This article asks us when was the last time we thought about our racial identity and whether or not it was on our own account or if someone provoked us. This question allows for people to sit and think about their own point of view on the topic. When pondering over this, I think back to the first time I realized that people have different opinions on other people just based on race. I was listening to my grandma and her older friends have a conversation and overheard her talk about how she would never have a Mexican friend. Her reasoning was because she had one and he stopped being friends with her because of her skin tone. After listening to them, I was perplexed and began wondering if people had their own reservations about me just because I was black. It also made me question whether or not people had been treating me differently because of my race and I had just never noticed it.
as a black man I have seen me and my family being racial profiled before and I can say its one of the most scariest thing I have been through to think that the people we call when we have an emergency would be the same people to shoot me because of my skin and the way I talk is absolutely ridiculous I don't how we can change but something has to change I don't want my kids to go though the things that George Floyd, André Hill, Manuel Ellis and count less more people went through
As a white man, I feel like I am stereotyped a lot because of my political views and because my parents have a lot of money and are very successful so people say I am white priveleged. I am not racist I have a lot of friends who are of color and I don't view them differently because of the color of there skin. Also everybody has the same oppurtunities in this country and my parents worked very hard for what they have today so they aren't priveleged.
@J
hi j!
i think you may be confused about why people say your white privileged and or the meaning of white privilege.
you most likely as a white man have privileges like being able to go out without fearing for your safety or fearing discrimination because of your skin.
i know my opinion is not at all 100% valid because i myself am a white male but white privileged should be viewed separate from one’s income or effort, i also do not think everyone gets the same opportunity's but im not hear to argue and would rather agree to disagree. i bet your parents did work very hard for what they have now but you have not gone through what someone of a different race has , you have not lived a life other than your own so you really don't have the right to speak on behalf of others and honestly neither do i.
hope i didn't come across to mean, i hope you try and learn more about some of the things I've said cause you might learn something and if not welp i cant do anything about it:) i hope you have a great day j!
1
As a black man, I get a decent amount of racism in my life. The types of racism I face is that I get treated differently at certain places, like at school when the school tried to kick me out without having a valid reason, or when I go out to restaurants and get stared at like I'm not supposed to be there. The first time I realized my race is when my cousin on the other side of my family were visiting and I realized while we were playing around that they were different skin colors, I asked my mom why they looked different and she told me they were a different race. My mother taught me at a young age that I would be treated differently in life because of my skin color, and she told me taught me to be extra careful with the police in any situation I need to interact with them. Through out my life I've been teased about being black especially in elementary school, some of the student would make fun of my skin color and some would make fun of my hairstyles, sometimes even teachers would make racist comments on the way I wore my hair to school, teachers and students would also make fun of my name because if how its pronounced. I've learned not to care when people make racist comments and not act or care when I'm being discriminated against because of my race, because in the end I'm probably better than them anyways.
3
As a white person, I was privileged enough to answer the questions with very low frequencies. It’s not often that I think about my own whiteness, but I find myself surrounded by conversations in school and at home about race and racism occasionally. Sometimes, when discussing racism I feel out of touch or insensitive; I don’t have this experience, so do I have the right to talk about it? During these discussions, I choose to listen to the conversation so that I can soak up their experiences rather than speak up and say something wrong by accident. My whiteness allowed me to score very low on this quiz, demonstrating that I haven’t experienced racism personally. That is something I’m grateful for. I would hope to use this privilege to help the groups who scored highly to eventually score as I did.
If they wanted to know how much racism black teenagers in Washington D.C. experience over the course of two weeks, why are they using teens who attend majority black schools and live in majority black neighborhoods? None of those questions asks what the race of the person was that did theses things to them. Are people assuming there all white? The people could have all been black and likely were considering the demographics of the schools! White students were likely being treated equally bad to these students, if not much worse than them.
The other factor that stuck out to me were the fact that they included questions like the following.....
"How many times did you see someone lock the doors of their car, because of your race/ethnicity?"
***How in the world would they know why someone locked their car doors? And how is that racist? That person could be the victim of repeated carjacking or robberies...they could very well be protecting themselves from further issues.
If there was a report of someone similar in the area selling drugs, then this would not be racist.
How many times did you see someone cross the street, because of your race/ethnicity?
***This is ridiculous. Unless the pedestrian made it point to tell him why they were crossing the street, they have no idea why they crossed. But even if it they did, how is that racist? That person may have experienced some horrible violent crime at the hands of a black person
1
As a white girl growing up with divorced parents, I've lived in a variety of neighborhoods. This ranges from really diverse and friendly neighborhoods, to almost entirely white ones, to racist suburbs full of high middle class families. I've seen racism in my friends and family and neighbors and never pointed it out, either because my family told me it was normal and I didn't want to get in trouble for contradicting their worldviews, or because I thought it really was normal. I didn't used to be able to recognize any kind of racism because I wasn't used to needing to.
I know I never have and never will face any racism or comments on my race going past a basic white girl stereotype, and I'm not naïve enough to think that that's equivalent to the daily racism and discrimination black people face. I know I have an inherent privilege in the fact that I don't face hate for my race, and it's my responsibility to use that privilege to confront others on their racism. Someone is a lot more likely to think about changing their opinions if criticism comes from a friend.
1
The last time I thought about my identity is last year. It wasn't triggered by anything negative I just became more self aware to ensure safety of myself with the world we live in now. I don't hold any restrictions upon myself however I know how to act in specific situations to avoid any outbreaks. My experience is similar in comparison to my peers despite being different ethnic backgrounds due to the privilege of living in a diverse city.
I have witnessed my mom being discriminated against by her race, me and my mom are both Puerto Rican and at the time she was working in a supermarket years ago and her boss had thought that my mom was Italian so she was extra nice to her because she thought she was white. Then when the Puerto Rican day parade had came my mom had long acrylic nails of the Puerto Rican flag and her boss had asked her why she had gotten those nails. And that was the day that she found out that my mom was Puerto Rican and had fired her right on the spot. And that's also when I had realized my identity and how Hispanic people are treated in America and how a lot of the times we are seen as criminals or “drug dealers”.
2
@Makayla That's a really striking story, Makayla. I don't know how anyone could lay their head on their pillow and fall asleep at night knowing that they had fired someone solely based on race. It's sickening. Puerto Ricans are no more likely to be "criminals" or "drug dealers'' than your mother's boss was; who is he to assume things based on your mother's race? The revelation that she was Puerto Rican does not and should not discount her previous effectiveness as his employee, and it wouldn't have changed her future work.
1
Up until recently, in the beginning of the year when the pandemic had outbreak world wide, I had faced several racial discriminations because of my race. At that time, it really shocked me and struck me as odd because living in such a diverse city, racial discrimination is something that I never thought would happen to me. Personally, I’ve never really witnessed racial discriminations of others in real life besides the ones that I’ve experienced, but I would often see videos of the terrible actions done toward a certain group of people due to their race online. It would always make me feel so helpless that this evilness is happening in our current society and we couldn’t be there to help at the moment when it all happened. Back to my personal experience, all of the racial discriminations I’ve faced happened to be in school, but it is still hard to judge if it’s common at my school just because of a few ignorant people. Surprisingly, when all this happened, some teachers at my school who I now appreciated the most stood on my side rather than choosing to cover it up in the name of a good reputation for the school. Indeed, racism is something that we should never tolerate, because it is only going to make it worse.
The first moment I became aware of my race was when I was a younger because usually everyone that was around me was a lighter skin tone then me or white. This made me feel like I was out of place and I didn't belong around the people that I was with. I always asked myself why I was darker than everyone else.
The first time I was really made aware of my race from what I could remember was in kindergarten. I was 4 or 5 and we were making self portraits of ourselves in class. I picked up the peach crayon to color in all my hard work and I began to color. However, when the teacher saw me coloring with peach, she said "That's not your color" and took the brown and started coloring over the peach, my beautiful portrait had been ruined by the two colors clashing at each other the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. I didn't know what to do but all my classmates started looking at me, and all I could do is cry. I don't know why I cried maybe embarrassment but imagine a 5 year old getting told that you are different then everyone else. Now that I look back on it, I don't know why she would say it the way she did, or why she would just color over it instead of handing it to me, but all I know is that I am thankful for what she did because it made me realize how horrible people can be sometimes for you just wanting to be a kid. I remember being so scared to tell my mom I don't know why, but I was and I never did, now that I look back it was probably for the best because my mother would've handled it well.
1
My response to the study did not surprise me although it did make me think more about how rough black people overall. It makes me feel very disappointed in where we stand today with racism. This makes me think about how and when we will have our next big improvement as a society. I am not surprised by the average number of times in two weeks that they experienced racism based off of everything around me. I live near a black neighborhood and go to a widely-varied race school. My school consists of mostly Hispanic, a good amount of Blacks, and some Asians and Whites. I have seen that usually the people getting in the most trouble are either Black or White people that tend to live in the lower income, Black neighborhoods. Even the Black neighborhood I live near by is usually avoided due to high risk crime often occurring there. This explains how Black people tend to be watched more carefully more than other races. It also has some things to do with Black people getting teased about their race or ethnicity. And yet, based solely upon the negative things we know about Black, is how we tend to use jokes and other things against them. This is how surprised I am by the questions and answers asked and received from the 101 Black kids that took the survey.
being a white male from the south with a conservative house hold I am stereotyped as "racist" and "privileged" but that couldn't be farther from the truth. First of all I have never been racist to anyone, I have a ton of colored friends and treat them all the same as anyone else. I hate being stereotyped as this because my family is nowhere near racist. Secondly everyone goes through their own struggles and has their own privileged in their own ways. I don't believe its something to be getting upset about, using racist on the whole white race depreciates the word racist because it makes it seem like those who are actually racist seem not as bad when they are horrible people.
1
When asked this question, many things popped into my mind. I am a white female who has not had to deal with much racism. When I took the survey, I was completely shocked because I didn't really understand the hardships that these people face in their every day lives. But on the other hand, I do believe that racism is equally as bad on both sides. Coming from a southern, conservative family I'm pictured to be "racist" which is definitely not true at all. I'm also pictured to be privileged just because I'm white. Being called privileged really upsets me because I have dealt with struggles that most people have not faced, so I am definitely not the most privileged person.
@Ashlyn Stone (Block 2)
I don't think you quite understand what people mean when they talk about white privilege. This isn't to say that you haven't struggled, or that there's no reason for you to struggle, it's only to say that your skin color doesn't make your life harder. You don't have to worry about facing racism or being discriminated against, which is a privilege.
It upsets me that you say racism is equal on both sides, because it absolutely isn't. In my opinion, the fact that black people have statistically longer jail sentences, have hate crimes committed against them, are discriminated against in the workplace, and face daily racism is enough for me to say racism is not equal. I will never have to face a problem because of the color of my skin. If I am murdered, the person who killed me will be convicted-- a lot of black people can't say the same.
@Claire Elise Sandusky (Block 4) No she has to face being called racist when she isn't and called privlileged and i don't think thats much of a privilege calling all white person you say racist doesn't make you better than than any other racist cuz thats kinda racist judging someone based on their skin color without know them
When posed with the question "how much racism do you experience" I didn't flinch. I didn't relive past hurt, and I couldn't summon any real memories of when I was seriously discriminated against. I think that right there shows my privilege (if you can call being treated decently a privilege). I don't have any emotional scars caused by my appearance, much less the melanin in my skin. People cannot help their ancestry and being unnecessarily cruel to them will not change that. It is sad that society has not evolved enough to see that. But more than it is sad, it is unfair. Peoples entire lives are ruined by stereotypes and close minded-ness. But movements like Black lives matter can change that. We need to acknowledge the problem of racism, misogyny, and homophobia in America so we can eradicate it completely. They have no place in the minds of the next generation, or any generation to come.
1
I was very surprised by the results of my test compared to the average results of African American teens. I didn't realize how lucky I was and how easy I have life. I always seemed to complain about the smaller things when others have it so rough based on things that they can't change. They also should have to change because people should respect them no matter what skin color they are. My score was lower on every single one of the questions. Just to realize how harassed people can get just based on one thing that they have no control over. I really hope that one day things will be equal for everyone because every single human should be treated with respect unless proven otherwise. This is also a reason why movements like Black Lives Matter are so important and why we all need to represent these lives that are being harassed on the daily just because of their skin color.
@Lilly Edwards (Student Block 4)
I love the way your mind works. I wish more people could think like you. It’s not fair to the black community that they get treated wrongly because of the color of their skin. Just because you are a certain race doesn’t mean you fit the stereotype of being a criminal, drug dealer, killer, thief, etc. Stop judging people for the color of their skin and start focusing on their character.
@Lilly Edwards (Student Block 4) I agree everyone deserves to be respected regardless of race. It really does take a high level of maturity to be able to look at our own problems in life and realize how small they are in the grand scheme of things.
When I finished the quiz, and seen the results. I realized how I am so fortunate, and how I have life so easy compared to others, of different race. The thought of those scores because of a different race is very confusing. My score was lower than everyone else. I have never faced racism but I have seen it happen in my life. I don't understand why people are treated this way because of their race, its not right what so ever. The results showed me more, that what I think in life. It showed me that under all of the smiles there is larger problem that most people don't know about, and won't fix.
When I took the quiz I realized how easy I have life compared to some other people just because of their race. My score was lower then everyone else one every single question. It's not that I don't experience racism, the sad thing is that I don't even see it so I don't know what to do to help. The results of the quiz really shocked me and I cant imagine what some people go through. I like how people are finally starting to speak up and express them selves but I hate how violent it has turned. I think MLK has accomplished the most for civil rights out of anyone in our history so I think we should follow in his footsteps. Innocent people being killed and good local businesses being destroyed for no reason is inexcusable. I hope that as a country we can come together to fight this and not further divide ourselves.
@Sean McCauley Block 4 I agree with you Sean. I don't experience racism first hand but i know that is there and always around. I have many different friend groups with people of all different races and we all seem to get along perfectly fine. Its hard to image what some people have to go through and worry about on a daily basis.
I was very shocked when I compared my results to the results of black people. The thought that all of this could be happening all around me is very disturbing. It never really crossed my mind that someone could be harassed so heavily just because of how they look. I wouldn’t wish what a lot of these people have gone through on my worst enemy. I hope that the protests that have occurred can drive real change in this country, and help heal the wounds made by racism.
Following the quiz, I realized My responses were significantly lower from the averages on the survey. This makes me feel very thankful because I don’t have to experience discrimination and prejudice in the slightest compared to the average on the study. It makes me wonder what is happening to these people, I’m not at all discrediting them, but this seems to be part of their daily lives. I want to know if they have sort of adapted to racism or do they still get the same shock factor that I get when I see racism? It very much surprised me how much racism they receive because I personally just don’t experience and see discrimination at the alarming rates they are. It is just so hard for me to fathom that just because I don't get first-hand experience.
I can remember my first time really ever hearing racism. For starters, My grandparents are VERY southern conservative. I remember going to visit them and hearing them call black people the “N” word and clearly stereotype them. I had a conversation with my dad when I was really young about the meaning of that word and why it is completely unacceptable to say, so when I heard it I stood in shock like a deer in headlights. I think I first realized my race while my thoughts were racing in shock after hearing them.
In conclusion, I just think it's super hard to interpret or explain racism without really expeirencing it happening to you. I really hope we can make those study averages lower over time.
Although I have not seen or heard serious racism, this survey made me open my eyes. It made me think more and more about the problem we have in the world today. My answers compared to others showed me that. I always knew racism was an alarming problem, but I didn't have much to say to back that up. I agree that the Black Lives Matter protest but only the peaceful ones. I hate how some people took over the peaceful protest and turned them violent. I have seen innocent people/businesses get hurt and destroyed. This should not happen and will not help you get your point across. This will also hurt the peacefully protesting people because they will also get blamed for the violence. We need to make a change, but violence is not the answer.
I'm a blonde, green eyed, fair skinned, girl. Racism has never really been a problem involving my personal life. But witnessing on another hand is a whole different case. I really have started to wonder how many times I have been exposed to racism growing up but never noticing it because it never effected me. Every time someone i know or am friends with has made a joke or comment that was racist intentionally or unintentionally, i remember that whenever I try to stand up and say something, it always has ended up going back to "it's just a joke", "your just being sensitive it doesn't mean anything", and even "it doesn't even involve you so why would you care?"
I have never once had to worry about any problems I would have because of my race in America. I’ve witnessed many people being made of due to their skin tone, mostly when I was younger. I was so young then I didn’t know how to speak myself and stand up for what’s right, I regret that and I really wish I did.
I always found languages so interesting growing up it’s one of my favorite hobbies today. My best friend was South African and I practically lived at their house. Her parents did not speak English well and regularly spoke Africaans while I was there. Growing up with her since I was 3 years old I started to pick some of it up. And later on I learned more. When I was learning how to read and write in other languages I rapidly gained interest in others customs, cultures, and languages. Although I’m a little bit rusty I’m still so glad I had the opportunity to do that. Not many people do growing up in such a non diverse town. I think that’s what effects our views the most. Where we grew up and who we grew up with. But no matter if you grew up in the dump or not, you should always respect people no matter their beliefs, culture, language barrier, or pigment in their skin.
Never did I ever notice how much of an issue racism still is today until the Black Lives Matter protest. I lived in a city that in, in itself, was sheltered and diverse. Now that we’ve moved to Wilmington and the protests have brought up more conversations, I’ve learned more and more about how racism is still a big issue. The first time that I went downtown, I saw a person sleeping on the side of the road. I was extremely confused because I hadn’t seen that before. I curiously asked my parents and they explained that the person was homeless. I felt a similar way with the Black Lives Matter protest. I didn’t really understand how much segregation and negativity around race exists in our world. It truly sucks that it’s happening, but I’m truly glad to be more aware of the situation so I can do my part in helping. When I ask my dad what we can do to help, he asked me if when I pass someone on the sidewalk or street, do you smile at them? And, I said yes. He said he makes a point to smile at everyone, especially African American people. He said sometimes there’s confusion about why he’s smiling and people have stopped him asking why he’s smiling. He said, “you’re just like every other person and I smile at everyone.” Please have thanked him for that. It’s bizarre to me that anyone would not smile at someone because of the color of their skin. Even if we all start with a smile to each other, that could start to break some racial tension.
Even though I may not come from African American descent, I can still try to understand and feel the discrimination that black people have to undergo on a day to day basis. Personally, I have never seen racism with my own two eyes. I have learned about it my whole life whether it be from school or my parents. I may never learn what racism feels like but I will try my best to put myself in other people's shoes and grief for those that may unfortunately face this affliction every day of their lives. Hopefully we can be able to grow as a country and try to eliminate racism within our borders. It will benefit us all.
@Matthew Turner (Block 1)
I agree with what you are saying here, I have always known about racism but I have never really seen it. This is alarming because it means that it is easily disguised and overlooked. I get what you are saying about wanting to feel empathy but not understand what racism really feels like and how it hurts people. And I really do hope our country can change and eliminate the unnecessary need people have to be prejudice against the color of someone's skin. WHEN racism is gone in America the contagious happiness and caring for all people will spread to everyone all around the world. Then everything involving racism will be truly right.
As an Asian immigrant, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with racism. I’ve heard people tell me to go back to my country and dismiss my culture as weird and gross. Having jokes told to me that follow stereotypes that just aren’t close to the truth like telling me to open my eyes. However, conditions are even more unbearable for African Americans. The statistics shown made me speechless. Facing five instances of racism a day is not only heartbreaking but it makes me mad that we continue to allow this. I go to a pretty diverse school but discrimination lurks in the shadows.
I’ve always been taught to be openminded and considerate to everyone regardless of their gender, race, religion, sexuality, etc. The concept of races having a hierarchy is something I can/would never grasp. We’re all human beings and we deserve the same rights. Racism has been a problematic part of history for a while but I hope things will change as it affects us all.
Throughout this time of protesting my parents and I have engaged in many thought provoking conversations on how our race has affected our situation in life. We have thought about whether we would be in our same social status had our family been of colored descent. We have came to the conclusion as to yes, that our skin color has hidden us from discrimination just because we are white. Taking this survey has also opened my eyes to the contrast of the amount of discrimination black Americans face every two weeks. Not on one of the questions did I answer higher than the average. It hurts me to think that black Americans are automatically put into a discriminatory stereotype due to their skin tone. I am grateful that I do not have to go through such discrimination and so are all white Americans but we need to stand up for the blacks together to fight for equal protection and opportunities.
@Anonymous I totally agree with everything you stated in this comment. The survey totally shocked me because I did not realize how tough it is for some people in their every day lives. I can't imagine living like that. Maybe one day we can all come together as a whole and see people for their personality instead of the color of their skin.
I come from European descent and have a light skin tone. While I have never been severely discriminated against I have definitely found myself put into the average "white girl" stereotypes. The stereotypes that come along with being a typical "white girl". Many people seem to look at a race and assume they know the person they are without really getting to know their character.
I have seen people of all races be put into a typical stereotype of their ethnicity. Whether you Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, etc. society has placed stereotypes on us all. Some more than others.
I'm personally very grateful that I don't have to hear insensitive comments about my race often. It breaks my heart that in 2020 we still have people who look at people different simply because of the color of their skin.
@Ruby Moulton (Block 2) I'm also put into the average "white girl" stereotype. It really upsets me because I am more than that and I'm sure you are too. I hope that one day we can all see through the color of somebody's skin and view people and judge them off of how they are as a person, not what they look like. But, I have a feeling that will never happen because we are always going to have evil in this world.
I myself have never experienced real racism first hand. Anytime i've seen it it's always on a TV screen or written in a book. So it's always been sort of an looming thought like war. I've never really seen it, experienced it but i've been shown it time and again. And much like war it's a part of human history since society has been invented there has always been a superficial hierarchy it's almost built into the society itself. And now it's a whole lot less prevalent now than before but those statistics showed me that it isn't something that could happen like war it is a very real and present thing that happens all the time. And I hope that one day we will be able to solve this problem and fix ourselves.
@Vincent Gierie block(1)
I haven't been involved personally or really even seen racism. The connection to a war about to start it just like the Black Lives Matter movement which was started after the deaths of innocent colored people. It's sad that racism is almost part of society like you said. The world has changed the governments have changed the people have changed, but why can't there just be no more racism. Everyone knows racism and discrimination is bad, so why does it still happen? And Vincent, you are right, we seriously need to fix ourselves.
The last time I dealt or talked about racism was when I was with my friend Zion . Nothing happened that day or anything but we had a deep conversation on how we feel about the protest and all that's going on involving racism. This was during the heat of everything so we walked downtown and joined a protest for a little bit then we left and got something to eat but what he told me made me think. He brought up the fact that people have been trying to peacefully protest over and over again for this cause and it's still not completely fixed. He asked me "Why keep doing something if you know it's not going to work" and I didn't have an answer for him. I still believe that destroying cities is not the way to go but i can understand why people are doing it.
I think that i see a lot more examples of social injustice than a lot of people just because of where i live but it's mainly not directed toward me. A lot of the time people glare and laugh at the homeless people downtown. People will just sit there and silently judge them based on what they look like and how they are dressed and it makes me sick to see it happen.
@Daniels I really like that you have been talking to your friends about this topic especially those of a different race. I know it can be hard and uncomfortable at times but vital to seeing a change. I think it's interesting the point your friend made that says "People have been trying to peacefully protest over and over again for this cause and it's still not completely fixed." I think I too wouldn't know how to respond. As an outsider I think both racism and looting/ destroying things are both wrong. My stance is that destroying/looting is affecting innocent people. I know that this act is rooted in frustration and I believe we need a change. Our actions should be a representation of the change we want to see and I believe violence is quite the opposite. Racism is rooted into people. No one is born hating a race, it is learned.
@Ruby Moulton (Block 2) I agree, It is definitely important to talk to your friends regardless of their race about current racism issues because it can change people opinions and like you said, being racist is a learned behavior and people beliefs can be changed for the better.
@Daniels Racism is definitely a touchy subject and sometimes having those sorts of conversations can be really uncomfortable. Even though conversations about controversial subjects can be unsettling, they still need to occur. Without deep conversations and questioning there will never be any change that happens. I found the part where you said, "Why keep doing something if you know it's not going to work" really powerful. The whole thing was well written and thought out nicely. I really enjoyed reading this and hope to comment on more things from you in the future.
I have always been very aware and educated on what racism is and how it affects me. I come from a mixed race family. This has humbled me and helped me learn to respect people who are severely discriminated against. My mother is American with lightly pigmented skin tone, and my father is Asian with a dark-olive pigmented skin tone. I have an olive toned skin complex similar to my dad's. I have never been severely discriminated against because of that and I am very thankful. On the other hand I have dealt with people who have said some racist jokes to me which tend to be more offensive than funny. I will never be able to completely understand the discrimination people face but I can sympathize. It is very upsetting to me that this is thew world we live in. As a young mixed race female I have the potential to face sexism and racism. We need change in our world. I have confidence in my generation to start that change we have so desperately needed for so long. enough is enough.
@Bella (Block 2) I loved reading your comment Bella. Although I cannot relate with you on any point you made, I do understand what you have gone through. I'm very thankful for your comment because it educated me on mixed-race families and how they are discriminated against.
I personally don't experience racism at all. Where i work and where i skate there are people that i hang out with that are from all different backgrounds and colors and we all get along very well. I see racism on social media and the news all the time but it doesn't affect me. Racism is everywhere and it is happening but i am not around it.
@Drew ( Block 4) I agree with you and are in the same spot. I realize that racism does happen and it is a thing but where I hangout and who I hang out with it never happens. Even when I am with people of a different race I never experience it which I am definitely lucky to say.
As a white woman I don't face many problems concerning my race, no one should. As I was going through the survey questions I realized that I always answered with a small number, but the average answer was closer to ten. People of color face more discrimination in everyday activities than people realize, and it even shocked me how high the number responses were in just the past two weeks. I am privileged and don't have to think about a lot of these things, and I can’t believe that some children in school have to. School is supposed to be a safe learning environment to learn about things like social justice issues, not a place that contributes to them. I am also very surprised that the article stated, “Racial teasing is common among adolescents and often it is seen as harmless.” because it is not something that should be taken lightly. With young children growing up thinking teasing someone about their race is normal, how are we supposed to improve as a society?
@Eden Asher Block 1 I like that you ended with the question about how we are supposed to improve as society. When so many families are still teaching their children to be racist, and they are around rude remarks, they will never learn what is right. Their primary role model is telling them that it is okay to treat someone poorly based off skin color. Due to this, it'll be very hard to improve. While many people can change their minds on racism and the way they treat other people, it's nearly impossible to get everyone on board. Racial teasing that is done by kids is common and that is so sad. Adults need to teach children at a young age how serious this issue is and how much it can hurt everyone around them. Racism is something that will take A LOT to get rid of, but is an important enough concept to work hard for. For you and I, it doesn't seem as big of a deal because people aren't racist towards us. Despite this, I feel like it's our jobs to spread awareness though, and stop it in every way we can.
I've never really looked that deep into my skin color and other peoples skin color. As a young white male I think that my skin tone generally exempts me from topics of this matter. But is that really what should happen, I don’t believe so. When someone says racism usually you will think of the plights of the minority in this country and the amount of obstacles they have had to fight through to become accepted as a member of our society. White people tend to be the group people claim are the enemy, which leads to distrust and sometimes even malice towards white people. We tend to forget that racism can also be applied to white people and that most of us are friends not enemies. For example I was in a discussion about police brutality and how we should handle corrupt police officers that we encounter. I got maybe 5 words in before I heard “bro your white your opinion doesn’t even matter” this is the type of phrasing I avoid everyday because it’s not only rude but it discounts someone’s points or opinions based on race which is exactly what racism is. This is not the only time I have experienced this type of attitude and it certainly won’t be the last, which brings me to the question. Why has it become okay to be racist towards white people?
@Evan Zub (Block 2) .
