Have you ever been accused of being racist?

[Frokane]

Ive not personally, but I see so many things about 'reverse racism', 'Politcal Correctness' and 'Double Standards' that I assume some of you have, as with any issue its better to talk about it then sweep it under the carpet, so please share your experiences and points of view.

 

[Bamba]

Yes. But like many other things that people blame me for, I dont take it seriously.

 

[JayElleBee]

Yes, once. A friend of mine called me racist because I described some actor dude as 'exotic'. Which, to someone who grew up surrounded by absolutely nothing but pasty white northern Englishmen, he really is. She said that it was offensive to her because she's Hispanic and 'exotic' is a term used to describe animals. Personally it pissed me right off because, well, I've never heard her complaining about people being described as cute or beautiful or handsome, all of which are used to describe animals as well. In my eyes, exotic is just a word to describe someone with an appearance that the viewer is not accustomed to seeing very often. If I'd grown up somewhere where dark skin and hair is the norm, a pale blonde would be exotic too.

I didn't argue with her about it because, even if I think she was overreacting to absolutely nothing, people usually have a reason to feel offended by the things that offend them, and she's still my friend. Even so, I was very clipped while talking to her for the next few days. :/

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

No, but if I lived in the US I probably would've. Most cries of "Racism!" come from there, it seems.

 

[Frokane]

No, but I probably should have been.

I grew up in a lilly-white midwestern town. There were only something like 4 black people in my entire high school. Our local top40 radio station proudly proclaimed that they don't play rap as though an absence or rap was a selling point. I grew up in a little earlier time than most Escapists. Looking back, it's hard to believe just how segregated the pop culture was in the 80s and 90s in the US. Vanilla Ice was the punch line of a joke, because of course white people couldn't possibly rap! Interracial couples on TV were so rare that they almost felt taboo. I even heard a story from a Brit friend about an interracial girl group from the UK that upon crossing into the American market in the 80s/90s, had to break up because no American radio station knew what genre to put them in. They could only get airtime once they became an all-black group. And that resulted in me having a very foolish notion of which sort of music I could enjoy as a youth.

Once when I was having dinner with a lovely young woman we were talking and I said something like, "I don't like black culture." Now if I was more artful in my words I would have said something like, "I can't relate to pop-culture manufactured with the intent of it being consumed by black people" - in the modern world that would be something like a Tyler Perry movie. But even that notion was founded on a rather racist notion to begin with. And my dinner companion would have been well within her rights to call me out on it. Instead, she was rather more articulate than I was and after getting me to explain exactly what I meant simply said, "Don't you think there are black people who don't like that stuff too?"

A few years after that I got my head out of my ass and did a lot of growing and found I actually like a lot of "black culture" once I realized just how backward my youth was and that I'm allowed to enjoy entertainment full of people who don't look superficially like myself.

a really interesting story, I always wonder white non-multicultural cities are like in the US and growing up in them.

 

[Frokane]

No, but if I lived in the US I probably would've. Most cries of "Racism!" come from there, it seems.

It happens a lot in the UK too, or at least some people seem to feel it is.

 

[Frokane]

Yes, once. A friend of mine called me racist because I described some actor dude as 'exotic'. Which, to someone who grew up surrounded by absolutely nothing but pasty white northern Englishmen, he really is. She said that it was offensive to her because she's Hispanic and 'exotic' is a term used to describe animals. Personally it pissed me right off because, well, I've never heard her complaining about people being described as cute or beautiful or handsome, all of which are used to describe animals as well. In my eyes, exotic is just a word to describe someone with an appearance that the viewer is not accustomed to seeing very often. If I'd grown up somewhere where dark skin and hair is the norm, a pale blonde would be exotic too.

I didn't argue with her about it because, even if I think she was overreacting to absolutely nothing, people usually have a reason to feel offended by the things that offend them, and she's still my friend. Even so, I was very clipped while talking to her for the next few days. :/

there are hispanics in the north of england? thats really shocking Ive lived in multi-ethnic london a lot of my life and ive met 2 hispanic people in my life.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Sure have, by a shoplifter, who was in fact, shoplifting.
Race had nothing to do with it.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

No, but if I lived in the US I probably would've. Most cries of "Racism!" come from there, it seems.

