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What racist things have you done in your life?
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Stilton Disco
Member
Occasional obviously non serious jokes when appropriate if I feel my friends are getting complacent during conversations, though it's more for absurdity and shock value, and not just confined to racism, just any taboo subject that'll get a rise out of them.
They do the same thing mind. Basically my friends and I are monsters.
Actual serious racism where I genuinely believe others are inferior or should be treated differently because of genetics and/or appearence though?
Never. Quite frankly the entire concept of racism has always baffled me.
They do the same thing mind. Basically my friends and I are monsters.
Actual serious racism where I genuinely believe others are inferior or should be treated differently because of genetics and/or appearence though?
Never. Quite frankly the entire concept of racism has always baffled me.
Yaphett Kotto
Member
Never done anything racist in my life. Maybe a bad joke or stereotype here and there, but not anything insanely harmful.
MrToughPants
Brian Burke punched my mom
I listen to loud rap music in my rap car but when a brotha walks by I be turning the volume down, adjusting my seat, locking the door, and shutting my window.
Earthpainting
Member
I'm probably blind to some of my more unfortunate behaviour, but one thing I catch myself doing is giving myself reminders to not be racist. Virtually all the people of colour in my region are of Turkish descent, but when I see a group of those teens hang out, I think to myself "that's fine". I know it's fine, but somehow I give myself the reminder, as if I needed convincing. I don't even know why the hell I do that.
I don't know if this was racist as such, but here goes.
So this one time I heard the doorbell ring, so I went to open our front door only to find a black door-to-door salesman standing in front of me. I don't recall what he said to me, but I do remember that I simply stared at him for a second or two, then turned around without saying a word, went to my mother and blurted out "There's a black man at the door!".
So this one time I heard the doorbell ring, so I went to open our front door only to find a black door-to-door salesman standing in front of me. I don't recall what he said to me, but I do remember that I simply stared at him for a second or two, then turned around without saying a word, went to my mother and blurted out "There's a black man at the door!".
I was 4 or 5 years old at the time and had never seen a black person before.
Throughout my childhood I was taught that Germans were Nazis. Not some. Not past tense. But all Germans were Nazis. This didn't change until I was in the 7th grade when I made a stupid racist remark to a friend of mine (who was also hispanic but with a german dad/ last name) which upset her. Got schooled pretty hard that day.
I teeter on racism against white people in certain situations. While I don't consider myself racist by the actions I commit to I do filter a lot of my observations of white people through the "are they racist?" filter which, in fact, is racist of me.
I teeter on racism against white people in certain situations. While I don't consider myself racist by the actions I commit to I do filter a lot of my observations of white people through the "are they racist?" filter which, in fact, is racist of me.
Spaced Harrier
Member
OP I think you should hand yourself into the police.
To make things right.
To make things right.
Anyone else do uncomfortable (in hindsight) lessons on Native Americans back in elementary school in the 1980s/90s? Making "Indian Brave" headbands out of paper and feathers, doing "Indian dances," giving yourselves "Indian names" that were really just stereotypes. The activities were led by adults but we absolutely participated.
TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared
Member
To date, I've never spoken to a black person IRL.
Not cos of any prejudice, just cos I live and lived in places that are 99% white. Until quite recently in my house, all asian take aways were referred to as 'the chinky place'
Not cos of any prejudice, just cos I live and lived in places that are 99% white. Until quite recently in my house, all asian take aways were referred to as 'the chinky place'
GeordieMark
Member
My Mauritian friend and I regularly trade jokes that would sound racist to anyone who overheard them and didn't know we are buddies. He teases me about being a backwards northerner, and I tease him about being a backwards foreigner, but we love each other really.
On the singing along to rap music thing, I did feel extremely awkward watching Kanye at Glastonbury when he was doing some crowd participation during 'Gold Digger'. Just felt really weird seeing a crowd of predominantly white people chanting the N word.
On the singing along to rap music thing, I did feel extremely awkward watching Kanye at Glastonbury when he was doing some crowd participation during 'Gold Digger'. Just felt really weird seeing a crowd of predominantly white people chanting the N word.
