(I would like to say THANK YOU FIREFOX, for saving this when my crap-tastic computer shut off for the 20th time today)
WARNING: I may step on toes, I apologize in advance, and I mean no offense.There is only racism, and it is never right.
I was thinking today, about how it seems that one must be a minority to celebrate one's culture. There are exceptions of course, but in general, the cultures with months or big cultural celebrations are minorities. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, as I thoroughly enjoy cultural festivals and learning. I can trace Native American lineage on both sides of my family as well, and that is a culture I enjoy immensely.
Anyway, I remembered a story from several years ago, about a girl who wanted to start a club at her school aimed at helping white students(and anyone else who was interested) learn about their ancestors' cultures and homelands. For example, students could learn about their Irish, German, British, Polish, etc. roots. The school responded by banning the group, saying it was racist to have a "white history club." My question is; why? Why is it not okay for white people to learn about their roots too? People like to call this "reverse racism," but I disagree with that term, racism is racism, there is no reversing it. A black man hating a white man based on his skin color is no less wrong than a white man hating a black man based on his skin color.
But why was this group so wrong? And why do we at first think it does sound racist? I'll admit, when I first read it several years ago, my first reaction was that the school was right to ban it, it seems we're programmed that way anymore. But when I got thinking about it I started asking myself, where is our history month? Where are our exclusive scholarships? And the one response that truly bothers me to these questions: "you have every other month" or "you have all the other scholarships." Why do I hate these answers? Because they're just plain wrong. It's alright to have a scholarship that ONLY a black student can receive, but not one only a white student could receive? And to say that it's fair because all others are open to whites is unfair. Because they're all open to minorities too. Think about that.
Now, seriously, no one should take this the wrong way, I'm not saying people shouldn't celebrate their roots, their culture, etc. I'm just saying, don't do it at the expense of others, and don't get upset if others wish to do the same. Just because I'm white doesn't mean I don't deserve to join a group to research and celebrate my own background.
So again I say, there is no such thing as "reverse" racism.
(before I get nasty comments, I am certainly not racist, and if I did, it was not my intention to come off so. This is a plea against racism.)
UPDATE:Comments are coming in so fast now, I can't keep up! I won't be able to respond to all the comments like I normally do, so I apologize, but I'll try to get to a few more! But if I don't get to yours, it's not because it wasn't a good comment, or that I don't have opinions on it, it's just that I have to make jewelry, learn lines, and maybe even watch a little tv on hulu! 
Comments (269)
I love that the UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy) gives out scholarships to those who are descendants of Confederate Veterans. Way to be proud of your heritage, I say!
You're right. Racism is racism, no matter who the perpetrator or victim is.
Very much agreed, dear!
thanks for bringin this up!
There are such a thing, but it is still completely wrong. I know there are are people who hate their own race and sided the race which other people from his/her race usually hates.
Valid points all around. I've been arguing this for ages. In many cases, "Reverse Racism" is also attributed to racism within one's own race (ie black v black; white v white; et cetera). The term is simply just another ignorant way of saying: "Whites are inherently racist; so being racist back is just a defense. We're 'reversing' it."
completely agree! i've had this conversation many times with my mother. thanks for actually writing this out!! glad someone has done it. (okay, there probabally have been several, but this is the first one i've seen)
What stinks about this is that you'll never see blacks stand up and say its wrong for anyone to do what has been done to us in the past, for in the past is where all this belongs, so in effect what they say is 'it's our turn to be racist and bigots now'. And by-the-way, they are doing a wonderful job.
I've always thought that it was wrong that whites would be viewed as racist for trying to celebrate anything "white" about them. I've heard that story before of a student trying to start a club and getting shot down. It's really frustrating to think about because the schools really have nothing to back up their decision.
I dont agree that their should be scholarships and loans directed at minorities and I don't believe in the whole "You have a better chance of getting into a college because you're black even though this white kid did a smidge better then you in school" rule. I'll admit, I am taking advatage of those scholarships and applying and I hope I can ride on the minority wave to get into UIC when I apply (I am trying to at least fit the requirements though). But I dont think it's right that we have black scholarships and hispanic scholarships and not white or european scholarships.
