Friday, November 14, 2014
inner racism?
We were talking about racism today in class and how prevalent it is and how to respond to it and something that caught me was the fact that black people had adopted the word niger and was using it. Well that leads me to think about how a race can be racist to themselves. If you set yourself apart from people different from you and start to act like the stereo types they have given you because some people think its the only way you can be, isn't that in a way being racist towards yourself? Sometimes I think its not really all white people anymore being racist but black people are stereo typing themselves and making racial slurs to other blacks. I just don't see why they would want us to stop saying things and then turn right around and start saying it about themselves. I just don't get it.
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I agree. Has time has gone on we as a society have made racial slurs a part of our culture, maybe blacks think that they can use the term because they can and white people can't. For example if I am walking with friends and start saying nigger this and nigger that and a black person hears me say it. Then I'm looking at getting in trouble with the police, and seeing law suites. If a black person says it. Then all other races especially whites, see them as ignorant and that's it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I just don't see is why you want to use it. The reason is that they don't care if another black person says it because he is black too. If a white or other race says than there is a problem. They will think you are not using it with good intention because in the past the meaning was different.
ReplyDeleteWe have people from all over the world in america. They each bring with them some form of their heritage. I have often heard white people define themselves as american, but claim to be Irish or German in descent. Their families have been in the country since the 19th century, but they still call themselves Irish-American, German-American, or Italian-American. Latinos, Asians, people of the middle east,even Native-Americans, they all do the same thing. The fact is in this country you can't help but to acknowledge differences, and separate yourself culturally or otherwise. The reason for doing this is simply everyone's need to define themselves. It is no different for black people. If African-American people separate themselves more strongly from others than people of other races, it is simply because they don't know as much about themselves, as other races do.
ReplyDeleteWhy does it matter when you act like a stereotype? When I was little all I thought about was playing basketball. Every morning and sometimes at dinner I drank orange juice. I always chose grape soda over any other canned drink. Until I watched an episode of family guy, where part of the skit was a stereotype emphasizing these things, I never thought it was wrong. In fact it made me want to drink grape soda. I may be letting my people down and proving the racist that make up those stereotypes right, but so what? Just because it offends everyone I have to stop doing something I like. If that is who you are I think acting otherwise is pointless.
The word nigger is no more than a coarse and offensive way to say black man, or describe someone who's skin color is darker than white. Perhaps some look at black people's use of the word as a means to make this meaning ambiguous. Today in 2014 that term can be used any number of ways. It can be used as a term of endearment. It could also be used to define someone who is lazy and has bad habits. In this sense it doesn't necessarily have to specify a black person. They could be of any race. Some black people make no complaints about the use of the word by white people. It really just depends on who you use it around and how comfortable they are with you.
People of color lose no matter what they do. The system is set up for us to fail. If we embrace a stereotype or a word, well that just proves white people right, doesn't it. And if we distance ourselves from it all, if we try as hard as we can to mold ourselves into being "respectable" (aka act as white as possible), well then we hate ourselves and must be ashamed and being fake try-hards. We just can't win.
ReplyDeleteI can only speak from a Hispanic perspective, but I can promise you that white people are most certainly still the main reason racism is still a thing. A lot of what you are seeing are reactions. We are living in the Western world, where "white society and culture" are the default. If we are racist towards each other, it's because a lot of us have internalized the awful message that "white is better." That's certainly the reason that Mexico and other Latin American countries have such a huge colorism problem. India (that was colonized by the English) also has that problem. Trust me, white people are the ones that started this mess. We're just trying to sort it all out, find ourselves, trying to ignore the stereotypes white people have pushed on us, and if that involves taking back hurtful words, blowing off some anger, just let it happen. Be a good ally and take a seat.
Growing up and hearing the word it something that some be just get use to hearing or saying. I find it ridiculous how blacks use the term but get mad when someone else use it. I feel like if you get mad because someone of another race call you a term that you call yourself then you shouldn't be using it, no one should be using it.
ReplyDeleteWhy would a person of any race want to use a degrading word to describe themselves or any other human being. I don't even think that this discussion is worth while. If you believe in your heart that this is a derogatory word then "just simply" don't use it.
ReplyDelete