This right here.
archangelmorph
Member
Listened to my rather racist, African, traditionalist parents when they badgered me to break up with my sweetheart in Uni because she wasn't ethnically Nigerian
Incidentally I'm now 8 years (happily) married to my Nigerian wife who ironically, they don't approve of...
Suffice to say I haven't been speaking to them for about 3 years now, and regularly advocate to my younger sibling that he ignore their bullshit and hook up with whoever he likes...
... she was Ghanian.. It's fucking next door geographically...
Incidentally I'm now 8 years (happily) married to my Nigerian wife who ironically, they don't approve of...
Suffice to say I haven't been speaking to them for about 3 years now, and regularly advocate to my younger sibling that he ignore their bullshit and hook up with whoever he likes...
My family wasn't well off, we were poor, and this was all we could afford. My father lost his job at the office, and had to make do working as a mechanic, and my mom couldn't finda job. We lived in a very bad area of the inner city, in a rat infesed apartment. It wasn't safe to walk outside, it wasn't safe to be anywhere there, specially if you were white. We were the only whites on the block, and as such treated like dirt. Nobody looked out for us, nobody cared about us. At school I was bullied everyday by my peers. I was constantly getting into fights, constantly in trouble with the law because, I had nothing to lose. When I was 13 a few guys from school followed me home. They broke into our apartment during the middle of the day, and robbed us at gunpoint. Police were unsympathetic telling us "Choose to lie with animals. Don't be suprised if you get bit". We were left to our own devices.
There was a light though, it got better. About a year or so later after the robbery; my dad got an offer working at a bank at another city. He'd be making more then what he was making now (we'd still be struggling with money but, he had the chance to improve) and frankly life would be better. At first it was a struggle, we struggled to fit in, we struggled but, it was better here and our lives were better off for it. Life was good here, I was around my people, my dad was moving up the ranks (by final year in HS he was branch manager and making nice $$$) and my mom landed a new job as a counselor for the local middle school. A better man would have reflected upon this, used to to understand the plight of others but, I didn't I was among my "people" and that combined with my fathers racism and experiences taught me to hate blacks. It didn't help many of my friends were openly racist themselves, and the people I associated with were all white. It is said you are what your enviroment is, and I never had the chance to grow. I left home after school and went to a prestigous university.
One day while I was home visiting my dad invited me to spend the day with him and his "friends". I didn't know who they were, or why theyd want to talk to me but, frankly I was happy to meet them. My dad had a lot of friends in high places, said some of them could get me jobs if I wanted. Sure, I'd meet them but, how could I have know I was gunna join the KKK? I was 20 when I joined, and I never regreted it. They weren't the rednecks you see on TV< or in the media. Some of them were Police Officers, some were business owners, even doctors. It wasn't anything sinister, it was basically just a bunch of old white men talking about how our race was in danger. I lapped up every minute of it though.
But me being part of a hate group isn't the full story. Heres the part where I tell you why I feel I need to confess. I'm a teacher at HS, and frankly I'm not sure I should even say this. Last year I had a black student named "T", he was a football player and looked urban, and yet he was so smart and had so much potential. I tutored him reluctantly everyday because his coach wanted him too, and I was a Teacher and couldn't say no. I hated him, I hated the way he talked, the way he smelled, and just the way he looked: like an animal. Yet, I sympathized with him. He came from poverty, dad murdered his mom for money, gang, etc. He came to live with his uncle here and to go to school and one day play pro-football. Guy had a rough life like me, and was trying to make a difference. He had excellent grades but, it was math he struggled in.
He was brilliant despite his intial apperances and he had a goal in life. T tried so hard to pass, and I tried so hard to fail him without getting in trouble myself, I didn't like his race and I didn't want another entitled black getting money off his betters. It made me sick to see this "monkey" get extra help, while other more deserving didn't. I tutored him because, I was a Teacher I couldn't refuse him. He had one final chance: a final exam and if he passed he'd graduate. I was always split on him: i hated him for being black and yet I admired him for overcoming his difficulties in life to try and better himself. He blew it, T was poor even among the poor in this city. The test was stated for 9AM, and he was late. I was always looking for excuses to fail him, and this was my one chance. He missed the test because, he was late. Next day coach got the prncipal to reconsider it, and give him the test. I told them I would but, it had to be altered to be harder. They reluctantly agreed but, theyd have to "review it" first.
