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Aren't we all racists?

Aren't we all racists?

  • Yes, in a way.

    Votes: 17 25.0%
  • No way.

    Votes: 16 23.5%
  • Prejudiced, but not racist.

    Votes: 35 51.5%

  • Total voters
    68

redacted

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being Prejudiced is one of the most miserable things about people.

I completely disagree. One of the greatest things about the human mind is the ability to make generalizations. Without that, we would be crippled in almost any task we take for granted.

When you see correlations between things, you combine those with your nativist biases (the prior in bayes' rule), in other words, the things you are born to be good at learning. Then you abstract from the data and make predictions accordingly. We've developed all sorts of techniques to reduce error over time as well.

Because we do this kind of generalization across the board, which is what makes our minds so powerful in the first place, it's inevitable that there are specific instances of this effect that negatively affect society. It's just a side effect of the way our minds work.

Upbringing and education is the only legitimate way to counteract the effects that people view as negative. Taking away the mechanism (which, of course, isn't what you're suggesting) would be so disastrous it shouldn't even be considered.
 

Charmed Justice

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Upbringing and education is the only legitimate way to counteract the effects that people view as negative. Taking away the mechanism (which, of course, isn't what you're suggesting) would be so disastrous it shouldn't even be considered.
+1
Research has shown that babies seem to prefer their own race when isolated from people of other races; a fairly high occurrence for whites in the States, with 80% of whites living in virtually all white communities.

Studies have also shown white male children and black female children to be the most racially prejudice, and that trend continues into adulthood.

... And being Prejudiced is one of the most miserable things about people. Every one is affected by it.
Prejudice can be protective.
 

Poki

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+1
Research has shown that babies seem to prefer their own race when isolated from people of other races; a fairly high occurrence for whites in the States, with 80% of whites living in virtually all white communities.

Studies have also shown white male children and black female children to be the most racially prejudice, and that trend continues into adulthood.


Prejudice can be protective.

So do you think that we have a natural inclination to attach to those we are similiar to because we feel more comfortable around them?

I know in hawaii there is a huge racist issue because they feel like their land was taken from them by outsiders. Its like a protection against outsiders, once on the inside though you will be accepted like family and those people will be extremely loyal. But getting their is hard and you will more than likely get beat up if you dont go about it the right way. Its sad, but true.
 

Charmed Justice

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So do you think that we have a natural inclination to attach to those we are similiar to because we feel more comfortable around them?
Not so much those we are similar to, but those that we are frequently exposed to. We are comfortable with what is familiar.

Infants consistently exposed to people of different races show no inclination towards any race. So one of the first steps towards eradicating racial prejudice at the personal level is to expose very young children to people of different races. Of course, then more steps have to be taken to maintain those comfort levels as they grow older.

I know in hawaii there is a huge racist issue because they feel like their land was taken from them by outsiders. Its like a protection against outsiders, once on the inside though you will be accepted like family and those people will be extremely loyal. But getting their is hard and you will more than likely get beat up if you dont go about it the right way. Its sad, but true.
Institutional racism in the states impacts everyone negatively, and makes life dangerous for whites as well. Especially, when they become the minority. It sux.
 

Poki

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Not so much those we are similar to, but those that we are frequently exposed to. We are comfortable with what is familiar.

Infants consistently exposed to people of different races show no inclination towards any race. So one of the first steps towards eradicating racial prejudice at the personal level is to expose very young children to people of different races. Of course, then more steps have to be taken to maintain those comfort levels as they grow older.

Institutional racism in the states impacts everyone negatively, and makes life dangerous for whites as well. Especially, when they become the minority. It sux.

My son went to a daycare with about 85% black teachers. I am glad he has had that experience. I think it allowed him to learn that who someone is is not dependent on skin color and that the stereotypes dont always fit and to judge someone based on who they are. Everyone will create their own stereotypes.

I have been followed in stores because of my looks sometimes. Its fun to mess with the store employees. I go from aisle to aisle and they have to keep finding something to do in the new aisle that needs fixing, straightening up, etc. Its fun messing with people who mistake me for the wrong race.
 

Charmed Justice

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My son went to a daycare with about 85% black teachers. I am glad he has had that experience. I think it allowed him to learn that who someone is is not dependent on skin color and that the stereotypes dont always fit and to judge someone based on who they are. Everyone will create their own stereotypes.
It's a great start!
Race has impacted where we have chosen to live, and it will impact it if we ever move again. It's just another thing to consider as an interracial couple with a child.

I have three close girl friends that are like sisters to me. One is black, one is Puerto Rican; and the other one, my longest standing and bestest friend ever(20+years), is white. They are all aunts to my son. My bestest guy friend is white, and he's the uncle.:wubbie: I have no biological siblings.

I wonder how I would be had my mother not intentionally moved me around such that I got close exposure to people of different races, and socioeconomic groups. Almost all my exposure would have been to upper middle class white people; and during the times when it was, my prejudice was against other black people, and people of lower socioeconomic classes.

