Attention white people

[Anonymous]

I would just ask White people to consider one point. I will say in advance that I am not trying to stir the pot - just being honest. I am upper middle class AA. My parents were college educated middle class. My grandparents were college educated middle class on one side and prominent farmers on the other. Both my parents and grandparents lived that majority of their lives in the segregated South.

Many AA's (and certainly our parents and grandparents) have experienced racism firsthand regardeless of SES. Whites used our color and the various labels as tools of discrminination to deny equal treatment and equal opportunity. AA's, as a method of survival, internalized these labels.

Sure, some people lean on racism as a crutch. But many of us, rich or poor, HAVE experienced racism at some level and from some places we could not expect. Whites now think we overreact and sometimes we do, but sometimes it IS about race.

My point is that you cannot use color and labels against a people for generations and then expect that people to disregard all of that because the world has changed somewhat.

I do agree with a PP that SES is going to be the next big -ism issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just ask White people to consider one point. I will say in advance that I am not trying to stir the pot - just being honest. I am upper middle class AA. My parents were college educated middle class. My grandparents were college educated middle class on one side and prominent farmers on the other. Both my parents and grandparents lived that majority of their lives in the segregated South.

Many AA's (and certainly our parents and grandparents) have experienced racism firsthand regardeless of SES. Whites used our color and the various labels as tools of discrminination to deny equal treatment and equal opportunity. AA's, as a method of survival, internalized these labels.

Sure, some people lean on racism as a crutch. But many of us, rich or poor, HAVE experienced racism at some level and from some places we could not expect. Whites now think we overreact and sometimes we do, but sometimes it IS about race.

My point is that you cannot use color and labels against a people for generations and then expect that people to disregard all of that because the world has changed somewhat.

I do agree with a PP that SES is going to be the next big -ism issue.

That's wonderful, but why does that mean an AA should take a college admission spot of a white kid that was more qualified--their backgrounds/upbringing being equal or better for the AA kid? The two have nothing to do with each other.

What you are talking about makes no sense from a college admissions standpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just ask White people to consider one point. I will say in advance that I am not trying to stir the pot - just being honest. I am upper middle class AA. My parents were college educated middle class. My grandparents were college educated middle class on one side and prominent farmers on the other. Both my parents and grandparents lived that majority of their lives in the segregated South.

Many AA's (and certainly our parents and grandparents) have experienced racism firsthand regardeless of SES. Whites used our color and the various labels as tools of discrminination to deny equal treatment and equal opportunity. AA's, as a method of survival, internalized these labels.

Sure, some people lean on racism as a crutch. But many of us, rich or poor, HAVE experienced racism at some level and from some places we could not expect. Whites now think we overreact and sometimes we do, but sometimes it IS about race.

My point is that you cannot use color and labels against a people for generations and then expect that people to disregard all of that because the world has changed somewhat.

I do agree with a PP that SES is going to be the next big -ism issue.

Asian American here. I agree 100% with this post, particularly with the SES as the next -ism.

Btw, I am married to a Caucasian. I would fully describe our marriage as interracial, so I'm not at all like a PP's Asian friend who would not say her marriage was interracial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear ya!! Try telling that to a college admissions board.

It was very frustrating when the black kids (with same privileges and upbringing) were able to get into colleges with only a 3.0 grade pt average and average SATs while those of us with 4.0+ did not.

I hope the point of this post was that these rules/a.action were designed to help the kids in the inner cities without $ and opportunity, but they don't. Those kids still linger in the bad neighborhoods in bad public schools while the scholarships generally go to advantaged kids (of many ethnicities--not just AA). Seeing kids in some of the most elite areas of society taking the advantages designed to help the downtrodden is I think what irks some.

A boy in my sons HS class benefitted from numerous scholarships designed for AA students. He is a white kid born in South Africia. He legitimately checked the AA box on the form.

Actually, he didn't. He is South African American, not African-American.

