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Did my race dictate this interaction or not?


ChrisL

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We have a woman maybe 10 years older than me that lives in my community.  She is white, and a couple of years ago she went on a rant about her inconsiderate neighbor in the room who leaves trash everywhere.  She said “they” like to bring the neighborhoods to their level.  

Apparently she looked right at me when saying “they” and my actual neighbor who was also in the meeting read the woman the riot act. He’s not your neighbor, he’s my neighbor and he’s a perfect neighbor. WTH are you talking about?? Well I guess that’s not him, they all look the same to me… 

So today I’m in the LGS next in line to check out and this woman pulls her basket behind me. She has a couple of items, I have a basket full so I look back at her and say, would you like to jump ahead?  I move the basket back & away, she walks past me, looks my wife in the eye and says thank you very much. My wife didn’t even realize what happened...

As we are walking to the car I tell my wife that was the “they all look the same” woman from the board meeting.  She couldn’t even thank me for doing something nice.  My wife, (who is white) didn’t think it was racially motivated. She figured she was more comfortable talking to a woman.   This brown dude felt it was my skin color. 

What say you, do you think my race had a role in that interaction?

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You are too self conscious, you have posted that you are brown but the few photos you posted I didn’t even notice. Of course I don’t notice unless someone is real black. That doesn’t bother me at all but I will notice. My eldest son is quite black but he didn’t know he was until he went to collage and they put him in a black dorm.

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5 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

You are too self conscious, you have posted that you are brown but the few photos you posted I didn’t even notice. Of course I don’t notice unless someone is real black. That doesn’t bother me at all but I will notice. My eldest son is quite black but he didn’t know he was until he went to collage and they put him in a black dorm.

I'm lost on this one. You married your high school sweetheart (white), but your oldest son is black? Were you tapping girls way back in Jr. high school? :o

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14 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

You are too self conscious, you have posted that you are brown but the few photos you posted I didn’t even notice. Of course I don’t notice unless someone is real black. That doesn’t bother me at all but I will notice. My eldest son is quite black but he didn’t know he was until he went to collage and they put him in a black dorm.

I really don’t feel that I am.  Had that been any other person I wouldn’t have drawn the race card.  My wife’s response honestly struck a nerve but wanted to be open minded about it and solicit other opinions. 

I have been thrown out of establishments due to my color (not in CA) and have had racial insults thrown at me but I honestly grew up “white” and identify white due to my mixed heritage. 

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56 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

We have a woman maybe 10 years older than me that lives in my community.  She is white, and a couple of years ago she went on a rant about her inconsiderate neighbor in the room who leaves trash everywhere.  She said “they” like to bring the neighborhoods to their level.  

Apparently she looked right at me when saying “they” and my actual neighbor who was also in the meeting read the woman the riot act. He’s not your neighbor, he’s my neighbor and he’s a perfect neighbor. WTH are you talking about?? Well I guess that’s not him, they all look the same to me… 

So today I’m in the LGS next in line to check out and this woman pulls her basket behind me. She has a couple of items, I have a basket full so I look back at her and say, would you like to jump ahead?  I move the basket back & away, she walks past me, looks my wife in the eye and says thank you very much. My wife didn’t even realize what happened...

As we are walking to the car I tell my wife that was the “they all look the same” woman from the board meeting.  She couldn’t even thank me for doing something nice.  My wife, (who is white) didn’t think it was racially motivated. She figured she was more comfortable talking to a woman.   This brown dude felt it was my skin color. 

What say you, do you think my race had a role in that interaction?

Well the lst 2 paragraphs, was incredibly pointed about some group of people. What is the demographic composition of your neighbourhood in the last 5-10 yrs. ?

There was no reason for the butting in line woman, not to thank you.  She didn't need to look at you, but at least speak in your direction. 

Can I be honest?  based on dimly of photo I've seen vaguely. you look more white to me. I am saying this since as you know I have 2 sets of nieces and nephews (4 kids in total) from 2  sisters who are Chinese-Caucasian.  3rd sister has 3 full-Chinese Canadian kids. So I'm amazed how these other people are making alot of assumptions.  I can tell you have lived a racially mixed life...not just because details about your mom and dad, but how you seem to understand instinctively things I've said  related to race, culture and language. 

