Racism and experiences

We all know it ain't easy being openly gay.

However, how about being an ethnic minority (meaning you're black, latino, asian, etc.)? It's way more obvious to see compared to being gay.

Have any of you guys experienced racism in real life?

To those who have never experienced racism at all, have you personally witnessed it?


(Wrote a blog post about my experiences with racism. Click here!)
http://emptyclosets.com/forum/blogs/anthonythegamer/11486-my-experiences-racial-ignorance.html

 

Yes, I've experienced a fair amount of racism in my life thus far, and have witnessed it happen to other people way too often.

It's been petty stuff: my little cousins being denied candy on Halloween from this lady because we were black (she would hand out candy to only white kids and any time kids of an obvious racial/ethnic minority showed up she would make up this bs about having none and would say shit under her breathe as they left off).

It's been bigger stuff: I was with some cousins while on the east coast of the US and had some people dressed up similarly to the KKK(whether they actually were or not I don't remember nor care) throwing shit(cans, rocks, etc.) as they rolled up, telling us 'jigaboos' to go back to Africa and stupid shit. Of course they say this while rolling pass quickly...fuckin' scared dumbasses.

I've also experienced a ton from the lgbt community, as I've obviously told about endlessly. All too often where I live, if you don't fit a checklist of stuff such as being light-skinned(ie white most of that time), you aren't finding support from others the vast majority of the time.

 

I personally have not been a victim of racism. However, I have been verbally attacked by racists many times, mainly for my support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The amount of times I have been called an n-word-lover is dumbfounding. I've also had people say other racist things towards black people aimed at me.

 

I had one "racist" incident. I was in Colorado and after talking to the cashier of a gift shop she asked where I was from, and I thought she meant "you don't look American," but it turned out she thought I had a south central Texas accent because she was also from Texas :lol:.

The closest thing to racism that I vividly remember is in middle school. I was sort of picked on by the predominantly black school because I didnt fit it. It was probably because I was Hispanic and well dressed.

But I've never really had anything overt at me.

As for witnessing racism, I probably had but it was usually subtle and not really "of consequence" to remember off the top of my head.

---------- Post added 1st Jul 2015 at 08:05 PM ----------

My mom does lock her car door when she sees a young, black male walking around more than anyone else, and also says she feels when they talk they sound angry all the time. Not sure if that falls under racism :/.

 

LOL Yeah since that happened to me, I try to give the benefit of the doubt and assume they're asking what state am I from

OMG My mom does that car locking thing too, except it's with Latinos! I don't think it's because she's racist, just ignorance since she's from Southeast Asia and it's very rare to see Latinos there. Fear of the unknown...

 

I've never experienced any racism. Then again, I'm only 14, so I might.

 

Offline, no. I'm sure something will come up when I take my partner's last name since he's latinx.

Online, the only time I experienced it was when I left a comment on a slam poetry video a month ago agreeing with someone about how it sucks how there's almost no representation for the Asian community in fictional media (and if there is, they're based on stereotypes or whatever).

A dipshit said I should go back to wherever country I came from, meaning Japan when I mentioned my roots. Even though I made it clear that I've lived in the States my entire life and his statement was moronic, he pretty much said "You identify as a foreigner, so get the fuck out of my country".

 

Since the first grade. Nowadays it happens less often, but I still hear some hurtful things. It's also awful that I got used to it....

 

Yes quite a bit. I'm Hispanic and I used to live in a predominantly white neighborhood. These are some of the things I experienced there:

1) When I first moved to my school, I had to register for classes. I had all A's at a top international school abroad that was accredited by the U.S and used a U.S curriculum. I wanted to sign up for the honors classes but they told me it would be "too hard for me" so they put me in some very low level classes despite my wishes.
2) One time in class, we had substitute. I was the only Hispanic there. People were talking about how the demographics in our neighborhood had changed. One girl said "yeah, that's because all the Spics are moving into the neighborhood. (For those that don't know, this is a very derogatory term for people of latino descent, equivalent to the n* word) Everyone, including the substitute just laughed.
3) I've had friends tell me that I'm not like other hispanic people and that I'm different... 4)I've also been told that the reason I've been accepted to good schools is mostly because of affirmative action.
5) I've been told that I talk "white",which people don't realize is extremely racist.

I'm sure there are a few more but these are the ones that really stand out. Especially number 2.. I will never forget that day. It made me feel like such an outsider but also reminded me that we still live in a racist world and there's still much work to do.

 

I'm white, and my family were driving near skid row and this homeless woman threw a racist tantrum against us. So now I see it as the racist part of town.

 

I started to write out examples, but I just don't feel like going there today.

It is a form of racism; however, it is not about hate. It is the fear.

There are actually studies that have been conducted that suggest that people are more likely to avoid Black males unless they are smiling because they are otherwise seen as angry and potential threat. This is why Black politicians and reporters tend to smile abnormally more often. I have had dozens of situations with employees become tense if I walk into a store without smiling at them.

This is a constant experience for me. Or the more subtle, "I can't believe how well spoken you are!"

