# It's upsetting when other whites reveal their racism to me. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 20, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307 "2012-03-20T13:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/261 "2012-04-03T01:14:45Z")
> [@Chen019](#): > > [Mexico](http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/05/world/la-fg-mexico-racism-20100705) has similar issues apparently: > Also, I’m not sure how representative these views are but it seems hispanic immigrants have less favorable views towards african-americans than whites do: > ] I feel bad about this, and those of us who study Mexican history, are well aware that one of our most ancient civilizations, the mother culture of Mexico: The Olmec, are most likely of West African origin. Our neighborhood in Los Angeles, where I grew up, was a Mexican neighborhood very near the black neighborhood, and from my perspective, we had very much in common. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/262 "2012-04-03T01:36:03Z")
> [@florez](#): > > . . . and those of us who study Mexican history, are well aware that one of our most ancient civilizations, the mother culture of Mexico: The Olmec, are most likely of West African origin. I would not worry about that too much. The West African connection is based, loosely, on a specific interpretation of the appearnce of some statuary. The reality is that there is no DNA evidence to support such a conjecture and no evidence that anyone on the West coast of Africa had any sufficient ship-building capabilities at the time that a migration would have had to have occurred. Current discrimination is probably much easier to attribute to current economic conditions, (with the usual issues of separate groups on the bottom rungs of the economy fighting to get up at least one step higher on that ladder). ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/263 "2012-04-03T03:29:01Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I would not worry about that too much. The West African connection is based, loosely, on a specific interpretation of the appearnce of some statuary. The reality is that there is no DNA evidence > > Current discrimination is probably much easier to attribute to current economic conditions, (with the usual issues of separate groups on the bottom rungs of the economy fighting to get up at least one step higher on that ladder). Thank you, I was not aware of the DNA evidence. And, it makes sense that economic inequality would produce tension between the groups in the lowest positions. If the poor are hating and discriminating against each other, then the highest classes have no worries of any unified demands from them. ---
**Author:** ![Chen019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@Chen019](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chen019)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/264 "2012-04-03T04:12:26Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Current discrimination is probably much easier to attribute to current economic conditions, (with the usual issues of separate groups on the bottom rungs of the economy fighting to get up at least one step higher on that ladder). Could it also be that those attitudes are consident with those reported in Mexico? In terms of groups on the bottom rungs, would proximity also perhaps breed negative attitudes if they’re exposed to crime/gang problems (similar to the white flight phenomenon seen in the 1960’s). ---
**Author:** ![Delayed\_Reflex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/delayed_reflex/32/3172_2.png) [@Delayed\_Reflex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delayed_Reflex)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/265 "2012-04-03T07:47:08Z")
So OP, why specify that you get upset when _ **whites** _ reveal their racism to you? You think white people should know better? That they should for some reason be less racist than black people, brown people, or asians??? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/266 "2012-04-03T12:59:16Z")
> [@](#): > > That they should for some reason be less racist than black people, brown people, or asians??? It’s just specifying the particular thing he finds annoying, I’m guessing. Presumably he’s not regularly on the receiving end of racism from Asians or blacks and they probably don’t casually shoehorn racial stereotypes into the conversation. There are a few exceptions I can think of. An Asian friend of mine had no qualms using racist terminology about black people, since he views himself as part of the “ingroup”… Though he also has no hangups about telling racist jokes about Asians. Then there was a guy I struck up a conversation on the bus that said “all English girls are sluts” (don’t know where he was from, but I’m guessing he was from the Middle East). I shrugged it off, but a black guy asked me if I had an English sister. I told him I did. He asked me if she was a slut. I told him that she wasn’t. He then asked the Arabic guy to apologise, which he did. Braver guy than I am. On a side note, I can see where you’re coming from Chen. After watching Rampart I could more easily imagine from the perspective of someone that wasn’t consumed by hatred of being afraid of someone just because of their skin colour. It’s too damn simple, in fact… I wish more people would see the root causes in class and policy. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/267 "2012-04-03T13:59:27Z")
> [@florez](#): > > I feel bad about this, and those of us who study Mexican history, are well aware that one of our most ancient civilizations, the mother culture of Mexico: The Olmec, are most likely of West African origin. You’re basing too much on the apparent physiognomy of those huge stone heads. There’s no evidence at all of any **sailing** from Africa to the New World in that period, and there ain’t no other way to get there from there. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/268 "2012-04-03T14:06:54Z")
> [@florez](#): > > Where I live in Alaska, many tribal members belong to clans, and because the clan line goes on only from the mothers side of the family, some of the clan members are white. > For example, The mom married white, children from this union are still clan, grandma married white, children from this union are still clan… > Also, for this tribe, clans are almost as important as tribe. > My SO is part of the tribe, so I end up at tribal events. > I find it confusing when people, I perceive to be white are so fully a part of clan and tribe. > I imagine that they do not suffer from racism. > Do these white native only self identify? As they are fully accepted by clan and tribe. > Am I being racist in my perceiving them to be white? In Greenland they’re increasingly trying to implement an ethnic Greenlandicfication (inuitfication) program, in order to try to preserve what is left of the original culture and language. Understandable enough, since they have been and are under great pressure from Danish immigrants and culture, language, etc. But often enough the people who benefit from these programs are themselves hardly distinguishable from ethnic Danes, on account that there are already few families that do not have one or more ethnic Danes in the immediate family. Aboriginal Inuit is not always the first thing that comes to mind when looking at a tall person with big round blue eyes or blonde hair. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/269 "2012-04-03T14:23:09Z")