I've been saying this for years!
Well phrased! This has been a discussion in our house many times. Racism doesn't have a color. And I'm bloody well tired of being accused of being one when I disagree with someone that doesn't "look" like me.Â
I completly agree with you, racisim is racisim no matter who it is aimed towards.
I have always been under the impression that reverse racism wasn't the shunning of another culture, but attaching oneself to another culture. An example of this -- a girl dates only black men and embraces the black culture, inheriting characteristics that are of that culture only, dating and liking them because they are only from that culture. This was what I was taught at university, so I always kind of "went with this" in terms of reverse racism.
I lived in New Orleans for nearly two years and there is no other place that I can imagine you can see a great division among race and hostility among the races. There are many white individuals you are racist, but there are many other races that hold the same values. I am unsure if this is because in the city of New Orleans, white is the minority race or not. It is an interesting study in sociology, however - almost a living textbook experiment.
You make a very good point. It's annoying when people side with someone of their own group, even when a member of that group is doing something wrong. I think racism exists in some people from all groups. Sometimes it's directed at people of other groups and sometimes even at members of the same group (for example, someone from one part of a country having unfair attitudes towards someone who's from another part of the same country).
I'm in college now, but the high school I previously attended has both a Christian Club and a Muslim Club. (I don't think we have any clubs based on race or country of origin, though.) I would be fine with a club to celebrate the history of any country. The only rule, I think, should have to be that anyone could join these clubs. For example, if a student of a differnt background wanted to learn about a culture different from his/her own, he/she should be able to join the club or come to some meetings. I say this because the club would be in a public school paid for by all taxpayers.
I find it annoying that people sometimes assume that any minority person who got into college got in solely because of affirmative action or special treatment. I did well in school and, that is the sole reason I got into college. (In fact, I don't even think that the group I'm part of is covered under affirmative action, because we are not considered under-represented.)
Although I think most people today (at least in the United States) are not racist, (though some probably are) I do think that racism of the past can have an effect today. For example, if a person's parents, grandparents, etc. were not allowed to go to certain schools, then that will have an effect on the jobs they got and on what kind of education their kids will get. Maybe their kids did well in school, but their parents don't have the money to send them to a good college. (Although, of course, there are many people in minority groups who were able to get good jobs and can afford to send their kids to good schools. Nothing is absolute.) I think it's possible to help people who have been harmed by racism of the past without blaming people for racism today if they've done nothing wrong. I don't personally understand the idea of "white gulit". Why should a white person feel guilty for what their ancestors did? My ancestors undoubtedly did some horrible things, but I do not feel guilty about it, since I was not responsible. We need to look at history and say, "Other people did wrong things, and we are not going to repeat their mistakes, regardless of race."
Ultimately, the whole issue of race is just so strange. If I can trace my lineage back to people from many different countries or if my ancestors moved around from one country to another, then what? We're all all human in the end.
(In case it's relevant, I am American whose parents moved here from Asia, and I am also female.)
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to make myself clear.
- J. M. 713
I completely agree with you. And you know why they wouldn't allow that club? Because it was WHITE! If it had been hispanic, or Afridan American, or Asian, or anything else, it wouldn't have been considered racist. But because it was white, and because for years, others have assumed that all whites are racist (not true) then it natually followed that anything whites wanted to do for themselves, even if it was about their own European cultures, was racist. Ridiculous! My relatives came over here from Sweden and France and Germany in the early 1900's - they weren't even here when slavery was going on, so to blame me for slavery, or assume that I'm racist, or not entitled to certain scholarships or whatever, just because I'm white, is just plain wrong. My folks were just as poor, and worked just as hard, to get here and to have what they have, and to provide for their families, as anyone else - they didn't ever have any special priveleges because they were white, they didn't have the opportunity to go to college, they worked hard for a living. I don't see any poor German farmers and Swedish construction worker's kids' scholarships. Everyone has the right, and the opportunity, to work hard for what they have in this country, be it jobs, school, houses, whatever. Most people who arrived here arrived with only the shirts on their backs. We're all human.
I have run into this a lot. I had a conversation with a co-worker a few years ago about how financial aid should be given based on income and actual financial status as opposed to having anything to do with race.