I couldn't agree with you more racism isn't just white on black it involves everyone. I have walked through some bad neighborhoods before and have been called some really cruel things just because I'm white. I know similar things have happened to you and I'm sure we are not the only ones and yet you NEVER hear about that anywhere. All white people aren't racist, not all cops are bad, and not all black people are thugs. People want to be treated equally and to not be judged by the color of their skin and then those same people go and stereotype cops as all being racist.
@Evan Zub (Block 2) I totally agree and like your view on this. I believe there is a double standard when it comes to racism and that the white race is always seen as the enemy. I think any race can be racist and think that people need to put more attention towards other races and not assume that every time racism is brought up that a white person is an enemy.
@Evan Zub (Block 2) Sorry this is really messing with me Ocd But It's You're not your, but other then that I totally agree with your statement
I feel like my school and my neighborhood are two separate worlds. I live in a predominantly white neighborhood where I don’t witness racism very often. At school, where we have a lot of diversity, I see instances of racism way more frequently. I’ve heard white kids say the n-word or make fun of someone’s race. I don’t understand why anyone would do something like that. To me, it seems hurtful and dumb. Most of the time, I don’t think that the person who is saying something racist means to offend anybody. They don’t realize how their words are hurtful. They think that they’re just joking around and that the person that they’re joking about doesn’t mind. And maybe they really don’t mind, but if they do, wouldn’t it be smarter just to not say anything. I believe that it is important for me to listen to peoples’ concerns so that I can be as mindful and understanding of instances of racism as possible. And, so that I will never offend someone or someone feel uncomfortable because of their race.
@Cooper Criss (Block 1) I see that same stuff you do there is a lot of racism at our school and I feel like it goes un noticed. It needs to be taken care of. Hearing other peoples stories and sides of things is definitely and important aspect in defeating racism. Words are super hurtful everything in here I agree with.
After taking the quiz, I was shocked to see how much racism people of color experience. I mean I know that they do experience a lot of racism, but as a white person I can’t relate. One of the questions that I thought was interesting was “How many times did you encounter people who were surprised that you, given your race or ethnic background, did something really well?” This question was interesting to me because I would’ve never thought about this. I know people say things like this, but growing up with the moral that all people were equal, it was surprising. It blows my mind that people can think stuff like that.
I relate to how you are feeling. Racism is obviously an issue in America. I understood that African Americans were discriminated against, but never to the degree that this survey showed. It saddens me to think about how it must feel to experience these things. People don’t seem to understand the impacts of their words and actions. We need to listen to those who feel discriminated against, and try to fix the issues that are causing them to feel this way. Those who are unintentionally causing harm are hopefully willing to right their wrongs, and treat those around them equally.
I am a white female, living in a mostly white neighborhood, going to a mostly white school so I am not used to seeing a lot of racism. I have never judged someone based on what race they are or what skin color they are. I think it is completely wrong to treat someone different based on that. We are all human beings and none of us deserve to be treated differently based on our beliefs, looks, race, or skin color.
I feel like the pandemic opened everyone's eyes to what is going on and how racist certain people are being. I will never know exactly what it feels like to be judged, made fun of for my race, or being treated differently because of that, but I can imagine the pain and hurt people are going through because of that. It isn't fair.
I do not see a lot of racism in my personal life but on social media and television I see how bad it has gotten around the world and how everyone is turning on each other. If I see someone being treated differently due to what they look like, or their race, I will stand up for them because I know how wrong it is and how we need to raise awareness and show people that it is not okay.
We need to look at each other the same way, treat each other the same, and all be kind to each other.
I am a white girl who doesn’t have to go through racism. I have never been treated differently for simply the color of my skin. For this, I am grateful. But it shouldn’t end there.
Growing up, I lived downtown, in a decent neighborhood filled with people of all races, views, and backgrounds. My neighborhood wasn’t poor, but it also wasn’t close to upper class. Being in downtown, it wasn’t always safe. I remember a time I was playing outside with my brother and was told to run inside because there was “dangerous activity” in the neighborhood. There were some very scary times living there. Eventually, we moved to a safer neighborhood, to a nicer house, and a better environment with kids being able to play outside, free of harm.
Moving here, I was pretty young. I didn’t realize my privilege of being able to now live in such a nice place. Sure, I used to live somewhere not as great, but my opportunity is what set my family apart from those living in dangerous places downtown. Crime rates in those neighborhoods are higher than where I live now. But people who aren’t white don’t necessarily have as great of a chance as my family did to move away from a place like that. In my new neighborhood, the majority of the people are white, with an exception of a few homes that have hispanic, asian, and black people.
@Anya (Block 1) Part 2: I think that the opportunity for a good life can be determined by the color of your skin. That is the way it is right now. And that is absolutely awful. Everyone deserves to live in a safe place, have a safe job, and live a life not having to worry about being treated differently for the color of their skin. Also, you shouldn’t have to be around people of your own colored skin to feel safe.
@Anya (Block 1) I had a similar experience to yours. I lived in a low income community where there were many shootings, and drugs related activities. As one of the oldest kids, I had to often watch the younger kids in the neighborhood because their parents where in jail or off absent. Many people in the community were black, but that didn't mean they deserved the life they were given. I was fortunate enough to be able to move into a nicer neighborhood , but a lot of other people don't have that opportunity only because the color of their skin is different than mine.
--PART 1--
After reading the article and taking the surveys I felt quite sheltered. My responses seemed dramatically low compared to the average of the African American students. If you were to scroll down the page of my responses, you would see zeros all over. I think the only things that I actually had above a zero were social media posts that I hadn’t even been directly impacted by. Honestly, I was kind of surprised at how much racism they face everyday, probably because I am not of color and do not face anywhere near the amount of judgment they do.
I haven’t ever purposely been part of teasing others about anything related to race, it’s not right and I know that. However, I do have a story about when I was younger and how race was addressed in my hometown.
@Emily Courtney (Block 1)
--PART 2 (one more part after this)--
I remember my little sister, who was too young to understand much about race at that moment, asking why an African American neighbor looked different than us. That moment brought back a memory for me when I was younger. I was born in a small town in Northern Texas. There was a clear divide between white and black people in town. Between the ongoing feud between police officers and colored citizens and the pure racism between neighbors, things were pretty rough around the edges. But, I didn’t see this because I was young and white. I didn’t have to worry about what the people around me were doing because I felt safe, but I didn’t know that others weren’t.
What I did notice however, was an African American person walking down the same aisle as my mom and I in the grocery store. I was probably about three or four at the time. “Why is he dirty mommy?” I asked, referring to the black man. My mom quickly shushed me and told me that he wasn’t dirty like I thought, he just had different skin than me. I was bewildered, I had no idea that people were different colors because I never had to pay attention. Looking back, I think that I was so amazed at this man because I was in a bubble. And it wasn’t just me, it was most of my white friends as well because there was such a great divide.
@Emily Courtney (Block 1)
I hadn’t been taught that there were different races yet and I was raised in a predominantly white neighborhood. I think that my little memory goes to show that we need to educate our youth on the different races more. There’s nothing wrong with exposing them to new backgrounds and races because that’s what the world is filled with. In 2020, do you really want your child to ask why a different race looks like they do? Or would you rather them be aware of the differences between human beings and accept them? We aren’t just blank canvases, we are beautiful paintings and should be in a museum of different styles and artists.
I personally have never had any serious experiences with racism. By a serious experience I mean someone deliberately trying to make me feel unsafe, uncomfortable and less than human. As one of the few white kids on my basketball team, my teammates sometimes made comments about my race when I played well. When they made comments about my race when I played, I didn’t know how to respond and it made me feel like I didn’t belong there.Since this happened to me, I haven’t gone back to playing basketball because I think of those experiences of feeling like an outsider. This experience contrasts a lot from what is going on in our country today. Instead of just on the basketball court, African-American people are feeling uncomfortable and unsafe because of their skin color every day. These current events such as the killings of George Floyd and Brianna Taylor have made me much more aware of what people of other races go through every day. Now, racism in America is impossible to ignore because of the widespread media coverage.The media provides coverage on all of the Black Lives Matter protests which all stem directly from prejudice in the 19th and 20th century such as the Jim Crow laws .I feel these racial injustice movements demand everyone to take the responsibility of getting others around them to stop being so insensitive and empathise with the struggles that come with living as a person of color.
@Ivan Doll Block 1
I'm sorry that you felt so out of place in basketball because of your race. However, I like that you connected your story about being an outsider on your team to how African Americans feel in everyday life. You put yourself in their shoes for a moment and realized what they go through. I think that more people should take a step back and try to see from different people's point of views like you did. This way we can easily pinpoint the issues and do what we can to help.
Your story reminds me of a friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal for privacy reasons. She is white. But, years ago, when she was still in high school, she went to a school dedicated for black people because it was the closest school around. Yes, unfair schooling for different races is still around today. Instead of seeing the racism towards African Americans while she was there, she was the target. She was called names and teased because she was one of the very few white people in her school. They called her a cracker. She became bitter, but then realized she was in their shoes for once. They faced these situations in regular life outside of school, and she started to pay more attention to what she said. I think that this story was pretty similar to yours because you were both in opposing situations than usual, and I hope that you were able to learn from it. I also hope that you and your past teammates are able to set race aside and focus on the game later.
@Ivan Doll Block 1 I like how you shared your story and connected it to what is going on in are world today. I am sorry for what happened to you and I wish something would've been done about the situation like it would've if the roles were reversed. I hope one day you can go back to playing basketball and move on from this situation and not be judged for it.
As a white male in a primarily white neighborhood, I had never really seen racism until I was older or on the television. My elementary school had a very small amount of diversity and still all of the schools have been at have had low diversity. I have never had to deal with a racist comment or slur from anyone. Ever since I have been In high school, I have heard of a few students getting in trouble for being racist, but overhear racist comments way more than I should. I don't understand why people need to make these comments just for the color of a HUMAN BEINGS skin color. they can't change the fact that they have a different skin color than the entitled privileged white person. I didn't see how much more of a blessing my life has been until I saw how people of a different skin color are treated. Its extremely disheartening and hurts too even hear about racism.
I find it hard to make a change because I feel my voice in unheard because its not developed and I am very short and skinny. If I want to say something, but if I do I will just get pushed around and made fun off. One few occasions my friends have made a comment that I was unhappy with and I told them how unnecessary and hurtful that could be and it shut them up pretty quickly. Even a simple joke or seamlessly unharmful comment can just tear someone apart.
@Will Clancy Block 1 I agree with a point Will mentioned in the top of his comment. When he mentioned that as a kid he didn't notice racism and I feel the same way. I feel that when we were kids we had 20/20 vision but our vision has been fogged up as we have grown up. This makes me think, what changed in our heads that made us look at people as if they were different species? I feel the answer can be a solution to our problem but I don't know how to obtain it. So until that answer resurfaces I feel the best we can do is treat other with respect.
@Will Clancey Block 1
I am the same way. I haven't heard or seen racism until I have gotten older. I have heard people having racist jokes and thinking it is funny but not realizing how it can actually hurt someone and make them self conscious about what they look like. I am on the same page with you and I don't understand why people judge others and make comments about others just because they are a different color. There is nothing wrong with being a different color and they can't change that. It is very disheartening to see and hear racism, like you said.
I love that you stood up against your friends and told them how wrong their "joke" was. I also feel as if it is hard for me to make a change but I don't think being short and skinny can stop you. I feel like we can change things even if it seems like the littlest change, it is making a difference. You standing up against your friends made a difference and stopped racism talk. We can do things like that, that seem small but really do make a difference. You standing up to your friends helped me realize that we can do things to help, so thank you.
@Will Clancey Block 1
Will, its almost like we are the same person, I'm a white and and I have always lived in a neighborhood that has white people being the majority. I also have never really heard about the topic until I was older, I have a been called a few slurs here and there but it isn't nearly as bad as people of color. On the internet, I see so many racial things going on, but it has really been targeted towards people of color and African-Americans. I don't think people in our day and age don't realize if they are doing it and how often it happens. One day me and my friend to to the mall to caught up with another group of friends, on our way there my friend got called several slurs just in a 1 hour time period. On our way home I told him "holy cow, I never knew that this happened daily and how frequent it is." I made me realize that being white is almost like an advantage, which is how it shouldn't be.
This is a topic I may be unqualified to speak in, because frankly, I'm a middle-class white suburban boy. But here goes.
Any encounters I have seen were fleeting & directed towards other people than myself. For the first 3 years of my life, I lived in deeper parts of NC, but I remember nothing of what I experienced during that time. Then, my family moved to Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, and I legitimately saw a black person every 6 months. The North sheltered me so entirely from minorities that it was a rare occurrence when we did see someone black (albeit other races were more intermingled with the population, the point stands).
Then, my family moved back down to North Carolina, this time into Wilmington, because my parents are old and have abandoned all their dreams. Here, staying around people of different nationalities and skin tones is more normal. Minorities aren't an "exotic sight" unlike some places up North. They're just people.
That being said, I have also seen more racism in play, too. In my daily life? No. It isn't a common thing in my daily life—again, I'm a reclusive middle-class white boy. Reading this article has rather made me realize that I do observe others’ stereotyping and discrimination through microaggressions.
Overall, this is a hard problem to solve. It will take years. But we can take steps towards bettering it, and hope that we can see a USA that doesn't have institutionalized and normalized racism before our grandchildren are dead.
@Eric Fry (Block 1)
When I was first going to write about this topic, I was going to say that because I'm white and live in a predominantly white neighborhood, I don't witness racism very often. But then I thought, maybe I do see instances of racism more than I'd like to believe. I’ve heard other kids make jokes about someone's race and while I don't really like that they said it, I usually just pass it off because their intent was not to hurt anyone. Now, I believe that their intentions don’t matter. It doesn’t matter whether they are saying it maliciously or jokingly because whatever their intent is, they’re comments are still hurting people.
@Cooper Criss (Block 1)
I really like how you said this. I feel like a lot of people want to say they've never seen or been a part of racism because there wasn't malicious intent, but regardless, almost everyone actually has seen it. whether it affects us or not, we have to own up to the fact that we have been uneducated at some point in our live, and have probably said or witnessed something racist and said nothing.
The lessons and morals I have been taught and learned throughout my childhood have formed me into the person I am today. The amount of privilege I have by being white and growing up in predominantly white neighbourhoods as well as going to private schools with almost no diversity, sheltered me from many of the horrors that happen to people of color. I have never looked at someone with a different skin tone as someone “different” than me in that way; we are all humans. Outside of the neighbourhoods and school, I have witnessed kids being picked on because of their race but I never said anything to defend anyone because I was young and didn’t quite know what to do. As I’ve grown older I know that speaking out is crucial in making a change in the world and changing how we deal with racism. We need to collectively educate others of the harm they are doing by saying hurtful things not just about someone's race but in general. Even if someone is joking about things regarding a person’s race, I think there should be boundaries because “jokes” can be taken way too far and frankly, sometimes, don’t need to be said. At my high school, we have diversity but the majority is mostly white. I have never experienced racism but I have no doubt many people at my school who are of a different race have. It makes me sad to think that hurtful words regarding a person’s race are even coming out of someone's mouth.
@Savannah Miles (Block 1) Same thing for me. Sometimes I'd see racism and id keep walking. Now I've tried to take initiative to call those people out. I think that it is very important that we take action against people that do these things.
@Savannah Miles (Block 1) I wish more people shared your morals. I've too never understood how one's race is superior or inferior to another. We're all human beings and deserve equality. Like you, I used to be afraid to speak up to the face of discrimination whether it was happening to myself or others around me. Now I know how crucial being vocal is to deal with racism. You brought up an excellent point with the jokes. I hear them all the time and they're honestly just discriminatory language disguised as banter. What makes them think that's okay?
Being white, I haven’t experienced racism or discrimination based on the color of my skin. I have never been called a racial slur or judged because of my race. I don’t want to say I am lucky to be white, because that would imply that the color of my skin makes me superior to others, but I feel that my race has protected me from certain situations. Because I am white, I have never been called a racial slur or judged simply because of my race. I find it heartbreaking that this is the reality for some. The treatment African-Americans receive is unacceptable. Phrases used to discriminate shouldn't be used. After reading the article, I realized that the use of racial slurs is one of the more obvious forms of racism, and that it has many different forms. Many people are aware they are being racist while others make comments truly unaware of its potential meaning. They may not think of it to be disrespectful, but many might feel offended by their actions. I hope that I’ve never been one to unintentionally offend someone, or come off as discriminatory. But, after looking through the multiple racist gestures often made unknowingly listed in the article, I feel that I may have done one of these things. In the future, I need to think deeper about how my actions may affect others. Never will I intentionally put someone down or offend them because of the color of their skin. In my eyes, that does not matter when it comes to the treatment you deserve.
I agree with you completely. As a white person growing up in a white neighborhood and who sent to a predominantly white elementary school, there were things I’ve said or done that I didn’t realize were racist. This survey has helped me look back and examine myself, and also the world around me.
As a white female of a higher class I have never experienced racism first hand. I have been a witness to people being discriminated against that didn't relate to their skin tone. Whether it was because of sex, sexuality, or mental abilities it never feels good. I have been in situations where a black male or female, usually male, would get made fun of for the color of their skin. I've always heard it as a joking and friendly way even though it is mean. In a better example I've heard jokes made among friends. Although like all teenagers we tend to play off things that really hurt us as a joke. I have never made a racial joke towards someone simply for the reason. Even when my friends would joke around with me and pick on me for stuff at times I did take it to heart. I feel that making racial jokes even if towards friends is an off limits area. With my closest friends and family there are jokes that shouldn't be made simply because it hits a little too close to the heart. All friends should set up these boundaries to ensure respect at all times. There are some topics that I feel are off limits even without being said. I believe race and sexuality are two big topics that aren't taken lightly by all people. While looking at statistics for suicide in teens has been at an all time high these past couple of years. Of course social media and cyberbullying has played a large roll. I also feel that teens feel more hurt when people they though were their friends make hurtful jokes.
As a white male who attends Hoggard Highschool, I haven't experienced real racism. I have friends of multiple ethnicities and as a joke I have been called "white boy" a few times but those people were my friends so I never took it to heart. I haven't experienced true racisms because I attend a Highschool where the majority of the students are white. Unfortunately where there is good in this world there is evil as well.
This means, even though I might be treated fairly, I'm sure that other student's of color have been treated differently at my school. Because of this I always knew there was racism in our school, though I never experienced it, but as I read theses statistics it brought shame to me. The amount of discrimination that these people go through in 2 weeks is more then I have received in 16 years. This is a terrible thing that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.
Even though discriminations separates us I do believe that we can come together again. I feel that if everyone were to respect one and other, and tried their best to forget about offensive stereotypes we could rebuild society. As humans we automatically make assumptions on people the moment we meet them, these assumptions are made mostly off stereotypes. So overtime if we could rebuild peoples assumptions by trying to replace the offense stereotypes with positive ones, we could possible erase the offensive side of racisms, and build from there. These kinds of solutions brings me hope for the future.
@Thomas Burgee (Block 1) I too am a white male and I haven't experienced racism myself but I am aware that it is a real thing that affects many people. But when i read those statistics it really showed me how every present it can be. And how it affects the people themselves. And that racism is one of the worst problems out there. It has been a problem for almost as long as human history. People have almost always judged other people solely based on race, religion, nationality or beliefs. And it is a part of human nature to focus on what makes us different rather than what makes us the same. And I hope one day we will have solved this problem, and that one day we will have equality. But the best thing we can do is to try and do our best to make it better today.
@Thomas Burgee (Block 1)
I am a white female, and I too have never faced any form of racism either. People have made assumptions about my ethnicity and how that affects my race, but I’ve never taken those comments to heart. They’re always innocent mistakes that I just simply correct in a kind manner, because it's not really that big of a deal. But there are people out there who aren’t lucky enough to be able to avoid prejudice. Racism is everywhere, even if we haven’t witnessed or experienced it. It lurks in the darkest corners of society and in the doorways of homes throughout the country. Racism is a learned behavior, whether it was learned at home, within a group of friends, etc., no one is ever born with racist feelings. We won’t fix this problem overnight, but what we can do is try to educate ourselves with real information and we can try to pass on this knowledge. We need to teach our children in the next generation that racism is never okay. We need to understand that no one should ever be judged based solely on their race, age, ethnicity, or sex, but on the choices and actions that they choose to make in their day to day life.
@Thomas Burgee (Block 1) I am also a white male from Hoggard and I share the same view point as you. I feel that in our mostly white school we are lucky enough to not experience a lot of racism. Maybe I am just at the wrong place at the wrong time or something like that but me and friends of different races have never experienced any racism or even witnessed it. I am lucky to have friends where jokes will be made about each other about how they look or act but everything is just taken as a joke no matter who says it. I cant imagine what some people feel that actually get called names not as a joke. I think are generation has a chance to change this and what you said " rebuild peoples assumptions by trying to replace the offense stereotypes with positive ones"
I don't face any myself, maybe a stereotypical white person jokes every now and then but nothing like some others. It's more of the complexion and lightness of my skin tone instead of my racial identity. Racism is disgusting and a horrendous thing to do. Ive seen many instances of it and gladly ive mever been involved. I think we should accept others due to their personality, not their skin tone or what their physical appearance may look like. We are all human, nobodys better or worse unless they commit acts that set them apart. We all came from the same place and just because we look different doesn't give us the right to discriminate. It should all be a thing of the past and not of the present. It's as if some people can't function without lowering other people and bringing themselves on an imaginary podium. All discriminatory and racist acts are bad and nothing we should be committing today. It needs to stop ASAP.
@Ethan Langley (Block 4) I agree with what you said about accepting people based on their personality over appearance. In the end we all bleed the same color and live in the same world despite the amount of melanin in our skin. No one should be placed above any one else based on skin tone. I find it very hard to believe that racism is still a problem in todays world. Us young teens need to stand up and prevent the world from spitting out racist comments. We should raise our children to treat everyone equally. Obviously not everyone has the same beliefs and eventually it will cause arguing. All we can try to do is spread awareness and make a change based on how we act and how we influence others.
In my life I haven't experienced racism. I'm white and live in a primarily white neighborhood. Racism doesn't happen much in my neighborhood. After seeing such a big difference in the questions about how much racism do you see everyday I was completely shocked. I would've never expected how much people of different races experience racism.
In 7th grade my english class read To Kill A Mockingbird and that was my first experience of how bad racism really is. It also showed me how much prejudice the world shows especially in the world today. It's just saddening to see how much people of different races get treated with less respect as white people. In this world today the people who are supposed to protect us the most are murderers behind a flag and behind a badge.
@Andrew Stein (Block 2) I agree with what you said in the first paragraph, a lot of people don't experience racism growing up so they aren't educated about it and don't fully understand what some people who does experience racism on a week to week basis experience.
I grew up “sheltered”, in a way, from racial issues. All I was taught in school was not to discriminate, but that was it. I never realized how subtle behaviors or jokes could be racist until I begun reading more on the subject. It was To Kill a Mockingbird that really helped me change and realize how much my skin color has “saved” me from many struggles many others will face.
Racism has played a big part in my life. I went to a Christian school that preached and taught against it almost every day for nine years of my life. I live by Martin Luther Kingstatement of "people shouldn't be judged on the color of their skin but by the content of their character. It makes me sick to my stomach when people degrade other people because of the color of their skin. People shouldn't have to worry about being looked down upon or looked over due to their skin. Even as a white person in America I've been called all sorts of vulgar unneeded words. It doesn't help the situation any more by making jokes about race or police brutality, in fact, its like encouraging racism. Racism should have more and heavier penalties.
@Timothy Lovitt I don't know if racism will ever disappear but we can keep trying to make less pronounced. We are all people and we need to accept everyone fore that. Your school taught you right.
@Timothy Lovitt
I disagree that "Racism should have more and heavier penalties"; I agree that racism should be condemned, but I don't agree it should be a punitive condemnation. Charging millions of people for prejudices they were exposed to throughout childhood would solve nothing—potentially even spurring more hatred for minorities. I think a repair-oriented approach would be much more constructive for most people. (I'm sure there would be some people that fundamentally disagree and refuse to change, and for those people.. I don't know what can be done.)
How would any of this be done? I have no idea how. It would probably take years of work and united agreement, which ironically is something the United States is known for failing to do. All in theory, I guess.
In ninth grade, we had to choose a book to read and do a report on. I chose A Time to Kill, and I remember it being a shocking and horrific eye-opener to the reality of racism in the past and present. I personally have never experienced racism, and likely never will because I was born privileged, but after reading that book I realized that ‘privileged’ is just another word for ‘safe’. Feeling safe should be a privilege for everyone, but it isn’t. I realized this while reading the book, and I remember getting so angry at the city’s reaction. What happened to that little girl in the story is horrific and disgusting, and her father’s actions were completely justified.
The part of that book that stood out to me the most in the end, when the lawyer says, ‘now imagine she’s white’. I can’t help but wonder if the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery would be treated any differently if they were white. They were sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, and even fathers. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to have your son or daughter die before you, murdered violently by the people who are supposed to protect and/or respect you. I can’t imagine what it’s like to lie awake at night, knowing that these people are walking in the streets wearing uniforms that justify murder.
@Lindsay (Block 1)
The most frightening statistic is the alarming number of jokes about police brutality and slavery. To me, these are shameful reminders of the ignorance and racism of the past and present generations. It reminds me that we have so much work to do to ensure that our generation makes everyone, especially people of color, feel safe and valued.
The best thing that I can do now is to listen. I will never personally go through what people of color go through, and I aim to be as understanding and empathetic as possible when they share their stories. I hope everyone who has ever experienced racism, in any sense of the word, knows they are worth so much more than unkind words and
ignorant stereotypes, and knows that they are valued by every decent human being in society.
@Lindsay (Block 1) It's hard to imagine what those people are feeling right now. It's a shame that stuff like this happens to people every day. People who do these race/hate crimes should be punished heavily. I believe if there motive involved the color of the other's skin they should receive more punishment.
@Lindsay (Block 1) The book you mentioned scarred me for a long time. I accidentally came across the movie one time when I was younger and then discovered the book. I never thought something so horrific could happen like that especially to an innocent young girl. The racism in our justice system is simply inexcusable. I agree that the father had every right to react the way he did. I could never imagine that happening to my child and then the failures of the system letting the murderers run free.
I personally have never been deeply offended by a comment that I thought was racist. I am a Dominican-American and I am the first generation of my family to be born in America. I was lucky enough to be born with two hard-working parents who will work tirelessly to provide for me and my two brothers. During my life I've never really had to worry about going broke, in fact, I went to a private Catholic school. I am in high school now and looking back on my life I can say that I have experienced racist comments. I've been called wetback, ese, Pablo, and plenty of other things but I was never offended by them because in my eyes it's not the comment that matters, it's the context and intention. Most of these comments were made by friends who have never intentionally tried to hurt me. Not everyone thinks like me though. The most vivid memory of what may have been an indirectly racist comment was when I was getting groceries with my dad the cashier said, "you look so much like your father." I don't think she meant anything by it but I've received this comment many times before and this time my dad had enough. On the way back to the car he started getting angry about how she said that only because white are all random looking. I didn't know how to respond. I guess in all, I can say I've experienced much racism in my life but never really been offended or hurt by it because I don't believe what someone else says should ever be able to make me less than what I am.
The topic of racism has always been a touchy subject for me since I have grown up in a predominantly white neighborhood and have always gone to a predominantly white school, So racism has never affected me personally, The times racism is most apparent in my life is probably looking at political beliefs. I am not a political person since I am still a teenager and cannot vote but seeing other people get slandered for their opinion by others kind of hurts to watch. It makes me feel like racism is just getting thrown around and spread out like a wildfire. I feel that people of color still need social justice for mistreatment but things are not going to get any better if things are resolved in more ways than one.
@Bennett Humphrey (Block 1) I also have grown up in a predominantly white neighborhood and have gone to mostly white schools. Racism has never really effected me personally but I hate when I witness racism. Seeing people like George Floyd being killed by police makes me loose hope in humanity. Politics is also where I see racism occur the most, for example President Trump evading the question about what he will do about white supremacy. That sickens me. I agree 100% that people of color deserve social justice.
