Eye-opener, folks. I posted on Craigslist Seattle/SanFran to broaden our readership, and I got some really nasty comments from some people. And, reading the other posts, racist comments are quite prevalent! Personally, I didn’t have to deal with racism all that much growing up, and I haven’t had any incidences recently, so I was quite shellshocked when I got some responses.
One guy said ‘America is white, go back to your country’! It doesn’t really anger me, but it makes me wonder how many of these closet racists are out there. Personally, I don’t think that there are quite that many. I know the majority of intelligent people aren’t like that.
In any case, I challenge all of you Asians to develop the mindset that this is OUR country. America is NOT white anymore, and it is equally ours. If we want equality, we have to work for it ourselves, and declare it to white america. Don’t be afraid when you have to deal with racism. You will your whole life.
No related posts.
SF site is the mildest and the most intelligent location on Craig’s list R and R. Try Oregon. Or Philly. It’s almost entertaining.
I think the blatant racists are only far and few in between. The ignorant semi-racists (closet and I mean closet) are about good 50%. The ignorant cluless non racists consists of maybe 30%
The effortful almost aware non-racists are 15% And the truley respectful is less than the blatant racists.
America is a big place. And since we are so stuck on the issue, we are racists.
There is a certain amount of awareness and fear that caused us asians in this country to be meek. We are such whimps as a whole in this country. I think it is time for some of us to become targets and be shot at and say what we need to say. We became so “americanized” over several generations. America is what we make of it. It’s only 200 years old. I try to carry around my bulls eye whenever possible.
In the south, I rarely got any support from my fellow asians when I’m confronting something very important about asians in america. I was fighting an army off by my self. I finally had support from white guys who had seen enough and had the guts to help me out. (they lost most of their friends over me. some of them said that they weren’t worth being friends with but…. You know they grew up together man. That’s the America I fell in love with. And that’s the kind of uniqueness we have as Asian Americans. No Asian country has a system that condition people not to be afraid of the rest. We must think big and embrace those biggots (maybe smack them around a little to wake them up) and all.
I’d like to add to what reflective sam said about our america. We must love the whole thing “as is” and fix what seems lame from a point of ownership.
I’m not sure if america is going to survive the next 20 years but sure if it does I’ll be there.
Exactly, man. We have to carry around a bullseye, and take shots. We can’t be dodging anymore. Honestly, I haven’t been as brave as MANGOHARE, and I’ve been meek and dodged the issue. Only lately did I realize that this is my country good or bad, and it’s up to me to improve the Asian male image. Now, we have the means to communicate, and do it together. I commend you, MANGOHARE.
Not that I’m an expert about Americans or anything, since I’m in Canada. But when it comes to the point where they’re issuing international politeness guides with every American Passport, you gotta ask yourself how bad are “some” of these people. I mean this made news over here, when a news reporter told a guy off the street about this and asked “why do you think Americans aren’t liked around the world” — his answer “because we’re not fucking terrorists”
And not to be racist but that is a lot of white middle America, so when you’re telling me that racism still exists. I’d say for sure, I mean they can’t even answer a simple question like said above about politeness without being a billboard for Jerry Springer.
When I watch Michael Moores “Columbine” it was even more hilarious when he shows some of the ironys in America. And they even did a comparison with people from Detroit and then went across the lake to the Canadian side, and a lot of ethinic Americans said wow its nice over here you don’t feel like you’re being watched and you can do your own thing. Honestly watch that movie, theres so much gold in it.
We all know its not multicultural, if it is then why aren’t there more asians in television — television is the medium everyone sees and gauge of sorts for America. I mean some of these tv shows its like asians don’t exist in America, you just see white people and the token black guy/girl and/or token latino guy/girl, but no asians. So eventhough people in the big cities are more educated I’m sure their still racist underneath they just do it in a more low key manner.
Only the truely brilliant ones judge by content of character rather than the colour of your skin.
Realize I’m not bashing All Americans just white middle America where old oil money rules and they still have KKK meetings in the barnyard in secret.
I mean some places still practice bigomy, don’t believe me go watch old Dateline episodes.
Although I’m surprised about San Fran, cause its quite multicultural in that city — I guess theres isn’t such a thing as a “no idiots” clause in the city
As for MangoHare I applaud your efforts, but be careful. Standing up for ideals is great, but sometimes you don’t want to be a hero. For anyone pick your battles wisely. If you’re going to stand up for an ideal, you have to commit to it 100% unwavering.
That means all kinds of repercussions from your actions like loss of friends, bodily harm, harm to ones family or home, so think of all the things that would happen as a result of ones actions. This is no movie, this is reality. I understand doing nothing is also never good, but pick you battles when it counts for the most.
