# Black/brown race relations ..... how is it covered?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 30, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062 "2010-06-30T14:35:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![klsdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ec8ea/32.png) [@klsdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klsdad)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062/1 "2010-06-30T14:35:43Z")

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Tell me about “racism” between blacks and Hispanics.

Is there any way to measure it and show that it is more or less than racism involving whites and either of those two group?

If it is actually more prevalent relative to the population of the offending party, is it justifiable in some way?

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062/2 "2010-06-30T14:45:03Z")

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> [@klsdad](#):
>
> If it is actually more prevalent relative to the population of the offending party, is it justifiable in some way?

Of course not. Racism is racism.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062/3 "2010-06-30T14:51:15Z")

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Considering that there is a degree of racism _within_ black or Hispanic populations, I think the whole question of “worse” or “better” is moot.

Remember that it was African-Americans who instituted the paper-bag test against their own community, not whites (although it was in response to a majority white society that made paler skin “more attractive”). See [colorism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorism).

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**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062/4 "2010-07-01T11:22:11Z")

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> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> Of course not. Racism is racism.

You’d like to think so.

OTOH, given the mathematics involved, it’s possible for a minority group to both…

#1 Have a greater tendency toward racism than other groups and

#2 Suffer directly from racism by an even greater percentage

Seems like #2 could be used as a rationale to overlook #1 by some who might want to achieve certain political or social ends.

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062/5 "2010-07-01T14:40:34Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> Seems like #2 could be used as a rationale to overlook #1 by some who might want to achieve certain political or social ends.

Anything can be used as a rationale by “some who might want to achieve certain political or social ends.” Racism isn’t anything special that way.

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**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2010, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-brown-race-relations-how-is-it-covered/545062/6 "2010-07-03T10:34:16Z")

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> [@Der\_Trihs](#):
>
> Anything can be used as a rationale by “some who might want to achieve certain political or social ends.” Racism isn’t anything special that way.

You don’t think the “race card” stands out as a popular and effective tactic.

Controlling the understanding of “racism” is a key part of that strategy.