@Bennett Humphrey (Block 1)
The worst part about witnessing racism in politics as a teenager is that there isn’t really anything you can do about it. I don’t know much about politics, but I don’t think people who have continuously made racist remarks in the past or present should even be allowed to run for President. It’s not even a political issue, it’s an issue of human decency. I agree wholeheartedly that social justice for people of color needs to be a higher priority, especially with the racist police system.
@Bennett Humphrey (Block 1) I relate to your comment so much. I'm white and I've only grown up in predominantly white neighborhoods and schools so I haven't really been much of a witness of racism. But, I do know that it is a huge problem that occurs quite often. I almost feel as if racism is equally as bad between both sides because as a white female coming from a southern conservative family, people just assume that I'm racist but I'm actually the complete opposite. I know that is not much compared to the challenges African Americans face everyday, but it really upsets me.
Racism. This topic has caused controversial arguments. It's all around us, sometimes more, sometimes less. Some people prefer to address it, others decide to leave it alone. Growing up in a worn down place in California where most of us were Hispanic or Black, I never really experienced racism over years. Maybe here and then some jokingly offense but that's about it. Once I moved to Oregon, the tables turned. Everything is different, I've seen my family including me getting stares, and multiple times people have said or done offensive things to me or my family. In my shoes, if someone says or offends my dad or my family, I defend them because it's a struggle enough already for parents to make a living here. If a white person offends us, nobody sees anything but once I open my mouth, everyone is against me. It's not just difficult for me but also for other families and races. Society has put this idea in everyone that one race is superior to all the others, when in reality we're all the same. We are all controlled by the government equally, no one is actually better or worse because all of us are like slaves. Racism should never exist, because instead of supporting each other, we're all attacking each other, with not ONE strong community. Everyone's human and no one should be treated less human than anyone else. What kind of world are we living in where a black or hispanic kid knows to obey police or else they'll get shot.
It’s a big topic, a topic that caused major conflict upon each and one of us. You see it almost everywhere you go, it’s a form of criticism and bullying. When you’re the one making racial comments about somebody else, it seems as though empowering. In reality, you shouldn’t put out harsh words about somebody’s appearance. It shouldn’t be an act of shoving someone down to make yourself look better in society’s expectations. It’s about everyone being equal and the same despite how they look. The new virus is spreading, thousands killed. At the same time, ones with the Asian ethnicity or Chinese to be specific are being racially hurt and abused. Either online or in real-life situations, a state of panic where one can let out words and actions without the process of thought. Taking this advantage to push all the blame on someone else.
I think that racism is a very big problem in our world. I have never had a first-hand experience of racism, but I have seen it through media like Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. I even hear about racism in my daily life from people I know. For example, one time the preacher from my church was preaching and he gave an example of racism and how he experienced racism when he was in a foreign country. I have also seen racism in sports, such as soccer. It was when I was watching a Barcelona game(I was 7 at the time), and a South American Barca player(Dani Alves) was about to take a corner, and fans started to throw bananas and bottles at him. I didn’t understand what happened at that moment but as I grew up, I finally understood how disrespectful and inhumane the act was towards the South American player. Racism has also affected the choices me and my family have made, like picking a school. They thought that an international school would be best because I’d face less racism there. It’s beneficial because if I’m in an international school, there would be a lot of diversity and people in an international school would be likely to avoid racism. However, it can be disadvantageous because people wouldn’t be able to completely avoid racism. They would probably just experience it for a little bit and after that, it’ll just disappear. Thankfully, in the school I’m in, we all respect each other regardless of our race and personality.
I never thought that I would face racism in Vietnam, my own country where I was raised and born. Well, I thought wrong. About 2 months ago, I was lining up to pay for the things I bought, behind me was another Viet person and behind her was western person. So we waited in line waiting for our turn to pay, like what everyone else was doing. Then there was a counter open so I was about to go there and pay. Suddenly, the cashier, who was also Vietnamese, told the western guy to come and pay. Yes, the cashier just told the western guy to cut in front of me and the Viet person behind me. Like what a good person would do, the western guy told the cashier it was my turn and he would go back in line and not cut, but the cashier insisted him to pay next and he refused and asked “why?”. Since there was a language barrier, the cashier had trouble speaking english and instead, she pointed at the western guy and did the thumbs up and she asked me in Vietnamese to let the western guy go first. I got really offended and mad, what made me more mad was that the cashier was a VIETNAMESE, and she was being racist and discriminating against her own people. From that day, I was aware that racism is an issue and it could happen anywhere.
I have faced racism in my life, from my own family. My dad’s side is English and my mum’s side is Vietnamese. When I went to visit my cousins in England a couple years ago, they would leave me out of conversations and wouldn’t let me hangout with them because I was a “ weird Vietnamese girl.” I haven’t been back to England to visit them ever since that happened. I like to tell myself that they’re just jealous that I can speak more than one language. However, I have also experienced some white privilege, too (if you could call it that). At all the family gatherings with the Vietnamese side of my family, I was always called the cutest and got the most attention from my family. Even distant relatives and family friends that I didn’t know would give me lots of love and attention. Not only that, but I got the most money on the Vietnamese holidays out of all of my cousins, but I did feel bad for them. I have also witnessed racism in professional football (not experienced it first hand though) when I watch games. For instance, I was watching a match between Manchester United and Liverpool when an African Manchester United play stepped up to take a corner kick. The fans in the stands behind him started to throw things like bananas and water bottles and were also yelling at him. There wasn’t a reason for them to do that to him. I never understood why people could be so mean.
The subject of race has always been a touchy subject for me and sometimes it's easier for me to struggle with identity crisis than others. That reason being that I'm mixed. Everyday I encounter someone that thinks I'm white because I'm not tan enough or I don't where my hair curly everyday, I don't talk ghetto, I don't do this or I don't do that. Why do all of those things matter? I go to the grocery store with my dad and I'm treated well because he's white so must be white too right? Wrong. I go to the store with my mom and I'm looked at like I stole something or I don't look I belong to her because my skin is much lighter than hers.
I walk everyday and struggle to just be myself because it seems as if someone is always looking at me or asking me questions trying to figure out what I am because I don't exactly match with either race. In the summer I'm always really tan and in late fall and winter I'm pale. I have been called all the way from a cracker to unidentified. My struggles and experiences won't match up to a black persons but I am here to say that some of the struggles are the same. I live a privileged life and because of that people assume I'm white and have tons of money. It's sad the amount of ignorance that people have.
3
@Amaya2nd
I think that it is terrible that you are looked at differently, depending on if you are with your mom or dad. You should not be treated worse if you are with your mom because she is of color. People should not expect you to or think you will do something bad if you are with your mom. I am sorry that you have to go through this. Nobody should feel like they are being looked at differently, depending on who they are with.
@Amaya2nd
Although I definitely do not get asked the same questions, or have to go through the same things you do, I understand your pain and annoyance towards all of this. The fact that you come across so many people that have these judgements about you daily, is insane to me. I don't get why people can think of other people differently just because of their race, ethnicity, or skin color. I hate how you and other people have to struggle being yourself because of someone's' judgmental looks and questions towards you. You don't deserve to be judged by your looks, you are just the same as everyone else and people need to realize that. People are so wrong for that and need to realize it and make a change. Like you said, "It's sad the amount of ignorance that people have."
@Amaya2nd
I think that we need more stories like these for the current racial movement. The reason I say this is because the racial injustice isn’t as much about Caucasians versus African Americans, it’s about exposing racism towards minorities in general and eliminating that issue. No matter what race you are, you shouldn’t be treated differently because of the color of your skin.
While I myself am not of color, I was taught from a young age to love and treat everyone equally, so it hurts my heart when someone is judged off of the skin they were born with. This being said, I do not have the experiences with racism that you have. However, correct me if I’m wrong please, you seem to struggle with your identity a bit. You don’t really identify as black or white, because you are mixed-race. It seems that how strangers perceive you, is based on the other people around you, instead of yourself (e.i. when you are with a different parent at the store). So my question is, what advice would you give to a young mix-race child in this world, and how have you found your own identity in the world. In my opinion, you should be able to make a reputation for yourself based on how you personally act and not how you look or the people you are near.
I’m sorry that this is what you go through and the struggles you face just because of the color of skin. Nobody should ever have to go through that and I think that that’s why we need this racial movement more than ever.
Growing up in a diverse community, I never really face racism on a daily basis, so I thought it was just portrayed in movies about the past where people were racist. But a trip to America from 2 years ago really did open my eyes to the racial issues that still exist today. My family was going on a night walk around downtown Las Vegas when a stranger suddenly catcalled me. He made a loud whistle and proceeded to say “ni hao” to me. I was immediately offended. Not because he catcalled an underaged person, which was also extremely rude and perverted, but because he assumed my race, I am Vietnamese. To this day, I am still not sure if this specific situation was racism, but I knew that it was just plain rude and I sure didn’t like it. Living in Phu My Hung and in a community like SSIS, you never really see the act of racism in real life. But I have realized that it is not like this everywhere. I think being racist is very inappropriate and horrible. People should be more open-minded and accept others as equals regarding their races.
Being both Chinese and adopted, I can confidently say that I experience a lot of racism in my daily life. Often times, my race is the root of many jokes that-- while are funny on the surface-- are still very hurtful despite how i react on the outside. In a school where asians have a certain reputation according to the mostly white student body, i really do not fit into it. Since im adopted, i sometimes consider myself and others do say that i am "white-washed". having white parents has allowed me to grow up differently than the typical chinese student in the US. Sometimes i am saddened and ashamed of who I am because i am fully chinese on the inside but i do not look the standard on the outside. i am im between the white world and my true culture. It is hard to find people like me who understand the chinese culture, but know what its like to grow up with white parents. jokes bout being asian and adopted such as saying that my parents didnt want me is truly hurtful and i feel the impact every day at school even if people do not mean hurt my feelings.
@Ava I have a friend who is also an adopted Chinese person. He too gets made fun of for being "white-washed" and it makes me feel awful for him. He has told me that he just laughs it off but those offensive jokes really put him down. I don't think by any means that you should feel bad for being raised by a different race. Your different and you should embrace it.
@Noah Casteen (Block 1) It's disgusting how people can pick on someone for being different. We should look at personality and not physical appearance. We all look different, and we have to accept that. If everyone looked the same, no one would be unique.
I have been experiencing a lot of racism in my life, mostly because I am Asian and I was born in Vietnam. In school, we were taught to accept everyone no matter their skin color, their accent, where they’re from and everyone, they’re many races in my school which help trained us to be even more comfortable with people that are a different race than our own so I did not experience a much of racism in school but outside of school is a whole different story. Most of the racism that I had experienced was about stereotypes about being Asian like about how we’re small and weak, or because of our food and about because we’re Asians we have to be very good at school because Asian parents force their kids to study a lot. When I was a restaurant with my friends, we ordered food and the waiter asked us if we wanted to put extra chili because one of my friends was Korean and they figured Korean eats chili in everything so they asked if we want more chili in the food. Even though I am not Korean I felt bad for my friend and I felt insulted because not all Korean want their food to be spicy and we just want to have a decent meal.
1
For me, the only racism I have seen is the one portrayed through media, satire animation, and the news. Most of the stereotypes given to my race are quite often true, some have been so normalized it is not racism anymore but more like a funny joke. I study in an international environment where racism is frown upon with severe punishment. However, this hasn't stopped people from judging others because of their race, facts that are so overused in the media and entertainment industry that no one sees it as racism anymore. For now, I am still living in a community consist of mostly the people of my race, rarely or ever face racism my entire life, this shows contrast to my father's college year studying abroad where he was made fun of because of his race.
1
I don’t exactly face cruel and hurtful racism on a daily basis but the kind that isn’t meant to hurt. People will come up to me and say, “Oh wow your hair is so beautiful!” and proceed to touch it. In their mind, they aren’t doing any harm but to me, it feels like they are questioning my identity as if a black girl like me couldn’t possess such greatness. It also makes me feel as if I’m at a petting zoo where I’m the main exhibit. Another incident would be when people talk about black culture and/or people and throw me into the conversation as if I’m the black spokesman for all things black. After reading the article and taking the quiz I don’t face as much racism as the group surveyed but I know how it feels to be treated in a way that makes you question if you are in the wrong even though you aren’t. I know how it feels to walk into a store and feel a target be put on your back for the color of your skin or to have horrific chills and the sense to do exactly what they say cover me as if I put on a heavy jacket when a police officer is present. Furthermore, just having the constant echo of “You have to work twice as hard to get half of what they have.” play in my head to remind me even though I’m educated I’m still going to be seen as just the loud black girl.
I have not faced any “major” racism in my life. But I do understand and feel for those who face racism in their daily lives, some of my family included. As a mixed-race kid, I understand the “hate” that some of my family faces. This is because of the differences that my Muslim family faces in some places that they live in. Once I was watching a video on the TV about a woman in front of a church screaming that “all Muslims are terrorists.” My mom told me about the things that were happening and explained how lucky we were for living far away from discrimination against Muslims. The woman on the TV screaming was in the same city that my Muslim aunt and uncle live in and it scared me to think that my aunt and uncle had to try to deal with this in their lives. Because I present as more white because of my appearance and not being religious I don’t experience what others do. This is also because my school is very diverse and accepts all cultures. This is great because everyone feels accepted in a way and not left out due to race. I will always try to protect my family from racism as much as possible and we all laugh about the twisted ideas that some people hold. “It was ok a few years ago,” is no excuse for anyone to be discriminatory and racist.
In my daily I don't experience a lot of racism personally like its not usually said to my face but so comments made by other students is really mean but I don't think they understand that.
@Lamone Very interesting, much like the things that I encounter, it's not really direct but subtle remarks and stares.
@Lamone People that are racist won't just stop. I've met racists and it is engraved into there brains. Unless they are punished.
Racism is a very big issue, but thankfully has become less and less common in our everyday lives. One country where racism was rampant is South Africa, being a place where whites and blacks were segregated for even the smallest things, and brutally punished if they resisted. A lot of people don’t know, but the whites in South Africa imported slaves and manual labor from India. On massive ships came a giant supply of workers, some with unrealistic illusions, while most were coerced. Once they reached South Africa, they were traded off to different clients, and forced to forget their identity, leaving them with only their surnames to remember who they once were. Right now, in South Africa, the most predominant names are “Naidoo” and “Naidu”. Some people even have the surnames of Indian Gods. These are all the direct descendants of the slaves, who arrived centuries ago. Such similar names are directly because of all the slave trades that South Africa went through, making the slaves lose all their culture, traditions, and most importantly, their identity. Of course, this doesn’t happen any more, and these people I’m talking about are some of the richest people I have met. Yet behind that wealth, there is no tradition left, and they desperately try to find it back. They are not fully indian, nor are they fully South African.
1
Growing up in Malta and Vietnam, Asians were never a target for racism, therefore, I have never experienced first-hand racism throughout my entire life but I have seen it happen to others on numerous rare occasions, especially in Malta. One time I was hanging out with my friends out on the street in our neighborhood, we overheard some men talking about 'how nasty black people were', our group of friends (all ex-pats in Malta) knew firsthand how amazing these people were from our many amazing individual experiences with them so we tried our best just sucking up how disgusted we were and we kept on walking down the street. However, no offense or racism intended, Viet people from where I'm from in Vietnam, are hesitant at first when they meet a person of 'darker' skins but eventually learn to accept these differences as a mere standout and start recognizing them as equals. Viet people, in general, don't like and won't allow racism once they begin to understand how inappropriate it is, most of the time, people look down on racism. The extent of these anti-racism beliefs go into our law and policies, racism is illegal on a largely de-facto and growing de-jure manner, which I think is an excellent direction for societal development.
I have had little altercations with racism, nothing too major but it still left me fearful of what racism can do to you. I am afraid to be the only Latino in a room because I feel alone and automatically separated from the rest. It's not something that effects my day to day life but when it happens, It feels horrible. You feel total isolation even when your with people. I also fear getting attacked in public sometimes and I think that we seriously need to have more of a diverse community in our country.
Sadly in this world we live in, I have been discriminated for my race throughout my life. Growing up, I knew I was racially different than my peers due to the fact that I was raised speaking a different language. It wasn’t until middle school after moving to a predominantly white school when I faced racism. In 8th grade I heard a fellow classmate say to his friend, I didn’t think Mexicans were smart enough to be in this class. Being a 13 year old girl and hearing an attack like this to my race really introduced me to the racism present in my shool. I’m currently a junior and the racism has grown. I feel like my school is very politically motivated, so those of color who don’t agree with a certain party will be called offensive names and will be teased. Racism is definitely an alerting problem at my high school, but unfortunately some of our faculty doesn’t realize it. As I have matured and grown, I have learned to block out racism and not let it affect me like it did in the past years.
I am a caucsion/native american female, and I have never suffered from prejudice. I didn't even know that anyone else was suffering until I was in second grade, before second grade I went to a predominantly black elementary school. I never heard anyone being made fun of for their skin color and no one ever made fun of me for being one of the only white kids that attended the school.
when I moved elementary schools I went to a more predominantly white school African Americans seemed to always be getting picked on due to there skin color. It never made sense to me because that never happend at my old school, or at least I never noticed it happening.
Eventually I started listening to the racist comments and it shocked me how much they came up in conversations, whether it was with my friends, strangers, or my family. it seemed as if there was no escape to these terrible words that were spreading like wildfires. It made me hate to be associated with anyone who made racist jokes comments and I distanced myself from them because I just never understood the point of putting prejudice on anybody.
I went to a private Catholic Elementary and middle school, predominately white, and throughout those years I never in my life heard any hatred towards the African Americans that went to school with me, there was never a problem that I know of, of racism, or discrimination. When I went to Public high school, I was amazed, there are so many people that discriminate, and say racial jokes, and say harassing things, about African Americans. To be honest I don't understand what they get out of doing that, because its not good, do they find it funny, or fun? I try not to talk, or have anything to do with those who send hatred towards African Americans.
@Emily Suit
I am caucasian and come from Irish, German, Italian, and Spanish descent. I come from a private, Catholic school that was quite small on the West Coast. I myself have never really faced discrimination and have never personally seen or heard anything racist, but that doesn’t mean it’s not out there. There is no doubt that racist comments are being made everywhere, no matter where or how nice of a place you live in. It surrounds us and causes those who’ve experienced this kind of prejudice to feel self conscious and frustrated. And now that I go to such a big high school, those comments can be very easily concealed in such a big place.
But what I’ve found throughout my daily life is that there’s a lot of assumptions that people make about nationality or ethnicity. Stereotypes are everywhere and most of the time they’re not even true. Just a couple months ago, I was walking with a few girls on my volleyball team and we were talking about our nationalities. I said that I was white, and one of the girls questioned that because I was Italian. That could not be farther from the truth because Italians are considered white. Another extremely common misconception that I get as well is that because I’m Spanish, I fall into the Hispanic category. That is true. However, many people then believe that I’m not white because I’m Hispanic. That is not true at all. Hispanic is not a race, it’s an ethnicity. Hispanic people are still white, and most identify as such.
I can understand why these nationalities are sometimes not considered white because of how dark the skin tones can get when you’re from these Italy or Spain, so I never take offense to it. But this is a common misconception that I see everywhere like in conversation and even sometimes on tests. And what shocks me too is that the people in my generation are very race oriented, but at the same time, I feel as if we are so uneducated about race as well.
I never take offense when people make misconceptions about my race. It happens all the time, and I don’t believe that those misconceptions are a form of prejudice or discrimination. I don’t believe that the people who make these simple mistakes are trying to offend me or are trying to be hurtful in some way. I just simply correct them in a kind manner because it’s really not that big of a deal. It’s only a mistake and it’s really society’s fault for warping the truth into something false. But I do believe that it’s important to take the time to educate ourselves about this because this is a subject that could be offensive to a certain person. I know people who would be very offended by comments like this, so we need to keep that in mind, but if your intentions are good and you are willing to educate yourself more about subjects like this, it will benefit human nature greatly. We should not be defined based upon our races, but by our characters, our actions, and our choices.
I was close to not commenting on this article. Taking the easy way out and commenting on something light and fun instead. After all, racism doesn’t affect me, so, I didn’t think I had anything to say. I am a white female in a predominantly white community and school. It’s easy for me to say that race doesn’t impact me, and I can move on. Problem solved right? But no.
When comparing my answers to those given by black teens in the study, our answers were very different. While most of my answers were 0, theirs ranged between 4-11. This disparity shocked me. I have always known about the problems caused by racism, since I’m not oblivious to what’s going on in the nation, especially when I see stories on my news feed involving violence against black Americans. However, seeing the perspective from people my age was eye opening.
So in reality, when you step back and look around the world we live in, racism is everywhere. Whether it be larger matters like violence or brutality, or smaller, yet still important matters such as racial teasing, micro aggression or simply treating someone differently because of their race, it is a problem that affects too many people.
@Keira McWilliams
I am also white and I live in a predominately white neighborhood. I don't experience or witness racism on a daily basis, so when I looked at the average answers for the survey I was very surprised. I don't think it's going to be easy for me to spot racism, discrimination, and microaggressions. But, I need to listen and pay attention to all of these answers so I never do anything like that and notice when other people do. I agree with you that it's important to take a step back and realize that racism is everywhere.
@Keira McWilliams
Racism doesn't affect me as it didn't you, But I know it is a horrible thing. I am white and I live in a primarily white neighborhood. I've been in public school since kindergarten and there is diversity in public school. I would notice kids picking on other children of a different race, but I didn't understand why. When I got into middle school I finally understood why and it baffled me. Now in High school you see some form of racism everyday whether it be in person or online. All in all racism is a horrible thing and it happens everyday you just might not know it.
@Keira McWilliams I always thought the same way regarding racism. It didn’t affect me so why would I have an opinion about it or anything to say regarding it? I quickly learned that the answer to that is my privilege shining through. I, a white teenager in America, don't have to worry about my skin tone being an issue for others. As humans we are all the same, we bleed the same color. Going into high school where there is significantly more diversity than where I went to school, I have become aware of the racism that can occur on a daily basis that I was blind to before. When taking the survey, I kept thinking to myself how awful it is that anyone could relate to some of these questions because I couldn’t imagine hearing or experiencing some of those things. My answers were very low and if I did answer the question with a number more than 1, it was something I hadn’t personally experienced but something that I have seen or heard.
Before I came to my current public school, I went to a private school for nine years, which was great until I realized how sheltered I was. I rarely had a conversation with anybody of a different ethnicity than me and thought there was no way there was still racism cause lincoln got rid of slavery decades ago. I thought this until I went to visit it, my grandma, in the hospital. She had dimension and only a few months left to live. My cousin had just visited her with her boyfriend, who was African American. As it comes up in conversation, she looks at us and says, "I can't believe how nice Danielle's boyfriend is, especially because he is black" All of us looked around in shock as she stared back at us, not realizing what she said. Thinking back on this, this is the first time I remember someone being openly racist, and it still stays with me. It made me realize that racism is still here, and people again deal with it daily.
@Emily Skane
I used to go to a private school too, and I lived in a bubble where racism didn’t exist. I thought it was an issue we’d overcome already, but as I got older, I started noticing segregation outside of the bubble. When we moved, I was shocked to see racism was still here, and it was still very prevalent. It made me sick to hear about instances of police brutality, to the point where the police didn’t make me feel safe anymore. Whenever I saw a police officer watching a person of color, it upset and angered me. It was the first time I realized that I am privileged; not because of who I am, but because of who I’m not.
@Emily Skane While reading your comment I remembered a story from middle school a comment that rubbed me the wrong way. I vividly remember a girl in my class stating "I would not date a black boy". I will always remember this. It is beyond me to ever comprehend how the color of someone's skin could be a determinant of whether a relationship is worth pursuing. Like you I have seen many examples of racism in stereotypes. Whether that's food, hair, body types, intelligence, religion, athleticism and social class. I think that although it is not right the older generation grew up in more segregated times. Seeing a black and white dating seems to be a foreign concept and insensitive comments stereotyping a whole race are used without much thought.
@Emily Skane
I can relate to your experience with your family member being obviously racist without hesitating.. My dad was talking with my grandfather and was talking about my sister’s and my boyfriends. My grandfather asked my dad, “what would you do if they dated a black guy?” My dad was taken back by the question. He answered by saying, “I’d rather my daughter date a black guy who treats her well than a white guy who treats her poorly.” My grandfather didn’t ask any more questions after that. I know racism is often taught, but in the end it’s your own opinion. I’m glad that my dad stands up for what he believes in and speaks out against racism even in the small moments. I think we all shouldn’t base our friendships on skin color, but on kindness and compassion. It’s also our responsibility to correct racism in our society. Sometimes the best way to do that is to start with our own family.
Born as East Asian, I haven’t faced racism much since the countries I have traveled are in Asia. In our school, we have a variety of races making the school diverse, and we all connect well together as a group. I haven’t surely faced serious racism, though I believe everyone has faced racist people at least once. Most racism is from judging others' appearance or the stereotypes that aren’t really correct. These things make people more judgy when meeting another race. From my own experience, I have learned that my nationality, South Koreans are actually really judgy and strict when they meet other people. When I took a taxi home from a mall, I was alone since my parents knew I could take a taxi. When I first got in the taxi, the taxi driver started asking questions. First, asking my destination and where I live. I answered with my home address and I answered that I live in Vietnam. Then the taxi driver said, “Isn’t Vietnamese people short and weak?”. Then I answered feeling bad for Vietnamese since that’s where I live saying, “Not all of them.”. After I got off, I was shocked that Koreans are judgy about the countries that are not as developed as them. Also, once I faced racism from my friends that they were running away from me due to the reason that I wasn’t from Seoul and making fun of my accent.
I faced racism a lot of times in my life. Most of the time it's just people making racist asian jokes like by faking our accent or something like that. Personally, I am fine with people who joke around about these things with me but maybe others might not feel the same way. But other times, white people or other races treat us horribly, one time when I was in America, we went to this restaurant and they wouldn’t serve us because we were “Invaders from another place” or not treat us as well as the white people since we’re asian. I mean sometimes I also make racist jokes but then I never would treat someone badly because of their race. Also because of the coronavirus that's going around, many chinese kids in school are being teased and stuff and there's also jokes like “tHe vIrUS WilL dIE sOoN bEcAusE iT’S mAdE iN cHiNa”. Sometimes even OUR OWN RACE is racist to each other, they are willing to help these people but not people the same race as them. I also think that we shouldn’t just judge someone because of their race like not every asian has eats dog, not every black person is a theif, and not every muslim is an terrorist. If our world judges everyone like that, I don’t think anyone will ever like anyone else and our world would not be a community where everyone is included but a community where only this race can do this and the other race can do that.
The first time I was really aware of racial discrimination was when I was in year 1. My classmate (fully malay) and I were doing something we shouldn’t have done. When the teacher (white) found out, she publicly told off my classmate and my classmate got in trouble, where as she said nothing to me. The worst part is that what we were doing was my idea, and I got off scot-free. Still to this day I feel very guilty, because why should my classmate take the blame? Racial identity is something I used to think about a lot, which is not racism but related to the topic, being a mixed child isn’t always great. I’ve struggled with my racial identity for most of my life. At my old school, people didn’t really acknowledge my asian side, which made me feel embarrassed by it. As I got older, I felt more excluded and it got to the point where I wished I was fully one side, because it would just be so much easier. On my paternal side of the family, I had basically no connection to them, as visiting them was too expensive for my family at the time. On my maternal side, I had to (still have to) pretend to be this amazing muslim granchild, which caused a resentment to grow, as I hated that I couldn’t be what they expected of me.
Living in South East Asia, I don’t face much racism in my daily life. I think I have very supportive friends from many different cultures who are aware of things like these and aren’t often racist. When we do tease each other, it is usually light-hearted fun and not related to race, but more often more related to funny things that happen or a mistake we made being over exaggerated. Of course, sometimes we do make remarks about ethnicities and races and I don’t think that is a good thing to do and neither does anyone else at my school. For example, the coronavirus is causing massive fears over Chinese people traveling outside of China. It has also caused many people to discriminate against Asians, even if they aren’t specifically Chinese. Me and my friends occasionally crack some jokes about the coronavirus and referencing some memes or making funny connections (like the beer brand). Of course, I do understand that these remarks are somewhat insensitive and racist, but I don’t think it is worth trying to offend no one, because everyone has their own standards and opinions. Therefore, everyone gets offended at different things and whatever you say will offend someone. I don’t think anyone should go out of their way to be racist, but if you’re making a joke to close friends, then it can’t really be helped in some situations.