It is so common that it just makes me nauseous. You expect the biases because racist beauty standards exist everywhere. It is the fetishization that really turns your stomach.

People who don't experience it cannot understand it because they either believe that we should take any attention as compliments or they acknowledge that it is offensive but see it as something that is about anger when really it is violating. Where it is commonplace for people to say that "they've always wanted to try one" when speaking of a race of people. When the only time that you are brought up is in reference to your endowment, full lips, ass, etc. When every time it is about feeling a role. Being someone's "black dom" or "black slave". It is demeaning.

 

Well I've got to hear a lot of times that I am racist purely based on me being white. My skin colour has just as little do with who I am as it does to the people who like to tell me I'm a bad person purely based on my skin colour. It's a two way street.

It's just like how I can't say that all straight people are homophobes just because a few has the wrong idea about homosexuality. That's just as bad as lumping all homosexuals together and calling them bad things.

 

I do the door thing with everyone! From black to white. Trust no bitch.

 

Everything from people assuming we don't speak English, to illegal immigration jokes, to being compared to Arabs, Indians, or Native Americans. My parents have plenty of stories of prejudiced faculty, neighbors, and store owners, growing up, too.

I just read your blog, and can say I've also had many similar experiences. Sometimes, you wonder (maybe even wish) if you're being paranoid, and many will try to convince you it's nothing, but still...

 

Ugh, that's disgusting, but we're all here to stay. Haha! (!)

I've been fortunate, I guess. Racist jokes are pretty much the worst I've heard and they were coming from friends. I don't talk to those "friends" anymore. Barely even remember their names.

 

I walk into a store every single employee starts looking at me and slowly trying to see what I'm doing. I've had other people in the store accuse me of stealing, even when I was 9? Racism sucks and I'm not even a typically assaulted race, Pakistani. Some people even call me raghead, or dirt to my face. I remember a man in a line told my mom to "Go to the other line you fucking paki" and then under his breath say "or go back to your countries shitheads" I still remember that day and I really wanted to punch that guy but I was 12 then and trying to punch a 5'6 man with a beard is hard.

 

^^I'm guessing you're Indian or middle-eastern? That sounds so bizarre. I could have sworn overt racism like that had been pushed back to the filthy corners of humanity too stupid to better themselves.

 

My god, the only racists things or things I have experienced were by being call the n-word by a kid in third grade who I almost punched and somewhat recently a guy saying I talk liked a white guy/act white, these can be annoying but wow reading these really makes me sick and pretty sad, kinda wish I could hug all of you

 

I'm white and live in a mostly white area. So no. Though I hear my neighbor (who's never caused any trouble) who used to wear a hijab used to get abused by people down at the local store because of it, most likely with her 3 year old daughter with her. That just made me sick.

People in Australia are often really racist towards aboriginals. People took away all their freedom, wiped out most of their culture, introduced them to alcohol and unhealthy food, made it harder for them to get jobs. But yet now people go on about how they're lazy or dirty or whatever, people think they're all criminals or alcoholics, it's sick. The only aboriginal people I've met have been doing more in life than most white people I know. Yeah they're not all great, shining citizens but neither are white people.

And somebody in the city I live near burned down a mosque (sp?). So the people who went there to pray, instead went to a near by park and prayed in public which I thought was really cool.

But yeah, haven't experienced much racism myself but it really pisses me off. Disgusting how people think skin color makes a difference.

 

Offline, I personally haven't had much, if any, experience with direct racism. Whether somebody was thinking something along those lines, it's up for debate.

That said, I'm white--

"Ah-ha! You can't experience racism then!"
*Backhands away*​

I may not experience it in the same fashion or to the same degree, no, but it does happen. Almost always online, and only in certain areas of the Internet. Every now and then I'll encounter it in surprising places. Simply for just being white I am expected to grovel and do nothing but "take my punishment"; actually quoted words somebody told me, LOL.

Fortunately this is very easy to fix. If it was offline, well, that'd require a little more effort.

Now, does anybody I come in contact with experience such things? Sure, almost all of which are black males. This becomes even more noticeable when black males travel in groups -- no, seriously. Watch people when 3 or more black males come into a store, they are visually fixed on them. Not always, but more often than not.

Interracial Relationship Observations​

Spoiler

What really sticks out to me though, more than anything is, what you see if a black man is with a white woman. Everybody, for the most part, at least around here, have a momentary flash of racism in their eyes. But if you reverse those roles, where it is a white man and a black woman, it isn't resentment or a discomfort, it's this veil of disrespect.

If a black woman is with a white man, it's purely sexual. If a black man is with a white woman, he isn't being a real black man, even if his fellow black men would secretly approve of it.

And don't get me started on those who say white folks can't really love non-whites. All the whites are doing is molding you into some little fetish play-thing, and when they get their fill, they'll leave you for another white. This mentality is still spread, because somebody was telling me how they used to think like that, as of about 3-4 years ago.

And then she met her white boyfriend.

Funny how love rectified that, but awesome.