Spanish Basketball Team Salutes Their Hosts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.
Well, you have really displayed your cultural sensitivity towards stereotyping here. You should be ashamed of your own racist drivel.

I have to believe that the uber-PC poster here has never left the United States, and carries some idealized notion of how the rest of the world operates. Here in the U.S. we might not always succeed in being sensitive and inclusive, but at least we try. And dear god, don't get me started on the culture of racial repression in India, China and Japan.

But you know what? India, China, Japan don't claim that they are a land of equal opportunity. They are not countries with a Statue of Liberty beseeching poor immigrants to come to their shores, "the poor, the tired, the hungry." If they did, then they would be held to higher standards.

I used to love Europeans, culture, way of life and thought they were so sophisticated, knowledgeable, educated, ... They do have a better education particularly when it comes to learning languages, world geography, environmental matters. For the rest, they're not that much of an advanced society.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Have you seen how FILTHY some European cities are (or have you just visited the Swiss?)

I wonder why they flock her for education in some of our wonderful PUBLIC colleges when they can have theirs for free....hmmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I used to love Europeans, culture, way of life and thought they were so sophisticated, knowledgeable, educated, ... They do have a better education particularly when it comes to learning languages, world geography, environmental matters. For the rest, they're not that much of an advanced society.

How can you possibly make such blanket generalizations about a very large and very diverse continent?

Because I have had friendships, have had European coworkers, ex-significant others, visited and visit often, and married one. I've also lived there. There is a difference in mentality between northern and southern Europeans, as it relates to environment, sex ed... yes, Switzerland is in a bubblesphere of its own. I appreciate the German & northern European environmental awareness.

When it comes to race relations ... it needs work. There is a lot of ignorance despite the higher level of education. You could say that the US had their race riots 40 years ago and that for France, we've only witnessed the beginnings of one. In my friendships, relationships with Europeans (East & West), I have heard the way they talk about their residents: Turks, Moroccans, Africans, refugees. ... gotta go

[Anonymous]

Because I have had friendships, have had European coworkers, ex-significant others, visited and visit often, and married one. I've also lived there. There is a difference in mentality between northern and southern Europeans, as it relates to environment, sex ed... yes, Switzerland is in a bubblesphere of its own. I appreciate the German & northern European environmental awareness.

When it comes to race relations ... it needs work. There is a lot of ignorance despite the higher level of education. You could say that the US had their race riots 40 years ago and that for France, we've only witnessed the beginnings of one. In my friendships, relationships with Europeans (East & West), I have heard the way they talk about their residents: Turks, Moroccans, Africans, refugees. ... gotta go

Great, you have non-American friends and co-workers. It doesn't mean you can condemn an entire continent as being racist, particularly given that when you add up the collective experiences of people on this board there are probably a huge range of conclusions. For every Jean Marie LePen there is a Rene Cassin or a Lech Walesa.

[Anonymous]

I am an African American woman who is extremely offended by racist statements about ANY race. So when anti Asian comments are made, I run and avoid nuts like that. I have dated every race and would marry or adopt any race.

That said, I have experienced a lot of racism in this country. I wish I could say otherwise. When I was in Europe, I could not make it out of a club or bar without some (White) man asking me out. I dated a European man for years and lived there for a while. I can not say that I ever experienced a white man in the US asking me out, EVER. I am well above average looks, and very well educated, with a very good income. My parents were quite well off, and my whole family is very articulate. I could only assume that the aversion was racial. In the US, I have been asked out by two Asian men, one middle eastern man, the rest African or African American.

I would suggest that we look closely at ourselves here in this country since we are not living in Spain. Lets fix our own problems.

[Anonymous]

well i'm sure if you were a foreign national visiting some bumf**k town in the middle of nowhere america where diversity means brunettes and blonds live in the same town, you would think that america was an awfully racist country.

But our equal opportunity employment laws apply everywhere. Compliance and implementation might lag behind, but Americans have (mostly) stood up and said, We believe in equality. Like the PP said, we had our race riots decades ago and now we're working through the recovery period. Much of the world hasn't even come to the awareness that leads to social upheavals.

