mexican or black, and so have I. By gangs. Am I a racist? Actually, I was taught that we're all individuals, and that our skin color does not determine who we are. And I actually bought into that too. Which is why my first husband was of Mexican decent. Then I found out...how they really feel about white people. White slurs were often expressed in my own living room, while I was there.
So...are white people racist? No. I think that by and large, white people are not. It's a bum rap that we've gotten. That is only supported by bandwagon propaganda.
People think they need someone to blame. It's immature imo. There is no right to be racist. And using the made up excuse that all white people owned slaves is ludicrous. My ancestors were poor dirt farmers, christians, midwives, preachers and quite a few of them were native American. We've lost people to wars, floods, pestilence, even lightning and gunshot.
My mother lives in South Central L.A. where she was born and has lived most of her life. And she was beaten up by a black woman at the grocery store last year for shopping in what the woman said where she belonged. "Go back to your own place, you don't belong here". My mother had my little neice, who's 1/4 black with her. The store owner was quick to grab the baby so she didn't get hurt.
I don't think using a persons color as an excuse to be a jerk is rational. It's just popular because it's become acceptable behavior. White people are not militant. We don't stand up for our rights. We just try to pretend that when things like this happen, that they'll go away if we just stay quiet and don't make a fuss.
White people are racist? Just because a lie is perpetuated, does not make it true. My experience is that white people are not the ones with this problem.