Honestly even I don’t think I would be up to it head on.
Hey I wasn’t born a blunt. I’m asian…hahaha
I don’t go looking for things to pick at. I try to live the do onto others method. But when a point needs to be said I cannot miss that opportunity. I’m very good at avoiding violence. I was knee deep in it at one point in my youth, but I’m an old fart now.
I don’t take life all that much seriously. I prefer to do things like abalone diving to scare myself to get a little humble pie, but generally I’m happy go lucky.
I’m just liking the blunt personality side of me because that seems to be the only way I don’t accumulate baggage.
So I try to nurture that.
I think the asians have evolved some funky nerves (Might turn into esp a thousand years from now but…) when it comes to social interaction. I think we tend to expect similar behavior in non asian cultures and sometimes get cross wired or even electricuted. Asians or not we all must realize that race is a category and learn to use it more lightly. Eliminate comparisons with unusable dynamics and it’s just a dumb ass category.
Luckily I have a pretty self obsorbed family. Maybe except for granma. I do owe her one or two. Next life???
So far they know none of the scary stuff. Maybe my sister…but you know, I think family should be able to let one or two astray. It’s the way of nature man.
I’m actually very good with my family. I don’t get along with my mom, but she gets along with me better than anyone else in the family except my sis. You know the good sis. Rock.
Pretty disfunctional… Good for art and music though.
I’m a lousy typist. Sorry folks.
I got a racist story for you guys.
It’s a whites are same as anyonelse story.
Right now my best friend in the west coast is an ex biggot.
We met at the hospital when I was in the ICU. We were both half dead. We kind a were laughing at each ourselves because it was nice being alive. In recovery we snuck off to have cigs in the tiny vented yellow smoking room.(Only state in the west coast that let you smoke in the hospital)
The dude still sticks a sock in in his mouth during conversations sometimes, but he changed quite a bit about race issues since we’ve met. I think him becoming a family man recently has alot to do with it too.
He’s a big burly salty ex seamen. He’s disabled now but if we had met 20 years ago unhealthy things might have happened. (to me probably)
We’re about to go into business together.
I know I sound like a typical asian picking on the whites, don’t get me wrong I’ve both white and asian friends. Its just the old generation of whites ussually expell their belief system to their offspring.
On the flipside it just goes to show you that if a person of another background gets to know an asian person well, their opinions of us do get better.
But thats only if we mingle with the rest of society and not always stay in our asians only cliques. I mean my white buddies can name stuff at dim sum and appreciate when the right cart comes along, instead of being dumbfounded.
What I find they do become more respectful to many things asian, they’ll ask me more questions instead of just pointing and laughing at something they don’t understand. They’ve become more open minded and worldly, and that can change other people they interact with.
Cause we all know if there is a bunch of ignorant punks that aren’t asian, they’re loud disrespectful and not very openminded. But like I said the funny thing is they do become more respectful and openminded if they have an asian in the group, unless that one is also white washed.
You see I live in a highly populated area the significant asian population mostly from Hong Kong because of 1997 with the handover contol from Britain to China. So many moved to Canada.
But back to the point, education and information are the great equalizers.
So do calling you Orientals a ‘gook’ or ‘cheenk’ or ‘Jap’ offensive? How do you feel about these labels? Is it ok to call each other those names like using the N word between Blacks?
I think if your in grade school and needing a ironic callname for a friend, I think it’s passable.
In the case of the Black folks calling each other nigger, the context is much more deep rooted with history of this country and I’m not the one to be critical or even intereted to analyze. If they want to call themselves Niggers to lighten the offensive connotation that it caries with the word, and don’t want to hear it from another race’s mouth, that is thier business.
When I get called gook,chink,jap, or any other derogatory names I just look at it as another pathetic learned methodical attempt from a primitive human for control over another individual’s space and piece of mind. Animals will do almost anything to win a survival moment. Hamsters do that, Dogs do that, even rats do that. Don’t be such a cornered animal.
I’m a happy Jap. The world means to me as much a word honkey means to you. Not much. (different story when I was 15 though…) Now racism at ages before adulthood, is a nother animal. That is some sick ass nightmare of a phenomenon. eeek. Pooor kids…..
Now I like the term Oriental.
It is a ligitimate dicriptive noun. Oriental oxidental …..makes sense.
Just because some assholes used it we hate it now. That sucks.
Jap, Gook, chink is to honkey, redneck is to nigger. These are all words that society has deemed unsuitable, because of their connotations. But more than anything else it just shows someone is not educated enough or doesn’t have class.