I believe that racism is still a thing in today’s world. People of different races will always be different, they are separated by culture. I do not believe that being different is a bad thing, I think that having different cultures in America will help strengthen our nation. Having different ethnicity is not a bad thing. I also do not agree with this passage saying that white people don't witness the same racism as other races do. Everyone in the 21st century should be in a place where they can openly talk about their race, and people don’t get offended. Racial identity is a great thing to talk about and know about, but it should be an open thing in the world. Talking about race openly shouldn’t be also called racism there is a difference.
With me growing up in south east asia I’ve rarely had to face racism in my life. Everyone was basically from the same region and any child/student who wasn’t from asia was treated normally and I would say they never got discriminated against. But even though we treated them the same we still recognized our differences from each other. We would mention stereotypes of each of our races but rather than tearing us apart I felt like it kind of brought us closer together. Some of us could relate to these stereotypes that were somewhat true, although this did not apply to everyone and that was okay. It was fun to discuss our cultural background and many have embraced each other's cultures. I’d say the only time I had to face a little bit of racism was when I had to travel to a country with predominantly white people. I’m not sure if you would even consider this racist as it was very minor but it did help me realise my race and that me and my family were different from everyone else here. Everytime we would go to a service, for example taxis, the people would always greet us in chinese or korean. Although this very minor it was one of the first times it felt like we were treated differently because of our race.
As I read through these comments I see many even from my school that they haven’t experienced personally any racism. All I have to say is take a look around it’s practically everywhere. From the teachers to the students it’s not confined to one race either. I am a white student and athlete. While playing baseball and football for my high school I’ve seen day in and day out the racism all races face. I recall my first football practice of my freshmen year. We had a foot race for the coaches to get a look at our speed. I finished fist a good distance ahead of anyone. The first thing I heard come out of the coaches mouth was “He runs like a black boy.” Now I know most people would just overlook this as a compliment. But even though it is meant to be a compliment I don’t think race should be a stereotype on how fast you are.
3
@Alexander Jacaruso
I do agree that people need to open their eyes when it comes to racism. It is in more places than we realize most of the time and that's scary. However, I think that one reason they may not notice it is because they may be white and don't experience racism directly like African Americans do and other minorities.
Another reason they may not notice is because humans can be insensitive and think, "that's not my problem and doesn't involve me". But in reality, the whole racial movement involves everyone because what we need is equality and acceptance for all races and backgrounds.
You are completely correct, comments that are supposed to be complements should not compare others to stereotypes of different races. I think that the coach should have thought about what they said before they decided to speak.
@Alexander Jacaruso Reply to Alexander Jacaruso, I’m kind of in the same boat as you are, we are both white students, who personally don’t experience racism. The biggest problem I personally feel is that your right, everywhere you look, there is something racist, someone looking at someone else in a negative manner, or saying something that maybe shouldn’t be said, or even people pointing, laughing. Now with the 2020 climate, you have to be extremely cautious with what you say, how you say it, even to the point of your body language can and will be taken wrong, that I think is the worst part. The reason is that people will attack you on everything you do or say. If you word something slightly wrong…. Offensive. Act in a way that could somehow be taken the wrong way… Offensive. Certain articles of clothes… Offensive. The way that 2020 has turned, within a matter of a few months is crazy. No one is really safe with what they do, what opinions they have, or even if they make a joke, it’s a blizzard.
@Alexander Jacaruso You’re not the only one who’s seen racism in sports. I’ve been playing travel basketball since I was 11, and I’ve been around tournaments since I was 5, because of my brother. Being around so many different teams, coaches, and fans, you hear racism every place you go. My brother's team had about 5 white players and 4 black players, so it was evenly mixed. The best player on his team was white, and many coaches were alarmed by this. You’d hear them talk and say “next game we need to look out for number 35. But it’s a WHITE BOY.” As if this was a stand out surprise. It’s crazy the stereotypes we have on each other and the way they are brought out in conversation without even knowing it. By categorizing the “good” vs “bad” players on teams by their skin color, you are being racist and many people can’t see that.
The mentality of a child is very different from a fully developed mentality as a teenager or adult. Growing up in a very diverse community, I never understood as a child what racism was or truly knew if I ever encountered it. However, as a teenager and having the mentality to fully comprehend the indirect comments, I can add that I’ve experienced racism in stores and restaurants. It can be very difficult to speak your native language in public without receiving disapproving looks or whispers. My family and I, not wanting to attract attention or prevent from receiving any racist remarks such as “in America we speak English,” we have assimilated to speaking English in public. Of course, my family and I are proud of our Hispanic culture by embracing our language and having the opportunity to live -where we can learn from other cultures- but we still remain to take precaution in speaking our language in American restaurants because sadly, while we have made huge advancements in our society, racism continues to exist. President Donald Trump platform during the 2016 election was created from racist and sexist beliefs that emboldened Americans to engage in racist acts which I have encountered. Even after the increase of hate crimes, 4 years later, we have, slowly, started to make progress in controlling those hates crimes and maintaining a stability that can prevent us from having to face dangerous, racist acts.
I am a person of color, however, I haven’t felt much racism. I think a big part of getting bullied because of your race is based on where you live. Before I used to live in India so obviously I didn’t get racist comments. And now that I live in Vietnam, there is still a huge Indian community here, so it is pretty normal to see Indian people all around the city. So people really aren’t racist. Another reason no one is racist here because of all the communities in our school and city. I feel for those who experience racism I understand that it can hurt. I hope I don’t have to go through that.
Growing up I was very naive to what racism was, the reason being was that I grew up in a small town where almost half the population was Hispanic. It wasn’t until me and my brother were both in middle school, where I had a second hand experience with racism. I was on my way to the bus area when my brother came up to me. He seemed to be very upset, I asked him why and he told me that an older kid had asked him if he sold weed. This to me was a shocker, never would I think that a person would ask a 6th grader such a thing. I asked him why the kid would ask him if he would be selling weed, he told me that the kid thought he was a drug dealer because he was Hispanic and spoke Spanish. This made me outrage, I didn’t like how my brother being stereotyped and referred to as a mexican narco. Thanks to this incident I have become more aware of racism and how different people of race are being treated. It’s sad to see how people dismiss racism and don’t see that it should be an issue that needs to be addressed, because it’s a daily matter that continues to hurt people.
Growing up, I didn’t realize when some people were being racist. I think by playing it off as a joke, I refused to believe that it was happening. I’ve gone through school with people making “Ching Chong” comments and stereotyping me into the basic Asian characteristics of “bad at sports, good at math.”
I think I’ve faced more racism than I like to think, through those “jokes” and offhand statements or thoughts. What I’ve faced personally cannot compare to what African Americans face in what used to be “a democracy designed for white people.” A white dad teaching his child to drive would not think about telling them that they have to keep both hands visible on the steering wheel if they pulled over like an African American father.
When my friends “joke” about the names of my culture in AP World, I can only laugh along with them so they don’t blame me for being too sensitive. When my friends categorized people into YOU Chinese and YOU Indians, I can only smile and pretend to not be affected. When my friends “joke” about the Coronavirus, I can only laugh and tell myself to not be too “sensitive.”
When did race become inferior or superior? When did race become something of shame or pride?
4
@Francine Wei It’s sad that we’ve gone through almost the exact same experiences of racism. I’ve always heard people use “Ching Chong” as a way to mock any Asian language. They’re not even proper words, just sounds. I would be so self-conscious to speak Vietnamese on the phone with my mom so I’d excuse myself to find some remote place to not be judged. Those that listen to stereotypes, in my opinion, are part of the reason that racism is being normalized. Like you, I brush it off because I get told it’s only a joke and I’m being too sensitive. If I speak up, I’m overreacting so the most I do is fake a smile. I can’t be proud of my good grades because I was “born good at math” and have an “advantage” over others. I don’t think I can even begin to imagine how bad African Americans have it because they seem most targeted when it comes to racial prejudice. I love your end questions because it’s what I’ve also been wondering. No matter the skin color, we’re all humans first so it’s not something we should be ashamed or prideful of. We should be equal regardless.
@Francine Wei
This comment really stood out to me because it shows not only the effects of racism but the combined effects of racism and toxic masculinity. Why should people who have never had to face racial discrimination decide what should and should not bother you?
The comparison to teaching a white person to drive and teaching a person of color to drive also stood out to me, because it reminds me of a somber conversation my parents had when they discussed adopting an African American child as a white couple. They would have to explain to the child that they would have to be more careful around police officers, and would be held to higher standards because anything bad they did could be stereotyped or credited to their race. That conversation made me really sad because their life would be more difficult for no reason, and it reminded me of how lucky I was to be born white.
@Francine Wei
Seeing other kids or my friends make jokes about someone's race I never think it's okay, but I never say anything either. I don't want to be the person with "white guilt" especially if the person that they're joking about doesn't seem to mind. I think that it's important for me to listen to you as well as other people so I can be as mindful and understanding as possible to issues of racism. My question is, is it more important for me to speak up, or just be able to listen to people's concerns so that I never offend someone or make someone feel uncomfortable?
I'm a white-passing half black girl who grew up in the suburbs. Many people probably wouldn't know I was half black unless I was wearing my hair out. I could probably count on my hand the times I've been discriminated against and it will never measure up to the things that black students have to go through everyday. Due to me looing more white, I feel like my white friends forget I'm black sometimes. That, unfortunately, exposes me to the type of microaggressions and stereotypes that white people impose on black people. I hear all the jokes that toe the line of racist. I've seen Snapchat conversations of white kids calling each other the n-word because they think it's funny. I get shown/told these things as if these stereotypes and microaggressions don't affect my family members directly, and my white friends don't realize until they see me not laughing, then they are quick to say "no offense".
However, when I use AAVE while I'm speaking, I have been told that I'm "acting ghetto", and when I get angry after someone has touched my hair without asking, people act like I am unnecessarily lashing out at them. These moments sometimes feel like they are the only times I am recognized as black, when I'm angry or "acting ghetto". Since I'm definitely not seen as black when I'm shown an anti-black meme. Nonetheless, I recognize my privilege in that I am white-passing, and that the ignorance and stereotyping in white circles need to be addressed and hopefully stopped.
1
@Ella Shynett I completely agree with what you're saying. I understand it 100%. I am mixed and I pass as white. In fact people always think I'm white. Then when I say I'm not they never believe me. They think because I don't talk "Ghetto" and where my hair curly everyday it means that I could never be half black.
@Ella Shynett This is so sad that people can have this image of colored people and think that if you don't look exactly like that image than you are not colored. If you looked up on Google "straight hairstyles" every single image is a white person. But if you were to look up "curly hairstyles" every single person is black. How is that fair to say that only white people have straight hair and only black people have curly hair. I am a white female with curly hair, my sisters are white females with straight hair. No race has a specific hair type. Yes, a lot of colored women and men have curly hair. But that does not mean that if they had straight hair then they are white. We should be able to express ourselves and not have to worry about our race being questioned."are you really black?" What does it matter to you if someone is black or white, we are people,get over it.
It sucks to know that there should even be a such article as I have read. Why is there still problem about being a different race. It doesn't matter what it is African American, Whites, or Asians. Teasing in general is wrong but to do because someone isn't the same color has you or the same height doesn't make them any less of a person that what. I believe what determines you future is you and whatever belief you may or may not have. Racism can be for any race not just for blacks. Society perceives racism as being rude to African Americans being it can be for any race. The questions that were asked in the survey in the article made me think about what I had to listen to as a kid and even now. The article also made me think about my brothers and what they endure as young black men in this society. I believe my classmates are comfortable about talking about racial issues in school. When my classmates talk about race nobody seems to be offended and there are always new perspectives to be added in our conversations. Sometimes thinking about how our country became to be and how it is now, it makes me sad. Because I don't understand why we can't get along or just mind our own business; things will be so much easier.
Racism has no color.
Seeing me, a Chinese-America girl who’s lived in Asia all her life, you would think that I wouldn’t be discriminated against because of my race. However, I experience it just like many Asians around the world. I think it’s a great misconception that racism is generally between POC and Caucasians, or more specifically, between blacks and whites. This is wrong as it happens amongst people of color as well, or even with people of the same ethnic background.
At school and with friends, I receive lots of indirect racism. Friends and classmates often make extremely rude and ignorant comments. I’ve endured a lot of it, from seeing people pull their eyes out to resemble what they think are ‘Chinese eyes’, to hearing someone say, “Chinese people all have to be so dumb to eat crazy stuff like that, they’re disgusting,” when I showed them a dish from home. Many seem to think racism is only when someone uses a racial slur but fail to realize that gaining a few laughs from saying something like, “I must be super smart, I beat the Korean on my math test!” is just as racist.
There has always been a stigma with Chinese people in Vietnam, and I think the culture here has normalized and taught Asians to be tolerant of this behavior. Racism is something that happens between anyone and anywhere, even in school classrooms every day, and it is something we need to address.
1
I think there are people of color who act racist to people their own race because they think the country that person is from is inferior to theirs. One time, my best friend and I went on this weird slide at a waterpark in Phuket, Thailand. We were getting ready and my friend was telling me how scared she was when one of the workers that was there went up to us and started saying hi in Chinese. He also made stereotypical jokes about Chinese people and he and the others were sneering and looking at us while laughing about Chinese in Thai. I was very annoyed because I’m not Chinese and even if I am, I wouldn’t appreciate it. I also have people in my family that tried their best to look “white” by getting plastic surgery and putting on foundation that are too light. I was also encouraged to make my skin lighter and people would say something like: “You have to keep your skin light because that’s better and look less barbaric.” Some people have also said I look Asian so I must really love studying and studies 24/7. Now, I’m not against studying but that’s just a nasty and problematic stereotype about Asians. Admittedly and embarrassingly, I’ve said some racist stuff in the past too like: “How come you feel cold, you’re from this place” and I’m not proud. I’ve said sorry and I am trying to change myself.
I don’t actually face any racism in my daily life, because I live in Vietnam, Vietnam has lots of race but Vietnamese are the most, and I’m Vietnamese. I’m a student so going to school is important. And after I finish school I would just go home and do homework. No race problems would affect my daily life right now. In the weekend, there will be no school but the problems of racism are also not what I face either way because, in Vietnam, the millennium Vietnamese is a lot more equal than the older Vietnamese, because Vietnamese elders don’t adapt to the world today and would just still think the world still works like the 20th century. So the Racism problems in Vietnam is not a huge problem here and I don’t feel like Racism will be even a problem for the future of Vietnam. But other people in my life such as my parents, are just like me, they’ve faced racism but it wasn’t that big to them because, in Vietnam, racism isn’t a big deal. The first time I’ve faced racism, the first emotion I felt confused, negatively evaluated, or even mad. But it was a long time ago, and now I know racism is a thing every ethic does.
After completing the survey on how much racism I have experienced in the last two weeks, I was surprised. I wasn’t surprised at the scores that I received compared to the black teenagers that this survey was designed for on “being mistaken for someone else of my race” or “a teacher assuming I am an expert on my racial ethnic background.” I was surprised at how many racist images were being seen on the internet. As much as I would like to think that racism is fading and that our country has really grown regarding discrimination and racism, it is simply not true. Unfortunately, especially in Generation Z, people are taking advantage of social media and using it to post racist comments or pictures. Although many of these posts are “jokes,” you can’t ignore the fact that it is racist.
In terms of the Declaration of Independence, discrimination and racism isn’t allowed in our society anymore and everyone has the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Yes, we have come a really long way from how we were in the past. However, a mentality has developed suggesting that no one struggles from oppression or racism anymore because the Declaration of Independence says so. This mentality has resulted in jokes that people make about the past, and we have become blind to the impact that our words still have on people.
1
@Reilly Johnson I love how you mentioned people are taking advantage of social media and using it to post racist comments or pictures. I think especially in our generation Gen Z is using social media as a weapon of hatred. To hide behind a screen and call it a joke is simply wrong . You centered your comment mostly around these “jokes” that people make online or in person. These jokes are taken lightly because of this “Dark humor” teenagers call today. They call it messing around but it’s just causing more damage than there already is. And if you get offended by it they call you sensitive or you just “can’t take the joke”.
@Reilly Johnson You are so right about people taking to social media promoting racist comments and ideals. It’s sickening that some consider it humor and are normalizing using discriminatory language in everyday life. I do think that within this past couple of months we’ve made a bit of progress. The internet broadcasted many posts in support of black lives matter protests. It doesn’t hide the hatred that follows the support but it can also be used as a tool to spread awareness to this issue. Like you, I can’t say racism is gone from our country. I can say though, that we are making slow, steady progress. There’s still a long way to enlighten everyone's mentality.
@Reilly Johnson I strongly agree that people are tasking advantage of social media, and I'm very glad you mentioned it. Social media has become a breeding ground for racism, sexisms, and discrimination to many. I feel that most racism is done online and I feel that just because people are behind a screen they forget that they are in reality and their words still have meaning. As a society I feel like the fixing social medias racism, and discrimination should be one of the next steps in our journey to equality. With this done I feel that other races will feel more equal to others.
No one should ever be discriminated against by others because of their religion, ethnicity, skin color, appearance, and the list goes on. I’ve personally never faced racism ever in my life, but that is because I live in my home country, and have the same ethnicity and religion as most of the people here. I think that experiencing racism really depends on where you live. For example, if I was living in America instead of Vietnam right now, I could be discriminated against because I’m Asian. When I was around 10 years old, my dad told me a story, that made me begin to be more aware of my nationality whenever I travel to countries out of Asia, like America or Europe. He told me that his friend’s daughter, who is Vietnamese, had to move schools because she was being bullied by the kids at her old school, just because she’s Asian. I still remember that story until this day, because I was honestly so shocked that people are still being hated on because of their race, and this is the 21st century we are talking about. I can’t imagine being discriminated against because of something that is out of my reach, that must feel awful, and I wouldn't want myself or anyone to feel that way.
As a student in a high school with a pretty good amount of diversity given the area, I feel as if I don't experience much racism at all in my everyday life. Growing up in an affluent suburban area, I wasn't raised knowing or realizing a difference if I'm being honest. I have never experienced or been a part of any racial conflicts, and I love that about my school and town. I feel very lucky to live in a place where everyone is seen the same, and no one is judged, treated, or respected any different than anyone else, and I'm very fortunate to grow up in a place where this is a reality.
Blond hair, green eyes, and fair skin. I'm fortunate enough to say that I haven't been faced with racism in my personal life.
There's around 500 students in my class, and about 30 kids in each classroom, but I still manage to be surrounded by predominantly white people. Looking around my english classroom right now, there's only one black student. I'm not even around a fraction of my school's colored population to be aware of the racism they have to face on a daily basis. In Washington D.C a survey was taken of 101 black students and collectively reported 5,600 cases of racial discrimination over two weeks. According to the article I could just be too ignorant to see the racism around me, or just not think of it to be any sort of a big deal. The article goes on to say that racial teasing can be playful and often seen as harmless, but over time it can lead to serious increases of anxiety symptoms for black adolescents.
Just because we may not directly see racism on a day to day basis, its beyond the surface and is prevalent in everyone's lives.
3
@Avery Lemley
I like your point on how it's often hard for people who have not been discriminated against to see and point out discrimination, even small remark which show racist towards a person due to their race. Even I get a little upset over jokes about me being blonde, and they sometimes make me feel insecure. The thing is, those jokes are said maybe once every two years, and aren't filled with any deep-rooting hate for blonde people, or actual belief that blondes are dumb. When looking at micro-agressions towards people of color, those remarks said may be put in the format of jokes, but underneath that layer there's much more to be said. Along with the frequency they're being said there's no wonder that even those short comments have a serious, and long-term impact on black teens. It's hard for those not of color to understand why such little comments have such a heavy impact, but maybe if we start putting ourselves into the shoes of people of color receiving these comments, we can get a better understanding of when they're facing discrimination, and understand one should be allowing that kind of behavior.
1
@Avery Lemley, I too am lucky enough to say that I have faced little to no racial discrimination in my 16 years.
Our school, Hoggard High School, is predominantly white because of the demographics of the neighborhoods it recruits students from. Currently, I am a sophomore entering my second semester of the year. Ever since I began high school, I have noticed a serious decrease in the number of non-white students in my classes. During my first week of freshman year I noticed the trend. I began counting the numbers of non-white students in my classes and was shocked. I had one black person in the five classes I took. The next semester I did the same count. This time, there were zero black people in my next set of five classes. I had completed the school year with only learning alongside one black person.
All people in America are supposed to be equal under the 14th Amendment but that is clearly not the case. The lasting effects of slavery and oppression of "colored" races are still evident to this day. Avery, I too am sickened by the racism and racial profiling has blighted our country and hope to see an end to this madness.
1
@Avery Lemley I think you stated your point very well and I agree with everything you have said. even though we don't constantly see racism doesn't mean that people aren't constantly feeling the effects of racism. racism is a never ending challenge the thousands of people are fighting everyday.
I’m a middle eastern male who goes to a high school that is 60% white. In middle school I went to a school that was majority minority, so as I grew up I didn’t experience much racism in school. I did get the occasional people yelling out their cars telling me to go back to my country or people yelling “terrorist!” at me. This stuff all get normal to me so I didn’t realize that it wasn’t normal for others to not experience some sort of discrimination until I get to high school. Is my whole school racist? Absolutely not. Calling everyone in my school racist would be ignorant just because the racist experiences I’ve had here have been worse and more frequent. Since high school started I’d say I‘ve been told a “funny” racist joke at least once a week. I’ve only experienced three times of real scary racism. One time after a basketball game I get into my car and a car starts circling me yelling derogatory things. After about two minutes of circling my car and nearly hitting my car they sped off. That was a very scary experience but it’s definitely not the norm. The normal racism I experience is every time I meet someone new they call me “Anus” and some people continue to call me that today. If my name was John or Luke that wouldn’t be an issue. My name is Anas. Anas Alzamli.
Although I have never experienced racism directed towards myself, I do observe racism occurring, even if it wasn’t the persons intention to be racist. I live in a suburb of Chicago, where the majority of students at my school are white, and I doubt that any of them have faced racist comments or people. Despite the fact that I have never experienced racism, I do empathize with those who do. Every day, I see unwarranted racist events. One day, I was at the mall, trying to return an item, and the worker at the help desk was obviously biased towards the white people im line. He -a white man- would selectively listen to the white customers, and ignore the colored ones. I was appalled and speechless by this happening. This event is one of hundreds, maybe even thousands of racist events that I have observed in my lifetime. I have witnessed too much racism in this day and age, and our generation needs to address it.
Being that I am white, I never experience racism directed towards me, I never get called names or picked on in anyway. I feel like it's not my place to talk about racism because I am white. It's a touchy subject and almost like it's too awkward to talk about. I took the quiz and I realized that I put zero for almost all of them. It made me think about how I am never the one on the receiving end of racism. I am in high school so obviously I have seen some things first hand. It is always so uncomfortable to talk about to anyone though. Whether it be that we are in a history class and the teacher asks us a question, nobody wants to raise their hand and talk about it. We always feel like this is a subject we shouldn't speak about.
I read someone's reply that said “The more that people talk about this subject, the longer it is going to be around and not get resolved.” I couldn't agree more with this statement. I wish that racism wouldn't be a thing that we have to experience or talk about anymore. I wish we didn't have to mark a check in the correct box titled 'race' of any paperwork. I wish that it would just stay in the past even though it shouldn't have ever been a thing to begin with. I think that some people forget that every person is human and that nobody can control the color of their skin. We need to start loving each other regardless of their skin color, the shape of their eyes or their families background. Everyone is human and we need to stop looking past that.
@Isabella Fabiano I think that racism needs to be addressed and talked about. I've known many white people who’ve been uncomfortable with talking about race. It could be the fact that they feel somewhat guilty about the past and what has happened to many marginalized groups. However the discussion of racism shouldn’t be halted because it makes people uncomfortable. Believing the discussion of racism won’t be resolved if we keep talking could possibly do more damage than good. Keeping that discussion open and exposing possibly ignorant people to the dangers of racism and hopefully changing their views would actually help with lowering racism. Just ignoring the problem would mean that these prejudices would still exist within people and minority groups would still be harmed by it. Pretending that racism isn’t there is a privileged opinion, since you don’t experience racism it firsthand. Minorities can’t ignore being gunned down or wrongfully accused of a crime. Just wishing it away won’t do anything to fix the problem, but opening a conversation and actively changing people’s views by talking about it will.
@Isabella Fabiano While it might be uncomfortable for lots of people to talk about, think of the people who are affected by racism. Not talking about it isn't going to stop it, nothings gonna change unless we address what's going on. There's no looking past it and automatically moving on, we need to talk about it for it to be resolved. How are people affected by racism supposed to deal with it if it's not talked about.
@Isabella Fabiano
I feel the exact same way. I feel awkward talking about racism because I don't feel like I will ever relate to the feelings of the people who do get discriminated against. I also put a lot of zeros for the quizzes and it made me so sad to see how high the average number was and how big of a problem racism really is. I feel like it is very uncomfortable to talk about in class too because my class is mostly white and I am scared to think about the couple people of a different race feeling singled out. Also, nobody really wants to speak up and voice their opinion because they are scared of hurting someone by saying something the wrong way.
I love how you ended with, "Everyone is human and we need to stop looking in the past." I agree with that 100%. I wish that nobody even noticed a difference and that we weren't based on how we look or how much money we have or anything like that, but instead based on how kind we are and how good our personalities are. We can't change the way we look or our background, or race, but we can change the way we act and we all need to fix that in some way.
I have faced one racism moment in my life. My family and I were on a Cruise and our next stop was Russia. We got off the Cruise, and my family decided to visit this church. When we got there the church wasn’t open yet, so then we went to sit on the sidewalks, there were also some people selling paintings. There were 3 western people sitting next to us, my family and I weren’t blocking any of this man’s artwork. After awhile he came up to us and asked us to move, so then we did. We just thought that he needed more space to display all of his work. Then I was walking by his booth to buy tickets for the church and I heard the western people ask him if they needed to move and he was like “no, they were Chinese people, no Chinese people” I heard that and I got mad because I am not Chinese, and also if I was he shouldn’t say that. If I was Chinese I wouldn’t want anyone to say that about my people.I went back to my family and told them what happened. My family and I decided not to do anything because we didn’t want to cause a scene. That was my one racism moment.
Growing up in a Vietnamese household, I’ve always been told that being more white means being more good looking, intelligent, and better. Lots of Vietnamese women would wear layers of clothes to prevent getting more tan, which shows how strongly color plays a role in our society. Despite what I’ve been told most of my life, I believe that an individual’s color doesn’t make them more or less superior. After getting access to social media, I’ve become more aware of this issue. I’ve come across a few people using offensive words or make racist jokes about a different race or religion in real life. However, I’ve witnessed many people make nasty comments about others online about how they look, act, eat, etc... because of their color, nationality, and religion. I’ve never experienced racism in person, but I have received some unpleasant comments online about how I look because of my race. If everybody could think before they speak, educate themselves, and interact with different cultures, racism could end.
I have fair skin, blond hair, and brown eyes. I've never experienced racism a day in my life, and I don't think I ever will. Sometimes I wish that I could empathize more with those that have, but I don't want to pretend like I experience something that everyone knows I don't. It's honestly hard to say that even if I'm not affected by racism I see it often around me. The truth is, I'm not around enough people who do experience it to see it.
I go through my head trying to think of the amount of black students in my classes, and only two come to mind. It's crazy to me that in my school of 2100 students and 30+ in each class, I only have two black peers. I hope that hanging out with mostly white girls and having classes with the majority being white students doesn't make it seem like I discriminate against races different than my own, but it definitely shows the predominately white world that I live in.