He argued that black kids (he was black himself) have a harder time and aren't as affluent in general as white kids. So they need the most aid. Of course, I pointed out, if that were true and it were based only on need- they would still get most of the aid.
He didn't have anything to say to that, except to talk about my priviledged white childhood getting anything that I wanted and never worrying about money and going to great schools. I went to the most racially diverse high school in my state- in fact, my senior year, there were mostly Mexican students and I was a minority. It was an old school where the copiers didn't always work for our teachers to give us assignments. My parents were close to going on food stamps at almost all times and lost the house my sophomore year.
I don't think he was representative of everyone, certainly. But I think we tend to forget that we are all people. I shouldn't not get hired somewhere because they have too many white employees already. I shouldn't get hired somewhere because I'm a woman and they need more to look less sex biased. I shouldn't get a special scholarship because I'm a woman- but neither should I be denied because I'm white.
But what can we do but take the racism presented to us- all of us (I'm sure minorities DO still feel racism) and try not to be racist ourselves. Maybe if we all quit thinking we are entitled to more than someone else because of our skin color, sex, religion we can find a way to truly look past these things and judge a person for who they are and not what they appear to be.
Seems my wife beat me to this one. I agree, racism is racism. I applaud your posting this, as this has certainly been a topic I have struggled with for some time. It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am exceptionally proud of my Irish heritage. But, I am offended to see entire months devoted to certain cultures, or to see scholarships created for only one group of people. I used to see it often while in the military, and still see it while working for the government. No matter how you view it, that is racism. I am no better than anyone else, and vice versa. My Irish culture (even though I'll playfully joke about it) doesn't make me a better person. We are all equal. It's past time we started acting like it, and stop acting as though one culture/race deserves more than another.
great post. Racism is vulgar. racism is criminal and racism is tragic.
I wonder if they wanted to start a "Polish history club" or "German history club" if they would have gotten the same response. I don't like just plain white or black, because that doesn't really connect a person to a specific history. I am a culture fiend, and I enjoy learning about art forms of different cultures. Banning the club and calling it racist just doesn't make sense.
I wish everyone had the fortune of not being WHITE or BLACK, but being able to say "I am Polish" or "I am Nigerian" because that holds more weight when it comes to cultural significance. I dunno....I'd pay money to know exactly where I was from, and I think a club that does that for anyone is an awesome thing.
on a unrelated note:
How's the show going?! lol
@NightCometh - That's a scholarship I didn't think of. But, it's not exclusively white, or they couldn't have done it(slaves were forced to fight too, often in the place of their masters who didn't want to).
@Murazrai - @windingroadsblindinglights - I suppose the term could be applied to hating one's own culture, but I would still argue that even hating your own race(and I know people who do!) is still plain old racism, because it's still wrong to hate others, even of your own race, based on skin color.(Also, my aunt lived in New Orleans for a long time, until she was displace back up here, and she's told me about how racist it can be there)
@NowAndForeverTonight - I hadn't blogged with anything conversation-starting for a while, I hadn't been inspired, but this popped into my head, and hello xanga comeback.
@Da__Vinci - Yeah, I've heard that stupid argument before. The way to overcome past oppression is to do better, to take advantage of all the things your ancestors couldn't. And it shouldn't be the government's job to get these things for you, you should have to work for them, just like I do! The only thing I got from the government for school was not having to pay interest on a $3500 loan.
@thinkin_up_dreams - There's certainly nothing wrong with taking advantage of it, it's there, but it's good that you notice that there's nothing that is exclusively for whites. If I could prove my Native American ancestry(which would be difficult but not impossible), and it was enough, I'd go for those opportunities, definitely!
@Jedi_Master_713 - I agree about clubs in public schools allowing anyone. My high school had an African American History class, but any student was allowed. And I certainly don't think that every minority student got into college just by special treatment! There are plenty who are overachievers and very driven to learn! My point was more that those people could possibly get their school paid for in scholarships that have nothing to do with race. As far as people living in the after-effects of racism, I do see your point, but think about it, there is plenty of financial aid for students whose families don't have the money, regardless of race. If my parents had made a little less, I would have gotten a lot of help with school. Completely agreed on just saying that these things happened in the past, let's get past this, and live in the present, where we've learned from our mistakes!