In that light, perhaps it's a good thing that the handlers of the Spanish basketball team made their bonehead mistake. Perhaps the incident will teach some people that, in the 21st century, it will be unacceptable to make jokes based on the physical attributes of other ethnicities. I'd rather see folks having epiphanies about each individuals's right to basic human dignity, but any such step would be welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Next time you're in Spain, ask them their opinions of the Gypsies and the Arabs (esp. the ones from North Africa). For a quick history snapshot, the Gypsies have been in Spain for 4 centuries and the Arabs had been there for 8 centuries before being kicked-out in 1492. At this point, I figured that both ethnic & cultural groups would be pretty native, but they are not assimilated, integrated, or accepted.

Yeah! [Satire alert]

And next time you're in Prince William County ask people of European heritage what they think about Latinos (aka Hispanics, Mexicans, or illegals).

The good ol US of A is a model of speedy foreigner acceptance and minority integration. (Funny how that whole "sorry for centuries of government-sanctioned slavery" thing in congress took kind of a while after the Emancipation Proclamation.)

We sure could teach those French and their Franco-Algerian justice minister a thing or two about tolerating immigrants. Forget the headscarves. We expel US-born children of US citizens from school for speaking "foreign" languages. (It was a while back at a Catholic school in Kansas if you want to google it.) Can you imagine the nerve of a child to use Spanish to insult another kid on the playground?!?

Now since we're all feeling holier than Spaniards, let's refrain from using the term "Gypsies" which is actually a pejorative, racist and anti-semitic term all rolled into one. (Cool, huh!) This ethnic group refers to themselves as Roma. (Not that I'm a snarky know-it-all or anything.)

[End of satire]

OP, in all seriousness I appreciate you posting the story. Definitely one for the WTF file.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Well, you have really displayed your cultural sensitivity towards stereotyping here. You should be ashamed of your own racist drivel.

ummmm, I'm white. Do do I self loathe? I actually am German to be specific and my grandfather was an SS soldier. My family did not come her on the Mayflower and I have pleanty of realtives in Germany and Austria. I stand by my comments, they are still VERY racist (you know against other races, not what you accused me of, which I think mis categorized and meant elitist).

Am I wrong? Have the immigrants assimilated in Europe well? What about the Gypsies, have they been folded into mainstream? I'm curious, have you ever lived in Europe? Have you read any books? Do you watch the news? I'm wondering....

Yes, I lived in Europe for 30 years. And while there was plenty of racism there, I never saw segregation in Europe like that I saw after I moved to DC. So you might want to consider that before you make blanket statements about other races. And while many (most) Germans, like your relatives, helped Hitler carry out his atrocities, others, like my relatives, risked their lives and liberty to oppose him. Could it be that your Nazi-sympathizing relatives don't paint the whole picture about modern Europe? Just something for you to think about....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an African American woman who is extremely offended by racist statements about ANY race. So when anti Asian comments are made, I run and avoid nuts like that. I have dated every race and would marry or adopt any race.

That said, I have experienced a lot of racism in this country. I wish I could say otherwise. When I was in Europe, I could not make it out of a club or bar without some (White) man asking me out. I dated a European man for years and lived there for a while. I can not say that I ever experienced a white man in the US asking me out, EVER. I am well above average looks, and very well educated, with a very good income. My parents were quite well off, and my whole family is very articulate. I could only assume that the aversion was racial. In the US, I have been asked out by two Asian men, one middle eastern man, the rest African or African American.

I would suggest that we look closely at ourselves here in this country since we are not living in Spain. Lets fix our own problems.

The issue is that Americans have been forced to deal with race, so all seems well. But when you take a close look at the rush to adopt any child other than Black, we see the reality. Race is a real issue here, we are just probably the most sophisticated when it comes to hiding it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because I have had friendships, have had European coworkers, ex-significant others, visited and visit often, and married one. I've also lived there. There is a difference in mentality between northern and southern Europeans, as it relates to environment, sex ed... yes, Switzerland is in a bubblesphere of its own. I appreciate the German & northern European environmental awareness.

When it comes to race relations ... it needs work. There is a lot of ignorance despite the higher level of education. You could say that the US had their race riots 40 years ago and that for France, we've only witnessed the beginnings of one. In my friendships, relationships with Europeans (East & West), I have heard the way they talk about their residents: Turks, Moroccans, Africans, refugees. ... gotta go

Great, you have non-American friends and co-workers. It doesn't mean you can condemn an entire continent as being racist, particularly given that when you add up the collective experiences of people on this board there are probably a huge range of conclusions. For every Jean Marie LePen there is a Rene Cassin or a Lech Walesa.