Not the PP, but yes, this is legit. I have friends from Egypt who checked "African American" too. Maybe the box needs to be changed to black. Caucasian isn't an accurate description of white people either, so that's why "white" gets used more.

No, it's not legit. African-Americans references blacks whose ancestors were brought to the Americas as a result of the slave trade. Because there is an inability to trace one's root to the country of origin, the term African-American is used as a catchall to honor our slave ancestors.

This designation DOES NOT apply to those who are born in Africa and come to the US, because they *know* their country of origin.

The box doesn't need to be changed; folks just need to do a simple Google search and learn what it means.

IME, all races get the benefit of having ethnicities EXCEPT for black people. It's very easy for folks to understand Italian/Irish/German/Scottish/Swedish etc and recognize that they are different ethnicities of white people, but when you get to black people and AA/Nigerian/South African/Kenyan/etc, folks are scratching their heads. Amazing.

Not trying to be snarky, but I'm curious. So if someone if from Ethiopia and is a black person, he can't check "African American" because he wasn't brought as a slave? What other race box is there?

He could, but he'd be wrong. He's Ethiopian-American (and also black).

BTW, African-American is not a race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just ask White people to consider one point. I will say in advance that I am not trying to stir the pot - just being honest. I am upper middle class AA. My parents were college educated middle class. My grandparents were college educated middle class on one side and prominent farmers on the other. Both my parents and grandparents lived that majority of their lives in the segregated South.

Many AA's (and certainly our parents and grandparents) have experienced racism firsthand regardeless of SES. Whites used our color and the various labels as tools of discrminination to deny equal treatment and equal opportunity. AA's, as a method of survival, internalized these labels.

Sure, some people lean on racism as a crutch. But many of us, rich or poor, HAVE experienced racism at some level and from some places we could not expect. Whites now think we overreact and sometimes we do, but sometimes it IS about race.

My point is that you cannot use color and labels against a people for generations and then expect that people to disregard all of that because the world has changed somewhat.

I do agree with a PP that SES is going to be the next big -ism issue.

That's wonderful, but why does that mean an AA should take a college admission spot of a white kid that was more qualified--their backgrounds/upbringing being equal or better for the AA kid? The two have nothing to do with each other.

What you are talking about makes no sense from a college admissions standpoint.

IMO, the college admissions issue has been GREATLY overblown. It sure didn't help my 3.0 GPA daughter get into UMD (and I'm an alum and we're MD residents!).

[Anonymous]

*Sorry, typing fast. Meant on the alumni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear ya!! Try telling that to a college admissions board.

It was very frustrating when the black kids (with same privileges and upbringing) were able to get into colleges with only a 3.0 grade pt average and average SATs while those of us with 4.0+ did not.

I hope the point of this post was that these rules/a.action were designed to help the kids in the inner cities without $ and opportunity, but they don't. Those kids still linger in the bad neighborhoods in bad public schools while the scholarships generally go to advantaged kids (of many ethnicities--not just AA). Seeing kids in some of the most elite areas of society taking the advantages designed to help the downtrodden is I think what irks some.

A boy in my sons HS class benefitted from numerous scholarships designed for AA students. He is a white kid born in South Africia. He legitimately checked the AA box on the form.

Actually, he didn't. He is South African American, not African-American.

Not the PP, but yes, this is legit. I have friends from Egypt who checked "African American" too. Maybe the box needs to be changed to black. Caucasian isn't an accurate description of white people either, so that's why "white" gets used more.

No, it's not legit. African-Americans references blacks whose ancestors were brought to the Americas as a result of the slave trade. Because there is an inability to trace one's root to the country of origin, the term African-American is used as a catchall to honor our slave ancestors.

This designation DOES NOT apply to those who are born in Africa and come to the US, because they *know* their country of origin.

The box doesn't need to be changed; folks just need to do a simple Google search and learn what it means.