They approved of it, and I let the kid take the test. He passed by one point but, I found a loophole. The directions instructed he write out the problem in FULL or else it would be wrong. The answer was right but, I decided to "alter" the answer by erasing a few decimals and numbers to make it wrong. Each questionwas 10 points, and he had 7/10 right, soooo....now he had a 60 and that was failing. He failed and was not able to graduate, when he got the resuts back he wept. I didn't feel good, I felt so disgusted with myself. I didnt' see him as an animal but, as a human, a boy weeping as his future was ruined before his eyes. I didn't reverse the grade and he had to repeat his senior year. He never did get too as he dropped out the next year. I don't know why he dropped, he wasn't in my class next year, and despite my efforts he could have passed wih straight As.
You know what I'm ashamed of what I've done. I was young and stupid when I joined and geniunely bought into their BS about race superiority. When I saw T crying despite everything he had done, perhaps the one thing I always lacked: a heart grew. I started thinking more and the more I talked to many of the, the more I interacted with them the less enamoured I became with them. Only a few were "smart" most were just idiots fueld by hate. Yet still I supported them, I attended rallies, I posted on white power forums, I did everything I could to defend whites. I regret hating them, I rergret being a racist but, I feel it's too late for me to change. I wish I could have been born in a different life honestly. I'm still a teacher and thankfully with modern day attitudes towards race a lot of scrutiny is placed on me if I treat blacks and whites differently. I hope maybe one day I can change, maybe one day I can atone but, old habits die hard.
I know theres a place in hell reserved for me.
There was a light though, it got better. About a year or so later after the robbery; my dad got an offer working at a bank at another city. He'd be making more then what he was making now (we'd still be struggling with money but, he had the chance to improve) and frankly life would be better. At first it was a struggle, we struggled to fit in, we struggled but, it was better here and our lives were better off for it. Life was good here, I was around my people, my dad was moving up the ranks (by final year in HS he was branch manager and making nice $$$) and my mom landed a new job as a counselor for the local middle school. A better man would have reflected upon this, used to to understand the plight of others but, I didn't I was among my "people" and that combined with my fathers racism and experiences taught me to hate blacks. It didn't help many of my friends were openly racist themselves, and the people I associated with were all white. It is said you are what your enviroment is, and I never had the chance to grow. I left home after school and went to a prestigous university.
One day while I was home visiting my dad invited me to spend the day with him and his "friends". I didn't know who they were, or why theyd want to talk to me but, frankly I was happy to meet them. My dad had a lot of friends in high places, said some of them could get me jobs if I wanted. Sure, I'd meet them but, how could I have know I was gunna join the KKK? I was 20 when I joined, and I never regreted it. They weren't the rednecks you see on TV< or in the media. Some of them were Police Officers, some were business owners, even doctors. It wasn't anything sinister, it was basically just a bunch of old white men talking about how our race was in danger. I lapped up every minute of it though.
But me being part of a hate group isn't the full story. Heres the part where I tell you why I feel I need to confess. I'm a teacher at HS, and frankly I'm not sure I should even say this. Last year I had a black student named "T", he was a football player and looked urban, and yet he was so smart and had so much potential. I tutored him reluctantly everyday because his coach wanted him too, and I was a Teacher and couldn't say no. I hated him, I hated the way he talked, the way he smelled, and just the way he looked: like an animal. Yet, I sympathized with him. He came from poverty, dad murdered his mom for money, gang, etc. He came to live with his uncle here and to go to school and one day play pro-football. Guy had a rough life like me, and was trying to make a difference. He had excellent grades but, it was math he struggled in.
He was brilliant despite his intial apperances and he had a goal in life. T tried so hard to pass, and I tried so hard to fail him without getting in trouble myself, I didn't like his race and I didn't want another entitled black getting money off his betters. It made me sick to see this "monkey" get extra help, while other more deserving didn't. I tutored him because, I was a Teacher I couldn't refuse him. He had one final chance: a final exam and if he passed he'd graduate. I was always split on him: i hated him for being black and yet I admired him for overcoming his difficulties in life to try and better himself. He blew it, T was poor even among the poor in this city. The test was stated for 9AM, and he was late. I was always looking for excuses to fail him, and this was my one chance. He missed the test because, he was late. Next day coach got the prncipal to reconsider it, and give him the test. I told them I would but, it had to be altered to be harder. They reluctantly agreed but, theyd have to "review it" first.
