My brushes with Racism --looong--

[alf]

I am of Chinese Ancestry, moved to the US in 85 from Singapore when my step-father retired. He is from AK, i became a citizen in 91. Since 86, i have experienced 2 incidents of overt racism face to face.

First Incident
Mid-90s. After a late lunch, my buddy and i went to a Japanese grocery store in the International District in Seattle to pick up some snacks. Mid afternoon on a weekday. Quiet day mostly housewives and old ladies shopping.

I walk into the produce section and noticed a man in his mid/late 20s walking around, looking angry and mumbling "******* gooks, i hate ******* gooks" to himself, but loud enough for me to hear 10 ft away. There were several old ladies and housewives within earshot as well.

I walk up to him and asked him what he was mumbling, he repeated what he was mumbling *loudly*. I told him, nicely and calmly, that if he did not like Asians he should not be in a J-grocery store or the International district.

He starts yelling at me about Korea, Vietnam, Pearl Harbor and his time in the Army. His home in Montana and how he hates gooks. By now the produce section has cleared and i noticed that my buddy is standing behind me (he is white BTW). I continue to tell him that he should leave the store a let well enough alone, we are all Americans. This guy is now about 3 ft from me a taking a fighting stance. I was preparing for the worst but stood my ground.

Store security shows up behind him and escorts him out with a little scuffle. He yells at me that he will wait for me outside. I continue shopping and left the store after about 15 mins with my snacks, he was not outside. Oh well.

Second Incident
Summer 2005, Kelly Inn pool in West Yellowstone. My family took a road trip to Yellowstone this Summer, 2 boys 5&7 and my wife.

Biggish indoor hotel pool during peak season so it is crowded. We got into the pool and started playing with the kids. 2 teenagers (13 - 15ish) are making a ruckus, screaming, yelling and jumping into the pool. Typical teenager stuff but they were jumping really close to my boys and mumbling illegibly. I ignore them, my wife thought the older kid was mentally retarded and had a speech problem I advise my kids to keep their distance from the jumping.

10 mins later they get closer, one of them jumps into the water close to my youngest son and i. I looked at him (he was inches from my nose) and said nicely "Please be careful", still thinking he is retarded . He replies.."you japa nee see nee see" followed by random mock japanese mumbling then "i am not in the mood to play with you". OK, this kid is not retarded.

I looked him in the eye and said firmly "If you want to be an ignorant racist, please go do it away from my family so fuch off" He smiles and wades away. Then his brother/friend comes up to me, 6 inches from my face and splashes water at me and smiles. I tell him the same thing, this time a little bit more sternly and in his face. They go off to the other side of the pool. My wife was in the Jacuzzi and my kids were already off somewhere so they did not see any of this.

10 mins go by, i am playing with my kids and minding my own biz. They start jumping close to my kids again. I shouted to my youngest son who was moving towards them to stay away from those 2 kids. He asks me "Why Daddy?" and i said really loudly so everyone in the pool could hear "BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING RACIST!" Everyone looks, the teenagers make a hasty shameful retreat to the other end of the pool. Then my kid asks "what is racist?", i told him not to worry, just stay away from them.

My wife, oblivious to all that happened came to me and asked if i was trying to pick a fight. I gave her the scoop, she understands, we play in the pool for another 10-15 mins, got cold and left to watch a movie in the room.

Next morning, my wife stands behind one of the teenagers at the coffee line. When he turned around after getting his coffee and saw my wife smiling at him, he puts his cup of coffee down abruptly and scuttles out of the dinning area. She did not say a word to him, but i think my boys waved at him, probably thinking he was funny

I think about these 2 incidents from time to time, wonder if i did the right thing and if i should handle such situations differently in the future.

alf

[masraum]

Alf, I think you did fine. It just sucks that there are still any people like that still out there. The worst part is that they often breed which usually means they teach their kids the same thing.

[aap1966]

Originally posted by alf
...........I i became a citizen in 91.........................

That's all that matters.

As for the jerks you encountered...unfortunately every Bell Curve has to have it's leading edge, don't worry about it.

[cstreit]

Couldn't think of a better way to handle it.

Had you (deservedly) clocked either of them, they'd probably return the favor to another person who didn't deserve it. They sound like cowards to me.

[dhoward]

Two times I can think of. Wouldn't have remembered if the subject had not come up. Right around '82, Boston Chinatown. Walking down the street (can't remember where exactly) window shopping and looking for a likely place to eat. 3 Asian teenagers, one with numchucks block my path. "where you going, round-eye? Come here to fuch somebody's sister?" "Nope, just getting something to eat." "yeah, leave your money down here and then get your white ass home."

1993, Atlanta. Just parked the rental, going to dinner. Walking past a group of young-adult type black guys and girls. "You lost, cracker?" "No." Kept walking. "We don't need no more whitey's like you down around here" Kept walking.

Guess it can happen anywhere, anytime, to anybody.

[Bill Douglas]

It stinks, I've been beaten up a couple of times for being white.

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by dhoward


1993, Atlanta. Just parked the rental, going to dinner. Walking past a group of young-adult type black guys and girls. "You lost, cracker?" "No." Kept walking. "We don't need no more whitey's like you down around here" Kept walking.

I used to attend Georgia State in downtown ATL. I lived in the suburbs. On two occasions on the way to class at night, I had guys from downtown either jump out from behind the edge of building or just lunge at me for sport and a laugh.

