racism

Excellent question.

I would say my Dad's side of the family was "subtly" racist.  Meaning they felt that minorities were inferior to them, but didn't do anything outward to project it.  I don't recall my Dad or any Aunts/Uncles on his side of the family using the N word.

Now, my Mom and her side of the family is a whole different story.  They were overt racists and used the N word regularly.  My mom, up until a few years ago would call black people "porch monkey's" and I called her out every time until she stopped saying it.  I remember when I was really young, I was walking through the store with my Gramdma (mom's mom) and there was a black guy standing in the isle in front of her and she yelled out very loudly "get out of the way you dam (N word)".  I was maybe 8 or 9 and still remember the shock I felt when she said it.  It was really disturbing.

My parents were divorced when I was pretty young and I lived with my Dad, so I fortunately didn't absorb any of this behavior from my Mom.  
As a kid I didn't really have any thoughts either way on race.  I'm sure there was a "they're different' thought or two in my head, but I don't recall any superiority type thoughts.  I had a couple friends who were black, several mexican friends, as well as several Native American friends and they were no different than me.  We all talked the same, liked the same things, and did the same things.  So, they were just friends.
I do remember when I joined the Navy at 17 it was a bit of a culture shock because there were a lot of black guys who were from poor urban environments and the cultural language was quite a shock to me and I had to learn a lot of new slang.  However, it didn't take very long until they all became my Navy brothers and I've never thought anything different about them than I do anyone else.

I think it's easy to just chalk it up to generational ignorance, but I really don't know the answer as to why I didn't stay the course.  I'm sure it was a combination of education and integration.  As early as I can remember I was always repulsed by my Mother and Grandma's racist attitudes.  If anything it cemented my belief that I would never be like that.

Really interesting question.

I grew up with a grandfather (mother's side) who was quite overtly racist against anyone of East Indian descent and I remember being absolutely mortified as a child when riding in an elevator with him and an Indian couple... he stated quite loudly that he'd be a lot happier if we could get all the "garbage" out of the country, but he'd be happy if it could start with getting the "garbage" off the elevator.  It was horrible. 

For quite some time there has been a feeling of malcontent in the suburb that I grew up in, as the demographic shifted from being mostly Caucasian to mostly Asian and specifically Chinese immigrants from both Taiwan and Mainland China to the area.  The general feeling by people of my parents' generation was that the town was "being taken over" and they couldn't do anything to stop it.  I distinctly remember being out with my dad one day and him referring to pretty much anyone in the town who wasn't white as "black-heads".  I argued with him for AGES about that one, and I don't know that his feelings have changed at all (he and my mum eventually moved to a much "whiter" neighbourhood) but at the very least he knows not to use such derogatory terms in front of me.  

I found a lot of it odd... both of my parents were teachers in very diverse areas of town.  I had friends growing up with the last names of Ng, Dahliwal,  Chen, Singh, Nguyen, etc., and I'm now married to a guy that's 1/2 Japanese.  I'm glad I didn't pick up on any of their beliefs, and I can only hope that they've changed their thinking somewhat, but the more that I think about it... they have NO friends that are anything but Caucasian, so maybe I'm just looking at it with rose-coloured glasses.  

I grew up in a liberal white household, in a mostly white town, so we had the luxury of claiming "color blind" (ie - I don't even notice a person's race!"). The "n-word" would have gotten our mouths washed with soap, but the fact is there was little opportunity for it to have come up. Fast forward to now, my two siblings and I have married "people of color". Now we are no longer color blind. I'm not saying racism is rampant in our lives, but when it's there, it is there - I see and feel it.

To answer the question, no. My parents grew up in Texas. I never really witnessed and racism... but over time my Dad has grow to really dislike Mexicans. I do not know if it is a race thing, or an immigrant/ethnic thing. Not right either way. But I also grew up in pretty white surroundings. I remember going to DC for the first time in the Navy. It was a trip to all of a sudden recognise I am only 1 in 10 of all the other people I see. That was pretty eye opening.