I mean from one standpoint below is the development of the word nigger. Which was what one race used to call the other race, cause they didn’t know better.
Negro stems from the Latin word Niger, meaning black. In English, negro or neger became negar and finally nigger
But the same goes for early asians where Gook, Chink and Jap were used. Again one race naming another without caring or noting what the other race thought of it.
Ignorance is limitless, and to some ignorance is bliss.
As for within race use of those connotations, I mean if asians are using them their those dumbass hiphop wannabes. They figure if black people can call each other niggers then asians can call each other Gooks, Chinks and Japs.
But if you’re an educated person you know most mature and/or older people don’t refer to themselves that way. There was an interesting show on A&E about hollywood makeup artists to transform a white family into a black family and vice versa through prostetics and makeup. You should watch it if able to find it, they even sat down and trained with someone how to be Black and how to be white. And you’ll realize that there still is racism to some degree in America, if not other westernized nation.
Its an insightful experiment, and even opened my eyes about certain ingrained stereotypes.
Man, today, I was in a very posh neighborhood called Queene Anne, where there are really nice houses. Mostly, I think these homes are inherited homes. Anyways, we were going to a potluck there, me and my girl. We were walking down the sidewalk with our dishes, and we saw this really old guy with a cane talking to his neighbor. When we walked passed him, he looked at us and repeated said, “Ni Hau Ma”. It pissed me off, but obviously I’m not gonna knock down a crippled old man, so I just said, “That’s racist, man”, and we just kept walking. It was racist in that he assumed we were chinese, and he kept saying it, as if to egg me on. I don’t know. Perhaps I overreacted, and maybe he was one of those clueless types who wants to communicate with the little Asian he knows. But, it just came out of the blue.
But, older people obviously are much more ignorant and intolerant. That’s fine. But, when younger generations are racist, that really upsets me. Those are the people I really want to change. And you guys make good points. Once you mingle, and these white people make an Asian friend, they will learn to respect us and appreciate our culture. Once they eat kimchi or teriyaki, they’ll never go back!
You’re right the older generation are more ignorant or set in their ways. Do what everyone does with old people , ignore them.
Next time a non-asian says “Ni Hau Ma”, then stop look straight at them and say something in your native language or make up something that sounds authentic and wait for a response. Keep staring at them normally not pissed off, once they finally say something like I’m not sure what you said.
Then say “I’m not sure what you said as well, cause its not my language, and don’t assume so” then walk away.
Or
Then don’t talk in my language if you don’t understand it, speak eng—lish
Goly it’s hot out. I moved to oregon because it rains all the time. I’m a north dude. Took me half my life to acually realize that.
I think racism is purely biological. Your DNA determines your understanding skills, your social environment determines your information set. Those are all sociological issues that are biology. Not simple biology but still biological.
I bet some of you are thinking Mangohare is interesting, but he’s one of those…. Every community has “one of those”. Asian community especially. That’s a same dynamic as racism. Not so disfunctional as racism though…. “that” system serves an important preservative function in asian community because when one of goes astray we really go astray in many cases…..It’s smart to keep us at arm’s lenghth. But the times are changig. Some of you are “one of those”. I definately am…
Humanity evoles, I think through many dynamic interaction patterns between people. We as a whole yet to embrace the sectore of society who has special needs that actually provide key DNA mutations that keeps up evolving beyond our past.
Look at all those folks who just gave us a glimps of what human wonders can provide only to be crushed by society. Nicoli Tesler, Buckminister Fuller,Jackson Pollock,Marcell DuChamp,Jimmy hendreix, Bruce lee, if I list it all, I coudn’t fit it in my lunch break.Did davinci look happy as old man? Was Einstein? Not really. They were frustrated to say the least.
I’m not saying that outcasts from the asian community is any kind of genius. I’m just saying that the same dynamics rule social communication difficulty between groups of people and individuals or between groups.
Since we are stuck on specialization we have diversified beyond each other’s understanding somewhat. whether it’s race,gender,concept,behavior, or whatever, are forming groups among themselves who share common understanding in one thing or another.
Like software small groups can function as modular translators for large groups to communicate. We really do not even have an organic structure (opposed to organized structure) that is anywhere near funtional.
I think small things we can do is just be open minded ourselves. I think if we try too hard to change other people, we just create friction. Communications like this forum, we are functioning as people who are willing to learn together right? So this place we can say what makes us better and share that.
If everyone were preoccupied with bettering themselves, and we had a society like that, when people display behaviors you don’t condone, the best thing for both parties is for you to do nothing about it….in a long run.