IME, all races get the benefit of having ethnicities EXCEPT for black people. It's very easy for folks to understand Italian/Irish/German/Scottish/Swedish etc and recognize that they are different ethnicities of white people, but when you get to black people and AA/Nigerian/South African/Kenyan/etc, folks are scratching their heads. Amazing.

Not trying to be snarky, but I'm curious. So if someone if from Ethiopia and is a black person, he can't check "African American" because he wasn't brought as a slave? What other race box is there?

He could, but he'd be wrong. He's Ethiopian-American (and also black).

BTW, African-American is not a race.

So what box should he check?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not ALL successful black people are first generation successes. People stop assuming all of us fought to get out of the ghetto and had to walk through needled littered streets to our fatherless section 8 apartment every day of our youth. I hate when people want to know "my story." How did I manage to make it against such odds!! I actually grew up upper middle class, as did a lot of other brown people. Rant over.

OP. no one cares about your story. In a few years the Latinos and Asians will leave you and many whites behind as they rebuild the US economy with their muscles and brains. What are you going to whine about then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just ask White people to consider one point. I will say in advance that I am not trying to stir the pot - just being honest. I am upper middle class AA. My parents were college educated middle class. My grandparents were college educated middle class on one side and prominent farmers on the other. Both my parents and grandparents lived that majority of their lives in the segregated South.

Many AA's (and certainly our parents and grandparents) have experienced racism firsthand regardeless of SES. Whites used our color and the various labels as tools of discrminination to deny equal treatment and equal opportunity. AA's, as a method of survival, internalized these labels.

Sure, some people lean on racism as a crutch. But many of us, rich or poor, HAVE experienced racism at some level and from some places we could not expect. Whites now think we overreact and sometimes we do, but sometimes it IS about race.

My point is that you cannot use color and labels against a people for generations and then expect that people to disregard all of that because the world has changed somewhat.

I do agree with a PP that SES is going to be the next big -ism issue.

That's wonderful, but why does that mean an AA should take a college admission spot of a white kid that was more qualified--their backgrounds/upbringing being equal or better for the AA kid? The two have nothing to do with each other.

What you are talking about makes no sense from a college admissions standpoint.

Well, my post was meant to address situation a little broader than college admissions.

I am not sure that you understand how college admissions work - seems like you just want a ready made excuse as to why your kid did not get an oppurtunity that another kid got. I would urge you really look at the apllication criteria for a lot of these colleges. Once you have done that then we can argue about what "qualified" means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not ALL successful black people are first generation successes. People stop assuming all of us fought to get out of the ghetto and had to walk through needled littered streets to our fatherless section 8 apartment every day of our youth. I hate when people want to know "my story." How did I manage to make it against such odds!! I actually grew up upper middle class, as did a lot of other brown people. Rant over.

OP. no one cares about your story. In a few years the Latinos and Asians will leave you and many whites behind as they rebuild the US economy with their muscles and brains. What are you going to whine about then?

Riiight. That's why Asians and Latinos immigrate here, to get away from black and white folk.

[Anonymous]

IME, all races get the benefit of having ethnicities EXCEPT for black people. It's very easy for folks to understand Italian/Irish/German/Scottish/Swedish etc and recognize that they are different ethnicities of white people, but when you get to black people and AA/Nigerian/South African/Kenyan/etc, folks are scratching their heads. Amazing.

Actually, you're wrong. Those aren't different ethinicities of white people, they're different nationalities. Nationality is one's country of origin, ethnicity refers to racial ancestry. They all share common racial ancestry, assuming you are talking about white Germans, Swedes, etc. That's not necessarily an accurate assumption, though. There are also Finns who are Indigineous peoples, the Sami. Not White European Finns. Finnish Nationality, Sami Ethnicity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

IME, all races get the benefit of having ethnicities EXCEPT for black people. It's very easy for folks to understand Italian/Irish/German/Scottish/Swedish etc and recognize that they are different ethnicities of white people, but when you get to black people and AA/Nigerian/South African/Kenyan/etc, folks are scratching their heads. Amazing.