Well, after you see a pattern of behavior in their (snide) remarks in reference to "those immigrants" whether they be from Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, you can make a rationalization about the collective attitude in that country. Of course this is not absolute. There are also left wingers in every country that goes against the grain.

I can understand the resentment in the instances where the immigrants live on welfare and keep bringing more distant relatives into their countries. In that case, why can't they change the laws to attract the better educated immigrants. Yeah, a simplistic approach. Just thinking out loud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Next time you're in Spain, ask them their opinions of the Gypsies and the Arabs (esp. the ones from North Africa). For a quick history snapshot, the Gypsies have been in Spain for 4 centuries and the Arabs had been there for 8 centuries before being kicked-out in 1492. At this point, I figured that both ethnic & cultural groups would be pretty native, but they are not assimilated, integrated, or accepted.

Yeah! [Satire alert]

And next time you're in Prince William County ask people of European heritage what they think about Latinos (aka Hispanics, Mexicans, or illegals).

The good ol US of A is a model of speedy foreigner acceptance and minority integration. (Funny how that whole "sorry for centuries of government-sanctioned slavery" thing in congress took kind of a while after the Emancipation Proclamation.)

We sure could teach those French and their Franco-Algerian justice minister a thing or two about tolerating immigrants. Forget the headscarves. We expel US-born children of US citizens from school for speaking "foreign" languages. (It was a while back at a Catholic school in Kansas if you want to google it.) Can you imagine the nerve of a child to use Spanish to insult another kid on the playground?!?

Now since we're all feeling holier than Spaniards, let's refrain from using the term "Gypsies" which is actually a pejorative, racist and anti-semitic term all rolled into one. (Cool, huh!) This ethnic group refers to themselves as Roma. (Not that I'm a snarky know-it-all or anything.)

[End of satire]

OP, in all seriousness I appreciate you posting the story. Definitely one for the WTF file.

FYI there is a difference between people here legally and illegally. I don't think many people take issue with Latinos per say, but with anyone who is here illegally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Well, you have really displayed your cultural sensitivity towards stereotyping here. You should be ashamed of your own racist drivel.

ummmm, I'm white. Do do I self loathe? I actually am German to be specific and my grandfather was an SS soldier. My family did not come her on the Mayflower and I have pleanty of realtives in Germany and Austria. I stand by my comments, they are still VERY racist (you know against other races, not what you accused me of, which I think mis categorized and meant elitist).

Am I wrong? Have the immigrants assimilated in Europe well? What about the Gypsies, have they been folded into mainstream? I'm curious, have you ever lived in Europe? Have you read any books? Do you watch the news? I'm wondering....

Yes, I lived in Europe for 30 years. And while there was plenty of racism there, I never saw segregation in Europe like that I saw after I moved to DC. So you might want to consider that before you make blanket statements about other races. And while many (most) Germans, like your relatives, helped Hitler carry out his atrocities, others, like my relatives, risked their lives and liberty to oppose him. Could it be that your Nazi-sympathizing relatives don't paint the whole picture about modern Europe? Just something for you to think about....

I do not know WHERE you were living, clearly not where I have been. I'm suspicious you never even lived there, maybe visited for 3 days in London.

[Anonymous]

So you think being in support of our immigration laws means that you are racist? I guess I must self-loathe since I am Peruvian. You might be suprised, in the Latino community many of us are in support of enforcing immigration laws. It took my family a LONG time to become citizens or greencard holders in this great country, and are pain stakingly trying to bring over more and more family members, the legal way. It irritates my parents to no end when people come to this country and expect an easy road to earning the privledge of living here.

You know what? Being a latino family, I will NOT live in a predominatly latino community (such as many areas in Prince William) the hard truth is that areas with high rates of illegals also have high rates of crime, trashed neighborhoods, and overcrowded houses. This stresses schools, degrading services and trashes neighborhoods degrading property value. I don't want my kids to have to grow up in a type of environment that my parents left Peru to escape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Well, you have really displayed your cultural sensitivity towards stereotyping here. You should be ashamed of your own racist drivel.

ummmm, I'm white. Do do I self loathe? I actually am German to be specific and my grandfather was an SS soldier. My family did not come her on the Mayflower and I have pleanty of realtives in Germany and Austria. I stand by my comments, they are still VERY racist (you know against other races, not what you accused me of, which I think mis categorized and meant elitist).

