Racists in your family

[LogicNProportion]

My dad is a redneck in just about every way - worked hard at one company until retirement, beleives in honest day's work, and hates just about everyone.

And I married outside of my race (she's Sikh).

He has no problem with it. Never says anything about it. Of course, it helps that Indians can be just as (if not more) racist than the most stereotypical US Southerner. Go ahead, ask an older Indian how they would feel if their child married someone of African descent - odds are *Really* good the answer will be "Over my dead body. And theirs!"

QFT.

I dated an Asian-Indian twice now, and while the first time we broke up was because of cheating (her part), the second time, after I treated her like gold, was that she wanted to get spoiled a bit before college, and that to her and her family, the very idea of dating anyone but indian is ridiculous.

So much whiskey was consumed.

Two other Indian girls I know of think this way.

 

[Naleh]

My father is quietly racist. For the most part my family is fine though.

Racism here in New Zealand has always been a little tamer than elsewhere.

 

[Naleh]

Everyone is a racist. Out-grouping people who look different is as close to a rule as humanity has. Choosing to go against your instinct to mistrust people who are different involves using your cognitive resources, which deplete in the process, causing stress and fatigue. The habit of trusting people who look notably different to you is a slow environmentally driven adaptation. Of course, people who haven't mastered this ability are running on instinct and are therefore less sentient and closer to animals. Being human is all about overcoming your instincts.

I disagree.

My older brother is severely autistic. He's different. Extremely different. He will never be able to live a normal life. He can't even communicate.

But it's not his fault. He was born that way.

Growing up caring for a brother like that, I've been hardwired from the very beginning to not mind people who are different. Never in my life have I seriously considered any race could be inferior. It was years before I even realised people were divided into races, and I'm still not good at noticing it. I mean, heck, if my brother's still a beloved human being, then someone who just has differently coloured skin might as well be my clone.

It doesn't take any cognitive effort at all. It's more natural to me than racism. It's just the way I'm built.

 

[DiMono]

Closest thing my family has to a racist is me, and I only ever say it in jest to people who know that I'm saying it in jest. Like I'll point out something totally random and say it's because he's black.

However, I do sometimes do things that seem racist but are based on loads of research. I buy gems, fossils and minerals on eBay, and with very few exceptions I will not buy anything from China, Thailand or Hong Kong because very close to 100% of it is fake. Seems racist to scroll past hundreds of auctions based entirely on the location, but it's a decision grounded in extensive research.

 

[zombiestrangler]

Most of my immediate family is "jokingly" racist, meaning we crack racist jokes from time to time. No hate in it, just making jokes. That being said my Dad's side of the family is from the deep South and it shows.

 

[Varrdy]

Not in my family - well not real racism least. I don't cosider jokes about other races racism (because it's a JOKE and if someone were to tell me a funny joke about lanky, white English blokes, I'd laugh just as hard!), nor do I consider being annoyed at immigants living off benefits when they can work as racism either. Anyone living off benefits when they can work really pisses me off no matter what race/colour/creed they are.

Gypises get a fair bit of bad press and in many cases it's warranted. I've been beaten up for no reason by one and they've been chased off our property more than once after they came round with designs on the copper pipe we'd bought to re-plumb the kitchen and bathroom. They also attacked a former customer's wife after she stopped them trying to steal her car. Three men with baseball bats came back to the house and the Police let them go because some do-gooding twat decided it would be "racist" and "unfair persecution" to detain them, despite CCTV evidence. The same bunch also tried to steal some cattle (I'm not joking!) from a local farmer but were persuaded not to when the farmer unloaded several 12-Gague shotgun rounds in their direction...he did that because they were openly packing heat too...and this is not 1880's Texas, it's 21st century England! Fun...

So yeah, Gypises I am not much of a fan but if they stay out my way, I will stay out of theirs and we can all get along. Apart from the guy who gave me a kicking - I hope he's getting buggered in jail as we speak (he was well known and has been in chokey more times and for more things than I can count!).

Anyway - back to the topic at hand. Although I grew up in what is considered "redneck country" in England, I am surprised that the levels of racism are very low in my family. My maternal Grandfather served some of his army career in India, which helped as it really must have changed his attitudes. This was passed onto his daughter (my mum) and, although I don't know for sure, my paternal grandparents never said anything racist either and my Dad doesn't seem to have a shred of bigotry in him at all.

The worst I have ever heard from my mother is her assertaion that a majority of Poles would "stab you in your sleep". This was a bit harsh but my mum has started talking a huge amount of shit lately (menopause?) but it was so out of character I've brushed it off and rambling. In past jobs and in my current job I have worked with some Polish folk and they've been alright! Better than some English guys anyway!

Personally, I cannot stand proper racism and I think it's laughable that groups like the KKK decry blacks (and the rest) as inferior when they're being much more savage. Besides, have you ever heard some of the Klan talk? They make Dubya sound articulate! It's hard to accept their view of the world when their speech is enough to suck the IQ out of your head!

People also forget that racism is not just something white people do and it makes me really angry when lefty-twots claim Blacks, Asians, Mexicans etc. can't be racist - It makes me angry because that in itself is a racist stance if you think about it.

That said, will leave you with a rather good point that was made in Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion's Preacher:

"Why is it that the greatest champions of the White Race always turn out to be the worst examples of it?

Amen to that, reverend!

Wardy

 

[Varrdy]

My mother refers to people by racial slurs, but never actually discriminates. Indians are Curry munchers, but they aren't discriminated against.

That's not so bad, really. I'm a curry-eater too and 100% English but there is a reason for that...

My cousin's ex-wife is from a Pakistani family but legged it when she heard she was to be married off to her uncle(!). Her family were staunch and shunned her for marrying my cousin. If you heard her talk on the phone you'd never know as her Northern accent is as strong as mine - not a trace of the usual Asian-English accent. Anyway, we (my family) refrain from using the term 'Paki' in any way, shape or form because of this. It can be used negatively but I see it as just a short way of saying "Pakistani" but it's not accepted so we don't use it.

Sometimes I will say I'm "off to the / for a Chinky" if I am going to get Chinese food but again, not too often and it's never siad with malice. They way I see it, if a black guy is allowed to call me "honky", "white-boy" and "snowball" (all at seperate times) then what's the big deal as long as it's harmless?

Wardy

 

[Caligulust]

My grandfather is to an extent. Really doesn't like anyone he assumes is from Mexico or is of Mexican decent.

Though he also won't like you if you have long hair or sag your pants.