@musicmom60 - I agree! I think the article I had read stated that the school had a African American history club. But it was wrong for whites to learn their history. o.O I would love to see a group to research our roots, I think it's something we're slowly forgetting, because we're not supposed to have identity. White people have become generic, in my opinion. Sure, we might be a mix of 4 different European cultures, but how many hispanic people are mixes of those cultures? How many black people are mixes of several African cultures(or aren't even sure what cultures they come from)? I think we're being brainwashed into thinking that we can't have a cultural identity, because we're white. My most recently immigrated ancestor was my great-grandmother, who came here from The Netherlands. My earliest was Augustine Voshell, who came here in 1602 from England, before Jamestown, even. If you want to get really technical, the absolute earliest would be the Blackfoot on my mom's side, or Cherokee on my dad's. I also have Irish heritage, and others I'm sure I'm unaware of, I'd like to trace my genealogy. Those are 5 diverse cultures to learn about!
@silkenbutterfly - I agree that financial aid should be given based on need, not on race. I've heard that argument before, and my reaction is the same, that if you're that bad off, then you'd qualify anyway. And not all white people grew up getting everything they wanted. My parents were military, then after retirement, my mom worked for the state, and my dad works on computers, neither of my parents are rich, they live in modest houses and often struggle with the bills. They're just typical middle class people. To assume that because I'm white, I had everything growing up, is an ignorant statement, and a generalization. Sure, there are rich kids who get everything, but they are not just white. "Maybe if we all quit thinking we are
entitled to more than someone else because of our skin color, sex,
religion we can find a way to truly look past these things and judge a
person for who they are and not what they appear to be." You should frame that, it's beautiful! And I completely agree!
@AnamcharaConcepts - But the Irish are, like, the best people ever!
But seriously, I know what you mean. You can be proud of your culture without thinking it makes you any better than others. I love my Celtic roots(I have at least Irish and Scottish, as well as British), and they are actually the basis of my religious beleifs. But that doesn't mean I'm any better than anyone else because of it.
@AlterEgo909 - They probably wouldn't have gotten the same response, but the student's aim was to start a club for any white student to trace their history and culture(s), since many have more than one. I agree as far as the terms white and black, they are very general. I think it ends up just being a convenience term, really. Rather than asking someone what their cultural background is, not to mention that you can't always tell just by looking at someone. No one would look at me and go "hmm...British, Dutch, Native American, maybe with a touch of Irish."
And I plan on paying for a genealogy site eventually, since none are free anymore, and tracing my genealogy. Actually, my grandmother traced it a couple years ago, I need to find out if anyone has the password to the account or anything, or if she wrote it down before she passed away, I'd love to have that, instead of doing it all over again. And I know someone on my dad's side traced us back as far as possible, until they hit a dead end. (My last name is either a corruption of Garrettson or Garrison, changed when my ancestors arrived here from overseas, but we can't figure out which one, so we hit a dead end. We're either German or French, though my money's on german based on body type in my dad's side of the family).
And the show's going great! It's so much fun! I'm trying to learn to waltz, lol. The guy playing my husband is a trip, he's made me laugh so hard I couldn't say my lines a couple times. That and the 5 year old watching rehearsal, he's a trip! I've got another rehearsal tomorrow! I have a few pictures from the last couple rehearsals, if you'd like to see them in another blog!
@Child_of_the_Earth - Awww, glad the show is going good! Sounds like a super amount of fun!...I just wrote a post and mentioned u, but user tags weren't working so I wasn't able to tag ya. This reminded me of a post I had meant to write a while back.
Agreement here on most points. On the exclusive scholarship, however, you just need to know where to look. Schools that are historically dominated by minority groups give out minority scholarships to white people.
I don't understand white guilt at all. Some guy told me I owed him because "my people" enslaved his and he got all confused when I said I didn't give a damn about what he thought my ancestors did. That shit didn't happen to him and I sure as hell didn't do it.
I absolutely abhor the term "reverse racism." Of all the terms in the entire world, it drives me the most insane!