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I dated a girl that liked to go to bars and clubs that were all black. I took her to where ever she wanted to go and I was always accepted there. We were the only white people in there but they knew her. Not sure if they would act the same if I went in there alone but I think they would. That neighborhood over the years was taken over by drugs and is not safe for anyone. It wasn’t bad when I went there.

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2 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

I dated a girl that liked to go to bars and clubs that were all black. I took her to where ever she wanted to go and I was always accepted there. We were the only white people in there but they knew her. Not sure if they would act the same if I went in there alone but I think they would. That neighborhood over the years was taken over by drugs and is not safe for anyone. It wasn’t bad when I went there.

Did you grow up in the same area you live now, or move there as a adult? Because my image of your general area doesn’t include neighborhoods I’d be cautious going into. 

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50 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

I really don’t feel that I am.  Had that been any other person I wouldn’t have drawn the race card.  My wife’s response honestly struck a nerve but wanted to be open minded about it and solicit other opinions. 

I have been thrown out of establishments due to my color (not in CA) and have had racial insults thrown at me but I honestly grew up “white” and identify white due to my mixed heritage. 

For the lst time in my life with a white close friend I've known for the ..past 3 decades, we did discuss some recent racial incidents.  

She brought this up to me:

She is overseeing a project to "decolonize" the database catalogue in terms of the thesaurus. It is modernize and more accurate neutral metadata/indexing terms ie.:  not Eskimo, but use Inuit, not just native Indians, but use other terminology that more accurately distinguishes First Nations...which is an incredible diverse group peoples....ie. Plains Indians...several different groups, then there are lots of direct dialects, etc.  She thought the committee members were too narrowly focused on their own pet versions.  I said to her borrow from another university library who have these project led/worked  on by First Nations librarians (University of BC, University of Manitoba,etc.).  Save yourself time.

Her group was led by Metis librarian (half French and half First Nations) from a Canadian university but he suddenly dropped out only after 2 months. We both felt it seemed wrong, in fact he left the university. She told me how he was questioned at a conference when he and others were presenting on this work. Some were questioning his expertise. My friend had great difficulty verbalizing to me why it all felt wrong.

I drove the stake right out:  "this is fuckin' insulting.  Are people not understanding that is insulting? Were we any better taking a thesaurus on a body of knowledge that we didn't know deeply?"  

It's ok, she's close friend..middle class, British. She's read my blog:  Bumping into the Personal: From Museum Exhibits to Identity, Anti-Asian Sentiment and Activism. Part 2. – Cycle Write Blog (wordpress.com)

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@ChrisL, I am sorry this happened to you.  I’m as ‘white’ as can be. And yet, I’ve had many women treat me as you’ve mentioned in the butting in line part of the story. I’ve been in many dining establishments where the female server(s) have refused to look at me, address me or even acknowledge I’m there.  

I cannot help the way I look. And if people find my appearance offensive, so be it. But if someone works in a service industry, they should treat their clients well. 

My wife notices this as well. 

Advice: be who you are. And try to treat others well even when they won’t reciprocate. And sleep well at night. 

Peace.

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31 minutes ago, Mr Beanz said:

It's not racism, it's just you. I am more likely browner than you and I don't get any of that. :lol:

 

9 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Well the lst 2 paragraphs, was incredibly pointed about some group of people. What is the demographic composition of your neighbourhood in the last 5-10 yrs. 

There was no reason for the butting in line woman, not to thank you.  She didn't need to look at you, but at least speak in your direction. 

Can I be honest?  based on dimly of photo I've seen vaguely. you look more white to me. I am saying this since as you know I have 2 sets of nieces and nephews from 2  sisters who are Chinese-Caucasian. So I'm amazed how these other people are making alot of assumptions.  I can tell you have lived a racially mixed life...not just because details about your mom and dad, but how you seem to understand instinctively things I've said  related to race, culture and language. 

I am darker in person than the images I post might indicate.  Based on images I have seen of both of you I feel I am a shade darker than @Mr Beanz and maybe a tad lighter than @shootingstar.  I have never ever been mistaken for a white person in person. Over the phone yes. Most assume I’m Hispanic due to my skin color & lack of Asian features. 

Where I live is about 40% white, 30% Hispanic, 25% Asian & 5% black/other.  

