So What is Racism?

[NOIRTRASH]

I minored in Anthropology.

In the old days RACISM was disqualification for whatever based on race alone. Strictly speaking, only blacks need apply for Othello roles. Othello was black. If I want a black girlfriend or Asian or whomever, alone, I'm racist. I can and do discriminate race in my private preferences.

Its ETHNOCENTRICITY we commonly confuse with race. Wanna piss blacks off, remind them theyre Europeans and speak a Colonial form of English. Ebonics is English, not African. And Africa's a big place. Ethnocentricity refers to the team you play for. Redskins are prolly the most ethnocentric people in America. Few Sioux or Crow will play for the Cherokee. The Washington Redskins should be the Washingtom Potomacs *the indigenous Indians of the region."

 

[Rachel_X]

Racism to me is just hating or being abusive to someone purely because they are of a different race to you.
If I insulted someone because he was black, that would be racist.
If I insulted the same guy because he's a complete tosspot and just happens to be black, that isn't racist.

My gf is Asian and I very much prefer them, so I know what you mean about the private life stuff.
Most other ethnicities don't really appeal to me in the same way. Does that make me racist? No.
It means I have a girl boner for Japanese girls lol.
Some people can take a positive to mean that everything else is negative and that sort of outlook really annoys me.

 

[PoppingTom]

I minored in Anthropology.

In the old days RACISM was disqualification for whatever based on race alone. Strictly speaking, only blacks need apply for Othello roles. Othello was black. If I want a black girlfriend or Asian or whomever, alone, I'm racist. I can and do discriminate race in my private preferences.

If you're racist, you're racist, no matter if it's private or ...whatever you call it.

You can like what you like, but discrimination begins when it becomes unfair. If you mistrust a Black man to repair your car, it's just prejudice. If you deny a Black man with white man references to repair your car because you hate the thought of a Black man touching your car - you're pretty racist.

 

[richard_daily]

Racism is the act of showing a prejudice or preference based on someone's race or ethnicity, generally from someone in a position of power.

 

[Liar]

In it's most basic form, racism is ascription of charachteristics irrelevant to race, based on a person's race.

 

[Lord Pmann]

In my mind, racism is something along the lines of thinking a person or people are inferior because of their skin colour. Like actually believing that they are worth less than someone because of their race.

I distinguish this from prejudice. To me, prejudice is thinking something about a group of people or being predisposed to believe something negative about them based on skin colour. Jews are greedy. Whites can't dance. Blacks are criminals.

Those are extreme examples, but I think we all have some sort of prejudice. However, I've met very few RACIST people in my life. Lots of prejudiced people. Lots of bigots. Few people who genuinely feel superior because of the colour of their skin.

 

[Colonel Hogan]

In it's most basic form, racism is ascription of charachteristics irrelevant to race, based on a person's race.

Bullseye! Everybody else was just hitting around it.

 

[magicalmoments]

In it's most basic form, racism is ascription of charachteristics irrelevant to race, based on a person's race.

I agree, this is the best definition.

Anyone holding a belief that a person of a different race/ethnicity is less, for want of a better word, evolved or developed, simply because of their race/ethnicity is a racist.

Anyone who hates other races/ethnicities/cultures simply because they are different is a bigot.

I believe bigotry is a bigger problem than racism.

 

[Hard_Rom]

racist, prejudiced or bigoted. Same shit list to be on. Just what order you might want to list them in.

 

[MissMaidenMinx]

I believe bigotry is a bigger problem than racism.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Aella_]

People said that Liar's definition was the best one but, tbh, I didn't quite get it.

From my pov, the best definition would be a combo between Tom's + LordP's:

You can like what you like, but discrimination begins when it becomes unfair.
- If you mistrust a Black man to repair your car, it's just prejudice.
- If you deny a Black man with white man references to repair your car because you hate the thought of a Black man touching your car - you're pretty racist.

thinking (prejudice) versus acting on it (racism)

In my mind, racism is something along the lines of thinking a person or people are inferior because of their skin colour. Like actually believing that they are worth less than someone because of their race.

I distinguish this from prejudice. To me, prejudice is thinking something about a group of people or being predisposed to believe something negative about them based on skin colour. Jews are greedy. Whites can't dance. Blacks are criminals.

thinking they possess a certain negative trait (prejudice)
Versus generalizing : they're all-bad (racism)

Those are extreme examples, but I think we all have some sort of prejudice. However, I've met very few RACIST people in my life.
Lots of prejudiced people. Lots of bigots. Few people who genuinely feel superior because of the colour of their skin.

 

[ToPleaseHim]

In it's most basic form, racism is ascription of charachteristics irrelevant to race, based on a person's race.

This is a logical and concise, yet complete, explanation. I may borrow it for potential future discussion.

