There is little risk that white people will eventually find themselves oppressed or in a situation where they are discriminated against wholesale as a result of spreading racist sentiment. However, that is not the point. Racism of any kind serves to separate people and breeds resentment and hostility based on superficial differences. Even if white adults can laugh at themselves as they are stereotyped by others, this type of humor subtly teaches children who grow up exposed to such humor that it’s okay to make fun of others because they are different. It also increases the likelihood that they will apply such humor to their contemporaries with potentially disastrous results.
While it may sound far-fetched and alarmist, a comment on one of the many blogs about Japan regarding the “gaijin” costumes illustrates just how potentially dangerous racial humor can be when children are exposed to it. According to this comment, a Japanese child grabbed at his teacher’s crotch because he had heard jokes about “big gaijin” penis sizes.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Rufus Brown
When white people are made into slaves for hundreds of years, then still face persecution a couple hundred years later, then can it be considered racism.
2 - Phillip Winn
Rufus, you've picked one out of many expressions of racism and held it up as the standard, but it's by no mean the most common. Many of the targets of racial epithets in America were never slaves, and yet racial expressions about them are still taboo.
Besides, we were talking about Japan here. Japanese people never enslaved Africans -- their beefs where with Asian mainlanders.
3 - zingzing
of course it is possible. it's a reality. but does something like this really offend you? i'm white, and i think we are silly. if anyone needs to be taken down a notch or two, it's me and my kind. big-noses.
4 - Adamd.
I think this is an extremely valid argument, Its most visible in the recent attack that Michael richards was involved in, its sad that the victims demand reperations of money. Like that will heal the wounds. It all overlooked, society has become to sensitive towards one race.
5 - Ollie
I think it is possible because it seems to be used to get monetary reparations like scholarships that are never meant to be for just the poor anymore; a person has to be anything but white and possibly poor too to get the scholarship.
6 - original
I think white people are feaful cunts who need the Lord. who started this issue of racism? white man whne he fearfully invaded africa? why is he known as being a racist? because he is a fearful cunt! get rid of fear there is no hate where there is no fear there is complete love.. because perfect love expels all fear.
7 - james
For 50 years minorities have been allowed to vote. People don’t realize that races don’t mix together and survive. That’s why they have latino, black, asian and white neighborhoods. They don’t have non-discrimintory neighborhoods anywhere in America. Races of people survive by being racist and huddling together as a group. Look at the prison system, that is a perfect example of what is going on in society in general. The pathetic thing is to see all these employment forms that seem to be neutral but when you apply you don’t get hired because you’re a white male. Neutrality is always a cover to decieve people of the real agenda. If America gets nuked by terrorist and law and order break down you can bet mexicans will be killing white men like nazis did to jews. When people say "don't be racist" maybe they should be reminded they survived because of racism. It's not like being a white person born in California happened because all the Indians and white people got along. Just shows how ignorant and stupid you all are. You think all the sudden people are going to stop being racist for no reason at all. Only thing that stops racism is a religion that says all men are created equal. Otherwise there's no incentive to not be racist. If you were an evolutionist you could assume all dark skinned people are devolved monkeys and are taking up resources, so do away with them.
8 - Spanish Moss
Rufus. Had a great uncle named Rufus. Old Rufus had an artificial eye. He would pop that puppy out of the eye socket and drop it in my hand. Scare me to run face first into the willow tree. Old Rufus died many years ago. Old Rufus was a white man. Always liked the name Rufus. Merry Christmas sir.
9 - STM
Rufus said: "When white people are made into slaves."
I come from a country where many thousands of white people WERE the slaves - sent for crimes like stealing a loaf of bread to feed their families, or expressing political opinions considered treasonous, in crowded ships, against their will, in chains, on journeys in which many died, literally to the other end of the Earth.
Once there, most they lived out the rest of their wretched lives in misery, in a hostile environment working on road gangs and what have you under constant threat of floggings and execution. Most never got the chance to go back to the country of their birth.
And for that, we, their successors, are mighty glad: we enjoy the sun and the surf and the freedom a big country offers while the poor bastards who sent us there now live seemingly constantly on the edge of misery. Especially this week, after they were smashed in the cricket.
10 - G. Chell
"And for that, we, their successors, are mighty glad: we enjoy the sun and the surf and the freedom a big country offers while the poor bastards who sent us there now live seemingly constantly on the edge of misery. Especially this week, after they were smashed in the cricket."
Comment: And they may have to rely on the services of men of non-white origins if they ever hope to regain the ashes again!! Loved it when they were begging to include Monty Panesar.
11 - STM
Panesar replaced Ashley Giles and played in the last Test in Perth and did really well, taking eight wickets I think, and in England's first innings did well to keep the tail alive when the others had crumbled in their run chase of Australia's pretty paltry figure. Alas, to no avail.
Although I'm an Aussie, I'd have preferred England to breathe a bit of life into the series by not capitulating.
Australia are now 3-0 up, have won The Ashes series and so who really cares about the results of the next two Tests. What could have been excitement plus in Melbourne and Sydney will now mean two teams just going through the motions with nothing at stake except dented English pride. I hate dead-rubber sport.
12 - William Miller
It seems that racism certainly exist on 'both sides of the ball'.There are white people who hate blacks just because their skin color,and there are black people who hate white people just because their skin color!Of course,neither side is right :-)
For example:modern white people are not to blame for centuries gone by racism,because this was not under our control!It would be like someone saying to you 'hey,I'm gonna kill you cause you are the great-grandson of a man who killed my great-grandfather!'Just doesn't make sense!
On the other hand,it's not fair of white people to 'stereotype' black people in certain ways(such as the way they dress,the way they act or talk or whatever-such as a white person accusing a black person of being a 'thug' just because he looks a certain way or dresses a certain way!