I have two closer friends that break this stereotype for me, one whose father is Nicaraguan and one whose is Bolivian. I didn't plan for my friends to look as similar to me as they do, but if only two of them have darker skin than me, does that prove that there are social stereotypes created by racism?
2
@Hayden Carroll I have also never experienced racism a day in my life. Since I am not affected by it and a majority of my peers are also not affected by racism, it's something I don't think about frequently. I agree that my friends being predominantly white females doesn't make me racist and it makes me wonder how our social stereotypes are created by racism as well.
@Hayden Carroll Reading this article and all of the comments of people relating to and having experienced racism in their everyday life has opened my eyes to the fact that in no way have I ever experienced such a horrible thing. I wanted to write a comment too but I was having such a hard time putting my thoughts into words and you did it for me. Very well said and I liked how you didn't try to pretend that you knew how racism feels.
As I completed the racism quiz in the How Much Racism Do You Face in Your Daily Life?, my responses were so close to the study average, much of it being a bit under. It made me feel upset that I was also experiencing a type of judgement that many others go through in America, but that also made me get closer in spirit with the people that also face these types of things. It made me think about how many times I’ve actually dealt with racism but haven’t actually considered it a big deal because I was so used to it that it didn’t even remain a bad thing to undergo anymore. I am not surprised by the number of times that the 101 black teenagers experienced racism because it happens right before my eyes all the time, taken as normal. The first time that I was aware of my race was when I was playing in my white neighbor’s yard and another neighbor came to play and called me a “curry-ball”. Despite how young I was, I was aware of how awful that felt. My parents have talked to me about racial identity as they told me to fight the racists off and be proud of who I was. People at my school, with a changing social environment, are okay with talking about race. My own elementary school friend constantly made fun of the way I wore my hair in ponytails everyday because of its frizzy nature. I have witnessed, with shame, how white people creep up smiles when someone of a different race starts talking in class, a common occurrence that is resisted by administrators.
(pt 2) Microaggressions happen all the time at school. Today my class laughed at someone who told a story about people asking for the n-word pass. Stereotypes are the most common form of microaggression that I stumble upon. People are saying that Asians should be insanely good at math and play violins and will age great.
I'm not going to lie; it's hard to look at your class and realize that there is a sea of blond hair blue eyed faces staring back at you, and you're the odd one out. There are times when having dark brown eyes and dark skin is daunting. I'm glad that there are advocates out there showing how different life can be lived, and I hope that people will become more empathetic because all color is, is the amount of melanin that someone was born with.
1
(pt 1) Second grade. My mind flashes back to the time where the school was enjoyable and straightforward. The playground games we’d play house or boat without a care in the world. It was on that playground where I realized I was different. He came up to me with his fingers pulled up by his eyes in a mocking tone calling himself Chinese, taunting me with a jig and that stereotypical Chinese accent. I was in second grade when I was rudely shaken into the world.
I’m different, not just in the sense that I’m Asian, but the fact that I’m also adopted. People have their natural cliques that form because of race. If you don’t fit into one category, you always have the people who look and think like you. I’m not entirely Asian, and I am not entirely white. I’ve been raised in a white household, but I will never be white. I am Asian, and sometimes someone will mention to me, “it’s an Asian household thing!” and nudge me. I always am left utterly confused by what they’re talking about.
My encounters with racism are limited, but I’ve felt the pressure before. No one should have to face the thought of I wish I had their skin color. Society, especially in the southern U.S, has fostered racism from the beginning of our nation. It’s buried deep within the roots of North Carolina. Though slavery has ended, there is an infinite amount of times where prejudice has been weaved into the system.
1
@Hope Heinrichs
Second grade is when we were free from our jobs at school and we had no big tests in the back of our minds. But something or someone one are alway in our heads. In second grade people's goals would be to get to the 4-square court and be in the “kings” square first. Second grade is not meant for kids to be drowning in their own shame for what they look like.
You said that “My encounters with racism are limited, but I’ve felt the pressure before. No one should have to face the thought of ``I wish I had their skin color.” I 100% agree with you here. No one should ever have to wish about changing their skin color just to fit in with a group. Imagine that you made a person think that their skin isn’t good enough for life. Millions of people face that myth everyday in their own different way.
@Hope Heinrichs I've been in the same situation, but I feel it happened to me much later in life. I feel like I was pretty innocent until around 6th grade. I have empathy for you, because I know the feeling of being Asian, but at the same time white. My mom is Asian and my dad is white. The "Asian household things" I've also been through that where another Asian person says some random thing that happens in their completely Asian house hold, and I just sit there a little confused and kind of understanding at the same side due to visiting my grandparents house a couple of times a year (my mom's side).
My results we very low. I found the averages very surprising. I at first thought the averages were a little high but then I realized that they seemed this way because I am not a person of color. I am privileged. I do not experience the same harassment as my peers do. I am also not surprised by how much they experience racism. While growing up in the south you tend to hear more of it from ignorant adults and children. Most of the time these people seem to not even know their doing anything wrong because these comments become so normalized. The first moment I really paid attention to my race was when my sister was writing a paper on racial ignorance and she pointed out to me that there were only two people of color in my middle school. That made me realize I went to a very privileged school. What I mean by this is that we were all white kids who's parents had money. We didn’t have to worry about racism because we were all the same race.
1
@LilianMost of those kids didn’t want to even talk about racism. To me it felt like since they didn’t have to deal with racism, they felt like it shouldn’t concern them. I have never been teased about my race nor have taken part in teasing but I definitely see it happen daily. Some of it are little comments from my friends about other people or people joking around with one another. We all know it happens but I don’t know if I’ve seen anything done about it. I do not usually think about my whiteness because i am not constantly reminded. I know that my whiteness makes me privileged and I am always ready to have a discussion about it. I know that it affects my score directly and I wish more people would be willing to see that and have a conversation about it.
@Lilian I think that being able to recognize your privilege, as you did, is one of the most powerful steps you can take to be the best ally you can be to the black community. This is extremely difficult for a lot of people to do, but being able to agree that you are better off than they are, and then use your position and privilege to instigate real change is how things get done.
You said, “While growing up in the south you tend to hear more of it from ignorant adults and children.” I completely agree with you. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve heard my very southern grandmother say something with extremely racist undertones, and think nothing of it. I always correct her, and I can tell that she’s trying, but it’s the way that she was raised. She always tells me how she “has nothing against people of color” or “has lots of black friends” or “just loves black people,” but continues to unknowingly make racist remarks. Being from a small town in rural North Carolina, she was surrounded by racism growing up, but it was just normal. It kills me to know that things like that were just brushed off.
Although this isn’t the case for all households, I was taught that racism is wrong and to love everyone no matter their skin tone, beliefs, sexuality, etc. The best I can hope for is that this continues and that people like you and I use our privilege to advocate for racial equality.
1
I actually have never faced racism ever in my life. Being the only Asian kid in the whole school full of Hispanic, White, and Black people, in the state of Tennessee, you would think I was teased because of my race. Well, mostly in recent times, I don’t think anyone is experiencing racism. I had a diverse group of friends. One Black friend a couple of Hispanic, Half Native American and White. I do remember a girl. It was in 6th grade, the last year I stayed in the United States. I had known her in class because she was in my homeroom. We weren’t really friends but we were basically neutral. Once, while I was after lunch, she asked me if I was Mexican or Chinese. I responded that I'm neither. She did not understand. After a couple of more guesses, I once again told her that I was none of them. She gave up and I finally said that I was Vietnamese. She was like, “What? Remove What is Vietnamese?” I was astonished that she didn’t even know what Vietnam was.
But, I am sure that most Americans should know this. I mean, we had the Vietnam War. It was pretty popular but I guess most people just forgot about it. I don’t personally think this was racism. This is the closest example, but not even close to real racism. I think that she and many other people are uneducated about the world. I think that is where all problems including racism come from. Most racist people don’t understand other cultures and races. They are misguided and are not taught about the world.
Throughout my few years of adolescence, I have been able to notice my blackness and what it means in the society I live in today. I have encountered racism before personally, but it’s not a big problem for myself daily. I am fortunate enough to have a family who discusses these kinds of things with me and explains the importance of having an understanding about it. Due to the fact that I attend a predominantly white school, I have heard racist comments before and I have had to confront some people about it. I try not to come off as aggressive as if i’m trying to attack the person, because this then builds the stereotype of the “rude black girl”. It is sometimes a struggle trying to keep an image because for me, I could be someone who enjoys having fun and may be a little loud at times and be called ghetto. While someone else of another race would be doing the same thing and just be seen as extra. Although those two words hold negative connotations, “ghetto” is way more harsh and is used as a racial slur compared to “extra”. In this era we’re living in right now I feel as if there is a division between people because of race. It’s easy to be friends with different races, but each race has a different understanding of the other, which is understandable. Society tries to talk about race, but now that is the most sensitive topic to discuss. If it’s not fully understood then it’s hard to discuss racism with peers of other races.
In my knowledge, I used to understand racism, how something related to skin color however, over the years I have known different ways of racism. Especially when I came to the United States, I really experienced what is racism. From a Political perspective, I understand that some people categorize the behavior for your culture or your nationality. In my case, I suffer racism for two reasons, the first one, was because I did not speak English, and the other one, I am from Hispanic culture. People believe that Hispanic people do not deserve became o access to something different than physical work or something or unskilled jobs. Every day we have a task to change what other people think about us.
In my opinion, I still thinking there is racism in the world. It does not happen just in America. For example in my country, I have a friend and he is frequently discriminated against because he is Gay. when I came at this country I thought it happened just in sour America. Honestly I loved this country when I arrived, because I saw no one care the appearance of any person, But that was my first impression. Like 5 months ago, one friend has been attacked for three black men, and my friend said when they beat him they mentioned his country. ‘LATIN GUY’ these offenses no one should do. Everybody from sour America came here with to many dreams and because we want to have a better future for each family.
I say again. I am not racist, but I saw many newspaper in this city, and also there are to many criminal cases where the black mens is implicated obviously not all cases; also there are cases from white people but not too many. So my question is why ? should be more psychology available to help people with problems and avoid crimes? Constantly, I am making those questions but automatically my mind thought, but in this country there are opportunities for everyone.
I have become more aware of racial discrimination in the world and have seen how people of color, race and different ethnicity`s are treated differently. My parents had never talked to me about racism. When I came to United States, I have thought Racism was an action that only includes black and white people. USA is a country for many people, race, color and language is one of the most important things that we have to be treated with respect. I was just kind of learn about it as I grew up. One black teenager gave an example of being asked by a white friend, why don`t you like chocolate cake? Is it because it is the black like your skin color.
I have faced racism in few occasions. Racism has been increasing over time. The world is full of racism. Racism has been one of the biggest problem in the world for many years. Racism causes many problems such as: exclusion, discrimination, depression, fights, and crimes in the society without any valid reason. Racism comes from the idea that some people think that they are superior to others just for their race but my questions are: does a race define someone? Does a race define how smart or successfully someone can be? Or does a race of someone can define that they will be better than other people? In my opinion, a race does not define someone. I have seen many people of difference races with good and bad behaviors. I have never seen a race with just qualities or a race with just defects. I think that a human should be judge for their qualities or defects and not for their physical appearance.
Philosophically racism is a complex some people think in mind that they upper than other about prejudice of color. In my background study in high school when I studied Philosophy, I studied a famous Greek philosopher .The name was Socrates, he explained racism as a concept people use in mind to show color a person superior than others .For Socrates, it is a bad thing when some people think like that, it is miseducation or unprofessional. To go so far, he says, color does not mean your direction to be success in life. The most important in life is struggling to become a good citizen in the world by helping people to learn something useful in life to be succeed .In my life experience, I see some people behavior about racism, it is a bad attitude to people practice in daily life .Racism can cause an enormous issue that can produce in a socio life of work as consequence. For example: determination at work and miss good result about progressing well at work.
I my opinion, the discrimination is very bad and sad especially when that happen to adolescents and children because they do not know how to manager that situation. Many of them have lots of problem in school because they cannot concentrate on their classes. They have depression, difficulty sleeping, loneliness, anxiety and in the worst cases, they take their lives. Unfortunately, in many schools the teachers, administrators they do not pay attention to this situation.
Because we are a multicultural society, we can find many differences from one place to another. Then, when one person is considered better than others because of their race, it is where racism starts. Racism is prejudice or discrimination to another person because her/his skin color, race or ethnic. It has never happened to me, but sometimes I have seen racism to other people. Looking at the article I could see that students are suffered racism by their school’s teachers. The school is supposed to be a safe place for these students, but it is not. I think that to be a racist person sometimes starts at home because it depends of parents, they teach their kids about how to respect another person different to you. When children are toddlers, they do not know difference for skin color or race they are friends of everybody. But kids are a sponge, so for example they see their parents staying away from a person of color because their color, then kids think that this is correct and start to stay away to other person of color or from a different culture to them.
Although we are living in a generation of XXI centaury, the racism is present in everywhere. There are different types of discrimination, it could be not only skin color, or culture [where we came from], but also social class discrimination. Even though, America is a country known by freedom, it is one of the higher rate of discrimination racial. As long as I have been living in America, I have seen people who were treated different because of their race. As an example. In high school, a friend of mine have been treated with strong language because of his race, which caused that he thought about a facial surgery, even he wanted to kill himself. In my opinion, racism is and it will be present in our life. I think discriminating against someone unfortunately, it has clung to our ego.
In my life, I have been through problems related to racism. It was a moment that made me realize we live in a judgmental society. People start to discriminate others by their looks, skin color, the way they speak and many others things. As individuals, we have to respect each other for who we are. Even if people take it as a joke. We have to teach them that it’s not a better way treat others like that. Often, I see teenagers racially make jokes to their classmates. They take it a as joke and not realized that it is a very serious matter and we often do not notice that people get affected it by those jokes.
Racism has transformed considerably over the time. I have faced a lot of racism in my job because it is a predominantly black area. At my job everybody speak Spanish and those people don’t like that we speak Spanish because they don’t understand what we are saying, so that’s a problem because every day we have discussions and conflicts. When I was in school I didn’t discriminate anyone because they taught me that we need to be more tolerant and respectful with all races that we have around the world. We are humans and we will go to the same way.
We are living in a hard time. Every day we can see in the news something about racism. Many people live discrimination every day. We can’t continue with racism. We have to love each other no matter the skin color, race and language. We can change the hate crimes with love and help every time then we have the opportunity. It is sad how racism can affect at attacked person with depression, anxiety and many other things. Children and teenagers are committing suicide because in their schools live with bully every day in their classes, sometimes for their skin color or language and the authorities don’t do nothing to control that. We also can see racism in the public transportation, stores, schools and everywhere. Many people are being hurt by racism. If somebody speak Spanish or other different language at English, some people feel insulted and for me that it is not a reason of discrimination because we live in a “country of freedom” Many people are being attacked too for their religion. Everybody have to respect each other because we live in a multicultural country. We have to respect and accept languages, colors, religions and races.
In the world, a lot of discrimination and racism exists. This usually happens when people emigrate from one country to another. For example, in the United States, when Latin people arrive, Americans or black people tend to make fun of the pronunciation of the language when we try to speak. Also, black people think that Latin are racism because of their skin color and most of them treat us in a bad way. When I was in my country, my parents never talked to me about racism, so when I arrived to the United States, I began to face some discrimination because of my accent. At the beginning, I felt bad, but then I became accustomed to it.
USA is a country that for many people, race, color and language is one of the most important things that we need to have to be treated with respect. Most of the people when they have met you in school, in work or somewhere else one of the first thing that they ask you is, “Where are you from?” And if our answer is that we are “LATINOS”. People that think they are superior to Hispanic people, they start to discriminate us saying that we are immigrants and we have to go back to our countries and also in their minds they have the words that the president of USA, said when he start the presidency. Our race does not imply that LATINOS are bad people and obviously with the exception of someone’s.
The racism can be in different ways like skin color, nationality, culture, among other things. Hispanic/Latin people get a lot of racism in the United States because of their skin color and pronunciation when they speak English. One day in the Yankee Stadium, I went to buy some food and the cashier did not understand what I was saying because of my Hispanic accent or that was what I was thinking. I repeated to her what I wanted again and she continued without understand me. I was sure I was saying it right, but then she was making fun of me.
When I came to United States, I thought Racism was an action that only includes black and white people. In my country, racism is unusual. I have never seen a racism case in my country. However, in one of my first days here I was working as a telephone directory delivery in Manhattan. My job consisted to walk into the stores and to leave the book in the table and that is it. One day I gave one telephone directory to a woman and she threw out the book in my feet. I felt so bad because in that moment I understood racism includes all people. It does not matter if you are white, black, Latino, Asian. I think that we are all the same. I know there are things that makes us a little different like economic status, languages, cultures or religion. However, it is not an excuse to discriminate a person, because it can bring serious traumas for them.
Racism can harm a person to the point of feeling uncomfortable and depressed. Hispanics receive a lot of racism in their jobs especially by costumers. I work in a supermarket and some customers insult me because I am Hispanic. They get angry because sometimes I speak Spanish to clients who don’t understand English. Some racism incidents that some customers make are bad jokes, intimidation, insults and I shouldn’t work there because I am Hispanic. I learned to ignore people who annoy me or try to make fun of me and show that I am not equal to them. We have to accept the people as they are it doesn’t matter their skin color or religious beliefs, because people are values as they are.
I’m Latina and fortunately, personally I have not been through incidences with discrimination but through the news on the internet and television, I can observe several cases of discrimination for my race. Fortunately, in my school is not common racial teasing. In schools are normal between friends to call each other in a strong way, based on our race or skin color, but we don't feel it or see it as a way of discrimination because there is trust between us, and we are playing in a sense to make the person feel bad, but everything is with the consent of the person if it does not cause a dislike, does not bother the person and does not make feel bad, but the best option is to avoid treating ourselves in a strong way even if is playing to avoid misunderstandings.
In the world there are many racist people and the racism isn’t new. Since centuries ago there are problems with the racism. People who are different in skin color, nationality, culture, language or whatever they are different are discriminate by others. I’ve never faced a racism experience but I met people that faced that. When I was in high school in my country, one of my partners was a Haitian boy. Many of my partners bullied him because he didn’t know how to speak Spanish very well. I could see how he felt when others bullied him. One day I talked to him and he told me everything that he felt. He felt sad and like an outsider. The next day I talked with the others and they stopped to bullying him and after that they included him in the group. If everybody help others instead of make fun of them, the world can be a better place to live with less racism and more love to the neighbor.
I believe that racism still exists every day In my daily life. When I’m in a mainly white community and I’m walking down the street. I notice that people look at me differently than they do of people their own color. I feel nervous whenever I’m the only black person in an area because I feel like Im being judged because of my skin color, and they way I act, so I try my hardest to blend in with everyone but I always feel like an outcast.
Luckily I don’t see any racism in my community. Everyone respects everyone no matter what they look like. Sadly, I know racism is still happening in other communities and it needs to stop. At this day and age their shouldn’t be racism. Everyone is equal no matter what they look like.
As a Muslim woman who also happens to be an immigrant, I can confidently say that there has not been a single day of my high school career where I have not felt the limitations of my identity. Attending a school that prides itself in challenging its students and being diverse in nature, I will be the first to attest that my school does, in fact, offer many clubs in which students of various backgrounds can feel welcome. However, within the predominantly white student body, it is easy to feel like an outcast. The hardest part about being non-white at school is constantly wanting to assimilate and forget about my differences that separate me; but, these same differences are what make me who I am and it upsets me that I feel ashamed about it because of societal pressures. As such, I feel as though racism today is much more subtle. Very few people are overtly racist nowadays as they know they will be reprimanded; however, leaving snide comments or fostering prejudices has become the norm for a lot of people. In essence, I believe that white people take their whiteness for granted because they still think that their lives are difficult; however, white privilege does not mean that you are void of problems, it only means that those problems are not because of your race.
Part 1
I’m different. I know it. They know it. Brown eyes. Brown skin. Thick dark brown hair. Human..but apparently not in some people’s eyes. People look at me, and all they see is another stereotypical Asian girl. Apparently there’s nothing more to me than my grades and math and school. Apparently all I do is study. I sit down in class like any other kid, but I’m just bombarded with questions on how to do the math. Apparently I know it all. I don’t. I’m learning too. It’s hard to find good friends that aren’t just using me for free answers, and it shouldn't be that way. People shouldn’t see me and start imagining some Indian accent that they rudely imitate. I don’t have one. I can’t escape it. It’s everyone and everywhere.
But, it doesn’t stop there. These are just kids. It’s not an excuse for their behavior, but at least I know where they got it from. I sat down at the park with my backpack, and a man who was jogging stopped just to say, “You got a bomb in there?” I didn’t reply. I didn’t know how to. It’s all over the internet. The outrage after 9/11 as if every Muslim person is a bad person. Only one problem. I’m not Muslim. I’m Indian. So, he was ignorant not only in that he said that, but also for just assuming my race. Racism will stop when people stop teaching it. This is really what people are out here doing. Disrupting peace just to point out people are a different color. As if a little color is a bad thing.
3
Unfortunately, racism still persists today. Sometimes you just bump into the rudest people ever. It makes me cringe when I realize people are racist because they really believe one’s skin color is better than another. I faced cultural unappreciation when I was younger that totally changed the way I thought and lived when I was younger. I didn’t realize at the time but I was faced with slight racism that I believed was just teasing and joking. I would tell a kid that I’m Vietnamese and they’re like “so you’re like Chinese?” like “ching chong chink” and make jokes about rice and then my culture like food. Growing up in a predominantly white community I wanted nothing to do with being Asian. I had no role model that was Asian. I had no one teaching me to appreciate my culture. I frantically switched from rice to Lunchables in elementary school. Everyone around me was white. It’s human nature to try to fit in. So that’s what I did--fit in. I had trouble in my English too and remember being like “I need help, I need to fit in, I can not be Asian”. I wanted to be whitewashed and was. That’s something sad about our society, other cultures are sometimes not appreciated enough and some are “better” than others. Fortunately, I found my way growing up to appreciate my culture too much,--by meeting new people, talking to my parents and so on-- and I love it.
Part 2
When does it stop? When do colored people have to stop proving themselves? We have colored athletes competing in the Olympics as a part of the U.S.A., but their own country stands back and asks them to prove their loyalty at each and every corner. Their own country puts them to jail and even murders them just because they were driving or taking a walk. Every time someone squeezes and pushes their way to the top, their own country feels the need to put them down. And, their country is not Asia or Africa. It’s America.They say we’re less American. They ask us where we’re from and think we’re mistaken when we say America. We represent America. America rode this wave, that is every single African American person who was put into slavery, to the top, but apparently they don’t matter. They’re all that matters! They’re it. They’re the reason, and people fail to acknowledge it. So, we have a whole month for it because apparently that’s what it takes. Apparently that’s what it takes to get this point across.
3
@Shivani Patel, I've felt that sting from other people. I completely agree with your example of the Olympics. People of color, no matter what race, always seem to be trying to prove their nationalism. The thing that white Americans forget, though, is they are strangers just like us. Sure they might have been here longer, but they still came from a foreign place.
Racism is such a weird concept because the people who seem to be the most racist are the same people who have been raised on the belief that others are infringing on "their country." Sometimes what everyone should be reminded of is that no matter where you've come from, you come on equal ground. This country was built on pushing the Native Americans out and making room for immigrants. Your idea of selfishness driving the success of our nation is really good.
@Shivani PatelWell Shivani, it hurts me to say this, but racism isn’t going away. It’s here to stay. There will always be prejudice and hate. It can be very tiresome to deal with it, and obviously we need to try and limit it anyway we can. I think it is very important to accept that there are bad people out there and that the world can never be the perfect place we want it to be. That said, we can still try to educate ourselves and others to make our country a better(still not perfect) place.
In a world where things such as colorism and racism exists, one cannot escape the discriminatory views regarding their ethnic groups. As a Muslim, I have faced discrimination, receiving “abnormal” reactions. Although my skin tone is much more fair in complexion than others in my “community” I have been treated differently and witnessed the jokes — we as adolescents — say to one another, out of spite. And I feel like the way people perceive others will obviously be different but in a world like today’s, where we are starting to accept and embrace others for who they are, we should also start embracing different cultures and learn to implement this, and teach this for generations to come. Showing respect is one thing, but embracing is another. All in all, what I’m trying to say is that in the progressing world of today, discrimination can be reduced if people stop spreading harmful “views”, and we should all learn to respect each other and our cultures virtues instead of comparing ourselves to one another.
My name is Amina Malik and I am a Pakistani American who belongs to the ethnic group, Punjabi’s. My parents have never been hesitant about sharing anything about our country. Each day of my childhood I looked forward to all cultural and religious activities that were happening around me. And even though I was born in America and have great love for the country, I also have a sense of pride and a feeling of love that belongs to Pakistan. But, as I grew older I slowly stopped wearing cultural clothing to school because in middle school people would make fun of my differences. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be wearing anything that would standout from everyone else. I stayed like this until high school, where I started to realize how every person in a room was different, no two people can ever be exactly the same. I started to realize that there’s no shame in being different as every single person who walks on this planet in special and loved in their own way. I can proudly say that now as a junior in high school I wear cultural clothing to school all the time, in fact I am wearing a very large and colorful Pakistani scarf right now. I am more open when sharing anything about my identity and I say it all will a smile :). I notice that everyday more and more people express themselves differently. After all, we all are on the same journey and it’s best just to support and understand others differences, so we all can live a beautiful life and help beautiful people along the way.
Compared to others I'm not affected very much by racism. Of course I see it happening all around me all the time, but it usually just doesn't happen to me. Not that I know of at least.
It doesn't surprise me that I don't get very many racial comments, because I've never looked or acted the part of a Latina girl. I never truly knew what race was until I was about twelve, my parents weren't the type of people to make racial comments and I never felt the need to question the looks of others, as I was friends with people of every race. Most of my life it was almost as if I were racially color blind.
It wasn't until middle school when I had become really good friends with this girl Jay, who was black, that I for the first time in my life saw everyone only by their race. When Jay and I would hang out she would talk about how differently she was treated, how everyone was against her.
Years later I came to realize she had it all wrong. No one was against her, of course there are still racist people in the world who are cruel, but the majority of people are kind and only want to help you, no matter what race you are. I do understand though how people did treat her differently, although everyone in the U.S. is apparently free, our freedom is still so recent. Jay opened my eyes to see, I'm not treated the same either. Although I'm not treated badly I'm not treated the same.
I noticed how sometimes certain people would act calmly around me, but once they got to know me well enough, and they found out I'm Hispanic, some people would completely change the way they acted around me.
Occasionally people will come up to me and ask me if I’m white, and when I say no they then seem to identify me only as the Hispanic girl from their class. Also in the past some teachers have treated me poorly just because of my last name, they think I’ll end up being a failure or something, and don’t put in an effort to be kind to me.
I hate that people have put up barriers to other people just because of their race, but I know as time goes on this racial topic will get better, even if it’s far beyond my time on this planet.
Now that I’m older, I’m not completely racially blind like I once was, but I know to treat everyone the same, because behind everyone's cultures and beliefs, we are all still people who just want to be treated equally.
1
I noticed how sometimes certain people would act calmly around me, but once they got to know me well enough, and they found out I'm hispanic, some people would completely change the way they acted around me.
Occasionally people will come up to me and ask me if I’m white, and when I say no they then seem to identify me only as the hispanic girl from their class. Also in the past some teachers have treated me poorly just because of my last name, they think I’ll end up being a failure or something, and don’t put in an effort to be kind to me.
I hate that people have put up barriers to other people just because of their race, but I know as time goes on this racial topic will get better, even if it’s far beyond my time on this planet.
Now that I’m older, I’m not completely racially blind like I once was, but I know to treat everyone the same, because behind everyone's cultures and beliefs, we are all still people who just want to be treated equally.