Am I wrong? Have the immigrants assimilated in Europe well? What about the Gypsies, have they been folded into mainstream? I'm curious, have you ever lived in Europe? Have you read any books? Do you watch the news? I'm wondering....

Yes, I lived in Europe for 30 years. And while there was plenty of racism there, I never saw segregation in Europe like that I saw after I moved to DC. So you might want to consider that before you make blanket statements about other races. And while many (most) Germans, like your relatives, helped Hitler carry out his atrocities, others, like my relatives, risked their lives and liberty to oppose him. Could it be that your Nazi-sympathizing relatives don't paint the whole picture about modern Europe? Just something for you to think about....

I do not know WHERE you were living, clearly not where I have been. I'm suspicious you never even lived there, maybe visited for 3 days in London.

so where have you European German person lived? Where in Germany? I am German myself, and I have not experienced that amount of racism although I am married to an African American. Racism is not the same as seeing a culture grow into diversity. Keep in mind how few foreigners lived in Germany for quite some time. It takes any country time to adjust to being diverse. Europe as a unity is a relatively new concept and I think considering that, it's worked out pretty well.

And I hate stereotypes. I really do. ALL Europeans are racist? My relatives never had an issue with me being married to an African American.

Wow. And there I was thinking that us Europeans prefer not to stereotype. I must have been wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant. It is extremely apparant in their complete and total lack of ability to assimilate their immigrants into their countries. They even managed to produce the worst monster in history, Hitler, and the millions looked on with apathy.

Next time you are in Germany bring up the Turks. When visiting France, find out what they think of the Arabs.

Well, you have really displayed your cultural sensitivity towards stereotyping here. You should be ashamed of your own racist drivel.

ummmm, I'm white. Do do I self loathe? I actually am German to be specific and my grandfather was an SS soldier. My family did not come her on the Mayflower and I have pleanty of realtives in Germany and Austria. I stand by my comments, they are still VERY racist (you know against other races, not what you accused me of, which I think mis categorized and meant elitist).

Am I wrong? Have the immigrants assimilated in Europe well? What about the Gypsies, have they been folded into mainstream? I'm curious, have you ever lived in Europe? Have you read any books? Do you watch the news? I'm wondering....

Yes, I lived in Europe for 30 years. And while there was plenty of racism there, I never saw segregation in Europe like that I saw after I moved to DC. So you might want to consider that before you make blanket statements about other races. And while many (most) Germans, like your relatives, helped Hitler carry out his atrocities, others, like my relatives, risked their lives and liberty to oppose him. Could it be that your Nazi-sympathizing relatives don't paint the whole picture about modern Europe? Just something for you to think about....

I do not know WHERE you were living, clearly not where I have been. I'm suspicious you never even lived there, maybe visited for 3 days in London.

I am sorry my travels don't match what you experienced in your ex-SS enclaves: I spent 20 years in London, 8 years in Germany, 1 year in Italy and 1 year in France. Is that European enough for you? In any case, the irony inherent in your statement "Europeans are horribly racist and generally ignorant" says it all.
We all have a choice: whether to confront stereotypes and seek a path of understanding and building bridges, or whether to retreat into our own smug little world while at the same time loudly and obnoxiously judging others. I hope you are happy with the choice you have made.

[Anonymous]

Well, after you see a pattern of behavior in their (snide) remarks in reference to "those immigrants" whether they be from Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, you can make a rationalization about the collective attitude in that country. Of course this is not absolute. There are also left wingers in every country that goes against the grain.

I don't at all agree that you can extrapolate a country's collective attitude based on the idiotic comments of your handful of Euro friends. That is a ridiculous conclusion. I also think it is a cop-out to say that "left wingers" are those that go against the grain (I am inferring that you mean the "left wingers" are those who are less racist). In my experience, friends like yours would be those who go against the grain, and in many ways I think there are things the US could actually learn from Europe on issues of race. In addition, during my years living in Europe, I've come across more than one politically conservative person to whom it would never occur to snub a person on the basis of a different nationality/race/religion, etc. This isn't a left wing vs. right wing issue - it is an issue of basic human rights, and most Europeans that I know get that!