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I grew up in the Sharon/Hermitage area about twenty miles away. They had steel mills and foundries and factories. When the jobs left that’s when the downhill slide came. Where I live now is mostly farms and small sawmills and cabinet shops. No places that hire 100 people or more. The forge used to have 160 employees at one time but they were around 100 for the last ten years and now they are closing. They should all be gone by Christmas. Merry Christmas.

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4 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

 

I am darker in person than the images I post might indicate.  Based on images I have seen of both of you I feel I am a shade darker than @Mr Beanz 

Darker than me? These are all Hispanic guys and I am the darkest other than next to me Mike with Thai and has been mistaken for black.

What was funny to me, funny as in strange, is that one night, I was riding through San Dimas. Pretty much wealthy town. A car approached me from behind, it was 50 degrees out so I had on long sleeves, a gator mask, helmet, and shorts. Only thing that was exposed to them was the back of my calves. And my finger tips wearing short gloves, nothing else exposed. 

As they passed, the shouted N!GG#R!!!'...............Really? I'm of Mexican heritage. I thought maybe it was a mistake but I lifted the pace hoping to catch them at the signal.  I did. As I approached, I rode next to their car and looked in. Dark tinted windows so I could not see much.  But I just rolled up to the stop with them a bit behind me in the inside lane. Once the light turned green, I though they might have gotten a closer look and realized I was Hispanic. Nope, they rolled their window down and shouted the same racial name used earlier. 

I could see them as they rolled by. Looked much like my nephew's hair and skin color.  I would guess they were Hispanic types, like their grandparents were raised here like mine.

I just thought of how stupid they were but later, had thoughts of them coming back just to harass me thinking I was black. 

Too many stupid people in the world.

Darker than Me? I do tan easily and get pretty dark. :lol:

 

091215D.jpg

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23 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

 

I am darker in person than the images I post might indicate.  Based on images I have seen of both of you I feel I am a shade darker than @Mr Beanz and maybe a tad lighter than @shootingstar.  I have never ever been mistaken for a white person in person. Over the phone yes. Most assume I’m Hispanic due to my skin color & lack of Asian features. 

Where I live is about 40% white, 30% Hispanic, 25% Asian & 5% black/other.  

To me you look more Hispanic in features. Now if I wasn't expecting a phone call in a few min., would have latest pics of growing nieces and nephews here.

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23 minutes ago, Mr Beanz said:

Darker than me? These are all Hispanic guys and I am the darkest other than next to me Mike with Thai and has been mistaken for black.

What was funny to me, funny as in strange, is that one night, I was riding through San Dimas. Pretty much wealthy town. A car approached me from behind, it was 50 degrees out so I had on long sleeves, a gator mask, helmet, and shorts. Only thing that was exposed to them was the back of my calves. And my finger tips wearing short gloves, nothing else exposed. 

As they passed, the shouted N!GG#R!!!'...............Really? I'm of Mexican heritage. I thought maybe it was a mistake but I lifted the pace hoping to catch them at the signal.  I did. As I approached, I rode next to their car and looked in. Dark tinted windows so I could not see much.  But I just rolled up to the stop with them a bit behind me in the inside lane. Once the light turned green, I though they might have gotten a closer look and realized I was Hispanic. Nope, they rolled their window down and shouted the same racial name used earlier. 

I could see them as they rolled by. Looked much like my nephew's hair and skin color.  I would guess they were Hispanic types, like their grandparents were raised here like mine.

I just thought of how stupid they were but later, had thoughts of them coming back just to harass me thinking I was black. 

Too many stupid people in the world.

Darker than Me? I do tan easily and get pretty dark. :lol:

 

091215D.jpg

In that picture we are pretty similar.  Our coloration of brown is a bit different due to our different heritage.  I’m 1/2 Pacific Islander, I look really similar in color to the guy on your right but without the Asian features.  I’m actually built pretty similar to him as well. 

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11 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

To me you look more Hispanic in features. Now if I wasn't expecting a phone call in a few min., would have latest pics of growing nieces and nephews here.

Yeah most Hispanics assume that I am.  Being 1/2 white with a white wife my kids are pretty light. My son has blue eyes as my paternal grandfather and the MIL have/had blue eyes.  Recessive gene but on both sides of the gene pool.

 

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10 minutes ago, Mr Beanz said:

Nope, they rolled their window down and shouted the same racial name used earlier. 

