# Bigots of the world: please unite **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 4, 2013, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097 "2013-06-04T05:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/21 "2013-06-04T14:33:18Z")
> [@vd](#): > > If you’re in California, it’s estimated that 80% of donut shops are run by [Cambodians](http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/26/us/long-beach-journal-from-cambodia-to-doughnut-shops.html). Ok, then why can’t Koreans make good Cambodians? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/22 "2013-06-04T14:34:31Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Well yes, but Americans aren’t the only Anglophones. So fucking what? “Japs” wasn’t considered particularly derogatory in the US 50 years ago, either. We learned better. Just because some (surprisingly backwards in some respects) anglophone nations haven’t caught up doesn’t make it any better. I’ll make the same note I always do with this defense - of these Anglophone nations, the US has by far both the largest percentage and largest populations of people of East Asian descent (some pockets of Canada come close - and they are also sensitive about it). It’s harder to use these kinds of pet names for entire groups of people when there are more of them around to give you dirty looks. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/23 "2013-06-04T14:47:51Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > In the defense of the “I’m not a racist, but…” in my life, I haven’t been into an independent donut shop in years that wasn’t staffed by Asians. I’m not sure why they’re so heavily represented in the industry. Like nail salons, convenience stores, sandwich shops (and back in the old days, fruit stands), small independent businesses and franchises tend to get demographically dominated by waves of recent immigrants. As [this article](small businesses recent immigrants donut) describes, an immigrant gets established as the owner of a small enterprise of this sort, then gives jobs to recently arrived relatives and other compatriots, then helps them get established in a similar business of their own once they’ve accumulated the necessary experience and capital, after which they in their turn give jobs to new arrivals from the old country, and so the trend continues. Hence the proliferation of Korean-owned donut shops, Vietnamese-owned nail salons, Indian (particularly Gujarati) -owned motels (the [“Patel Motel” phenomenon](http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/06/11/why-indian-americans-dominate-the-u-s-motel-industry/)), etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/24 "2013-06-04T15:04:38Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I’m just tired of certain people trying to give away Texas. It makes me sad. We’re not all young earth creationists, who think abortions should be televised to shame the mother if the Feds won’t let us ban it entirely. \ It doesn’t matter if you _all_ are. Just having a majority is all it takes. Must suck to live in Texas and not be an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/25 "2013-06-04T15:15:16Z")
> [@fumster](#): > > It doesn’t matter if you _all_ are. Just having a majority is all it takes. Must suck to live in Texas and not be an asshole. Meh. It’s pretty good in the big cities. Sucks to be out in the sticks. But that’s the same for a huge chunk of the country. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/26 "2013-06-04T15:38:11Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Meh. It’s pretty good in the big cities. Sucks to be out in the sticks. But that’s the same for a huge chunk of the country. That’s true. About 6 blocks from my house was the demarcation lime between Obama/Biden and Romney/Ryan bumper stickers. It’s also apparently the line between people who can parallel park and those who can’t. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/27 "2013-06-04T15:42:20Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > **Monty** , you forgot: “I’m not a racist but…” I’m not a racist but I’m willing to learn? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/28 "2013-06-04T15:43:37Z")
I am so with you, attacking these vague things you say you’ve experienced in the past few weeks! Man, that time someone said Muslims can’t join the American Legion to you…or said it to someone while you were standing there…or posted it in a youtube comment…or wrote it on a post-it that was in some book you picked up at the library…or your crazy uncle muttered it to nobody during one of his episodes…or was the secret message in the bottle cap of your Snapple or whatever! It makes me rage! Let’s be angry! ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/29 "2013-06-04T16:24:51Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Allow me to fight your ignorance: while I’ve learned that “Jap” is a derogatory term in America, it most certainly isn’t elsewhere in the world. I would think the relevant jurisdiction would be _Japan_. How do they feel about it there? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/30 "2013-06-04T16:55:06Z")