But in this society we are preoccupied with so called “bettering” others. So in order to improve our society, we tend to think we need to enforce ideals and methods. (mostly methods)
Normally I try suggesting variety in goals rather than how to get there. (not always able to because i’m human and conditioned)We all know we function better their own way. But we only see goals we set are limited to information within. A suggestion of goals from a another human brain contains their own experiences and complexities of that human being. That’s a whole lotta refinement already done about particularities of that goal. But you are not limited to how they did it if you are given a sane set of suggestions and general data.
Rather than methodical information, more content as to why that goal was needed for you, or why you think that goal is important to the person you are speaking to, has infinately more value.
k……..I just came back from eating….Boy I have a big head….Sorry folk. I hope this makes some kinda sense…here it is.
I can’t believe REF, you are surprised that there are racist people on CL. Come on dude! You think racism is gone or something? It’s all still there, alive and well. It’s just more hidden and subtle. That is until you provide them with a public anonymous forum such as Craigslist.
Call me naive or lucky, but I just haven’t had many incidences of it for a long time, so it came as a bit of a surprise. I know it’s out there, but I haven’t been confronted by racism for awhile. In any case, I’m more aware of it now.
dude if i saw that old man, I’d say “you OD’d on viagra old man, you’re still a raging dick” or maybe “aren’t you dead yet? we can use the space.” i dunno, maybe i’m just an asshole thataway.
I’m an Asian girl and I hear personal stories of racism and bigotry all the time. I really think many Asians, many people in general, live in their own little world. So just because you personally haven’t felt or experienced racism (blatant or subtle), it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. But I do understand, it’s human nature to live in our own world and not think outwardly. People don’t read enough either. If you read and read, you’ll know that racism and bigotry is everywhere. Make no mistake…Whites still rule this society, from top to bottom. The ones in power, the ones who CAN make a differnce with a snap are White people. Not Asians. Not in our American society. And again, people talk and say all kinds of deragatory statements and judgement calls on people of color behind closed doors. You think most of them will say it in front of your face? No way.
I agree GeishaGirl, good observations
About time we got some responses from Asian females, right on. As much as guys can brainstorm, we work on a certain wavelength and females work on a different one. So the more relevant to topic opinions we can get from the female perspective, especially the asian female perspective — then the more interesting.
Because lets face it guys don’t understand girls, be honest, we don’t truely know what goes on up there, BUT we do our best to get by.
This is an introspective site, so the more we discover the more we know. So females we welcome your opinions as long as they are relevant to topic, not about your dating history, or how crappy your day was because of an Asian male — unless that is the topic. Okay cool
I can appreciate and respect all the points being validated here. Especially with the intent and motive to change their opinion, their, being the racists. Each can exercise your own different methods in attempt and endeavor to sway their views. But in the end, we are more likely to end world hunger, have peace in the world by ridding war, than to ever radicate racism. Too many people with low level inteligence in the world. Sorry, I was going to address more into the issue, but I have to run, take care all.
Replying to Outspoken Sam, I doubt the world will ever stop world hunger or war, and as for peace that depends somewhat on the previous two.
We can end world hunger at this moment in time and stop war if every single person in the world wanted to. But the thing is the worlds food supply can’t sustain future generations and their offspring. And so we have world hunger, because humans have no natural predators to cull its population, short of genocide. It is where Darwins survival of the fittest suits this world at this point in time. ( on a side note, the greatest minds in the science and nutrition field I’m sure could come up with a pill that can sustain the human body, but again they would want to have to make it)
As for war, I’m a big anime freak so check out Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny. War will always be fuelled by the haves and have nots, as well as profit. View those 2 series or just the first one and you’ll understand. Very enlightening series, and deals with a lot of problems we would face — its not only mechs blasting each other to smitherines.
Althought racism its true may never disappear, there will be less and less people encouraging it. As globablization takes place, we all have to work with one and other – so many different races will intermingle in business among other areas. In that there will be an asimilation of thought and consciousness, that will evolve. And that to some extent beyond biology,I think racism will be a fading shadow. And what I mean from biology which can’t really change (for now) say when a black person sweats their body odour is most noticeable.
So some races will always have hangups about other races.
And realize I’m talking about the metropolitan world, not the backwoods of some small towns or the desolate places that are cut off from the world.
As well its people that perpetuate racism by teaching their young what they know to be true, but when the young grow up and hopefully get a sense of themselves and other people there is hope. But like I said it will become a fading shadow, but still a shadow thats there.
Racism is taught by elders and proliferated by society. No one is born a racist. I’m by no means a racist even though I was brought up in a white society. So really, it depends on the society you live in. If you lived in hawaii, I’m sure people could care less that you’re an asian. If you are caucasian and you go to Japan, there will be some discrimination there too.