Racial Microagressions

[BawanaRik]

Why didn't you teach him the two most useful sentences an Anglo can ask a Latino- "¿Donde es el baño?" and "En Ingles, por favor"?

I took two years of Spanish in high school and got straight A grades for most of the time but the one thing I learned after graduation is that in school, they do not teach Spanish in a way that's useful in everyday life. I remember quite a bit of it and when I'm around people who speak it as their primary language, it's like I'm in slow-motion and they're at normal speed. For me, it's better if I can read it, not hear it.

I agree with the first but I find "uno cerveza frio pro favor works well"

 

[DerHoggz]

 

[BawanaRik]

The way I look at there is no reverse racism.

Only racism.

I would love to hear your views on it.

 

[Melonthief]

First let's sort people into 2 groups- complete ********, and decent people. If after that you still feel a need to sub categorize then your priorities are screwed up.

 

[DerHoggz]

The way I look at there is no reverse racism.

Only racism.

I would love to hear your views on it.

Agreed, but many people claim "reverse racism" when called on racist things they have said. Regardless of what you call it, it isn't an effective argument.

 

[David Jayne]

Out of all those examples I find two really offensive : "she smells like rice" and "you're pretty for a dark skinned girl."
The rest are just ignorant and not deliberately offensive.

 

[BawanaRik]

I caught myself in an act of racism yesterday.

I had just pulled into a parking spot at the corner store and someone comes flying into the lot and parks nearly sideways in the Handicap spot. Instantly I thought to myself: "This dude better have a handicapped placard or plate - or I'm going to give them a serious piece of my mind."

She got out of the car - and she was black. No permit.

I did not say a single word.

Good move. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Melonthief]

Good move. Better safe than sorry.

Hahahahahaa!

 

[DeathFromBelow]

Out of all those examples I find two really offensive : "she smells like rice" and "you're pretty for a dark skinned girl."
The rest are just ignorant and not deliberately offensive.

I can agree on the "she smells like rice" comment. That's just wrong.

Don't get the other one though. Isn't that down to personal preference? I mean, personally I prefer pale skinned girls. Does that make me a racist?

 

[bassinplace]

I can agree on the "she smells like rice" comment. That's just wrong.

Don't get the other one though. Isn't that down to personal preference? I mean, personally I prefer pale skinned girls. Does that make me a racist?

No, but if you were to verbally give someone a backhanded compliment based on their skin color then that would be insulting and yes, racist.

 

[Melonthief]

No, but if you were to verbally give someone a backhanded compliment based on their skin color then that would be insulting and yes, racist.

What if it was an insincere compliment? It seems like that would make the racism less sincere as well.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

No, but if you were to verbally give someone a backhanded compliment based on their skin color then that would be insulting and yes, racist.

But this is what I don't get. I prefer pale skinned girls over dark skinned girls, and I also prefer brunettes over blondes. Does that mean that if i see a blonde girl I think is cute and I tell her "wow, you're really cute for a blonde girl", I'm being backhanded and insulting?

Now, I have no problem seeing that the phrase "you're pretty for a dark skinned girl" when viewed out of context can be seen as racist, but when viewed in the context of someones personal sexual preference it's not necessarily racist at all.

 

[aborgman]

But this is what I don't get. I prefer pale skinned girls over dark skinned girls, and I also prefer brunettes over blondes. Does that mean that if i see a blonde girl I think is cute and I tell her "wow, you're really cute for a blonde girl", I'm being backhanded and insulting?

Yes.

It's akin to saying: "You're pretty smart for a stupid person".

It carries an implication that blonde girls are inherently unattractive, but she managed to avoid that fate.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

Yes.

It's akin to saying: "You're pretty smart for a stupid person".

It carries an implication that blonde girls are inherently unattractive, but she managed to avoid that fate.

Eh, no it doesn't. It implies that I personally prefer brunettes over blondes, not that I see blondes as somehow inferior or objectively less attractive than brunettes. It's not like I'm saying that anyone who have other personal preferences than me are inherently wrong.