 

[Aella_]

Talking about racism: there's a side effect called "internalized oppression" that people generally feel uncomfortable talking about. In that:

Members of minority groups who experience prejudice (or racism) can react:

1.either in a constructive manner by not buying into the negative messages and bullshit that are forced upon them . They maintain a good self-esteem. These minority members often look up to their fellows and support each other.

2.or : the internalized oppression . They internalize those negative messages (ie that women, black people, or immigrants are considered to be less than the majority) .
- And a small % of those minority members who end up thinking less of themselves, can unfortunately turn on their own kind, too.

I personally came across this latter strange phenomenon in # settings:
- immigrants from certain less-thought of countries. Some of them were v. mean to other immigrants and stabbed them in their back (whereas others learned to be more compassionate because of it).
- women from certain countries where there still is this male/vs. female etc. mentality. As far as western countries are involved, I saw it happening much more often in certain english-speaking settings. The women ended up being major bioothces towards each other instead of supporting each other.
- SamuelX -whose a black poster from Canada- also had a v. interesting thread about it. He described some of his fellow countrymen who looked down on their peers, including dating partners.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Anthropologists define terms to avoid semantic cluster fucks like we have here.

Racism is a racial trait that disqualifies for no other reason than itself. Most of the time its as common as other preferences...like weight and height and other physical features. I prefer fat girls to skinny girls. I prefer plain janes to barbies. If you weigh 100 pounds we prolly wont hit it off, if you weigh 200 pounds the odds are much better. I prefer brown skin to black or white skin. No Swedes! No Nigerians.

Every profession I know of has its jargon and lexicon of defined terms. AFFECT means something different to me than it means to you, because I was a psychologist. Its also a noun.

 

[Aella_]

1.I partially agree.
Adding to what JBJ said, I also think that there seems to be too much PCnness going on nowadays around certain issues.
In that, if one makes just one misguided gaffe -silly joke or comment- (as opposed to a long-term pattern), one is easily labeled as racist and demonized.
I haven't figured out yet if this is only due to PCnness, or if there's an additional element of manipulation with it.


2.On the other hand, we're not talking Just about preferences (ie I like to date a certain ethnic group or slender as opposed to chubby people etc..)or prejudice (like what Tom said).
Because in such cases, one would just simply avoid those groups that they didn't like.

In the case of racism, I think It's more about trying to deliberately inflict harm (emotional via repeated insults or practical: job discrimination etc.)

 

[NeverEndingMe]

racism is obama

 

[NOIRTRASH]

1.I partially agree.
Adding to what JBJ said, I also think that there seems to be too much PCnness going on nowadays around certain issues.
In that, if one makes just one misguided gaffe -silly joke or comment- (as opposed to a long-term pattern), one is easily labeled as racist and demonized.
I haven't figured out yet if this is only due to PCnness, or if there's an additional element of manipulation with it.


2.On the other hand, we're not talking Just about preferences (ie I like to date a certain ethnic group or slender as opposed to chubby people etc..)or prejudice (like what Tom said).
Because in such cases, one would just simply avoid those groups that they didn't like.

In the case of racism, I think It's more about trying to deliberately inflict harm (emotional via repeated insults or practical: job discrimination etc.)

Intentionality has nuthin to do with it. Its a preference, and disqualification based on an irrelevant preference. I don't like freckles. You cant be my honey if you have freckles.

 

[Libsam]

In it's most basic form, racism is ascription of charachteristics irrelevant to race, based on a person's race.

So is it racist to say that black people are good basketball players?

 

[Liar]

So is it racist to say that black people are good basketball players?

More to the point, it's inaccurate.

Most of the prominent basketball players in the United States are African-American. That's not the same thing as black people are good basketball players.

 

[Libsam]

In my mind, racism is something along the lines of thinking a person or people are inferior because of their skin colour. Like actually believing that they are worth less than someone because of their race.

I distinguish this from prejudice. To me, prejudice is thinking something about a group of people or being predisposed to believe something negative about them based on skin colour. Jews are greedy. Whites can't dance. Blacks are criminals.

Those are extreme examples, but I think we all have some sort of prejudice. However, I've met very few RACIST people in my life. Lots of prejudiced people. Lots of bigots. Few people who genuinely feel superior because of the colour of their skin.

What is it called when you think something positive about a group of people?

 

[Libsam]

More to the point, it's inaccurate.

Most of the prominent basketball players in the United States are African-American. That's not the same thing as black people are good basketball players.

So when someone says that white people are privileged, is that inaccurate too?

 

[Palamino19]

So when someone says that white people are privileged, is that inaccurate too?

If they look black, yes.

 

[Liar]

So when someone says that white people are privileged, is that inaccurate too?

Privilige is not a charachteristic, it's a status in society.