Actually, you're wrong. Those aren't different ethinicities of white people, they're different nationalities. Nationality is one's country of origin, ethnicity refers to racial ancestry. They all share common racial ancestry, assuming you are talking about white Germans, Swedes, etc. That's not necessarily an accurate assumption, though. There are also Finns who are Indigineous peoples, the Sami. Not White European Finns. Finnish Nationality, Sami Ethnicity.

South African is their nationality. You can be ethnically european white, zulu, Indian, etc. You can be Kenyan (again, that's your nationality), and be white (colonial Brits) or somali or oromo or south asian/indian (again thanks to the British)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

IME, all races get the benefit of having ethnicities EXCEPT for black people. It's very easy for folks to understand Italian/Irish/German/Scottish/Swedish etc and recognize that they are different ethnicities of white people, but when you get to black people and AA/Nigerian/South African/Kenyan/etc, folks are scratching their heads. Amazing.

Actually, you're wrong. Those aren't different ethinicities of white people, they're different nationalities. Nationality is one's country of origin, ethnicity refers to racial ancestry. They all share common racial ancestry, assuming you are talking about white Germans, Swedes, etc. That's not necessarily an accurate assumption, though. There are also Finns who are Indigineous peoples, the Sami. Not White European Finns. Finnish Nationality, Sami Ethnicity.

My apologies; I used the wrong term. I meant nationality, but my argument still stands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear ya!! Try telling that to a college admissions board.

It was very frustrating when the black kids (with same privileges and upbringing) were able to get into colleges with only a 3.0 grade pt average and average SATs while those of us with 4.0+ did not.

I hope the point of this post was that these rules/a.action were designed to help the kids in the inner cities without $ and opportunity, but they don't. Those kids still linger in the bad neighborhoods in bad public schools while the scholarships generally go to advantaged kids (of many ethnicities--not just AA). Seeing kids in some of the most elite areas of society taking the advantages designed to help the downtrodden is I think what irks some.

A boy in my sons HS class benefitted from numerous scholarships designed for AA students. He is a white kid born in South Africia. He legitimately checked the AA box on the form.

Actually, he didn't. He is South African American, not African-American.

Not the PP, but yes, this is legit. I have friends from Egypt who checked "African American" too. Maybe the box needs to be changed to black. Caucasian isn't an accurate description of white people either, so that's why "white" gets used more.

No, it's not legit. African-Americans references blacks whose ancestors were brought to the Americas as a result of the slave trade. Because there is an inability to trace one's root to the country of origin, the term African-American is used as a catchall to honor our slave ancestors.

This designation DOES NOT apply to those who are born in Africa and come to the US, because they *know* their country of origin.

The box doesn't need to be changed; folks just need to do a simple Google search and learn what it means.

IME, all races get the benefit of having ethnicities EXCEPT for black people. It's very easy for folks to understand Italian/Irish/German/Scottish/Swedish etc and recognize that they are different ethnicities of white people, but when you get to black people and AA/Nigerian/South African/Kenyan/etc, folks are scratching their heads. Amazing.

Not trying to be snarky, but I'm curious. So if someone if from Ethiopia and is a black person, he can't check "African American" because he wasn't brought as a slave? What other race box is there?

He could, but he'd be wrong. He's Ethiopian-American (and also black).

BTW, African-American is not a race.

So what box should he check?

Black. Why is that so hard to understand?

[Anonymous]

Holy, fuck. Can we simply stop these damn threads. Everyone wants to play the victim. I am a victim because I am a poor black. I am a victim because I am a rich black assumed to have been a poor black. I am a victim because I was a poor white assumed to have privileged I never had. I am victim because I am a rich white and have to pay for everyone else. I am a victim because I am an asian and everyone expects me to have superior intelligence....Where the hell does it stop. As a young child I understood that racism is wrong. However, all this victimization is just about to push me somewhere I don't want to go.