When I worked for Westinghouse I worked with a guy named Joe Niglio. (Sp). He was darker skin than me but most people are. I thought maybe he was Italian. We spent a lot of time together at work and got along real well. One day one of the other guys asked me why I hung out with that nig***? I asked him why he called him that. He said what do you think he is? Actually I never thought about it much but I thought maybe Italian. I still don’t think he had much if any black blood in him but I didn’t care one way or the other, he was still my friend.

why do we even have race listed on a birth certificate? All three of my sons married white girls. I think most of my grandkids are listed as black. Now my eldest son’s kids are half black half white. My youngest son had a black bio dad and a white bio mom so his kids are only 1/4 black yet on their birth certificates they are all listed as black. Any forms including census that ask my race I always say human or none of your business. The government is trying to divide us and it’s not right.

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7 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

When I worked for Westinghouse I worked with a guy named Joe Niglio. (Sp). He was darker skin than me but most people are. I thought maybe he was Italian. We spent a lot of time together at work and got along real well. One day one of the other guys asked me why I hung out with that nig***? I asked him why he called him that. He said what do you think he is? Actually I never thought about it much but I thought maybe Italian. I still don’t think he had much if any black blood in him but I didn’t care one way or the other, he was still my friend.

why do we even have race listed on a birth certificate? All three of my sons married white girls. I think most of my grandkids are listed as black. Now my eldest son’s kids are half black half white. My youngest son had a black bio dad and a white bio mom so his kids are only 1/4 black yet on their birth certificates they are all listed as black. Any forms including census that ask my race I always say human or none of your business. The government is trying to divide us and it’s not right.

When I was testing out to be a cop I tested with LAPD.  After the written, physical agility & oral interview I was 96%.  The recruiter pulled me aside and said why did you mark “white” on the application, you clearly are not white?  I’m 1/2 white and 0% the other options.  

The recruiter said we have to pass on you… Based on racial & gender hiring quotas, 96% isn’t high enough for a “white” person to advance.  Sorry man, maybe reapply & check different boxes.

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21 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Yeah most Hispanics assume that I am.  Being 1/2 white with a white wife my kids are pretty light. My son has blue eyes as my paternal grandfather and the MIL have/had blue eyes.  Recessive gene but on both sides of the gene pool.

 

So what race are you.

 

I'm human.

 

more or less.

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Just now, maddmaxx said:

So what race are you.

 

I'm human.

 

more or less.

1/2 Dutch and raised culturally as Dutch.  My family spoke Dutch around the house.  I’m also 1/2 Indonesian.  The byproduct of Dutch colonization.  And human.

I am bilingual and it does chap my ass when Hispanics say, you look Mexican, you should speak Spanish… It’s usually after they asked me a question in Spanish and I tell them I don’t habla.

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2 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

When I was testing out to be a cop I tested with LAPD.  After the written, physical agility & oral interview I was 96%.  The recruiter pulled me aside and said why did you mark “white” on the application, you clearly are not white?  I’m 1/2 white and 0% the other options.  

The recruiter said we have to pass on you… Based on racial & gender hiring quotas, 96% isn’t high enough for a “white” person to advance.  Sorry man, maybe reapply & check different boxes.

Well my son Ben did get a $5,000 scholarship from the NAACP when he was a junior in college. He was in the administration office for something and a secretary  was acting all embarrassed and ask him if he was black. He said he was and she said she had a $5,000 scholarship for him if he wanted it. He was the only black enrolled at the time. He has natural red hair from his mom’s side of the family and she didn’t know what race he was. Maybe that will help the grandkids with college but while I wouldn’t turn down $5,000 it’s only a drop in the bucket towards college expenses. I expect most of my grandkids to qualify for multiple scholarships because they are all exceptional.

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52 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Or maybe you just don't give a flip or wasn't paying attention. Clearly the  Asian guy on left, tans very well. And he is Asian descent just by his facial structure and features.

OK, I was going to say it but hesitated. Now that another has said it. There are plenty of Mexican people you could mistake for Asian. There is a common nick name for Mexicans that look Asian. Chino and China, guy and girl that look Asian but actually translates at Chinese guy and girl. 