they tried uniting but then one of them complained the other of being off key and so their sing-a-long celebrating their unity broke up into a fist fight. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/31 "2013-06-04T17:00:04Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Ok, then why can’t Koreans make good Cambodians? I don’t think there’s any evidence that they can’t, but I’m not familiar enough with Cambodia’s naturalization rules to determine whether it’s worth the effort for most of them to make the attempt. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/32 "2013-06-04T17:20:44Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > So fucking what? > > “Japs” wasn’t considered particularly derogatory in the US 50 years ago, either. We learned better. Just because some (surprisingly backwards in some respects) anglophone nations haven’t caught up doesn’t make it any better. I haven’t the foggiest idea about its use outside the US —I’ve literally never heard the term used in Canada — but that’s just stupid. There’s nothing _inherently_ racist about the word “Jap”, or for that matter “Paki” or “Kraut” or anything else. It’s entirely historical context that makes them so. Historical context varies from country to country, so whether specific words are offensive or not does, too. > [@Sailboat](#): > > I would think the relevant jurisdiction would be _Japan_. How do they feel about it there? I don’t think “Jap” transliterates to Japanese. (Sarcasm aside, it’s probably more relevant what the ethnic Japanese minority in a particular country thinks.) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/33 "2013-06-04T17:23:27Z")
> [@straight\_man](#): > > I don’t think “Jap” transliterates to Japanese. That’s true. Ask them what they think about “Nip” instead. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/34 "2013-06-04T17:32:35Z")
> [@straight\_man](#): > > It’s entirely historical context that makes them so. Historical context varies from country to country, so whether specific words are offensive or not does, too. Fair point. But as the majority in that country, they’re hardly on a moral high ground for deciding whether or not it’s offensive or not. It’s funny (not really) how rarely the ethnic group involved defend this sort of practice wherever it is found. Let’s put it this way: conduct a survey of Japanese people in Anglophone nations whether or not the use of the word “Jap” is in the least derogatory or if they use it themselves with any regularity. I won’t be holding my breath. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/35 "2013-06-04T20:05:50Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Wow. What a fucking bold stance to take right here in this day and age. Who would have thought someone would ever have the courage to stand up to bigotry!? Especially on this site. The giant balls on the OP must make living a regular life hell because his balls are so huge. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnyMac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@JohnnyMac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyMac)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/36 "2013-06-04T20:24:02Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I am so with you, attacking these vague things you say you’ve experienced in the past few weeks! > > Man, that time someone said Muslims can’t join the American Legion to you…or said it to someone while you were standing there…or posted it in a youtube comment…or wrote it on a post-it that was in some book you picked up at the library…or your crazy uncle muttered it to nobody during one of his episodes…or was the secret message in the bottle cap of your Snapple or whatever! It makes me rage! > > Let’s be angry! Yes, racism makes me angry. That it exists, makes me angry. It’s frustrating, it’s unfair, these things just shouldn’t **be** , and sometimes you just need to vent. Did you have a point here? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/37 "2013-06-04T20:47:09Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > [list=1][li]The robin doesn’t mate with the bluejay.[/li] Really? Then why is a robin’s egg blue? GOTCHA! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/38 "2013-06-04T20:56:59Z")
> [@JohnnyMac](#): > > Did you have a point here? Several of the OP’s list items, if you google them, list this thread as the top hit. He’s put up a general bad guy for us to all hate on, like it’s our two minute anger time in _1984_. Who are we talking about? Where did it happen? ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/39 "2013-06-04T21:01:11Z")
> [@Mathematics](#): > > Is it really that wrong to say that Freemasonry is a false religion? > > First, it’s not even a religion under most conventional definitions. And if it were, I probably would think it’s false, just like I think Christianity is false, Hinduism is false, etc. Not sure how that’s bigoted. > > But anyway, yes, I’m sure everyone agrees bigotry is wrong. Even bigots would agree to that, because they generally don’t think of themselves as such. [Because it doesn’t claim to be a religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry). To call it false it like calling a cat a false dog. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097/40 "2013-06-04T21:45:33Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I’m American and I’ve heard the word recently from Americans. Yep, it was used as a derogatory word. I’ve heard it from people in the UK and yes it’s derogatory there. I hope we don’t see a repeat of the fiasco regarding whether of not the term “Paki” is a racial slur. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bigots-of-the-world-please-unite/660097.md?page=3)