1
My name is Amina Malik and I am a Pakistani American. My parents have never been hesitant about sharing anything about their birth country. As a child to this day I have always loved participating in religious and cultural events that my family and I participate in. I’ve always loved my identity, but their was a time when I tried to hide who I was from others. I’ve always worn cultural clothing to school and one day in middle school I remember people making fun of my attire. I was devastated and I stopped wearing Pakistani clothing to school. This is when I became more observant of the world around me and the fact that every single person is different. Every single person is loved and special in their own way. In high school, I started wearing my cultural clothing to school again. In fact I am wearing a colorful and huge Pakistani scarf right now. A notice that as my days get older more and more people are becoming comfortable sharing their identity with the world. Just like I am openly able to share about mine with a smile. We all are in the same journey, so it only makes sense to help each other, to love each other, to learn together. I’ve come to realize, as I hope others do two, that we are all beautiful as who we are and we are all on this together.
As a person of color reading the article and answering the questions it made it feel like a self-reflection. Most racism I encounter is not overt, fortunately I live in an area where racial tensions are not as extreme. However, racism exists no matter if it is overt or not. Just from seeing so many anti-black remarks on social media can cause an overwhelming amount of frustration. The study of the 101 students gave good insight on how their views may compare to mine, considering the difference in time. The article made a point that the study was conducted during the Obama administration, now under the Trump presidency there has been a rise in hate crimes. Dr. English also made a valid point that witnessing racism could have an impact the same as a personal experience. It has definitely taken a toll on my mental health seeing the Sandra Bland or Alton Sterling incident on video. As a result my parents remind me what to do if I am pulled over, they tell me to comply with the police officer so I can make it home safe. Additionally I have noticed how just driving past a police officer makes me anxious and very nervous. At the end my results were that I have encountered 62 instances of racism in the last two weeks. The participants averaged more than 70. This shows that there is a lot to improve on not just in legislation, but simply the way we interact with people. It is important that we all acknowledge the macroaggressions because even small remarks have affected black people.
Growing up Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Ecuadorean, I have experienced a fair share of discrimination. As a smaller child, I grew up in an environment with people like me so I never had an issue, but getting into a predominately white and economically advanced school was a huge shift met with lots of ups and downs. I felt out of place anywhere I step and still do to this day. I’ve learned to adapt in some ways and have grown to make friends but I have experienced racial remarks or discrimination. Race is honestly just a barrier to separate people for a desperation for power and superiority.
Ever since the day I was born I always knew racism was a bad thing. I didn't realize how hurtful it was until it happened to me, a white and African American girl. I go to a predominantly white school, and there are a couple of kids who look at me differently because of my skin color but I have learned to just brush it off.
Historically, racism has always been a negative side effect of America dating back to the original colonies. I grew up as a white male, so my daily life hasn’t been impacted by racism as much as others. As a teenager in high school I feel as though the amount of racial discrimination has increased over the past years. Racism has always been a problem and we won’t see the end of it in the near future unless we make changes.
@Blake Bennett I also think that racism has increased over the past few years. I'm not sure if I'm becoming more aware or it really is getting worse. I also agree that racism not going to disappear. I think people need to keep more to theirselves and stand up for more injustices.
Growing up white, I have never experienced discrimination due to my race. I first became aware of my unfair advantages and privileges in various aspects of life when I was around 11. I would see thing on the news about POC being mistreated or even see blatant discrimination and bias from a random stranger to someone else. I grew up being taught that no matter your race, we’re all human and we’re all the same, no one race is better or less than the other. So it was surprising to become aware that not everyone thought that way. I remember thinking to myself how weird it was that people genuinely cared that much if someone was white, black, Hispanic, etc. I found it ridiculous that such discrimination against someone sprouts from their skin color. In society, you should evaluate a person based off of their personality and how they treat others; not their race.
@Hailie Woolmer I completely agree. I wish people would see past races and actually find out who a person is before they judge them. When I first learned about racism I thought it was a terrible thing that not everyone believed that all humans are equal. But even through learning about racism and and experiencing it, I understand that no matter what racist people and stereotypes portray, we are all just humans.
1
@Hailie Woolmer I completely agree. I wish people would see past races and actually find out who a person is before they judge them. When I first learned about racism I thought it was a terrible thing that not everyone believed that all humans are equal. But even through learning about racism and and experiencing it, I understand that no matter what racist people and stereotypes portray, we are all just humans.
Growing up as a Asian Teenager, I have never experienced discrimination because of my race. Yet, multiple other individuals experience discrimination on the daily. After reading this article with knowledge of racial discrimination being very prominent in today’s society, it’s upsetting and disgusting to me that kids our own age still have to face discrimination just because of the color of their skin. To see the results of the study conducted about racism to find out that 101 black students stated that in a timeline of two weeks there were about 70 cases is beyond upsetting. What people don’t see is that this is minorities reality. This information doesn’t really shock me which is the absurd part, for as long as our history is written there has always been racial superiority. White Americans forced a whole race of African Americans to do their own work for them. We need change and we need people to be more aware and less ignorant. I’m so tired of seeing people being treated poorly because of the color of their skin.
It's hard to really understand racism when you're a stereotypical white american. We tell ourselves we aren't racist. We say that we love all people equally. But when are we going to step back and see; Our friends look just like us.
I mean we can be friends with whoever we want. We do not have to be friends with every color and every race. But we need to be able to see racism right in front of us. And I am not implying that because we're friends with our same race, we're racist. That's not it at all. But I think we aren't as aware.
Sometimes I'll hear my friends talking about how they're friends with a black guy, or how they were snap chatting them last night? Is that something they should be bragging about? Something they should be proud of? Why is being friends with a different race than you, any different than being friends with someone who's the same race as you? It shouldn't be. But unfortunately, that's the world we live in.
5
@Sydney Short I agree. Being friends with someone that is a different race than you shouldn't be something you should brag or even need to bring up. It should be something like second nature. This might sound cheesy but it is who you are on the inside that matters. Judging or making fun of someone because of their race is rude and disrespectful. Each and every person is their own unique individual.
@Sydney Short I find it quite interesting that when you look at your own group of friends, they all look just like you. I never have understood it. We always describe someone as a white boy or girl and when we first go to describe someone we always say what their skin color is and I think that this is unnecessary. Sure they may look different from one single person but I don't think that should play a big factor with anything
@Sydney Short
I agree that people should be friends with whomever no matter what they look like. It is hard to fully grasp the idea of being discriminated against in society when all we know is what we’ve seen and heard. Now that this negativity is happening to the people we know around us, I believe we have to do something about it.
Being a Mexican teenage girl, I don’t remember having ever experienced racism but sometimes feel out of place because of it. In middle school, I was surrounded by people who were like me and I felt comfortable with who I was. When I started high school in a predominantly white neighborhood, I definitely felt out of place. Adjusting to the new high school environment in general proved to be a difficultly & along with that, not being around the same people I had been for 8 years was uncomfortable at first. Throughout high school, I still don’t have as many people like me in my classes which makes me feel like I don’t belong. Sadly, there are people who experience discrimination just because of the way they look, directly or indirectly, which has obviously been a problem in our society. Stereotypes, I would argue, are the underlying cause of this as they generalize a large group of people. Not feeding into these stereotypes is a step towards lessening racial discrimination.
I haven’t really experienced racism recently. My school doesn’t look at me different because the color of my skin. I also feel like there’s a good amount of all colors.Everybody’s treated equally and there isn’t any bullying going around. Also when i’m at work or anywhere else, there isn’t any racism going on.
I personally have experienced rather discreet and indirect forms of racism throughout my life. I say "indirect" not because the racism itself does not directly harm the Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) but because I myself have not experienced the comparative cultural insensitivity and racism that various people whom I know have. As an APA female high school student, I have witnessed teachers marginalize and insensitively toss racist "jokes" at students whom they assume to be of certain ethnicities and backgrounds. Once, a licensed social worker who visited my school assumed that a peer of mine was Chinese and proceeded to say that his parents must be strict, despite his denial of such a stereotypical claim. Clearly, she was ignorant and likely someone who buys into the lie that is the model minority myth. The fact that a trained mental health counselor, with power dynamics as an adult in a classroom, with the privilege to degrade a minority student and the authority to mask the calling-out of such an action, and even with a "Chinese" husband as she had emphasized oddly more than once in her workshop, could have such culturally unresponsive behaviors highlights a lack of success in New York City schools' implementation of genuinely culturally responsive education -- one in which APAs are able to tell their stories and stand in solidarity with other minorities without being subject to racial abuse by those in power who perpetuate dangerous stereotypes and their systemic effects.
When it comes to racism, I tend to not face much at all, as I am a white male in an economically advantaged family, however I do see plenty of it. For me, racism comes from students generally, as teachers tend to suppress their views. When I do see it, it’s generally made in sort of a form of a joke, or simply blatantly as a statement of superiority. For this reason, I am not surprised that racism is so common. I do not, however, think about my own “whiteness,” and I doubt others my age do too, as the equalists in my generation generally don’t think about race a lot, other than as a meaningless line that separates us. Overall and In conclusion, I believe that all racism needs to be abolished and the institutions that created and/or are responsible for them treated the same if not similarly.
I have not had to deal with much racism at all, and I am very grateful for it. But I have witnessed other students have to deal with racism from my peers, whenever I witness this it just makes me question society. We say we have aged so much from the previous decades, we say we don’t discriminate against anyone. But is that really true? Yes we have made immense progress for the different races in the United States, but discrimination still exists in different forms. People still exclude others or look at certain people different because of their race. I hope one day in the future this discrimination is gone, but I also fear there is a small part in all humans that discriminates. We may never act on it because of good morals and intentions, but what if the concept of discrimination sticks with mankind forever?
I haven’t really experienced racism recently. My school doesn’t look at me different because of the color of my skin. I also feel like there’s a good amount of all skin colors at this school. Everybody’s treated equally and there isn’t any bullying going around about it. Also, when i’m at work or anywhere else, there isn’t none of this happening. I feel comfortable at most of the places i go.
I don’t think I ever experience racism at all. The school I attend it’s accepting and all the people around me are different but we don’t judge anyone. I’m happy I go to school where I can learn without having to deal with racism. I’ve seen several videos with teachers being racist towards a student, but fortunately that has never happened to me.
Racism has always existed in the United states for as long as we can remember, the idea has been that the white man is superior over the colored. Personally, I have never been directly attacked, or been a victim of racism. Sure, maybe in middle school some kid thought it would be funny to crack meaningless jokes. But they never really affected me, because they weren’t intended to hurt. The truth is my “race” isn’t really the thing that sticks out about me, it’s more my religion. Im a 16 year old Muslim girl which means I wear a hijab on my head. And clearly it is a very noticeable trait. Surprisingly I have had very few “bad” encounters with that as well. If anything, i feel more respected and strong when I have my scarf around my head. I grew up in a very friendly and safe town where everyone was aware of the different cultures and religions. However, sometimes when I go to a place that is predominantly republican or conservative, i get some very long stares. It makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, but then I think about how everyone possesses something special about them that makes them different, that makes then significant. For me that is my hijab.
The first time I remember being aware of my race was the 1rst grade. I was on the bus and one of my friends was arguing with another boy. It was about something that happened at lunch. I should’ve just let my friend handle it, but me being the nosey kid I was, I just HAD to intervene. I asked them to quit arguing and the little boy turned around and said, “What do you know? You’re just a dumb black girl!” Looking back at it, that wasn’t the worst thing he could’ve said. But I’d never had anyone say something like that to me, so I was a bit out of it. I spent the rest of the afternoon looking at the skin on my arms. I remember just wondering who I was. Just wondering who my skin made me. I think that particular experience made me perfectly aware of my race. I have grown since then. Being a young black woman used to make me embarrassed. Now, it empowers me. So I guess it helped me become a better person.
1
This past summer is when i realized that racism is alive and thriving because it happened to me. Obviously, I knew it was still happening but I thought it wouldn't happen to me, as if I were somehow invincible.
My family and I were driving to Florida but stopped in the south of Georgia to eat. We communicate in Spanish, maybe a little Spanglish, so right away we stuck out like a sore thumb. The restaurant had a little gift shop and we browsed the shop after we finished eating. We noticed that a lady was following us around, making sure that items weren’t stolen. We felt very uncomfortable so we left and we wanted to say a snarky comment like “Don’t worry, we’re not gonna steal anything” but my dad decided it was best to leave it.
It’s hard not say anything or do anything because you want to fight back but if you do you prove their point of being a “violent” Mexican and you’re just as worse as them. A good quote from Martin Luther King is “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”
As a person of color, I feel as though I receive less blatant racism than other people of color. I don't go out much unless I'm going to school or to get groceries. I feel as though I don't face alot of racism myself but whenever I do go out the narrative changes a little. When I'm in a predominantly white store I feel uncomfortable. I can feel their eyes on me like they are judging me. I think that racism is still a big problem in America even though we sometimes put it on a back burner. We seem to think that if we ignore a problem long enough it will go away. That is not how it works though. Especially with social media making it easier to see and spread, people using the coronavirus as an excuse to stereotype Chinese people. Some Caucasians thinking it is okay for them to say the N-word (Lil Huddy) and alot of people gloss over it.
I have experienced a lot of racism. It is also very hard for me because I am light skin and have black and white in me. I sort of feel like I don't belong anywhere. I can't fully be white and I can't fully be black. I have gotten questions like "why is your hair like that?" and I honestly had no answer. When I went to an all-white school I got bullied so much that I wanted to be white but now I am proud of my natural hair and proud to say I am African American.
@Diana Bedden I’m glad you finally realized that you should love where you come from, even if others are putting you down. I can definitely relate to what you’re saying about not belonging. I’m Mexican American but have very pale skin and I frequently travel to Mexico. When I do, I feel like I’m too “American” for the Mexicans and when I’m here I feel like I’m too “Mexican” for the Americans. I hope you can somewhat relate to what I’m saying because I understand how you feel.
From the moment I looked around my school cafeteria seeing rows of caucasian children lining each of the tables, I knew I was different. From the moment I overheard my mom talking to my dad about reluctancy to move our family to the Deep South, I knew I wasn't normal. But It wasn't until the moment I first had someone point at me and laugh, their fingers stuck to the corners of their eyes pulling them outward till you could see nothing more than a slit, that I knew what racism was.
I walk into my math class where all of my friends are talking about our latest test scores. They ask me what my grade is; I reluctantly tell them. They cheer, laugh, and the phrase “I beat the asian!” is tossed around in the air as if it’s nothing more than a beach ball at a concert. I stand there with an uncomfortable smile on my face. A small half-laugh manages to escape my mouth. It’s no big deal. I’m fine.
I walk into my history class and sit at my seat. We take our notes on 16th Century Chinese Dynasties. The name of an emperor comes up on the powerpoint. I tilt my head toward my paper to write it down, but it is jolted upward by the sound of one of my friend’s voices. “Ching Chong Ling Long” escapes his mouth. He turns to me with a beaming smile looking for the credit his magnificent joke deserves. The same distressed smile is plastered on my face. That same nervous laughter makes its way into the air. I tell myself that I don’t care, but deep down, I know the truth.
9
I’ve tried to tell my friends that the stereotypes they use aren’t okay; they tell me that it’s just a joke. I’ve tried to tell them that their jokes aren’t funny; they tell me I’m being oversensitive. I’ve tried to push back on their microaggressions; they resist even harder. I’ve tried to find the strength to say enough is enough, but all I can ever do is laugh alongside them, pretend that the words they’re spewing don’t hurt, and leave the pain for another night.
7
@Uma Volety I was filled with this deep sense of sorrow when I read your comment. Mainly because I know that I’ll never be able to empathize with the experiences that you carry, but also because it hurts me to know that so many people in our country experience this same type of racism on a day to day basis. I’ve seen it happen to people before, but because I don’t know what it feels like I would never be able to fully and truthfully feel for you.
Most of the classes I’m in are filled with caucasian people, all of whom I can relate to in some way or another because most of us share the same skin tone, the same eye color, the same hair color. I can’t imagine having almost no one to relate myself to, but I do know that it must feel uncomfortable and straining to your self-esteem and well-being at many points in your life.
I think it’s amazing to use your own personal story on how racism has affected you based on where you’ve grown up in the world and the world we live in today to help others who experience the same thing feel a little bit less alone. It’s wonderful that people like you have the strength and dignity to share your story, and share it in such a positive and authentic way.
2
@Uma Volety It is sad to think that I personally have made this comment when I was younger. When we were in Elementary school and Middle school racism was not talked about. I didn't know about these things that were happening. I didn't know that my actions were wrong. How was I supposed to? No ever told me they were. So I went on with my life making those comments and not finding anything wrong with them. But there is, it is racist. I assumed that because someone is Asian they are smart, or that they speak Chinese. But that not true that is racially profiling. I racially profiled. And I didn't even know I was doing it.
As a white person I don't seem to get any racism. I go to a public highschool and I do see some racist acts but I also try to hang out with people that have respect and keeps their hurtful comments to themselves. I am also a competitive dancer and see a lot of different style dances with a lot of different cultures and races. I am not a racist person and love everyone until you have given me a reason not to. I dont threaten, harass, or discriminate against anyone I know and that ranges from all sizes, ages, races, religions, and ethnicity.
I typically stay to myself and my smaller group of friends and we dont be disrespectful to anyone. I try my best to be the nicest person I can be and bullying is not apart of that.
@Emma Dunne, I'm so glad that you choose to separate yourself from these microaggressions. My question for you though, is separating yourself a way to try to ignore the more significant issue? If you dance around the underlying problem, are you trying to combat it or just suppressing it? Though you may not be personally connected, it's still a problem that should be brought up. Whether in a small group setting, or a big one.
Seeing dance as a racially equal field is such a great way to share yourself with the community. I hope you can use this as a way to make people aware of equality that is found on the dance floor.
1
I think about my racial identity everyday in school and in my community, especially during this time period where my people are being discriminated, threatened, and harassed by people who have the same views as the president of the United States regarding Hispanics and immigrants. In school, I have encountered teachers and students who have said very inappropriate comments regarding Hispanics in front of me or to my friends. In school and in my community, I’ve felt at times like I don’t belong, fit in, isolated, and judged and it has made me feel uncomfortable. I wish that everyone would come together as one and realize that we all are humans and our racial identities should not determine how we should be treated and viewed as.
@Karen P. I agree with your comment being discriminated against and being harassed solely due to the fact of the amount of melanin in my skin. In my case living in a predominantly poor Hispanic area that is sprawling with homeless as far as the eye can see, tagged up walls, and gang activity rather then being discriminated by other races even though I still have my helpful handful, I am seen as target to my own race. This being I can’t walk one day with someone shouting out there car “where you from” or cars just slowing down and following me. This produces a great deal of anxiety because I always have be wary of my surroundings when I’m anywhere. This as you stated yourself leaves oneself with a sense of loss. How can I ever hope to feel accepted when even my own race views me as a threat. To relate this back to discrimination by other racial groups with this being I can’t even walk in the metro without getting dirty looks that being applied to all races when walking to the grocery stores people locking their doors at the sight of me, old women clenching their purse when I’m just trying to go home. This in the end makes me feel maybe I do fit the stereotype and the end just another ghetto trying to make it out with big dreams.
1
@Karen P. Growing up Hispanic I understand the feeling of being misjudged based on your race and how that can affect you personally. There is a negative connotation that comes with being Hispanic and because of that we are constantly being harassed and driven out. I’m always thinking about my race and the unfairness that comes with being Hispanic but I also think about the strong bond that keeps our community together. We need to stop judging those based on their ethnicity or race and come together.
The first experience I had was probably when I was in 2nd or 4th grade. The “bad” kid, and I were arguing. I might’ve gotten mad at him since he always annoy me saying stuff like, “You are Asian so you should be very smart.” But this one time he really pushed my patience with him and I started yelling at him. All of a sudden, he went, “Ching chong, ching chong!” Not only he said that but he pulled his eyes to make it small, imitating an Asian. I’m not saying that I’m always the victim since I’ve also been a racist myself. I was taught that African American people are loud, inconsiderate, get into trouble, and more. I know that most of these aren’t true but I can’t help but think that these are their characteristics. It’s the same with Hispanics. I don’t mind if people think that I’m any other race besides Vietnamese. But I really get annoyed if they ask me how to pronounce my last name and then tries it themselves. An example was that my friend asked me how to pronounce it and when I said it, they repeated as, “Mary Nugget,” and started laughing. That annoyed me so much but there was nothing I could do about it. An incident that happened about a year ago was that these African American people started throwing hard snowballs at my mom and I for not knowing Chinese. Now we just hurry by whenever we see African Americans near there. I’m very proud to be Vietnamese but sometimes I just wish that people would stop assuming stereotypes on me and just treat me as a regular person.
My parents have always discussed race with us, even when we were little. I think this is because they wanted me to feel comfortable as a mixed race person. Still, it still hurts when people assume I can’t be both Asian and Caucasian. For example, one of the questions at the end of this very article asked, “If you do not identify as a person of color, do you ever think about your whiteness?” Questions like these make me uncomfortable because, even though I do identify as a person of color, I am still “white”. People expect me to “pick a side”, but they don’t understand that I would be denying a part of myself. Interracial marriage has been legal in all U.S. states since 1967, yet I still must check a single box for race on standardized tests. They have boxes for most races, and a box that says “other”. I’m not other, I’m both.
2
Surprisingly, I do not face racism that much, even though I am Asian. However, it does annoy me when people say I eat dogs. It gets to the point where I got used to it, which is really sad. I also experienced my previous classmates say, "ching chong" a lot. Soon other people kept saying it, and now I am used to it. I got used to all these stereotypes, but if a random stranger were to say those words to me, I would not take it lightly.
(Part 2)
I feel like making a big deal out of Black History Month is a step in the wrong direction. Before you immediately get mad at me, point your finger, and call me an ignorant, bigoted, conservative white girl-- (do you catch the irony?)-- just consider how much more intense the rage is about race-differences with things we’ve made up like Black History Month. We have differences that should be acknowledged and sometimes even cherished, but we’re calling things racism/hate speech that really are not racism/hate speech. We’re saying that something no one living today participated in is still an injustice that must be corrected, and that we need to pay reparations to those people who were not alive for these injustices. The past, ugly as it is, is in the past and must be remembered, but we’re achieving nothing by living in those times. In fact, I would say we’re regressing. People of my own race, myself included, are shamed for something they can’t control— their race’s past! Sounds similar to shaming people for something else they can’t control, their race! Until our country can learn to remember its past for what it is, learn from it, and move on, I don’t see how we’ll be able to make any progress.
1
@Grace Robertson Respectfully, I have to disagree with your comment. We do not celebrate Black History Month for the purpose of shaming white people, nor do we do it to pressure them into paying reparations. We celebrate Black History month to honor the strength and sacrifice of the great African Americans who built the beautiful country we know and love . We do it to learn about the history of our nation, and pay the proper respect to African Americans. We do it to acknowledge the hardships they went through, and celebrate the courage and resilience that they maintained throughout. Celebrating Black History Month has never been something done with the intention of oppressing white people. In the one day in class that my english teacher taught us about black history, I learned so much about the history of our country and its citizens. Black history month doesn't shame, it teaches and honors, and is key to progress away from racial tension.
7
@Grace Robertson [Part 1] Black History month was founded in 1926 by the late historian Carter G. Woodson. Originally dubbed Negro History Week, it was established under the pretense- the knowledge- that White Americans were not doing their job. It was established with the understanding that for 51 months of the year, students learn about white history. The education system was established such that students are made to believe black people have not accomplished anything of merit(save the few greats that are mentioned), students learn nothing of Africa(save the fact that slaves were taken from there), and black students are thus indoctrinated into accepting their subservient status.
2
[Part 2] Your argument that Black History month is regressive is, quite frankly, offensive. The only harm that comes from Black History month is racist white people having to acknowledge how unsubstantiated their beliefs are or “well-meaning” white folk feeling a bit of white guilt. It’s offensive that you would place your own white guilt over the fates and education of African-American boys and girls around the country, and offensive that you could compare this feeling of guilt to the racism involved in Jim Crow or Slavery. I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but you acknowledging the past and the struggles and lasting effects caused by it is nowhere near as painful as the trauma you wish to ignore. You are not the one suffering the most from racism in the United States right now, and your implication that you feel you are is disappointing.
Your argument that the only thing that you can take away from Black History month is the crimes of your past is very offensive. It implies that black history is nothing more than a compilation of suffering. That black history is nothing but suffering. It is ignoring all the beauty of black history. With the struggle comes triumph. With oppression comes advancement. With suffering comes music and art and culture.
3
I do not see much racisim at my school or in my commuity, and if their is, its in a joking way. But as a theatre kid, I do notice some racism there. Lets say that a theatre is doing once on this island, west side story, or in the heights. All these shows have people that are Hispanic or colored in them. So for casting these shows, the people should be colored and be able to dance, sing, and act, right? Now lets say that the people that audition for you, some people are white maybe some of them are a little tan, but can sing, dance, and act like to tomorrow. But then you have some people that are Hispanic or colored, but are not so good at singing, dancing, and acting. So who do you choose? This is a hard decision for any director because a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. But based off of the type of theatre and personal preferences he has to come to a decision. What would your decision be?
When it comes to my daily life I do not experience much racism at all. People respect me just like I respect them, regardless of their race. I do have talks with my mother about race and my ethnicity. I don’t think my race is better than anyone else or think that my race is inferior.
As a white person I don’t face any racism basically at all. There are sometimes when people say stereotypical things about white people, but that doesn’t really bother me. I definitely have seen and witnessed racism though. At my old school there was this one guy, and he was a little weird. He would walk around the playground just randomly cursing, and saying the N word, and then when people told him to stop he wouldn’t. I also think what a lot of people don’t realize is that racism isn’t always so clear. Sometimes it's just small things like the article said- maybe it's being followed around or being closely watched at an airport or a mall, or people enforcing stereotypes and things like that. Another thing is the All Lives Matter movement. I think that the All Lives Matter movement is stupid. It was basically created just to go against Black Lives Matter. Yes, all lives matter, but we don’t need to worry about all lives. White people aren’t being discriminated against. White people aren’t being automatically criminalized just because of their race. Black Lives Matter isn’t saying that ONLY black lives matter, it's just we need to worry and fight for their lives more than others. Same with people wanting a Straight Pride Parade, or the Men's Rights Movement. Most of these were just created because they don’t like the other movements, or they want “their own” movement.
3
---Part 2---
As a matter of fact, race is something we made ourselves and could be seen as something such as hair color or a widows peak. According to a study by Harvard University, “Ultimately, there is so much ambiguity between the races, and so much variation within them, that two people of European descent may be more genetically similar to an Asian person than they are to each other” This basically means that If I compared myself to an African and a Brit, It is possible that I would be more genetically similar to the African. So why do we still care about race then, doesn’t that lay down the whole issue! No! It doesn't. And I would argue that we still aren't free of racism because we still must constantly view people based on the color of their skin, not for present issues, but because we must always dwell on the past ones.
(Harvard Study- http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/science-genetics-reshaping-race-debate-21st-century/)
1
@Nathan Hackney I could(and have) gone on a tirade about the merit to Black History Month, but in short it’s unfair of you to criticize it as a month that highlights racial tensions just because it’s not directly your fault. The crimes of White America’s past are relevant and influential today, and there is no good reason to ignore them.
Before I get into the juice of my reply, I want to note that race is not merely genetics or skin tone or melanin count. Race is the fundamental product of racism brought about in order to distinguish between “us” and “them”, “upper class” and “lower class”, “good” and “bad”.
There is a reason black and white culture in America looks so different. White America could not exist as it is today without the destruction and degradation of black america. I know many people who would beg to differ, but that is a fact that really cannot be denied.
Through the destruction of my world- my people’s universe- white America has prospered. Ignoring this key fact, denying its relevance, and declaring it to be unimportant can only result in a repetition of history, the further exploitation of black people, and an increased separation of you and me.
1
@Nathan Hackney [part 2]
Black History Month isn’t about guilt, though. It’s about acknowledgement, growth, change, and celebration. Through acknowledging black history, we can allow black children to aspire towards new heights and great things- beyond their usual relegation to crime and imprisonment. By acknowledging the burden white history has placed upon other races, you can aspire towards remedying those burdens- shifting the burden of systematic oppression off of poor black children and taking some of it up, yourself. By changing your ways or looking back at the changes brought about through the abolitionist or civil rights movements, we can not only appreciate how far we’ve come, but look forwards to how far we’ve gone.