Having said all that.... I think the word... racism/racist... gets thrown around way to easy, and way too much. Every single living thing discriminates. As in the Webster definition. White/black, short/tall, fat/skinny. And we all have prejudices.... again, in the Webster definition. But that does not at all mean the same thing as thinking other races are inferior to your own. That is a different story... when you look down upon another person because of their race. I'm not saying racism does not exist... because it certainly does. But I just think not as much as the word gets used.

Well put.

Racism and prejudice are two different, even if related, things in my opinion. 

Do you think there is some truth to stereotypes? While I hate paining a wide brush across an entire group, obviously cultural differences exist. Even within cultural (and religious groups), there are huge differences. And yes, everyone has prejudices.

No, I do not see it that way. Racism is about you actually believing your race is superior to others. White supremacists being the obvious extreme example. But you do not have to be so extreme to actually think other races are inferior to yours.

Discrimination can be about anything and it can come from anywhere. You might not like fat people... but maybe only because you are skinny. you might hate smokers and refuse to invite them over. I might be prejudices towards immigrants that refuse to speak the native language. It isn't defined by any definitive set of beliefs or people. We all discriminate. EVERYONE. It's completely natural.... the moment we look at someone we automatically classify them... now going a step further and surmising that they are inferior to you based on race is a whole other discussion. I know all human beings are equal as human beings, black and white... but I certainly discriminate and have my own set of prejudices.

Have you seen my finish times?  My race is most definitely not superior.  hehe

I understand we could be splitting hairs and only be arguing degree. I have just always seen a clear distinction. You do indeed need to be able to discriminate between black and white first... but judging someone genetically inferior to your race takes a special kind of stupid. Not just your normal variety. And I'm not trying to just be a good white guy talking about how horrible racists are and putting them in a special class. 

I could judge fat people to be lazy. Common observation. Does not make it true. I don't walk in their shoes... but it goes across race and ethnicity. Anyone can be over weight, and we can attach a judgment on their "behavior". And then of course I could get fat... actually I'm working on that right now... and then I would have a bunch of excuses why me sitting on my butt eating ice cream all day is not that bad.

But racists think their genes are better period. So you can have someone from another race be a good person... but they will always be inferior to the worst in their race. That is a special kind of stupid. To be able to devalue someone to that degree.. that's special. Obviously, the human race has shown remarkable ability to devalue others. So it isn't a shock. I just think it is extreme to elevate to that level of devaluation based solely on race.

Well, there would be a huge issue if my parents were considering my first wife was African American and my current I half Asian.  We also grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood...  My entire immediate family and 99% of my extended  has NEVER showed ANY kind of disrespect.

However, my uncle (I learned after the fact) decided NOT to attend my first wedding because I was marrying a black woman.  My grandparents, though not overtly negative, also were a product of their times and may not have been politically correct at times.  I don't think they meant to be hurtful for thought bad of who I was with, but also said some things that could be offensive HAD we not known they didn't mean harm.  My wife would actually chuckle because it was an old person being old, not hurtful.  For example, my grandmother (who is long passed) said she had "colored" friends when she was little that her parents didn't want her to be around.  We sort of laughed at the word choice because we knew what she meant. 

I will also say, I generally didn't have any issues with society in general when I lived in more progressive cities.  Denver and cities out west.  For years, never heard anything bad.  But went back to STL and heard crap yelled at us after 60 minutes being back in town.  Got some looks up north and down south as well...  I don't think most give a crap in Denver, Vegas, San Fran, LA, NYC, Miami, etc.  I guess in cities with more diversity in the first place, you don't get as much grief being and interracial couple.

I can't say you are wrong. But my only point is that racism needs to maintain the ugliness it truly is. By relegating it to a mere prejudice that we all do... it somehow sugar coats what it is. To me at least. Even if we are just arguing degree, or semantics.

So I grew up in Vegas, and I would not describe it as multicultural. At least then. Pretty white. Then moved to IL., Fl., VA.... that was a little different. Would get beat up if I was in the wrong part of town at the wrong time simply for being white. Then lived outside DC for about 6 months after the Navy.... then moved here to Colorado Springs.... and it was quite a shock. I would be shocked if there was more than 5% black here. And that would probably be from the military. I have never lived anywhere so white. No real reason. Not any racism really... just the way it is. I have never understood it.