Also Guero and Guera, pronounced Wuerro.  These are light skinned Hispanics. That you would think were whited but Hispanic. Think Vanna White and Raquel Welch. Not to mention tons of blonde blue eyed people from Mexico. 

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1 hour ago, Mr Beanz said:

OK, I was going to say it but hesitated. Now that another has said it. There are plenty of Mexican people you could mistake for Asian. There is a common nick name for Mexicans that look Asian. Chino and China, guy and girl that look Asian but actually translates at Chinese guy and girl. 

Also Guero and Guera, pronounced Wuerro.  These are light skinned Hispanics. That you would think were whited but Hispanic. Think Vanna White and Raquel Welch. Not to mention tons of blonde blue eyed people from Mexico. 

It's only in the past 15-20 years, I"ve noticed  more immigrants from Mexico and some of the Central and South American countries in the cities where I've lived. To me, they don't look Asian at all. And we already have sufficient folks in the big Canadian cities where I've lived, with ancestry from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Malayasia and Cambodia as my visual reference point.  I suppose those from Nepal and some  Filipinos...to me look closer to Hispanic (well, actually some of them do have Hispanic ancestry since  Philippines were colonized.)

Is it funny that we all look alike?  Only amongst these other groups...it's an in joke.  Not in the bigger world, when some folks  bitch/get overly concerned about "too many" immigrants:....get over it. There's more and more 3rd, 4th generation Americans and Canadians now. 

I've had some Filpino-Canadians tell me after knowing each other for awhile...which side of their family/relative, is Chinese.  And of  course, they ask where I'm from...which I'm never offended if it's another Asian descent asking  me.  I'm not offended, because we are trying to figure out family, even linguistic cultural reference..what we may or may not have in common at all.

 

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Some half-Chinese niece and nephews.

Oldest niece. I really like it she doesn't spend much time trying to look beautiful  on her social media. She is married after all. In her latest rom-com, she has 1 main character from a family like ours, immigrant parents from village on mainland China, whereas other character's family are more recent immigrants from HK.  I'm glad she's figuring out these cultural nuances ...probably because she has a number of friends from both backgrounds, plus her high school by coincidence has alot  of   Asian descent students...which is not surprising in Toronto....it is like parts of California.

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Her brother who is married to a Russian immigrant. She came as a teen at the time.

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Another nephew..below from a different family. Hair is getting long.

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There was probably more racism in her actions than many of us would like to admit. I did several road trips with a very good friend who is black. I witnessed a great deal of active and passive racism towards him including being told he had to leave a bar because he was black. 
In times since, actions I saw against him have been repeated so many times against others not of the “ standard “ ethnicity. 
 

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2 hours ago, shootingstar said:

It's only in the past 15-20 years, I"ve noticed  more immigrants from Mexico and some of the Central and South American countries in the cities where I've lived. To me, they don't look Asian at all.

 

Well, you guys are years behind the US and other countries. :lol:

Good example, well known boxer from Argentina. Marcos Maidana, only speaks Spanish. They call him Chino because he looks Asian. 

Usually the call these Asian looking guys Chino as you said, most Asians look alike I am guessing. So it is not an insult to Chinese, just that they are grouped together under one category when it comes to the nickname.

AND for the record, he beat Mayweather the first time but got ripped off! :nodhead:

 

 

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...we can talk about race in here ? :huh: I hope we can talk about religion and ancestry soon, because I have a lot of stuff I've been saving up about being a kid with a Jewish mother, and going to Catholic schools for 12 years. :angry:

 

But in answer to your question, yeah, race is a bigger deal in a lot of places than most of us are willing to suppose.  But I might have a warped sense of it, because I grew up as a white minority in a predominately black section of town.  Race was a huge deal in D.C. back when I lived there, and I don't think it's changed much.  Race is a factor in a lot of what I see happening in Sacramento. But it's les so than what I grew up with.  So I guess maybe that's an improvement.  I guess working for the fire department didn't help my view of this much, either. :(

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Not like me has been with us forever.  Even growing up in an almost lily white country setting one had to know that one's bloodline ran to German, Sicilian, Irish.  Towns in CT are known for being Polish, Italian, French communities.  This boy finally started learning about the world while playing club ball for a Portuguese soccer club and later a (gasp) Jamaican club.  Then came the service.  My extended family now includes most of that plus African American and Chinese.  There are very few of us going forward who can afford to express any racist attitude without lying to ourselves.  I guess however that there are parts of the country where progress is slower.  Too fn bad.