They approved of it, and I let the kid take the test. He passed by one point but, I found a loophole. The directions instructed he write out the problem in FULL or else it would be wrong. The answer was right but, I decided to "alter" the answer by erasing a few decimals and numbers to make it wrong. Each questionwas 10 points, and he had 7/10 right, soooo....now he had a 60 and that was failing. He failed and was not able to graduate, when he got the resuts back he wept. I didn't feel good, I felt so disgusted with myself. I didnt' see him as an animal but, as a human, a boy weeping as his future was ruined before his eyes. I didn't reverse the grade and he had to repeat his senior year. He never did get too as he dropped out the next year. I don't know why he dropped, he wasn't in my class next year, and despite my efforts he could have passed wih straight As.
You know what I'm ashamed of what I've done. I was young and stupid when I joined and geniunely bought into their BS about race superiority. When I saw T crying despite everything he had done, perhaps the one thing I always lacked: a heart grew. I started thinking more and the more I talked to many of the, the more I interacted with them the less enamoured I became with them. Only a few were "smart" most were just idiots fueld by hate. Yet still I supported them, I attended rallies, I posted on white power forums, I did everything I could to defend whites. I regret hating them, I rergret being a racist but, I feel it's too late for me to change. I wish I could have been born in a different life honestly. I'm still a teacher and thankfully with modern day attitudes towards race a lot of scrutiny is placed on me if I treat blacks and whites differently. I hope maybe one day I can change, maybe one day I can atone but, old habits die hard.
I know theres a place in hell reserved for me.
archangelmorph
Member
Write your own lyrics bro...
This is where I realized why this story sounded familiar
mariachi507
Member
-Used to say nigga when I was a teen to my white friends.
-When I worked at a call center, we used to talk to people from India everyday. Language barrier issues would be common, so to screw with my co-workers I would call their phones and speak in an Indian accent while being as annoying as possible. Not cool.
-At the same call center I used to work at, we were having a potluck one day. Somebody had made some salsa and warned that it was spicy, but after trying it I thought it was rather tame. I got back in line and a Hispanic co-worker stood behind me. She asked me if the salsa was hot, and my dumbass replied, "I'm sure it's nothing that YOU can't handle." I didn't say that trying to be racist or to offend, but I do believe that subconsciously my response was linked to the stereotype. She immediately responded with, "what the hell? Are you saying that because I'm Hispanic?" I freaked out and tried some damage control, apologizing over and over. That was eight years ago and I still feel shitty about it.
-When I worked at a call center, we used to talk to people from India everyday. Language barrier issues would be common, so to screw with my co-workers I would call their phones and speak in an Indian accent while being as annoying as possible. Not cool.
-At the same call center I used to work at, we were having a potluck one day. Somebody had made some salsa and warned that it was spicy, but after trying it I thought it was rather tame. I got back in line and a Hispanic co-worker stood behind me. She asked me if the salsa was hot, and my dumbass replied, "I'm sure it's nothing that YOU can't handle." I didn't say that trying to be racist or to offend, but I do believe that subconsciously my response was linked to the stereotype. She immediately responded with, "what the hell? Are you saying that because I'm Hispanic?" I freaked out and tried some damage control, apologizing over and over. That was eight years ago and I still feel shitty about it.
Rabbi_Vole
Banned
Many years ago, I was best man at a wedding. It was a "destination wedding" in St.Simons, GA. The night before the wedding, a small group of us had a number of drinks and went out for a walk around 2am. We were the only people out that evening.. The area was dead. We were all huddled up chatting outside by the lighthouse when a lone man appeared and began slowly walking towards us.
We were a bit freaked, so I loudly asked a friend "Hey X, are you carrying tonight?" .. I guess my logic was to reroute this potential hooligan by making him think we had a gun. It didn't stop him so the males bowed up and braced for contact. As he got closer, it was apparent he was black.. And not a man, but a teenager. He had some choice words for us, but after my buddies threw me under the bus, we all had a pretty good rest of the evening. He was there on vacation with his family and bored as shit.