They'd beat the living **** out of each other. I watched it once, one guy getting his ass beat and 20 - 30 guys just run in to watch or throw a punch.

[vash]

i think i understand racism. i feel it sometimes towards somebody, but i see it for what it is, some stupid idea in my head that i dont let manifest into something coming out of my mouth or my actions. same category as jealousy, just plain stupid.

in grade school, i heard it everyday. when we saw a film in school. 100% of the time, if an asian person was depicted on screen, some person in the darkness will yell out, "there's cliff!" and the entire room would bust out in laughter. i was always glad it was dark, so i could hide my shame. tough way to grow up. i got in fights over it, got beat up, and had my stuff stolen.

i remember the instant i quit giving a crap about stupid bigots. tuscon, AZ. my dad had passed and my mom sent my brother and i to a older guy for the summer. as a role model. we spent the summer shooting, and fishing, stuff like that. one time, we decided to stop a a peach orchard to pick some fruit. prices per basket stuff. the guy at front says, "nope, i dont let chinks in here, you people tear up all the trees". the role model was pissed, and i realized it was here to stay. now, i just let it slide, reserve my prejudices strictly for stupid people.

[Taz's Master]

Racism like profanity is simply a sign of a small mind.

[techweenie]

I was born in the south. my father was raised there. To my knowlege, he never used the word 'negro' or 'black' in his life. Only the 'n word.' If a black face came on TV, he'd switch the channel. But if he met an African-american face to face, he would treat them exactly like anyone else.

Never figured that out...

Racism is a mystery to me.

[gaijindabe]

The worst of many isms...

I knew a lovely girl who was smart, beautiful, educated, well travelled and hard working. When she got out of college (an Ivy) she went to see her grandmother that she had never got to know.

After sitting around the house for a few days - granny said "i would love to introduce you to my friends and all, but as your daddy is black, well, you understand....."

You could see how hurt she was.

[Dixie]

All People love thinking they're oppressed....

You have not experienced racism. You've been in America for twenty years, and you've run into some twits, that's all.

No one kept you from voting.
No one kept you from going to school.
No one kept you from sitting at a lunch counter.
No one lynched someone you know.


My advice?
Get over yourself....

[MotoSook]

I lived in the south, Alabama to be exact, for close to 3 yrs after college. I never felt like I didn't belong. As a matter of fact, racism was more an issue in Illinois when I was growing up and when I was in college. U of Illinois, over 35000 students of mixed background! A couple of drunk punks didn't want to leave a buddies house (party there), so we helped them leave, no punches drawn, but as they were walking away I got a "F'in dink!" I charged and got held back by my buddies, and they reminded me that we didn't want the cops to come to the house


Growing up in a poor area mixed with just about all colors, it is now surprising to me that I experienced/saw more racism then. My friends comprised a mixed of every race available in town.

I think racism is due more to up bringing than race itself. How far a person is from the poverty level plays a key part in their view of other races. Some racist poors may grow up to be richer, but some of their racist views will carry into there later life and unfortunately onto their kids. Ingorance is always a factor.

Nice handling the situ you posted about, Alfred. You're a better man than I am.

[MotoSook]

Originally posted by gaijindabe
The worst of many isms...

I knew a lovely girl who was smart, beautiful, educated, well travelled and hard working. When she got out of college (an Ivy) she went to see her grandmother that she had never got to know.

After sitting around the house for a few days - granny said "i would love to introduce you to my friends and all, but as your daddy is black, well, you understand....."

You could see how hurt she was.

I was very hurt when the mother of a girl I was dating in high school remarked, "you are going to have your Homecoming picture taken with him?" Something to the effect that I was not white.

The girlfriend told me that. I was not there. Thank goodness 'cuse I would have ripped the mother another one. I was floored and speakless.

I got over it, as the girlfriend was very defensive on my part. Mother eventually came around and at some point the parents were even hoping I'd marry their daughter.

We broke up when the daughter when to college (she was a year ahead of me). I see it as one ignorant soul having learn something about life.

[Evans, Marv]

I experienced racism in Belize (just changed over from British Honduras) in the early '70s. Gave me a good feeling of what it was like. I was traveling in southern Mexico & the northern half of central america. At that time the country had a population of about 137K of which 3K were british soldiers and a few more were Lebonese. The rest were black. The guy I was traveling with & I went to 3 or 4 hotels before we found one that would rent a room to us. In restaurants, we waited a half an hour before getting a menu thrown on the table (guess they figured we weren't leaving) We also had people that came up to us on the street in Belise City and yelled, "get the F out of here" to our faces. The guy I was traveling with at the time didn't help things either. He was the typical "ugly american" type.

[vash]

capt carrera, what you describe is discrimination, which is illegal.

racism is different. feeling bad is enough. i agree with the "get over it" statement tho.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by Capt. Carrera
All People love thinking they're oppressed....

You have not experienced racism. You've been in America for twenty years, and you've run into some twits, that's all.

No one kept you from voting.
No one kept you from going to school.
No one kept you from sitting at a lunch counter.
No one lynched someone you know.


My advice?
Get over yourself....

10-4.

[MotoSook]

Per Mr. Webster.

Main Entry: rac·ism
Function: noun
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination

(Sure the level of racism doesn't compare to what has occured in American history, and in no way should we demean racism that has occured throughout history; however it is still an issue!)

[dhoward]

Racism - "I'm faster than you"

[MotoSook]

Originally posted by dhoward
Racism - "I'm faster than you"