I have been followed in stores because of my looks sometimes. Its fun to mess with the store employees. I go from aisle to aisle and they have to keep finding something to do in the new aisle that needs fixing, straightening up, etc. Its fun messing with people who mistake me for the wrong race.
OMG. What do they mistake you as?
 

Poki

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OMG. What do they mistake you as?

Usually mexican. I am hawaiian so I have a natural tan and dark brown hair. I live in texas so the most probable assumption here is mexican. In hawaii I dont get mislabeld at all, I am automatically accepted as being a local. Its usually not to bad, but the days where I am working on a car, doing house work, building something and have to run to the store with grease, paint, saw dust, mud, whatever on me I tend to be watched more, especially since on those days I wear a "wife beater" or just a plain white undershirt.
 

Charmed Justice

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Usually mexican. I am hawaiian so I have a natural tan and dark brown hair. I live in texas so the most probable assumption here is mexican. In hawaii I dont get mislabeld at all, I am automatically accepted as being a local. Its usually not to bad, but the days where I am working on a car, doing house work, building something and have to run to the store with grease, paint, saw dust, mud, whatever on me I tend to be watched more, especially since on those days I wear a "wife beater" or just a plain white undershirt.
How are Mexicans in your area treated in Texas? Does being assumed to be Mexican work for or against you or have no impact on you?

Ambiguity can be fun, and funny, sometimes.
When I worked at a travel agency, I'd call some clients and end up talking to a few for quite awhile. They'd get comfortable with me, like in the course of 15-20 minutes..lol, and start telling me all their business. Well, they'd also tell me other things too.:rofl1: With probably 30% of my calls, I'd get people talking down about "the blacks", or "the Mexicans". I'd just sit and listen, and then ask for their credit card number.:D I had one guy from somewhere in the Midwest comment on what a sweet Southern girl he though I sounded like. He advised that I move further West, where my risk of being mauled by black males was less. He couldn't understand why I'd want to live in a place with there were so many black people.

I've had some people think that I was mixed with Pacific Islander, and a lot of people think I was Dominican when I lived in heavily Hispanic communities. I've found it depends on how I wear my hair and makeup(and what the people in the area are used to seeing from different "races"), but I'm treated differently depending on what people assume. So is my husband. If he grows his hair out, he's got big curls, then people think he's mixed. If he shaves it all off, they assume he's completely white. If he grows facial hair, a lot of people think he's Middle Eastern.
 
Last edited:

Poki

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How are Mexicans in your area treated in Texas? Does being assumed to be Mexican work for or against you or have no impact on you?

Ambiguity can be fun, and funny, sometimes.
When I worked at a travel agency, I'd call some clients and end up talking to a few for quiet awhile. They'd get comfortable with me, like in the course of 15-20 minutes..lol, and start telling me all their business. Well, they'd also tell me other things too.:rofl1: With probably 30% of my calls, I'd get people talking down about "the blacks", or "the Mexicans". I'd just sit and listen, and then ask for their credit card number.:D I had one guy from somewhere in the Midwest comment on what a sweet Southern girl he though I sounded like. He advised that I move further West, where my risk of being mauled by black males was less. He couldn't understand why I'd want to live in a place with there were so many black people.

I've had some people think that I was mixed with Pacific Islander, and a lot of people think I was Dominican when I lived in heavily Hispanic communities. I've found it depends on how I wear my hair and makeup(and what the people in the area are used to seeing from different "races"), but I'm treated differently depending on what people assume. So is my husband. If he grows his hair out, he's got big curls, then people think he's mixed. If he shaves it all off, they assume he's completely white. If he grows facial hair, a lot of people think he's Middle Eastern.

In my area they are usually equated to lower jobs, more hard labor. Mowing, working construction, food stamps, wic, living off the government, baby factories, etc. I have learned to live with the stereotype and try my best to not care about it. I enjoy hard labor and will not give up what I enjoy just to prove that I dont fit into a stereotype that others pin on me. If you noticed I prefer to fight stereotypes and images so I can be who I am. I have walked into a middle class steak restaurant in a tank top and shorts and got horrible service. I never went back.

I will admit I play off of stereotypes as a joke whether it be black, mexican, white, hawaiian, etc. But only to those around me because they know who I am and that I have nothing against people based on race, color, religion, etc. I base who you are on what I see about you, not some predefined stereotype. I have said something along the lines of "I would be like woman, do this...." to my cousin and she started laughing because its so far off from who I am. I am so far against roles, images, etc that I can easily joke about these with people that know me. Thats whats makes it hard for me to get to know people. The fact that I dont really know how to group people, to me everyone is an individual. MBTI has actually helped me to be able to group people.
 

Bamboo

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I think we have instinctive prejudice, but it can be overcome.
--------------------------
I'm white, but for what it's worth poki, you can always tell the alright people from the stuck up jerks by walking around town covered in dirt or grease.
 
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