Also, when I was in middle school, I called an Asian kid my age eating chicken wings "Chicken Wang."
We were a bit freaked, so I loudly asked a friend "Hey X, are you carrying tonight?" .. I guess my logic was to reroute this potential hooligan by making him think we had a gun. It didn't stop him so the males bowed up and braced for contact. As he got closer, it was apparent he was black.. And not a man, but a teenager. He had some choice words for us, but after my buddies threw me under the bus, we all had a pretty good rest of the evening. He was there on vacation with his family and bored as shit.
Also, when I was in middle school, I called an Asian kid my age eating chicken wings "Chicken Wang."
Michael Bolton?? Good job misplacing that decimal point, by the way.
Can't think of any specific instances, but definitely was just uneducated and ignorant about all minorities growing up. Going to college and moving out of the suburbs seemed to help that a bit.
Edit: Oh, and definitely race jokes all the time in high school. That stuff never stopped. The crazy thing is that I hardly knew anyone who wasn't white, save for some Asians and blacks in my school, so how would I know anything about it even to make a joke? Awful stuff.
Edit: Oh, and definitely race jokes all the time in high school. That stuff never stopped. The crazy thing is that I hardly knew anyone who wasn't white, save for some Asians and blacks in my school, so how would I know anything about it even to make a joke? Awful stuff.
astroturfing
Member
oh man, too much to list. sheesh.. i don't know where to start honestly!
all of it has been accidental though so you can't blame me too much.
here's one example; years ago i was playing LittleBigPlanet with some random dude, and the game had a feature where you could slap these custom stickers on the levels, so the guy said his sticker has his own face, and all i saw was black and i said "sorry i can't see anything resembling a human, just black", then i turned the brightness up and realized it was a very dark-skinned man in a poorly lit room. i just fucking froze and didn't say another word, and we kept playing through the level in silence.
also i have a habit of making weird sounds if i'm bored, and one time sitting in a bus i made these noises as a few asian guys were getting on the bus, and suddenly i realized the noises i was making sounded a bit pseudo-Chinese, like "ching chang choo woo chii", and i fucking froze in panic as one of the guys stared intently into my eyes. i still don't know how in the hell that happened, some dark part of my subconscious took over the syllables coming out of my mouth or something. i've since quit that habit and just hum a song or something if i really have to.
i could go on..
all of it has been accidental though so you can't blame me too much.
here's one example; years ago i was playing LittleBigPlanet with some random dude, and the game had a feature where you could slap these custom stickers on the levels, so the guy said his sticker has his own face, and all i saw was black and i said "sorry i can't see anything resembling a human, just black", then i turned the brightness up and realized it was a very dark-skinned man in a poorly lit room. i just fucking froze and didn't say another word, and we kept playing through the level in silence.
also i have a habit of making weird sounds if i'm bored, and one time sitting in a bus i made these noises as a few asian guys were getting on the bus, and suddenly i realized the noises i was making sounded a bit pseudo-Chinese, like "ching chang choo woo chii", and i fucking froze in panic as one of the guys stared intently into my eyes. i still don't know how in the hell that happened, some dark part of my subconscious took over the syllables coming out of my mouth or something. i've since quit that habit and just hum a song or something if i really have to.
i could go on..
We are evil itself.
Not really something that I did, but when I was in elementary school, a teacher thought it would be funny/ironic to have the whitest kid in the class (me) in the role of a black character from my country's folklore in a play. That led me to have my face painted black for the play too. We also had a black kid with a "whiteface" painted to balance things out, apparently.
Told racist jokes.
Stood idly by and accepted the extreme racism (bordering on white supremacy) of friends of friends in shared social settings.
I'm always trying to be a better person, but I'm pretty sure the guy in the latter scenario could beat the piss out of me and not spill his Milwaukee's Best.
Stood idly by and accepted the extreme racism (bordering on white supremacy) of friends of friends in shared social settings.
I'm always trying to be a better person, but I'm pretty sure the guy in the latter scenario could beat the piss out of me and not spill his Milwaukee's Best.