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3 hours ago, Page Turner said:

 

...we can talk about race in here ? :huh: I hope we can talk about religion and ancestry soon, because I have a lot of stuff I've been saving up about being a kid with a Jewish mother, and going to Catholic schools for 12 years. :angry:

 

But in answer to your question, yeah, race is a bigger deal in a lot of places than most of us are willing to suppose.  But I might have a warped sense of it, because I grew up as a white minority in a predominately black section of town.  Race was a huge deal in D.C. back when I lived there, and I don't think it's changed much.  Race is a factor in a lot of what I see happening in Sacramento. But it's les so than what I grew up with.  So I guess maybe that's an improvement.  I guess working for the fire department didn't help my view of this much, either. :(

When did you live in DC, @Page Turner?

I lived there in the 80s. Was still a problem. Apartheid was the news du jour then. My daughter was introduced to being different in school. Being the only white girl in her grade school certainly had it challenges. Other kids would tease her. I remember trying to console her on multiple occasions as she sobbed, “why am I different?”, “why is my skin pale?”, “why isn’t my hair like the other girls’?” I told her that God loves all shapes, sizes and colors. That He created a beautiful kaleidoscope of people.  But she also learned about the goodness in people. One little boy became her friend and ‘guardian’ and would do his best to watch out for her.  😊 The teacher told us that if she called my daughter to her desk for anything, the little boy would be there right beside her.

I admonished my daughter to always remember how it felt to be picked on because she was different and to do her best to never make another person feel that way. 

In the end, Martin Luther King Jr expressed it very well, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

 

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11 hours ago, Longjohn said:

why do we even have race listed on a birth certificate? All three of my sons married white girls. I think most of my grandkids are listed as black. Now my eldest son’s kids are half black half white. My youngest son had a black bio dad and a white bio mom so his kids are only 1/4 black yet on their birth certificates they are all listed as black. Any forms including census that ask my race I always say human or none of your business. The government is trying to divide us and it’s not right.

Sadly, I think the reason we have "race" or other selections on birth certificates or other forms is that it helps do a couple things we really ought not need to do.  For one, it prevents the classic, "it's not a problem" excuse/lie, and it also shows trends and trouble spots.  It becomes a little bit of a chicken or egg situation, where asking/pointing out discrimination emphasizes it to some, creates defensiveness in others, and may have negative as well as positive impacts.

Inherently, black, white, hispanic, asian, whatever are ALL literally equal.  Humans through and through.  But...if you live in a place where a comment like, "why do you hang out with that n****?" can be made without fear of being shamed or ostracized, then you can easily see that there are and continue to be challenges with content of character being placed below color of skin.  

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2 hours ago, Zealot said:

When did you live in DC, @Page Turner?

I lived there in the 80s. Was still a problem. Apartheid was the news du jour then. My daughter was introduced to being different in school. Being the only white girl in her grade school certainly had it challenges. Other kids would tease her. I remember trying to console her on multiple occasions as she sobbed, “why am I different?”, “why is my skin pale?”, “why isn’t my hair like the other girls’?” I told her that God loves all shapes, sizes and colors. That He created a beautiful kaleidoscope of people.  But she also learned about the goodness in people. One little boy became her friend and ‘guardian’ and would do his best to watch out for her.  😊 The teacher told us that if she called my daughter to her desk for anything, the little boy would be there right beside her.

I admonished my daughter to always remember how it felt to be picked on because she was different and to do her best to never make another person feel that way. 

In the end, Martin Luther King Jr expressed it very well, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

 

My son was the administrator at Youngstown, Ohio Teen Challenge. A teen and adult substance abuse center. He was recruited to be the spiritual director at a Christian school in Youngstown. Youngstown public schools have had some problems. The people voted to allow vouchers where you can attend any school you choose. When that happened the Christian school grew dramatically. It used to be all kids that their parents wanted their children to have an education in a school that taught Christian values and were willing to pay for it. Now they have kids with no religious background, kids with Muslim background, all different backgrounds but one thing in common. They have parents that want their kids to get a good education in a safe environment. They had to hire many more teachers and they needed someone to make sure the teachers were all on the same page.

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