Some Greenlanders were angrey when last year they choose this girl ([Lisa Renee Winther Kristensen](http://www.undo-it.dk/includes/uploaded_pictures/1288867874uvmm/1291828667hokx.jpg)) to represent Greenland in the Miss World competition (or some similar event). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/270 "2012-04-03T14:40:24Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Some Greenlanders were angrey when last year they choose this girl ([Lisa Renee Winther Kristensen](http://www.undo-it.dk/includes/uploaded_pictures/1288867874uvmm/1291828667hokx.jpg)) to represent Greenland in the Miss World competition (or some similar event). I can understand their embarrassment. I volunteer to hide that poor ugly girl well out of sight, at my place. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/271 "2012-04-03T14:50:53Z")
Orion Marta would have been the better contestant ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/272 "2012-04-03T15:16:54Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I can understand their embarrassment. I volunteer to hide that poor ugly girl well out of sight, at my place. That’s really great of you, but I already took one for the team with that particular Inuit girl. I have her living in my sound proof basement. Incidentally in the Greenland Saga, they have an idiot leashed to a stake running around the garden. Apparently that was the best of breed practice back then, when it came to care for mentally challenged family members. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/273 "2012-04-03T15:47:11Z")
> [@Delayed\_Reflex](#): > > So OP, why specify that you get upset when _ **whites** _ reveal their racism to you? You think white people should know better? That they should for some reason be less racist than black people, brown people, or asians??? > 😉 If you’re a white, and black people are revealing their racism to you, they’re usually directly calling you a cracker redneck or something like that. This is also upsetting, but in a different way. I suppose a black person could tell a bunch of racist asian jokes to you, his white buddy, but that would be upsetting in yet a different way. Clearly we need threads on each possible variant: \*I find it upsetting when Inuit people reveal their distaste for Maori people to me. I irks me when someone from Quebec mocks the accent of people from Asturias. I am distressed by the freedom with which Moroccans snub Hondurans. \* ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/274 "2012-04-03T17:11:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > You’re basing too much on the apparent physiognomy of those huge stone heads. There’s no evidence at all of any **sailing** from Africa to the New World in that period, and there ain’t no other way to get there from there. As I remember, my Mexican History teacher, who was an African/ Mexican mestizo, was very excited about the the subject of Olmec-African connection, and stressed other evidence besides the giant stone heads. Of course, I will always believe the DNA evidence, so I stand corrected. Some African looking Mexicans, may be descendants of the slaves brought by the Spanish, during colonial times. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/275 "2012-04-03T18:35:59Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Orion Marta would have been the better contestant 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/276 "2012-04-03T19:24:56Z")
My aunt asked me once if there were a lot of Mexicans in my neighborhood. Well, no, aside from the one I’m currently living with. Who your husband just met. (Didn’t actually say any of that, but married him later and she was as sweet as pie to him. Even though they eventually moved away due to said Mexicans which were “surrounding them”.) ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/277 "2012-04-03T19:32:53Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > My aunt asked me once if there were a lot of Mexicans in my neighborhood. > > Well, no, aside from the one I’m currently living with. > > Who your husband just met. > > (Didn’t actually say any of that, but married him later and she was as sweet as pie to him. Even though they eventually moved away due to said Mexicans which were “surrounding them”.) She must suffer from Alamo-itus. ---
**Author:** ![Chen019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@Chen019](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chen019)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/278 "2012-04-04T01:53:59Z")
> [@Sister\_Vigilante](#): > > My aunt asked me once if there were a lot of Mexicans in my neighborhood. > > Well, no, aside from the one I’m currently living with. > > Who your husband just met. > > (Didn’t actually say any of that, but married him later and she was as sweet as pie to him. Even though they eventually moved away due to said Mexicans which were “surrounding them”.) People do tend to be more comfortable in communities with others who look like them apparently. > **[The Boston Globe - Breaking News, Sports, Games, Obituaries](https://www.bostonglobe.com/)** > > Best live news, sports, opinion and entertainment in New England by Globe journalists. Read Spotlight Team investigations plus coverage of Celtics and Patriots. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/279 "2012-04-04T02:12:06Z")
> [@Chen019](#): > > Could it also be that those attitudes are consident with those reported in Mexico? > > In terms of groups on the bottom rungs, would proximity also perhaps breed negative attitudes if they’re exposed to crime/gang problems (similar to the white flight phenomenon seen in the 1960’s). I would be very surprised to find out that there were ever two groups near the bottom of the social pecking order who did not come to hold each other in contempt as a tribal reaction to having to fight to not be held as the lowest. Violent crime tends to occur most often among poor people, (rich people use laws to help them steal; poor people cannot affords to buy lawmakers, so resort to violence). Pointing to crime or gangs is simply a way to rationalize any scorn as being justified by the behavior of a relatively few–but often highly visible–members of such groups. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307/280 "2012-04-04T09:28:13Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Uh huh. Then why seek validation from your peers by posting about how wrong and disgusting it is? Or chime in to the discussion with “me too! I hate racists too! Probably even more than you.”? > > Does it really personally offend you that some people have negative attitudes towards groups you aren’t a part of and have no association with? Let me guess - I bet some of your best friends are black. I haven’t read the rest of this thread, so maybe this has already been addressed, but… It seems that there are a few posters who have no familiarity whatsoever with the concept of EMPATHY. It’s scary. It’s so foreign to the normal human condition that I wonder if there is some physiological explanation (say, they once suffered an injury to the part of the brain most responsible for this function); or, perhaps, an identifiable psychiatric explanation, such as their having suffered some trauma just at the time when other two-year-olds are developing a theory of mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-upsetting-when-other-whites-reveal-their-racism-to-me/616307.md?page=13)