It happens a lot in the UK too, or at least some people seem to feel it is.

I guess I meant "Racism!" is a first-world issue. Nobody gives a fuck about political correctness when every kid down your street is sniffing paco off a paper bag.

 

[Trollhoffer]

No, but I probably should have been.

Chalk that up for me, too. Live and learn.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Everyone has their prejudices, their own preconceptions and everyone's racist to some extend, whether they realize it or not. Oft born more of ignorance than any actual hate or malignance.

I can't recall every being called racist before, though. Not seriously, anyway. I've had several black friends, a few Asian friends, even friends from way down in Brazil. I'm typically an "everybody's friend" kind of guy. I'd think it hard to call someone that regularly chilled with black and Asian folk, racist. =p

 

[Xarathox]

I have, but it was in "generalization" due to me being predominantly white. I have Native American ancestry mixed in, but the Scotch-Irish is more predominant in me. My family was accused of being slave owners too, since you know "all white Americans had slaves".

The person was wrong, of course. My family didn't migrate to the States 'til after the civil war, and were just plain ole average, everyday farmers.

 

[JayElleBee]

Yes, once. A friend of mine called me racist because I described some actor dude as 'exotic'. Which, to someone who grew up surrounded by absolutely nothing but pasty white northern Englishmen, he really is. She said that it was offensive to her because she's Hispanic and 'exotic' is a term used to describe animals. Personally it pissed me right off because, well, I've never heard her complaining about people being described as cute or beautiful or handsome, all of which are used to describe animals as well. In my eyes, exotic is just a word to describe someone with an appearance that the viewer is not accustomed to seeing very often. If I'd grown up somewhere where dark skin and hair is the norm, a pale blonde would be exotic too.

I didn't argue with her about it because, even if I think she was overreacting to absolutely nothing, people usually have a reason to feel offended by the things that offend them, and she's still my friend. Even so, I was very clipped while talking to her for the next few days. :/

there are hispanics in the north of england? thats really shocking Ive lived in multi-ethnic london a lot of my life and ive met 2 hispanic people in my life.

Ha, no, she lives in Florida. We talk online but we're still pretty close.

 

[Esotera]

I've been accused of being a misandrist on here, which I find absolutely hilarious as if anything I probably fall a little too far in the other direction.

I can't recall being called racist, but I live in a predominantly white area so that may be a factor...

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Being a skinhead I get it all the time from ignorant fucks, especially if I've razor shaved my head.

(and I know a few of you are going 'but skinheads ARE racists'... Admit your ignorance and seek knowledge)

Still, it beats the times that being called a racist is followed by spit in the face, bottles and/or rocks thrown from moving cars, and the occasional punch in the face.

BUT HEY verbally and physically abusing someone based on your perception of them as a racist because of how they look is okay... if you're a massively hypocritical ****.

 

[lRookiel]

Funny story.

A bunch of Muslim types come into my lecture hall a couple weeks ago and hand out a questionnaire asking for my opinions of Islam and Halal. I personally don't mind Islam, but halal I find disgusting and cruel since it's slaughtering animals without the use of anesthetic (Make em suffer MORE why not). I answer the questionnaire honestly and one of them called me racist (not so bluntly ofcourse) when I handed in my questionnaire. They ask a hardcore vegetarian for their opinion on animal slaughter, you are damn right I'm going to call their particular method of going about it barbaric and unfair.

Oh and they didn't have any options for "Are you a vegetarian?" on the questionnaire. Just asking if I were single and what age I was, not very well thought out on their part.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

Once, on this very website. I was arguing that journalists shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose what they report in order to further their political goals...

And apparently that made me racist. Not just a little racist either, I literally got compared to the "Grand Dragon of the KKK" for that.