What is the culmination of all this? Celebration. Celebration of Black scientists who defied all expectations and changed the world. Celebration of Black activists who fought everything the world through at them, and never faltered. Celebration of centuries of art and music and culture and writing that have aided in fundamentally shaping today’s climate.
1
@Jacob Jarrett
---Part 1---
Jacob, I really do agree with you on these points! As I said in Part 1 of my comment, Black History month should be a time of celebration, history, and remembrance. It was designed to bring more light to the hardships and accomplishments on the beaten down path of the African American. I just think it isn't doing this in the most efficient way. I want the same thing you do! I am saying that taking what should be a deeply integrated history course and jamming it all into one month (The shortest one at that) is going to create tension, it's a natural thing. I'm not saying we shouldn’t feel tension as we learn about things our ancestors did in the past, a German is going to feel tension or guilt when talking about the holocaust and/or WWII. I’m just suggesting that, in order to loosen this tension and further educate people on black history month, I think It should be implemented into all history courses for all 12 months instead of being force fed for only one. So yes, I really do agree with you on that point.
1
Part Two:
From this information and reflecting on my life I have realized that I have subconsciously bounced between race and ethnicity. Why can’t I be both? In school and in the media people don’t see Latino as white, especially when it's related to any negative situation such as murder or drugs. This is expressed and enforced under the current president and his comments on immigration. Therefore why must Latino’s in the U.S. identify with a race that has expressed hate towards them within their own country? That’s the thing about being biracial, Latino, and others society picks your race.
The article mentions the rise of hate crimes and remarks during Trump’s presidency. I’ve noticed this on the news, and within my own family. Last year, and the year before that both sides of my family gathered together for Thanksgiving. As I entered in with my father’s side of the family, my opposing more conservative cousin exclaimed, “We don’t want your people here”. Many more remarks were made at the dinner table and in private and I dread the next Thanksgiving.
1
Latino’s like any other ethnical race, face some kind of prejudice. And like any other ethnical race that faces prejudice, they talk about prejudice. A lot.
I say they, instead of us because I haven’t faced any kind of prejudice to really have a say on it. I don’t look Latina, most people assume I’m Portuguese, Italian, or something European, and I don’t portray a lot of Latino stereotypes.
I’ve been called a fake Latina multiple times. By my own parents, because I refuse to dance and don’t like Mexican food, by my Latina friends because I’m Puerto Rican and Puerto Ricans are “wack” and even by a few of my white friends who called me that when I was the only person not to take a bite out of a jalapeno pepper. I hate spicy things, which is another reason why I’m a fake Latina. In fact I don't even like Mexican food, whether its actual homemade Mexican made by my friends mom's or Taco Bell.
I wouldn't say it's something that hurts me, I know my parents and friends just call me that as a joke, and I've never put so much importance on my ethnicity to be bothered when people speak about it in a bad manner.
But I notice that the people around me have a strong connection between their race and their identity. My friends always complain about being the only Latinas in their classrooms, something I experience a lot but never really noticed or cared about. My parents say I defy stereotypes by being smart and Latina. Along with many other strange things. I've never understood that.
1
---Part 1---
As a white male I’d like to start off by saying that slavery was one of the most (If not THE most) tragic events in human history. It was terrible how mistreated African Americans were just because of their melanin levels. It was terrible that we thought at the time it was better to segregate people based on races than just resolve our “differences.” And it was terrible that laws such as Jim Crow’s law and many others existed. However, I feel as though Black History month has become a breeding ground for further racism. What was made to be a time of unity celebration and acceptance has become a designated time to skin shame people for things that happened decades and decades ago.
My English Teacher presented my class with a phrase she found on the internet from the point of view of a white man that said, “I didn’t have slaves, You didn’t pick cotton. Case closed.” She was dumbfounded and appalled by this phrase. I was ashamed to be racially linked to this writer at that moment. I felt a deep pain as if I had hurt people. But…. I hadn't. That was a pain I had no hand in causing. It made my stomach knot up, and it should have, to hear all the terrible things my race put African Americans through. My point of view is this however. A month that highlights racial tension is not ever going to loosen this tension at all.
1
Growing up, I’ve become aware of the fact that conversations, in a language other than English, can unfortunately be taken as a threat by some in public. It has come to my attention that many times, people fear what they do not understand or what they find perplexing. As a Mexican teenager, I’ve learned how to handle statements like “You don’t look Mexican” or “You don’t act Mexican”; as if there is a right or wrong way to be who you are. Unfortunately, comments about your complexion, the accent in your voice, or the color of your skin will continue to be stated by many; most of which can seem condescending. From my personal experience I’ve learned that racism and its effects can come wrapped in hidden little packages called indirects or in grand gestures that blatantly invalidate every part of you. Even when
one has not experienced racism face to face, one sees it everyday; on the news, on social media, and in movies. I’ve learned that there is no way to live in a world where absolutely no racism is inhibited— where everyone accepts eachother despite the differences— yet step by step we can work towards creating a world where every difference is accepted and one day embraced.
Racism has become much less of an active issue than it has been in the past. However, I feel that it is still very much prevalent in todays society even at my school. Recently, the corona virus has broken out in china effecting hundreds of people and spreading through Eurasia. Since then people of Asian decent has been the brunt of many jokes about the virus. I was witness to this first hand, when I heard my friend tell another one of my friends that she didn't want to catch the virus from her, the joke was made with the intent of being just that... a joke. However I saw that it made my friend deeply uncomfortable and hurt by the comment that she made. So, although racism is definitely not what it used to be in the times of segregation, it is still visible in the most important part of the worlds culture. Our youth.
5
@Watson Pope
I think that you’re right about how people say these things as a joke, but what they say can actually be very offensive. This is a good example of how something might not be intentionally racist, but can still leave someone feeling hurt and uncomfortable. You make a good point that although racism isn’t the same as it was in the past, it is still prevalent in society.
Racism is still a very real thing in modern America and though generally seen has a non- existent issue it's still relevant. As someone who lives in the south it's not uncommon to see Confederate flags all over the place. Even people at my high school believe segregation should exist and would make schooling more productive.
Being a white male I personally do not face racism and my intent isn't to pander to progressive audiences I genuinely think racism exists at a moderate level in current society. My good friend for instance is an Arab Muslim. He faces racially discriminatory jokes constantly and he feels required to laugh them off when it is actually harmful to how he feels as a person. Constantly being compared to a terrorist and a supporter of terrorism can make somebody feel bad about themselves for something they have no control over.
1
@Henry Leonard The person I referenced being an "Arab Muslim" does not attend my school or live in state. He would like to remain anonymous.
As a student of Euro-Asian descent, I’ve only faced the joking types of racism, due to the fact that I only chill with people I like, or with individuals who cast their intolerance on others due to personality traits, not skin tone. As an American, Asians didn’t have face slavery, vote discrimination, segregation, and police targeting (cite stop and frisk) like the Africans and the African Americans throughout the country’s history. The only racism I have faced was just banter, I’m totally cool with it, (when it’s among friends, I don’t support racism that is actually mean spirited) I even support the banter if it’s funny, reason being, you trust and respect your friends, you know they’re not serious, the racism I face can be boiled down to the vocal minority and banter.
First off, I am white, yet I live in a town that is majority Asian. One might think that I, due to my skin color, have not experienced racism, yet I have. I have had a multitude of my achievements attributed not to my determination to succeed or my personal skill, but rather to my skin color. For example, I was named captain of my middle school tennis team in 8th grade; I had at least 3 people tell me that my position as captain was solely based on me being white, not due to my hard work and skill. I have been told that my success in school is because I am white and my teachers are white. That is despite the fact that many of my teachers are Asian and the person who often told me this gained his success by copying off of me. One time, my English was talking about race, and before I even spoke, I was told by an Asian female peer of mine that I suffer from an"unconscious racial bias." These events may seem rather trivial, but they are not. While many people don't think of discrimination against white individuals, it is happening and it happens rather often. When one is considering if something is racist, one must ask whether or not it would as racist if directed towards another race. I can only imagine what would happen if someone were to attribute someone's academic record to them being black. The attribution of achievements to skin color is a form of racism that I commonly experience,
I have friends that are black, and they’ve relayed to me some of the things they have experienced before. In spite of this, it is really hard to imagine discrimination to an extent like this without experiencing it firsthand. I try to not be oblivious to what is happening around me, but I grew up in a Catholic school with one black student in my grade. I could count the number of black people I knew on two hands, maybe one. I still learned about racism, but I didn’t encounter much of it first hand growing up. I don’t know if this was because the people I grew up around were racist, and I just never saw them interact with many people that were black, or if they actually weren’t racist at all. Either way, I didn’t see much of it until I started going to public high school where there is a much more even demographic. I think this is when I started to truly become aware of my race. I try to make a point when I hear somebody say something racist, but it’s with such slight implications sometimes that I don’t initially register what was just said. Unfortunately, I think many of my peers that I hear making such remarks don’t even realize that they hold racial prejudices. I think many of them grew up in environments in which this was a common mindset, so it doesn’t even strike them as racist. It is saddening to see people hold practically unconscious prejudices, and I think people in this situation could grow from this mindset with proper guidance in whatever way they can receive it.
2
Being an Indian Muslim in America, I can say that I have experienced racism and microagressions quite a few times. I didn’t notice much racism when I was younger because I didn’t even quite understand the concept of race. Kids are born kind, but it is the environment they are exposed to that pollutes their mind and makes them act bitterly towards others. I remember the first instance where I really understood racism: I was in elementary school, asking my friend if I could go to her house, when she said “No, sorry, my dad doesn’t like Indians.” I brushed it off at the time, but thinking back, that was a really painful statement and it just made me feel “less.” Throughout the years, I have heard multiple “jokes” about all Muslims—or even just brown people in general—being terrorists. I do not find these funny at all, and think these kind of jokes just feed into the negative stereotypes of Muslim people. I know some people think that racism is not as prominent as it was in the past, but that is simply because they have not experimented it as others have. We have come along in terms of righting our racist wrongs, but we still have a long way to go.
Part One:
My mother is white and my father is Latino. I am aware of Latino being an ethnicity, but how am I supposed to address the discrimination, comments, and prejudice against Latinos, and Hispanics over the past. An article will not be made, for this specific subject. And how is this discrimination to be categorized? Bullying?
Being Latino or Hispanic can include a variety of races. Due to this broad blend of ethnicity and race many people are left puzzled when identifying themselves during registration or standardized tests. HuffPost mentioned in 2015, that 18 million Latinos chose to not classify their race in 2010. Why must we choose, if we don’t feel that representation?
(Part 1)
I am a conservative white female, and I think discrimination of any kind is atrocious. The fact that some people see others as less worthy who look or believe differently than them is terrible, and this should be acknowledged at face value. Slavery happened, and it is a major blight on our amazing country’s history; Jim Crow laws existed, and they were a huge perversion of justice in our nation; this all happened in the past, though. I don’t say that to lessen the seriousness of the hatred these people survived, and I don’t say it as a way to say racism never happens today. I say it as a reassurance to all people, regardless of appearance, belief system, age, sex, sexuality, the amount I disagree with you, anything-- I know you are all as intrinsically valuable as me because we are all part of one human race. And I don’t know anyone who would say they disagree with me on that, either.
As I finished submitting my last score, I wasn't surprised when I saw that my answers weren't even remotely close to the averages of the black teenagers. I say that I wasn't surprised because in my Saudi, you barely see any acts of racism or discrimination. There is some teasing that happens here and then because of someone's race or ethnicity, but it is not as serious as the teasing that happens in other countries. In addition, other countries are more diverse than our country, which is one of the main reasons why racism in Saudi is basically non-existent.
I, fortunately, cannot relate to the tremendous amounts of racism the African-American students in this study face. However, being Indian in a predominantly white town, I have experienced instances of racism while growing up. Racism used to be more blunt, but I’ve observed racism being more subtle in modern times. For example, I’ve heard the phrase “you’re pretty for an Indian girl” countless times. This kind of racism is hard to recognize right away, which is why it is overlooked by so many people. Just being more aware of unintentional biases and open-minded to eliminating those biases would make a massive impact on the amount of racism students encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Throughout my life, I have always been the odd one. The kids who laugh at everything and will be friends with anyone. The kid that can talk forever. To some, I am also known as the one black kid in his class. Here is my story.
To preface, I don’t think that most of the people I know are racist. However, occasionally, someone will say something that really irritates me. I know people that will mention the fact that I am black almost every time I see them. They will say things and compare me to things that just don’t make sense. I thought that it didn’t bother me but now I just don’t know how I feel. I simultaneously care and don’t care at the same time. Being busy with school work, I can’t be bothered with a couple of rude comments but I would be lying if I said those comments haven’t negatively affected the way I view myself. It certainly doesn’t make me feel better about myself. The worst part about it is that most of my friends are always nice and don’t care about my racial identity. I feel like getting upset at some naughty words is just a misuse of my time and energy but I just can’t help it. That's why I love to laugh at everything. Anything in my life can be turned into a positive if I just laugh at it. Laughing and smiling are the easiest things to do when trying to hide something. Hide a feeling. I originally wasn’t even going to respond to this article because discussing sensitive topics like this is troublesome but it just got me thinking.
3
I am a white female, and as I filled out this quiz and read the questions, I was hoping in my mind that my answers would not be far from the average. This was in hopes that human beings have strayed from judging others by whatever color their skin may be. Sadly, my responses were a long way from the average black teen’s response in the study. Personally, I can’t remember a specific time that I have ever been mistaken for a person of my race who looks nothing like me. If I were to be naive, I would attribute this to my red hair being rather distinctive and not the color of my skin. But I don’t want to be naive. I know this has everything to do with the pigmentation of my skin. I feel like black teens might experience this because these people generalize their entire race and see them all as the same. This may not be the case behind making this “mistake” at all, but I really don’t know because I don’t think of people this way. It’s legitimately hard to try and understand a mindset that is based on nothing. I mean, how difficult is it to differentiate between two people? As infants we are able to recognize our parents’ faces from across a room (by 8 months old if not before to be exact). It’s easy to see that if someone were to do this, it’s no “honest mistake”. (Part 1)
1
I find it funny that I can be so happy but I let the little things affect me. When reading this article I began to remember similar situations of things that were said to me that I just brushed off. Slowly more and more remembrances burst through my mind as the article continued.
All of the things I’ve felt have been the product of feeling constant judgment. Many might think that it is just a bunch of white people that make me feel this way. But it isn’t. It is also my community more so my family. They are always pushing me to do better, to be better. I know many family members that have never even gone to college before. It’s crazy the amount of pressure that I feel sometimes. The thought that if my grades tank I will fail at life. Of course, all of my family wants me to live a better life. However, that pressure is just as or even more intense than some useless words said by someone else.
In my eyes, there are many different parts of racism that just can’t be contained in one definition. Those parts to me are just a feeling I get every once in a while. A feeling of judgment or malice against myself. Even though I don’t feel anxiety or depression from these experiences, I feel ashamed sometimes. I don’t know what I’m ashamed of, but I am. I am Akye Nixon, the odd one out.
2
@Akye Nixon-McCray I think it's cool you're able to share your experiences. I can imagine feeling like you have to live up to an expectation or feel like you have to be the "first" to do something in the family!
@Akye Nixon-McCray I think it's cool you're able to share your experiences. I can imagine feeling like you have to live up to an expectation or feel like you have to be the "first" to do something in the family!
As a first generation Indian in America, living in a predominantly white town, I am lucky to have experienced very low levels of racism. Although this is the case for me, this is not the case for all. There are several students who are in the South Asian community who experience racism due to stereotypes and perceptions, on a daily basis. Perceptions of our culture are usually negative, and result from a combination of misinformation, as well as generalizing. Many believe that the entire subcontinent of South Asia, consisting of over a billion individuals, can be classified as one, based off of things one may hear on the news or from their peers. When experiencing racial teasing about being Indian, I usually disregard these comments, and don’t really think of them as very deep. This is what initiates the racism seen daily, especially in high school. By not responding and correcting slightly racist comments, we are causing those around us to continue to be ignorant, without seeing any fault in their actions. It is important for us to remind our peers that their “teasing” is not acceptable in society, if we truly want to make a change.
My quiz responses were relatively low compared to the average quiz scores. For example, the questions that were online were 0's to me because I don't have social media or places that people can comment except for YouTube. It makes me think that I'm lucky to live in a city where I don't get racially discriminated against. I was surprised on how high the averages were because I barely hear or see any racial discrimination that much. I think that the first time I was aware of my race in 2nd grade when my class was watching "Our Friend Martin," and in the movie Martin was talking about how his white friend couldn't play baseball with him because he was black. My reaction to that was me thinking to myself "I'm black." I went home and to my grandmom because she took me home every day because she worked at my old school. One time I heard someone say go back to Africa. Instantly the person said go back to Europe and some people on the train started laughing. I didn't because I knew how serious it was.
After completing the quiz, I realized how big of an issue racism is. It’s really sad to see people hating each other because his or her skin tone or hair texture is different. After reading the article, I was surprised by the number of times people get discriminated against.
The first time I became aware of my race was when I was about 6 years old, in Dubai, I realized that how important one’s race is, and how you should be proud of your race and culture. I became aware of it because I saw how differently different people from different cultures were treated.
Generally, students in my school feel proud talking about their race. However, I’ve seen certain people in my school get bullied because of their skin tone or for them being from a diffferent town. Personally, I don’t like to get into these types of conversations. Racial teasing is definitely common in our school, and teachers usually don’t get involved in it.
I don’t identify myself as a person of color and usually don’t think about the whiteness of my skin.
I would like to start this off by saying that I hate racism and everything it stands for. I think it’s so wrong to judge people just because of their race or ethnicity. Racism should never have existed let alone in the 21st century. I can’t say that I’ve personally been discriminated against because of my race but I really feel bad for those who have. In school we talk about it a lot and how it’s bad and I can’t believe that people could act like that. I often hear people say racist comments and I don’t like it but, I hear it from adults who won’t listen to me if I say something. Growing up I learned to not see color but to see personality. I think more people need that mindset that you shouldn’t judge someone by their race or skin color but by the kind of person they are. Some races like to think that they are better than others but the truth is that if both I and someone of a different race both got hurt we would both bleed red. That means that no matter what we look like on the outside we are all the same on the inside. We are all people.
Being a white woman in a predominantly white community, I do not face racism, maybe light racial teasing, but never racism. My community is also very accepting, so again, teasing of race may be present, but never blatant racism. However, I am aware that racism is definitely still present today. While most of us find it a thing of the past, especially online it is easy to find a mean comment or picture about someone’s race. We are slowly getting better with time but I’m not so sure it will ever completely go away. No matter what though, it’s important to treat others with kindness, and teach younger generations to do the same, to get as close to ending it as we can.
As a person of color, my race has definitely been brought up in conversations daily outside of school. My racial identity is questioned because of my mixed race. This has often led to me feeling like I am left out as I do not identify with one group. On a daily basis, I feel like I am different. When documents hold my race, they always say that I am caucasian which makes me feel like I’m not represented or cared about. When I’m out with my family, I am always asked if I am with them. Fortunately, at my high school I do not experience a lot of racial comments daily. There is a fairly diverse amount of students (not many who are mixed race). Occasionally, comments are made about my race but I usually shrug them off as curiosity. Racism is still a part of our lives now and it is very unfortunate that something on the surface is often something that identifies us as people and not individuals.
Racism is everywhere, and it’s unavoidable. I haven’t been told to pick cotton in about two years. I haven’t heard anyone joking about lynching or take an “anti-racemixing” stance in a few months. No one’s called me a n****r in a few weeks.
People tell me racism is dead. They believe I’m being over sensitive when I get offended. They tell me to calm down when I hear racist things in real life or online. They are convinced that racist jokes aren’t racist. They feel that “if anyone can say it, then everyone can say it”. People are stupid.
Can you look me in the eyes and tell me it’s not racist to undercut my victories on the basis of my race, to remind me again and again of my “criminal status”, or to repeat the slurs of our past in joyous refrain… as a “joke”? Can you tell me it’s not racist to say “black women are annoying”, to pick up a “blaccent” at random times while talking to me, or to call me “the whitest black guy in existence” on the grounds that I wear a belt and get good grades? Can you really believe it’s acceptable to criticize me for caring too much about black issues, to declare yourself above racism due to me being your acquaintance, or to complain about having to learn about black history for the shortest month out of every year?
Racism is everywhere, and it’s unavoidable. I don’t have major run-ins with racists often, but it's the small things- the microaggressions from your peers, your teachers, and your friends- that hurt the most.
5
“Hey, can I get an n-word pass?” I dread that question every time I hear it. I never know how to respond.
The first time someone asked me for permission to call me a slur- to call me inferior, to dehumanize me- I didn’t know what to do. This was someone I had just heard call one of his cohort of white friends his “N***a” the day before. Someone I had just heard yell “N****r” in PE a week ago. Why on earth would he be asking me for permission to do what he already does?
The last time someone asked me for permission to call me a slur was last week. I still didn’t know how to respond. There’s is nothing I could say- nothing I could do(that wouldn’t get me life in jail)- to convince these hardcore conservative lacrosse players without any black friends not to say the N-word.
I say they’re racist; they say no black person has ever stopped them before, so it must be okay. I say the word is cruel and has a history of brutality behind it; they tell me it’s just a word. I ask them not to say it around me; they call me a snowflake.
At this point, I feel my only possible response is a shrug, “ok”, and a light chuckle.
I used to hate racism, but racism beat me down. I used to argue with white boys, but white boys persisted. I used to hate racism, but now, all I can take is a stance of apathy.
5
As not only a person of color, but also as a hijabi, I’d say I have definitely faced racism in my life. However I’m lucky enough to live in an environment where racism isn’t the usual. I live in Glendale Heights, IL and it’s pretty diverse so I don’t really feel out of place. I go to GBWHS which is a predominantly white school, but even there I don’t feel out of place or feel like I’m being discriminated against. However, even though I don’t face racism on a daily basis doesn’t mean I don’t think about my race and my appearance often. Being colored and hijabi is a big part of my identity. Facing racism in my life has only made me more proud and more aware about why I wear the hijab. I truly believe that “There’s beauty in the struggle”.
There are a few instances where I have experienced racism but thankfully it was never to an extent where I felt unsafe but instead overcome by the feeling of being uncomfortable. My personal experiences mainly consist of negative stereotypes I hear once in a while, whether it’s directly targeted at me or indirectly said about being a part of a specific group. Up until high school, I was never the only person of color in a classroom. However, when high school began I started to realize that in some classes I was the colored person. In history classes especially is where I felt most uncomfortable as the only person of color because when we would talk about topics related to Asia, the teacher and students would not make eye contact with me or would be hesitant to discuss it. The only reason why it makes me uncomfortable is because the teacher is making it uncomfortable, by them feeling awkward teaching the topics related to race. But at the end of the day, no teacher should feel the need to feel uncomfortable talking about race because they are just doing their job by teaching students about how different cultures add to our growing society to this day.
Racism today has become much less of an issue than it has been in the past. Nowadays if anything even somewhat racist is said, it's almost always in a joking fashion between good friends who know it's not true, or it a person making a funny comment about themselves. I think that, when used playfully without any meaning, these types of comments and jokes on race are fine. I am Asian, I was born in China and brought to America through adoptions and I, for one, am guilty of making jokes about race about myself or about my friends, but it is completely understood and never taken seriously. Part of why lightly racist jokes can be made amongst friends is because good friends already have solid respect built with one another and they know comedic insults are playful banter, and because there has been such a decrease in real racism, those jokes aren't taken seriously. No one I know has ever said anything racist with the purpose of bringing someone down and I hope it should stay that way. I do understand though that some racist comments that were meant to be taken jokingly can be taken the wrong way, which is why sensitive things like that should be kept between friends. Times are still changing though, and I have no doubt people will continue to become more sensitive about such matters, and maybe the entire idea of different races will become obsolete.
@Julia Grandpre
I do agree that racism has definitely become less prevalent, but unfortunately it hasn’t been eliminated completely. We still see stories all over the news of “acts of racism.” In my daily life though, I experience many of the same things you do; racially driven jokes between friends and those about the people telling the jokes themselves. I know some people can take things the wrong way and that our society is constantly changing, but these seem harmless overall and racism is becoming less and less prevalent as we speak.
@Julia Grandpre I can see why you think that Racism is much less of an issue today, but I think both my experience and the article beg to differ. The article said that these African American teenagers face 5 racist comments, acts, or assumptions every single day, and that would be almost all at school. That means that they are experiencing racism more than once every couple of hours. And thats a problem. In my experience, while many people will see these small racist microagressions as funny jokes or comments, they can add to someone's already troubled demeanor. While it is small in comparison to those in the survey felt, I find that people assume what I am good at every day because of my race. I am Asian as well, and sometimes people always assuming I'm going to get the highest score on a test or do the math problems the fastest is hard. Because at least to me, letting people down is not fun in the slightest. And on the track, people think the opposite. Many think that assuming people will do well on an assignment is a compliment, but it adds to an already heavy burden that many people carry.
1
@Julia Grandpre I agree that racism is definitely not as prevalent as it was in the Jim Crow era of the United States, but I don't think the issue has gone away as much as you believe it has. You may not personally experience racism, or racism in a derogatory instead of joking form, in your daily life. However, after looking at the study that is linked to this article, you can see that racism still plays a significant role in the lives of black teens. If these black teens are facing racism in many forms on the daily, I am sure the same can be said for black adults and those of other ethnicities. I think it's important to address the fact that sometimes close friends do make playful banter with one another that could be viewed as insulting from an outside standpoint. I agree that this is only acceptable in very specific circumstances because of the mutual trust and that solid respect that you mentioned. In spite of this, I think it's also important that we don't joke around about racism habitually because this can unintentionally lead to us normalizing racist notions in general. I do agree that it is very important to make light of such sensitive topics between only friends, but I don't think this means we should ignore the topic all together with others. It's important that subjects like racism are acknowledged because if they aren't many feel as if the very existence of the issue itself is being denied.
1
I have not faced racism once in my life. However, I feel for those who have experienced it, such as the students that participated in the survey. I believe that the numbers that were produced from the survey describe our society today: racist. I see it everywhere I go, and sometimes even I am the culprit of it. I sit with only white people at lunch, I hang out with only white people outside of school, and I play sports dominated by white people. I know that this is bad, and there is really no justification for it. This article has inspired me to become a much more open person, and to try to include people of different backgrounds into my daily life, because not only will I gain more friends, I could also gain people that I never would have thought possible. As of right now, my mind is very closed, but after looking at these statistics and "looking at myself in the mirror", I know that there is more I can do to bring down these statistics, and make the world a safer and better place for everyone.
1
@Carter Osborn You have a nice view, really captivating and interesting. It really added to the conversation here. Cheers!
@Carter Osborn
Carter. Just because you don't hangout with people of a different race does not mean that you are close minded, and it doesn’t count as racism or discrimination unless you are intentioly trying to avoid people of another race solely because they are a different color. Dont be so hard on yourself, and if you want to be a more open minded person towards other people, then start to reach out to people that may be a target of discrimination. Try to help them get through their struggle and stand up for those being discriminated against.
1
@Carter Osborn Carter you are so brave for seeking your truth. That is what we need more of in the world. Your people's privileged has negatively impacted many aspects of my life. That is what we need. Allies. Allies that acknowledge their wrongs but still stick up for the truth. The truth of racism in white capitalist america. As long as you stand up for minorities you can be redeemed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
1
To be honest, I don't see racism that much. I feel like i used to see it more when i was younger but now i don't really see it too often. I still see it but not that much. I have never really been discriminated before because of things like skin color or anything that i can not change. The only thing that i would really not even say it was discrimination but i used to have more blonde hair and some people would say i am dumb because i have that color of hair but to be honest, i take that as a joke. I really don’t care about that. I have seen white people say the n word before when i was driving and i think it was horrible. That's my state of mind about racism. I think it is horrible but me being as lucky as i am to be privileged i am. I am all for the black live matter movement and people like Collin Keapernick. I think racism really is a huge problem and i am blessed to not go through it. I have seen many stupid jokes that are not taken seriously that should for example “Oreo” or “fried chicken” or “Koolaid”. These are jokes to some people but i think they should be taken a little more seriously.
