i-am-hy:

So the Tumblr blog I’m reading is trying to argue against interracial marriage by saying it destroys specially different genomes (yo there any scientific backing for this shit?) and so destroys race which destroys culture which destroys diversity which is good for everyone?

Trying to understand this.

It’s not working.

0_0

This is the one she means. 

People who advocate such bizarre concepts as “racial purity” often completely misunderstand the lesson of history: that things change. The people today are the product of centuries of moving, invasions, changes, intermarriages, and whatever else. 

In his case, as a British nationalist, he believes in racial purity of the English, or possibly even just white, race. The thing is today’s English are made up of lots of what were formerly different peoples: Angles, Saxons, Normans, Scots, Picts, and so on. 

So what does it mean, to be “traditional” if your traditions are not intrinsically linked to race? 

I didn’t reblog his thing directly, because it is a horrible blog and will probably only invite flames and a pointless, fruitless argument. But no doubt, it is pretty scary that those ideas even continue to exist. 

There was a time when nationalism was a cool fad for all the young revolutionaries. This was about 100 years ago. It has changed a lot, and now it’s really not a productive idea. The new, progressive and productive world is a cosmopolitan one, with influences from around the world. That enriches it and makes it miles better than it ever could be with distinct and separate peoples. 

kindelling:

uncdan:

That some people can still say “White power!” It takes a fundamental lack of understanding of historical context to believe in that. 

But then, it is just as ridiculous that “people of colour” can say that it is intrinsically a bad thing to be born a white person. 

Both are terrible points of view and completely misunderstand what racism even is. They deny the wider historical context, and simply take sides in a barbaric attempt to even out the odds which only exacerbates conflict. Both are parochial, unproductive, and fail to see the bigger picture. 

Don’t even talk to me about racism until you’ve traveled around a bit. America is one thing. To get a good context, you should see European racism against Turkish and Muslim people, Russian racism against Caucasian people, Chinese racism against lots of people, Gulf Arab racism against Indian people, Korean racism against Chinese people, Malay racism against Chinese people… That’s just off the top of my head.

Hopefully you get my point. If you don’t, I will educate you. 

That’s been my largest problem when I encountered racism in the States - people (understandably) only saw racism from the American perspective and narrative.

It’s prevalent here on Tumblr too. It’s just so… blind. 

I mean, there’s the general problem of buying into an Us vs. Them situation, which only propagates the continual problem. But some people have the tendency to assign the American narrative on the whole world. They’ll blame white people everywhere for racism everywhere… which is drastically oversimplifying a problem, no to mention generalizing their experience on the rest of the world. 

It gets worse when, for example, Asian-Americans compare their experience to African-Americans. They’ll say “White people enslaved black people, and they colonized our countries! We have things in common!” 

It wasn’t white people. It was the British Empire, the French Empire, the Spanish Empire, the Portuguese Empire… and so on. And in any case all it results in is competing over who was more oppressed, and it only encourages them to consistently blame white people for things which the current generation had nothing to do with. 

In other words, it encourages laziness. It tells people “All your problems are because of THEM!” and people play the blame game instead of doing something about the current situation. It also widens the divide with white people, forces them to band together defensively, and only provokes further racial blandishing. 

Basically: racism isn’t just about blaming white people for everything. 

tckness replied to your post: It’s ridiculous…

Add Thai racism to any Asians other than Thai people to that list. :p

I don’t need to make a list, really. The point is that people divide themselves all the time based on artificial delineations that society creates. They assume that physical characteristics are related to cultural or personal characteristics, despite all the evidence to the contrary. 

It doesn’t matter what skin colour you have, how big your eyes are, what shape your face is, or anything like that. What matters is what’s inside. What was taught to them. People will be taught to be lazy, or to be ignorant, or to be hateful or spiteful. Their experiences will teach them to be this, and nothing intrinsic in their biology. 

Humans like to build patterns in their reasoning. They like to say “I observe this and this, and therefore this should happen.” In some cases it’s the foundation of scientific thinking, but most of the time it’s just false common sense. It’s attractive to make sweeping generalizations like “Aha! I see a pattern that most black people are lazy” or something like that, without the accompanying research to prove or disprove it. People who have that horrible point of view don’t bother with the research and assume that their experience represents a general trend. Even though anyone should know that that’s false, it’s the kind of reasoning that goes behind racially divisive behaviour. 

The point is that all humans are the same, and create their own demarcations. The only true differences are cultural, and those are taught. They aren’t natural. 

That some people can still say “White power!” It takes a fundamental lack of understanding of historical context to believe in that. 

But then, it is just as ridiculous that “people of colour” can say that it is intrinsically a bad thing to be born a white person. 

Both are terrible points of view and completely misunderstand what racism even is. They deny the wider historical context, and simply take sides in a barbaric attempt to even out the odds which only exacerbates conflict. Both are parochial, unproductive, and fail to see the bigger picture. 