GeordieMark
Member
A mate of mine wears glasses, but he hated wearing them when we were at school. He worked out that if he narrowed his eyes by pushing back the skin around them, he could read without needing them. It was only when a Japanese kid in our class accused him of taking the piss that he realised what he was doing could look kind of offensive to anyone who didn't know why he was doing it.
Off the top of my head, I was surprised when I went to a Thai friend's house for dinner and was shocked that they had cooked a bunch of Italian food. As I was eating it I thought "shit, I am half Filipino and Irish and almost never prepare Irish or Flip food", and realized that I was stereotyping.
lifa-cobex
Member
I didn't vote remain.
xKilltheMx
Member
Black in Florida too (north florida at that)
I assume all white people are Trump Supporters until proven otherwise.
This is probably racist but I mean at this point I don't even care, this is my life I'm going to stereotype hard and live/not get fired.
No, I wouldn't call that racist. I'm white, and it is unbelievable to me how many people around me (mostly white, of course) have revealed themselves to be Trump supporters. Now I just assume that people around me are. Some of these people...I really just want to say "I thought you were smarter than that."
Edit: I realized that I never actually answered the question. Yeah...tons of racial jokes in high school. I was a dumb kid from a middle class family in a mostly white school with no perspective...nothing to see here.
There was an Indian kid I didn't get along with in middle and high school (he was a total instigator) and I'd make jokes about him working at 7-11 and doing the stereotypical "Apu" accent. There were several other Indian kids at my school that I was friends with that I did not make those jokes about, only this particular one because it's easy to fall back on dumb stereotypes when you want to tease someone you don't like. After HS we both matured (he's still a bit of an instigator though 
) and we eventually became really close friends.
First time I ever got ridiculously drunk I called my friend a Sand-ni**er (he's an Italian-American, like me)
Plenty of racist jokes through the years. No malicious intent behind them but I do know that it's not kosher nowadays so I've dropped that.
I grew up in an area with very few black people (mostly white with a few asian, latin, and middle eastern) and don't really have too much interaction on a daily basis with them (
), so I'll admit that the times I've found myself in majority-black areas (i.e. Bed Stuy or Prince Georges County, MD) I've felt uncomfortable and out of place. So I guess I can empathize a bit with when minorities find themselves in suburbia.
) and we eventually became really close friends.First time I ever got ridiculously drunk I called my friend a Sand-ni**er (he's an Italian-American, like me
)Plenty of racist jokes through the years. No malicious intent behind them but I do know that it's not kosher nowadays so I've dropped that.
I grew up in an area with very few black people (mostly white with a few asian, latin, and middle eastern) and don't really have too much interaction on a daily basis with them (
aside from the Trinidadian girl at my last job who I think had the hots for me...
appaws
Banned
Yeah. The fried chicken and watermelon thing is so dumb. Everyone loves fried chicken and watermelon. Different cultural groups have different foodways, and I don't think it is racist to notice that...but this one is not even true.
Someone mentioned Soul Food. The street where the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Civil Rights Museum in Selma, AL (across the bridge from the town) has the most amazing little family soul food places. The Catfish is fucking perfect. And sweet potato pie, Madonn'.
I grew up in a part of the west side of Chicago which was roughly half Italian (me) and half Mexican. We all called the area on the other side of Central Ave. "the N***** neighborhood." All the adults did, and we learned it, and we never thought twice about it. It wasn't until I was about 12 and my parents put me in a more diverse private school that I made my first black friends and learned why that was bad.
Ninja Scooter
Member
When I was a kid I assumed all of my Asian friends knew karate.
Violence Jack
Member
I'm not proud to admit that I've done the whole "mock Indian accent" out of sheer anger after trying to place a service call with Dell tech support in the past. There was such a language barrier that more often than not, my service requests have been completely screwed up or flat out cancelled on me with no notification.
Outside of that, my close friends and I still crack racist jokes at each other. Including the numerous ones I still get because I'm black and allergic to watermelon.
Outside of that, my close friends and I still crack racist jokes at each other. Including the numerous ones I still get because I'm black and allergic to watermelon.
Who hurt you?
LookAtMeGo
Member
NCR Redslayer
NeoGAF's Vegeta
I got caught being racist to whites, blacks, and latinos in my youth. Also might have faked being asian but that's a different story.
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