@Gavin E, I find it interesting that you compared racism to jokes about your hair. Though it isn't nice for someone to make fun of you, it's important to know that racism is far beyond the color of your hair. Hair can be dyed, highlighted, and shaved off but our origins and skin color can't be as quickly changed. We use our race in all documents including voting and even when applying for colleges.
I am a white woman and though I have never experienced first hand racism, I have seen it on the medias and even from celebrities. A common example of racism is when people of non-color use the "n-word". The n-word originates from the 1600's when white plantation owners would use the term to degrade their slaves. To hear anyone who isn't black to use these words, repulses me.
1
To be honest everybody in the World can face all types of racism. Racism is actually a common thing. In my school we discuss it being though it consists of many races. I am black and surprisingly I don't face racism as much as I used to in my old school. The only racism thing that gets said about me is stereotypes. And I actually am fine with it. I know it does not fit all people of the race but it can be true to the race. For example, black people eat fried chicken or asian people eat rice all day everyday. That is the type of thing I am talking about when I say it may not fit all people but will most likely fit most people because it's most likely to be true. In my school there is very little of racial slurs and actual racism meaning people getting excluded from a friend group of a different race. So over all I don't hear as much racism now towards me but I know there still is and that needs to stop.
While I am white, and personally have faced little to no racism throughout my lifetime, I still see it all around me. It shocks me to learn how much racism these black teens face in their daily life. Last year once or twice, people mentioned how light my skin tone was and how I was so white that my vanes were even visible through my skin, which was something I had never paid much mind to before. I never took this for being rude or anything, rather as a joke. While I notice how white people have almost always been known as the privileged ones in America, and I am aware of all of the brutal things people of other races have been put through in history and still currently, after reading this article, I wonder if what was said about the color of my skin would have been taken differently if it were said to someone of another race. And so while I do not personally know the answer and it is not my call to make, I still wonder how it would have been taken in terms of offensiveness. I find racism and discrimination confusing for this reason, but even more for how people can be so cruel and base others off of a trait that they have no control over.
1
I think it's fair to say that all races experience racism. IM not saying all people have, but racism is just a terrible thing that exists among us. A couple of days ago there was the Superbowl and Shakira(or Jlo idk) opened her jacket to reveal the Puerto Rican Flag and I'm from Puerto Rico so that was pretty cool. I personally think people like me, "people of color", have been discriminated more to in the US. I have experienced racism and I have been treated differently for my race but those instances are few. I'm positive white people have been discriminated against too but they weren't the ones who were treated terribly since slavery. All in all, times have been getting better, but the message "all men created equal should be applies to everybody so we should all treat each other kindly no matter what race somebody is.
Although I am a white or caucasian person in my school, we still receive racial teasing, but it is on a different level than people who are considered black. In more recent years, there has been a growing stereotype about white people, that was caused by the actions and choices that certain people chose to follow. In school, whenever we discuss the topic of slavery, it makes me feel like what I say doesn't matter, because of my skin color. As a result of their actions, there is this stereotype that all white people are guilty of racism, or all white people dress a certain way, or even that we are all the same.
In the Times Magazine article, the author states, "The indignant defensiveness we may display when confronted by racial conflict is “white fragility.”...“Twenty-five years ago black people were the lost population,” and “black intellectuals were on the defensive,”
I have become much more aware of my race because of all the stereotypes that people in society have put out there. Although I don't pay any attention to them, it is not like I don't hear what others say. When it comes to slavery, they see a race that is oppressive, and obsessed with maintaining an "unearned privilege." Not everyone is like that. I am descended from people that worked hard and took from no one. There are millions of other white people who aren't oppressive. Whiteness, like all races, embraces a range of behaviors because it comprises a range of individuals.
My responses were far lower than the study average. This makes me feel like I’m in a non-racial environment, where people of all races are accepted. I am surprised by the average number of times in the 2 weeks that they have experienced racism because I get that racism still exists, but I didn’t know that much existed in the range of 2 weeks. A moment I remember being aware of my race is when someone called me a “black kid” during gym class. My family members have talked to me about my racial identity and they told me I’m African American because I always thought my race was black, but the word for it is African American. People in my community are open to talking about race, but sometimes it can be an uncomfortable topic to go over. I, personally, have never been teased or discriminated against because of my race. But, I have witnessed someone being made fun of because of their race. One time, I was at a place and there were mostly black kids, but there was this one white kid. Some boys kept calling him “white boy” and they made fun of him. I told the boys to stop messing with him because we don’t deserve to be discriminated and we shouldn’t discriminate others and I go to know the kid and he turned out to be one of my close friends. My school has students that are all types of races because we don’t discriminate against each other and in general. I hope everyone can learn to not discriminate and not to be racist because we were all created equal.
I will never be able to understand the level of racism that people of color go through in this country. They are always aware of their racial identity and they are constantly oppressed and as much as I can learn about racism I will never be able to understand it. I was born in a country made up of mostly white people and the first time that I actually was aware of my race was the first time I saw African-American people. They were just some tourists waiting for the bus, nothing special to most, but I will always remember that moment. I knew that people of other races existed, but I had never actually seen them before. From the very moment that I moved here and got to experience different cultures and nationalities and that's one thing I am most grateful for. I am happy that we are free to have these conversations about race at my school. I think it’s very important to share our opinions because if we can’t do that in a safe educational environment then where can we? I might have been made fun of for being from a different country a few times but it’s nothing compared to the experiences of the 101 black teenagers in Washington D.C. who were a part of the survey.
1
No, I have never been teased or discriminated against because of my race, but I have witnessed people teasing other people and making fun of other people because of their race at my old school. It was common at my old school, but for the school I am in right now it's not that common and I feel like if someone was being teased or discriminated against because of their race, they would say something about it and not just stand around. I feel like people at my school right now are more respectful than the kids at my old school, because at my old school there were a lot of kids that were being bullied and calling each other names, but at the school I'm going to right now, everyone is mostly respectful and kind to each other.
Most of my answers in the quiz were very low, which I am very thankful for. The average numbers I saw were increasingly high and unbelievable. There is racism in this world still going on, and I think it should stop. I have never experienced racism myself, although people have said things that relate to my race. I had never really talked about my race until I started going to a new school. At my old school, most people were white, and the topic wasn’t brought up that often. At my new school, we talk about the topic daily. Every year we learn about racial injustice and racism. I am white, and my parents are from Switzerland, Germany, and the US (Iowa). My dad was born in Switzerland, and half of my family lives there. My parents don’t often talk about racism for multiple reasons. I have never had to experience racism, nor my parents, and my parents think we should focus on more positive topics. I have never talked about my “whiteness,” as I have never heard the reference before.
My responses to the study average were extremely small compared to some of the numbers up there. It makes me realize that I really am privileged, and there are many people out there who are being discriminated against multiple times a day. I was extremely surprised by the average number of times a week the teenagers in the study experienced racism. I really didn’t know that it happened that much. I think the first time I became aware of my race was in second grade, when I learned about other races and how some were being treated. My family members have talked to me about my race a few times, explaining to me that I looked different from other people, and other people looked different than me, but we were all equal. People in my school are talking about race all the time, for example talking about the problems facing some races. I have been teased a few times about my race, but not as much as my other friends, who are all kinds of different races. The teachers at my school take racial incidents very seriously, since it is a very serious issue and everybody deserves to be treated the same.
As I had experienced the quiz given throughout the passage, I started to notice that my answers weren't close to the outrageous averages that were totaled. This made me feel disgusted that someone of similar age will go through this teasing in only a small period of time. These totals cause a great disturbance to me and provide insight into what kind of torment the people who are teased go through. It occurs during modern-day, social media, and schooling environments. Diversity is something that should be cherished, the fact that we all come from different backgrounds, ethnicity and races show how integrated we are. We all bring our own history to the table and that is what makes us special.
I’m not surprised about how my answers to the quiz perfectly match up with the averages because it’s normal for us black teens. I’m also not surprised by the answers for the rest of the questions because it feels almost like everyday where we get mistaken for a lot of things and it kind of gets really annoying. It also goes along with me and my friends saying, “imagine being a black kid in America '' just to show/say how difficult it is to be mistaken for a lot of things that we don’t do. I noticed my race when I was in preschool because that was a majority white school and I was one of the two only black children in there so I thought I was different. I’ve never experienced racism hands on because so far my parents have been keeping me safe about the environments that I am in but I do know that it’s still very bad and we need to fix it.
When I completed the quiz my answers were much lower than the average. I think that this is because I go to a very diverse school with kids who come from around the city and I don’t know any very racist people. Some people who are not racist sometimes say something racist that they didn’t mean which happens to all of us. But I am a problem if someone is repetitively saying racist things because those things can really hurt someone's feelings. The first time I realized my race is when in first or second grade we were talking about race and they were talking about different ethnicities and that is why I realized that I was mixed. Before that I didn’t know what that term meant but that is when I realized my race. I have never been teased or discriminated against by my race. My parents told me to not judge a book by its cover or don’t judge a person by their skin color you should judge them on their personality. For example if I had two friends races I would not like one more because the color of their skin If I liked one more it would be by their personality. Those are my thoughts on racesism and discrimination.
@dylan palantino yea i understand how you feel i also been to a number of very diverse schools but on the other hand i have been to more predominantly white schools and its definitely shown throughout the school
Thankfully, I haven’t been discriminated against or been insulted because of my race, and I’m very lucky for that. I think it was very unfortunate to hear just how much racism the teenagers in the study faced, because it shows that not every mind isn’t biased. Personally, I haven’t been watched differently by a security officer somewhere, at least I think. There may be stereotypes about my race, but usually they aren't very insulting. For example, people sometimes say “You are looking at me like I’m speaking Greek” or “It’s all Greek to me”, which I assume comes from the fact that the Greek letters are difficult to read (Which is true in my opinion at least). I may hear stereotypes, but they aren’t directed at me. I feel like there are definitely a few people that may have endured racism at my school, but I haven't really heard or seen it. There may be insults, but they usually are playful insults or are more like “How did you get a 97 on the quiz when I got a 98 on it, you’re so dumb”, but I don’t count that as bullying, I more count it as teasing, and it usually only happens through friends, which means they won’t take it to heart, and thats good, racism is a big issue, so if the worst thing is teasing between friends, that isn’t so bad.
1
The first time I really ever heard about my race being discriminated against was when I heard about the Japanese Americans being put in internment camps throughout World War 2. I am half Asian and half white. (part Japanese part Chinese, half white) My grandma was actually born in an internment camp, aside her 4 other sisters at the time. The Japanese were only put in these internment camps because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and if you think about it, the bomb we placed in Japan killed way more people. In this case, Japanese should be holding Americans hostage for their terrible act. I’ve never really been discriminated against because of my race, but I have seen racism against black people in America. White Americans just can’t get over that some people are different in the world. The color of your skin doesn’t change anything except for the way you look. What matters is your personality. Because of the president we elected, people think racism is okay because the president does it, and they are the head of our country. This is why our country is so messed up. I was reading an article the other day, and it was talking about how someone wrote the “N word” on someone's car because the person that owned the car was black. If America and every place around the world just acknowledged everyone's differences, the world would be such a better place for everyone. You shouldn’t be ashamed of you because of the color of your skin. You should be happy you’re you and that’s all.
1
@Maya Dixon I have never personally experienced any discrimination because of my skin. I am Indian and with that comes pressure to be smart, but I also hold myself to that standard, and the pressure of parents. But nothing that I have experienced can measure up to the experiences that both young and old African Americans go through on a daily basis. I believe that there is no race, there is only the human race. We should treat each other without seeing the color of our skin.
Although eliminating racism is quite hard. People have to entirely have to rewire their brain and start thinking completely different. People can't stop their mind from forming prejudices, but we can hopefully stop people from acting upon these racist and prejudice thoughts. One day, as you said, the world would be a better place for everyone.
1
Everybody says to me since you are a white male you will never experience racism or discrimination. Now so far I have not but that does mean it is impossible for me to experience discrimination. I am also Jewish which I have learned comes with its own difficulties and problems too. I feel almost every day I hear in the news there was another attack on Israel or some murder was related to antisemitism. My parents have told me not to tell random people I am volunteering with that I am Jewish because we don’t know who they are or what dangers could come from telling a random person. I hope that one day in the near future that there won’t be racism, antisemitism, or discrimination because we are all human! We are all the same! Nobody is better than anybody else because they have a lighter skin color!
3
My averages on the quiz was much lower than the average, most definitely because I am white. I don’t think I had a single question below the average. Looking at the averages is really a sad imprint on society. I was originally surprised by the number of times black teens experienced racism, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. At my school, I feel like racial jokes are common. They aren’t often teasing, but a lot of the time they are semi-racist. I am white and I fit a lot of stereotypes white people have. I don’t generally stand out in the crowd, and I have to say my dance moves are lacking quite a bit.
1
@Charlie Knoblock I feel the same way. My answers were a lot lower on the quiz and I thought it may be because I'm white. I think the imprint it creates does show that white people are a little lucky to not endure the things the people in the study felt.
I’m bi-racial, so most of the time people don't know what my race is, so they don’t really bother me about it. Even though I'm partly white I would consider myself a person of color, because people don’t look at me and think, “Oh look, it’s a white girl.” My dad talks about race and racism all the time, and often goes on long tanjong about it. He even bought a book for me, called Power Nomics, which essentially teaches you how to make money if your black, and the disadvantages you face. It also talks about white privilege and how, depending on the color of your skin, it’s easier or harder to make money, or really do anything. I’ve never been teased by anybody for my race, and I hope that in the future, neither me or anybody else will have to worry about that happening in the first place.
1
I don’t think that I have ever been discriminated against because of my race, but I know that many people have. I think the reason that I haven’t really experienced that much racism is because I’m not black or white, and I feel like those groups are definitely the ones more associated with racism. I feel like people who aren’t black or white are kind of like a minority, so they aren’t the center of attention when racism is being discussed, whereas when discussing racism, the main focus is on blacks and whites, not other groups. Also, I feel like not as much racism happens to these minor groups as well. I have never teased someone because of their race, but I know that it happens a lot at school. If something like that happens, and the teachers find out, they take it very seriously at school. I have seen it, but I’ve never been a part of it because I know that it’s not right, and I know that if someone did it to me, I would probably feel very upset, which is why I don’t do it to others.
I cannot remember a time that I have endured racism, recently, but I do sense a lot of racial teasing. Especially in high school and in my old neighborhood, which was predominantly white and we were the only Hispanic family on our street. I go to a predominantly white high school and I get teachers who try to speak to me in Spanish. As if it were easier for me or like I couldn’t comprehend what was being said to me in English. I understand both languages very well, which is why, sometimes, I do not understand why some things are said to me in Spanish when it is, clearly, unnecessary.
1
I never really noticed that I was different from other kids in my school. It really came to my attention one day however when once in kindergarten, my dad who is white chaperoned a trip, and my mom who is Puerto Rican and black chaperoned another. A kid came up to me and asked me if I was adopted and I said, “no, why?” to which they replied, “well, your dad is white but your mom is a darker skin color.” So later that day when I was home I asked my parents the same question. I learned that I’m biracial, meaning I’m black and white. And when I went back to school the next day and explained it to the kids, they still didn’t understand. That got on my nerves. Another thing that got on my nerves was when it was a new school year and I had my hair straightened. Then maybe a couple days later, my mom washed it, causing it to be curly because that’s my natural hair. All of the kids were confused once again so I had to explain to them that my natural hair isn’t straight, it’s curly. One time in 4th grade, a student accused me of trying to be “white” because my hair was straightened. This got on my nerves. At the end of the day, people should not belittle others for small things about them. It’s wrong. Although I don’t let it affect me, it still stays in the back of my mind.
5
@Gianna Sticco
Even though I can´t relate, I can imagine this happening. I could visualize everything that was happening when I was reading through this. You are right, people should not belittle others for small things about them. Racism is a huge problem and people don´t have time to realize this crisis.
I truly believe anyone can experience racism. Although one race might experience it more, it doesn’t mean those who aren’t of color aren’t exposed to the same crisis. Even though racism has improved tremendously from the past that doesn’t mean it’s not present. I don’t think there will be a point in time where racism doesn't exist, as it has been an issue for such a long time. We live in a society where not everyone is treated equally, and as a result aren’t kind to one another. People who see themselves as more superior, or ignore racism itself allow for racist ideas to develop. Diversity itself can be something really innovative, it fuels one's ability to work in groups. When certain people come together, different ideas, perspectives, and information are brought to the table. The world needs diversity, not just in groups and teams but society as a whole. Without it there is no growth.
I am not very shocked that blacks experience this sort of teasing so often. I see this almost everyday at school; however, it seems nonchalant and teasing, not really serious. However, what greatly surprised me was the amount and severity of the unintended consequences of such actions. What I have come to believe is that stereotypes exist for a reason… that it fits most people of that race/ethnicity. However, it does not fit all people. That being said, prejudice is mostly based on stereotypes, though not always bad prejudice. I’m Indian and I’m also very good at academics. Is it that because I am Indian that I am exceptional at academics (not to self-praise), or is it just a coincidence. I believe I am good at studies because it is an expectation of our culture, not only from outsiders but from my family as well. Contrary to popular belief, I am usually not aware of my skin color. Furthermore, racial teasing, or at least I believe, has become so normal that it usually does not mean anything, at least to me. However, I can understand how a person’s ability to conform to such expectations can be detrimental.
1
As a white student I have experienced racial teasing. Though not as often or severe as racial teasing can be to students of color doesn’t mean I haven’t experienced it myself. Racial teasing for me is typically all stereotypical. Small comments are made weekly about how I may have dressed “extra white”, I don’t need to complain because I’m white and privileged, or that my body shape is not curvy but it’s okay because I’m white. Though these comments aren’t all completely negative they tend to be overlooked as a racial stereotype and many people, including myself, tend to just accept these comments. I feel that teachers and peers don’t do much about racial teasing for two reasons. One reason is because it’s so common that people become oblivious to the occurrence of small racial comments. The second reason is because it has become a social norm to just not take these comments seriously, that people just have to deal with because there is so much racism outside of a school environment. It’s sad that today there are more messages about being confident in ourselves and not caring about what others say about us. Though these are good lessons to learn, they are only being enforced due to the constant racism and stereotypes people face.
In my daily life, I am lucky enough to face no racism at all. I live in a predominately white neighborhood so I- 75% white, and 25% Chinese/Native Pacific Islander fit it pretty well. The interesting thing about my school is that it is not only the neighborhood I live in, but also the outskirts of surrounding neighborhoods, this brings in different ethnic backgrounds to create a more diverse student population. While I may not face racism at school or in town, some of my friends do. Often times I hear about how they were told to “go back to where you came from” while doing things as simple as getting TacoBell. The fact that this happens in my town truly saddens me because nobody deserves to be shamed for who they are or where they live. I know that there is not much I can do to change strangers opinions of people or who they may perceive as “different”, but I will do my part and use my privilege to treat not only my friends, but everyone I encounter as equal.
As an African American student from born and raised on the south side of the city of Chicago, I grew up mostly around black people and people that looked like me. I moved to the suburbs my freshman year and ever since-i’m a junior now-i’ve always been the only if not one of the only black person in the room. Just being aware of the fact that i can’t really look around and see people that look like me makes me aware of my race. Ever since i’ve moved out here it’s been a behind the scenes racial clash between the white students and basically everyone else. Even if they’re multiple black people in a room they mostly unselfconsciously separate themselves from the white students. There isn’t much anyone can do about it because of the fact that the concept of race even exists. The only way to move on from this is to remove the concept of race all together. I also think it’s unfair to say that all people who aren’t black do racist things every day but a lot of the time, your location and the people are around can make a person of color feel self conscious.
Word on the street is that since I am a white male I will never experience racism, now I have not, but I know others who have. Racism in my eyes is when you make fun of I minority because of the color of their skin, you try to outcast them. The only time I have ever felt like an outcast was when I was at a restaurant and my family were the only whites in the place. I felt off, not scared, but I felt like the minority, with eyes staggering at us in an unintentional way, and didn’t like it. I had a realization at that moment about what it must feel like for minorities in prominently white areas and schools, how it is already uncomfortable for them and for people to go in deeper with their words and actions is horrible. Racism can happen to whites also, they aren’t immune. I have not ever come close to experiencing racism, but I have seen it in movies, and if I see even a dash of it, I don’t stay the bystander, I intervene.
My responses to the quiz were far below the study average. Each question had an average of at least 3 instances of racism reported within the last 2 weeks per person, while I only reported 1 instance of racism. which didn’t really seem all that racist to me. In my opinion it was just friendly banter/joking because the jokes weren't meant to be malicious. I'm pretty surprised at the number of times in which the 101 black teenagers that were participating in the study said that they experienced racism, especially since they were only asked about the last 2 weeks. I haven’t ever really encountered racism in my life (at least not that I know of), I mostly just experience ageism. I guess the area where a person lives is a big factor in the amount of racism that they experience.
I first became aware of my race when I was about 5 years old. I was told that John McCain wanted to resegregate the United States (in simpler terms though), and even though that statement wasn’t true it made me fully understand the fact that I was black, especially after I looked at some of my friends afterward and saw a variety of colors (which sounds weird, but you have to remember that I was 5 years old at the time, and in the years prior to that my color didn’t really seem all that important to me, so I just didn’t really pay any attention to it). I have never been discriminated against because of my race, and I have never been made fun of (with malicious intent) about my race.
1
As a white male who has grown up in white neighborhoods racism does not really effect me in my life. At any high school nowadays racial slurs and offensive names are thrown around like its nothing. Being a white conservative, I'm usually the one being called racist for my political beliefs.
Personally, I haven't seen someone call someone else a racist term to genuinely hurt their feelings, but it probably happens. I'm not around situations where racism happens a lot, so I don't see much of it. I didn't really learn about racism until I got to school. My parents never taught me about all of these things.
Even though racism doesn't really have an impact on my life, I have read comments from other students of different ethnicity do have problems with racism, and that's awful. I think we should do a better job as a community to keep racial slurs out of everyday language, and eliminate a difference in treatment because of skin color.
@Cooper I think being conservative has a bad stereotype. Although I am not one and my views are every different from yours, I like how you broke the stereotype by admitting your privilege and wanting to solve racial issues in America. I think that’s part of the problem in today’s world. We assume to much without getting to know the person and their views. I related to your comment the most because I too grew up in white neighborhoods, but luckily I was taught at a young age about racism all around the world.
@Cooper
Me and you think differently but I do understand where you are coming from. For a while like you I grew up in a little suburban neighborhood until a year ago when my dad moved into a house downtown. Over the past year I have seen many people be judged based on the color of their skin and its really sad. I also agree with you how white conservatives can be stereotyped into being hateful and racist which is wrong and I think you did a great job of showing that white conservatives aren't all racist.
As incorrect and sad as it sounds, as I’ve grown up, I’ve noticed more racial incidents compared to when I was little. In elementary school, no matter who you were, or what you looked like, nobody cared. Kids didn’t even know the term race, let alone acknowledge it in a rude way. I witness some form of racial joke of at least once a day, guaranteed, none are funny. I personally do not have to go through as many racial challenges, but all of my close friends could tell you countless stories that take place in our white dominant public school. The statistics stated in this article in no way surprise me, regardless of laws, rights, or equality, racism is still a very real thing.
@Ella Fredrikson
I agree it seems like the only jokes made in my classroom are racist. And these comments are typically made by the same white privileged males, who have no experience with being racially discriminated against. What’s horrible is that people actually find these remarks to be humorous. People talk about how the next generation will eliminate racism, sexism, and fix the environment, but my classroom does not represent this fantasy.
I have become more aware of how common racial discrimination is. I’ve seen more and more racist jokes being made. Especially in this time with trump. Racist jokes against Mexicans and giving them bad stereotypes. I fortunately never have been discriminated in public and I wish everyone could get along. Not giving importance on what race you are and just getting along/respecting each other
As a young white male I think that my skin tone generally exempts me from topics of this matter. But is that really what should happen, I don’t believe so. When someone says racism usually you will think of the plights of the minority in this country and the amount of obstacles they have had to fight through to become accepted as a member of our society. White people tend to be the group people claim are the enemy, which leads to distrust and sometimes even malice towards white people. We tend to forget that racism can also be applied to white people and that most of us are friends not enemies. For example I was in a discussion about police brutality and how we should handle corrupt police officers that we encounter. I got maybe 5 words in before I heard “bro your white your opinion doesn’t even matter” this is the type of phrasing I avoid everyday because it’s not only rude but it discounts someone’s points or opinions based on race which is exactly what racism is. This is not the only time I have experienced this type of attitude and it certainly won’t be the last, which brings me to the question. Why has it become okay to be racist towards white people?
I, fortunately, have not been through too many instances of racism. However, I witness it every day at school. People constantly make mean-spirited jokes about black people. The n-word is thrown around as well as other degrading words. This even happens in my own classes. I am a person of color but I've never really known what my race is. On official documents, I usually put white but that isn't accurate. If I was white, people wouldn't be making terrorist jokes. If I was white, people wouldn't try to guess where I'm from. "Are you Mexican, Indian, Native American." Most of the white people I interact with definitely don't think about their whiteness and if they do, it's for validation.
1
I’ve grown up in a predominantly white area, the majority of my high school is white. Growing up as a bi racial in this environment exposed me to racism and micro aggressions from a young age. The kids on my block used to call me Oreo, and my dad had the police called on him at least 3 times a year for being “a strange man walking into the house”. Here at school I hear micro aggressions everyday, they say things like “I’m not a slave, do you see a black person?” Or “look I’m almost as dark as you”. Sometimes in extreme cases they’ve threatened to “lynch” the black population here. The administration does what they can but they can’t stop it all. It’s taught me to have a thick skin at such a young age, things have gotten better but there’s still a lot of progress to be made.
2
@Katlyn Anderson I'm biracial as well and I can relate to your story.
I have become more aware of racial discrimination in the world and have seen how people of color and different ethnicity’s are treated differently. My parents have never talked to me about racism I was just kind of brought into it as I grew up and realized that as a Hispanic people think, border jumper, picker, or wet back. I have seen in it and experienced racial discrimination when I’m with my family shopping, sometimes we use self check out but one women had been following us through the store and we didn’t notice till we decided to check out and she was over our shoulders even though we had a couple of things. Overall I have seen racial discrimination every now and then wishing there could be no border between colors or race.
As an average white kid at a predominantly white school the issue of racism rarely affects me. Though our school isn’t completely perfect, I’d like to generally believe that we are an open and accepting school for all religions, ethnicities, races, and genders. However, while talking to a few African American students who also attend our school, I was shocked to hear that our school administration thought putting a #blacklivesmatter poster on the front of our school was too provocative and could lead to vandalism or other scrutiny. The boys were also concerned about overhearing racist comments about the poster and did not wish to induce any conflict. This came as a major surprise to me. The fact that a simple poster could not be placed on the front of our school shows that racism is still and will continue to be a pressing issue to change.
@William Schwegel I have the same point of view as a white male. Your school not putting the black lives matter poster up is not racist, but more of a gesture to say that all lives matter, not just black lives.
@Cooper I disagree. I think by not putting the sign up, they are inferring that the lives of black people do not matter. For years they have been treated as if their lives aren't as important as that of a white person. Putting up a #blacklivesmatter poster isn't saying that all lives don't matter, it's just saying that all lives can't matter until black lives do.
@William Schwegel I am baffled at the fact people claim they aren't racist yet continue to practice racist behavior. By not allowing something as simple as a black lives matter sign to be hung up because the school doesn't want to start conflict, is causing more conflict. Refusing a simple #blacklivesmatter sign is basically like saying they don't think the lives of colored people are precious, and only the lives of white people matter. And saying someone's life doesn't matter is more controversial than saying it does.