Don’t even talk to me about racism until you’ve traveled around a bit. America is one thing. To get a good context, you should see European racism against Turkish and Muslim people, Russian racism against Caucasian people, Chinese racism against lots of people, Gulf Arab racism against Indian people, Korean racism against Chinese people, Malay racism against Chinese people… That’s just off the top of my head.

Hopefully you get my point. If you don’t, I will educate you. 

I finally got around to checking my Twitter properly. I saw some nice things, like compliments, that I had missed. 

And then there was this guy. I have no words. 

The Internet can be such a source of idiots. 

A Dutch friend of mine growing up moved around because his father worked for the UN. They lived in a few places prior to Jakarta, where I met him. He lived somewhere in south america, and in Zimbabwe.

When he was in Zimbabwe, as a youth younger than 10, he was bullied by black kids for being the only white kid. He had problems with that, as the experience left a long shadow in his memory. He was never well inclined towards black people again. Not in a dangerous way, but in a wary one. I hope he’s gotten over it, as it’s been a while since I caught up with him. He was a really bright kid too. He spoke Indonesian like a local, learned Javanese, and most of his close friends were Indonesians.

I always remember him when I read or hear about Americans constantly talking about white privilege, or how white people are responsible for everything racist, and that it’s only possible to be racist from white people to black people.

I have seen racism in so many directions that that ignorance really bothers me. I have seen Chinese people be racist against Malay peoples, Indonesians be racist against Chinese. I have seen black people do to white people what white people have been doing to black people. I have met Arabs who trash Europeans and Americans, and Europeans and Americans who think Arabs are barbarians.

It’s a messed up world, and no one is particularly nice to each other. Can you really call your single case so special that you insist you’re free from any criticism?

I think that one of the things my dad has developed is a strong racial defensiveness. Sometimes that’s led to good and prudent advice. He was the first to tell me that I should always do more and better than asked, because in the working world, especially in America, your bosses will usually be white and they will generally prefer a white or black guy they can more easily relate with. The trick to succeed, as an Asian, is to never give them a reason to let you go.

On that note, it was a rude awakening to discover that my dad had that wrong. Being too good at something which involves work pigeonholes you, and they’ll never want to move you out of it because they’ll be too used to you doing it. You will get passed over continuously for recognition and promotion. The Asians in my workplace did all the numbers work, all the checklists, the accounts, all the dull work. They did it so well and so consistently that everyone else forgot how to do it, and no one realized how essential they were until they left.

But it was still, overall, good advice.

The drawback of his racial sensitivity is in just how suspicious he is of everyone. We live in a small village in switzerland, where everyone seems nice and they always say hello. We’re the only Asians here, and that makes him nervous. He always warns me to behave and not draw attention.

Asian Americans call this “model minority” behavior. The idea is that if you don’t bother anyone, no one will bother you. The lesson learned by younger generations in America is just what I learned in the workplace. Keeping a low profile also keeps people ignorant about you and never teaches them to respect you.

But I’ve met the neighbors. They’re really friendly, and not at all prejudiced. Yet my dad is still reclusive when it comes to them.

I wouldn’t say that all African or hispanic Americans are privy to the same or even similar behavior, but often enough there’s that defensiveness and the willingness to blame everything on racism… Sometimes it’s not really there and shouldn’t be treated as such. Sometimes you miss out on life by only feeling comfortable with “your own people.”

Racism exists in America, and all around the world. It is often a horribly systematic problem. But sometimes I don’t think there’s as much of it in actual existence as there is through people’s eyes.

sweetupndown hat auf deinen Eintrag geantwortet: You know why I hate people who are obsessed with white supremacy?
Tumblr makes me feel bad for being white. It’s kind of nice to see something not so mean on my dash. Haha.

In my view, no one should ever make you feel bad just for existing. Let’s say your ancestors were slavers, for the point of argument. Worst possible kind. They sailed with the ships that went to west africa and bought the slaves that the locals were selling. Shipped them across the ocean in shackles, cramped like sardines.

Are you responsible for that? You had nothing to do with that. Your ancestor made decisions that you didn’t, lived a life that you didn’t. How responsible can you possibly be? Should we, individually, be blamed for the sins of our fathers? The cycle of revenge and reparation would never end, because history is full of terrible things people have done to each other. Society can bear the brunt of responsibility, because it can be called responsible, but not individuals.

When a person today is angry at racism and blames or takes it out on you, they’re angry at the system in place today, which, especially in America, does favour white people generally. It’s a problem and something to justifiably be angry about. But linking everything all the way back to slavery and colonialism, in the desire to call it a conspiracy by a “race” with nothing in common but skin colour, apparently consistent over hundreds of years, and claiming that you’re a part of it, is just delusional and gives way too much credit to the people involved.

And, for that matter, it’s unhelpful. We should remember the crimes of the past, but we shouldn’t be slaves to them, and constantly be repaying them.