It's just my personal preference. Or are we not allowed personal sexual preferences anymore, without taking into account politics, racism, feminism and political correctness?

 

[aborgman]

Eh, no it doesn't. It implies that I personally prefer brunettes over blondes, not that I see blondes as somehow inferior or objectively less attractive than brunettes.

...but you do see blondes as inferior in terms of attractiveness. Yes, it's subjective - but it ALWAYS is.

It's just my personal preference. Or are we not allowed personal sexual preferences anymore, without taking into account politics, racism, feminism and political correctness?

You're allowed to have those preferences - but VOICING those preferences may be offensive to those targeted.

 

[bassinplace]

Eh, no it doesn't. It implies that I personally prefer brunettes over blondes, not that I see blondes as somehow inferior or objectively less attractive than brunettes. It's not like I'm saying that anyone who have other personal preferences than me are inherently wrong.

It's just my personal preference. Or are we not allowed personal sexual preferences anymore, without taking into account politics, racism, feminism and political correctness?

That's not the phrasing in question, though. It's different to say "I have a personal preference for blondes" than to say "You're good looking for a blonde girl". The latter implies a statement of fact that blondes are generally bad looking but the particular one in question is less ugly than the general population of blonde girls.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

...but you do see blondes as inferior in terms of attractiveness. Yes, it's subjective - but it ALWAYS is.





You're allowed to have those preferences - but VOICING those preferences may be offensive to those targeted.

1: Yes, I personally do. And isn't subjectivity ok as long as it doesn't actually negatively impact the lives of others on a larger scale?

2: My point is that some people are too easily offended. Do you really think it is impossible that certain people simply read to much into what others say?

And for the record; if you actually knew me, you would know that I am pretty much as far from a racist that you can get. I'm an individualist to the bone, and flock mentality and group thought are a pet peeve of mine. I'm just trying to say that people are often taken out of context and are misunderstood. Nothing else.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

That's not the phrasing in question, though. It's different to say "I have a personal preference for blondes" than to say "You're good looking for a blonde girl". The latter implies a statement of fact that blondes are generally bad looking but the particular one in question is less ugly than the general population of blonde girls.

Not necessarily. If other people actually hold the expectation that everytime I open my mouth, I'm arrogant enough to think that I'm speaking for the whole of mankind and not for myself, then that's their problem, not mine. With all due respect.

 

[macaroni tony]

This made me remember a partner I had on the ambulance. He was born in El Salvador, but adopted at less than a year old by a couple from St Louis. He could recognize the names of several Mexican food items eventually. But otherwise spoke less Spanish than Peggy Hill.

It was always funny when we'd pick up a Hispanic patient who either preferred Spanish or even spoke no English. They'd see Nick's face and KNOW he'd speak Spanish. They'd just know it. So the patient would say something at really rapid speed and wait for him to answer.

He would smile a blank. panicked expression, turn towards me and say "What did she say?"

They were often more confused by Spanish coming out of my big old pale Irish face than the lack of Spanish coming outof his.

This happened, with minor variations in the dialogue involved, about eighty-five times while he and I worked together.

That's hilarious. I still get people coming to my job assuming I speak Spanish, and are thoroughly surprised when I don't

Granted, I do speak a little bit of Spanish - enough to carry on about 60% of a conversation. In 3rd and 4th grade almost all of my classmates were Mexican, so that's pretty much were I learned my Spanish. But at least once a week I'll have someone I've never seen before fire off a series of questions in rapid succession, to which I'll say "en Ingles por favor."

 

[bassinplace]

Not necessarily. If other people actually hold the expectation that everytime I open my mouth, I'm arrogant enough to think that I'm speaking for the whole of mankind and not for myself, then that's their problem, not mine. With all due respect.

But it's a matter of context. Of those two ways I mentioned of phrasing the statement, one is an opinion expressed as a generalization and the other is an opinion expressed as an opinion.