You may know the type. The kind of people who see anything that “white” people do as evil and racist and propagating an endless supremacist attitude towards all the other races in the world. If you weren’t aware, oh yes they exist. 

Both exist. There are white people who really do see the world in racial terms and want to be on top of it. But there are also people of other races who see that in almost every white person they meet. 

You know why I have a problem with that? 

Because I have lived just about anywhere outside of America. 

In particular right now I’m thinking of Switzerland. What did the Swiss ever do to anybody? Nothing, really. They founded no colonies, oppressed no foreign peoples, conquered no countries, enslaved nobody. They have a mostly blameless history, except regarding the banking thing, but that’s relatively minor compared to what other countries have on their historical slab. There are xenophobic Swiss, and neo-nazis here, and bigots, no doubt, just like anywhere, but that sort of thing happens in all directions. 

And yet, the people I’m talking about, those people who see racism in everything in their lives, would lump the Swiss in with their view of white supremacy. To them, it’s all white people. 

And that, dear friends, is racism. 

I think one of the problems third culture kids have with America rather than other potential home countries is the constant preoccupation with race there.

Take for example a white person who grows up in Africa. There are lots of these whose parents are missionaries, diplomats, and so on. They often come back to America feeling more comfortable among black people, in a visible sense, than white people, even if they’re flexible regardless.

But it’s happened that people in America are so racially focused that this is seen as alien or intrusive, or “trying to be what you’re not.” In addition, black American culture is rather different from various African cultures. Black American TCKs often return being expected to blend in, or be like the locals, when they’re not. This also happens to Jamaican, Haitian and African immigrants who have little to do with black American culture.

That racial subculture tends to be highly defined by the history of slavery and racial subjugation, including the ongoing struggle for more equal rights and treatment. This is something immigrants and TCKs don’t share with them at all, but assumptions are made of them because of the colour of their skin.

Culture is at the whim and mercy of social and economic forces which drive culture in certain directions, while culture back seat drives some of them in return. And culture is taught, and people are taught to identify themselves by superficial physical characteristics which have rather few tangible advantages or disadvantages. so why does it continue to be important?

Because we let it. In some countries racial differences are accentuated by old national identities, differing languages and religious differences. These are also technically artificial, but at least are old traditions with accompanying literature. Malaysia has 3-4 major languages, 3 major religions and a smattering of races. It is an artificial country made from malay sultans, chinese clans, Indian immigrants and british colonialism. I’d say it’s entitled to have its problems.

America has a smattering of races beside a majority of white and black, 1-2 major religions as a spread of population, and 1.5 languages. Old national differences seem to die pretty quickly, since people there are mostly remembered for skin colour. It shouldn’t have the same problem. But it does. It’s accentuated and encouraged, even.

If anything it illustrates the enduring human desire to identify itself by establishing its differences from others and creating a group ethos and culture. But largely but subtly encouraged by the state to take on a racial dimension. Culture is what actually divides, educates, and creates identity, not race.

cognitivedissonance:

Bill O and Monica Crowley just finished hollering about reverse racism because Barack Obama is encouraging African-American supporters to talk to people at their churches, and if Rick Santorum was to encourage white people to vote and talk to church members, then he’d supposedly be called a bigoted racist for encouraging white people to vote.

Alan Colmes just about shit a brick but pointed out that “there’s no association for the advancement of white people” because white people are the empowered political group. We went downhill from there.

O’Reilly: “Oh, so then you have more leeway, then, to appeal to a minority group to help you than the majority? Is that written down anywhere?” 

Colmes: “No, that’s accepted.”

O’Reilly: “As far as politically correct acceptibility in this country, if you’re a minority group you can rally around anybody, but if you’re a white guy, you can’t. And that’s basically true.”

Crowley: “It’s this huge double standard, and a huge hypocrisy, but this is the way it is, and unless we call them out on it, they’ll continue to get away with it.”

Crowley: “So since it’s a double standard but it’s accepted, it’s okay?”

Poor Alan Colmes. You can’t convince a couple of bigots that reverse racism doesn’t exist. You just can’t.

But God love you for trying, Alan.

Sometimes I think that people who want to argue progressive ideas should never go on Fox. The way they get interviewed by people like Bill O only increases the contempt that (potential) conservatives have of those ideas. 

In other words, maybe Alan shouldn’t have tried at all. 

La Haine - “The Hate”

People interested in racism in general should watch this film. In black and white, made and set in 1990s Paris, it follows an African, an Arab and a Jew in a course of events as they struggle against racism, prejudice, and an almost systematic lack of opportunity for those unfortunate enough to live in the ethnic quarters. 

This won several awards, if I’m not mistaken. 

soupsoup:

capricecrane:

Wow, ESPN. Nothing like embracing your inner racist.

Someone needs to maybe look into tightening up their editorial process. Just a thought.

Though I’m pretty sure most of my followers are aware of this, just in case, “chink” is an antiquated American derogatory term for “Chinese.” 

And even if it’s an old term, it’s still really inappropriate.