But in the inner-city I live in(Dayton)there exist a culture of (in some corners)black toward white racism!It's as if some black people here have the attitude that 'hey,I'm black,the white man owes me,and he better get out of my way'.Whether one agrees with me or not,I state the truth!
As The Great Doctor King once wrote 'A man should be judged by the content of his character,not the color of his skin'(or something like that :-)
My question is,don't that work both ways?Wasn't Dr.King's intention to state that that applies whether you're white ,black or anything else?
If people only knew how small a space we're in on this tiny planet in this massive universe,then they would 'get it'(As Dr. King 'got it')
Or,in the words of Coolio 'if your mind ain't prepared,I'll see ya when ya get there,if ya ever get there'.
13 - angela
are you serious??? to the person who says make whites be slaves for years!! Did I choose that?? im white. Did my family?? NO! dont be blamein all white people for that. And ur exactly why people are racist to this day. fall the fuck back!
14 - angela
and that was too rufus brown..the one tryna b RUFF lol
15 - Aku
zingzing "if anyone needs to be taken down a notch or two, it's me and my kind. big-noses."
Yeh because white people are inherently arrogant, right?
James - "People don't realize that races don't mix together and survive."
Explain Hawaii.
16 - John carr
I went to a school with a mostley black population.
Was I racialy bullied by gangs? yes.
Called white boy and white trash? yes.
Beaten to a pulp almost every day for 2 years just because of my skin colour, yes.
Its funny when a white boy gets beaten to a pulp though RIGHT!?
Just like its funny when a black boy gets beaten to a pulp!?
The biggest racists is our GOVERMENT.
My friend who is black got sent down for 6 months for defnending himself against some white skinheads. He had no wepons. He took the worst injuries. The white skin head attackers got comunity service.
Racism does work both ways, I think its more about minoritys though, as I was the minority in my school and I got targeted. However after all this, most of my friends are black.
To end racism WE MUST stop segregation, we must forgive and forget. WE MUST be heard, we must be open to race conversations.
With most people when talking to another person from another race, you know all whats going on in there mind is "omg that person is: black / white / brown / yellow / green / blue / terquise / ultraviolet. These voices wont go away by locking it in, let it out, soon enough the voices will be extinguished.
17 - John carr
and when i say "These voices wont go away by locking it in, let it out, soon enough the voices will be extinguished."
I dont mean say any racist statement that comes into you're mind. I mean talk about being white/black.
18 - STM
"Races don't mix and survive ...Explain Hawaii."
Or New Zealand, the classic example in the developed world. Not perfect, but pretty damn good.
19 - Derrick Deese
My question is, what is "white?" It is clearly not a race nor ethnicity, but a system put in place most likely by someone of European descent to group together all people of European into one category to make themselves seem the same. Key word SEEM. If you were to say someone from Germany is the same as someone from Spain, Italy, Ireland, they would be pissed. Same as if someone from Kenya vs. Nigeria. Two totally different ethnic backgrounds, and 3 or 4 in the case of Europe, but people group them together. Why?
I don't know. Most 'blacks' dont know where their family is from in Africa, so we get offended a lot easier, as opposed to 'whites' who know where they are from. Notice why 'whites' dont get offended by jokes like this? THEY AREN'T WHITE. White is not real. It's a sociological system that's so far ingrained in our heads its damn near too late to even correct it. Jews and Native Americans had it just as bad as African-Americans, but Jews are grouped as 'white,' so people tend to forget.
People, regardless of ethnic origin, should open their eyes and see that white and black are social constructs, not races.
20 - dsd108
The white race (devils) have deceived the darker people of the earth by implying that they came from the God of Righteousness and that they are equal with the righteous, by having been created by the God of Righteousness.
The white race is not equal with darker people because the white race was not created by the God of Righteousness. The white race is not a created people; they are a made people. They were made by Yakub, an original Black Man -- who is from the Creator.
Yakub, the father of the devil, made the white race, a race of devils -- enemies of the darker people of the earth. The white race is not made by nature to accept righteousness. They know righteousness, but they cannot be righteous. Jesus made this clear when he was trying to reform the white race (devils) two thousand (2,000) years ago (Bible, Jn. 8:44).
If you and I believe that the devils are from the God of Righteousness, we are making the God of Righteousness an evil god, who created an evil god, and made the evil god to become the best guide for the people of righteousness. The God of Righteousness Would Not Make an enemy of righteousness as the best guide for keeping the righteous people on the right path.
All praises be to God to teach us the right way and to point out to us the great arch deceiver (white race, devils). That the white race is a race of devils is the most hated truth that they are opposing in the last days.
Remember these words, (Bible, Is. 65:15)... "The Lord God shall slay thee (the enemies) and call you (who submit to His Will) by another Name." Glory not in the name of satan, but Glory in the Name of the Lord God of Truth Whose Name abideth forever, and His Names have the Most Beautiful Meaning.
21 - zingzing
hey, hey, yer a fuckin nut!
-white devil! boo hiss.
22 - Chris
Guilty of Being White
by Minor Threat
I'm sorry
For something I didn't do
Lynched somebody
But I don't know who
You blame me for slavery
A hundred years before I was born
Guilty of being white
I'm a convict
Of a racist crime
I've only served
19 years of my time
Guilty of being white
23 - Jas
I wouldnt dare hate someone i didnt know just because of their race or skin color. It offends me, (being of 'African' descent, becuase I couldn't tell you where my ancestors are from) that for those few that are racist because their color of skin differs from someone elses are being catorigized with me because they too are of 'dark' color or black. As for the races surviving by being racist that doesn't justify them to be able to down other races. Im just asking for acceptance, not that all the races should mix and create one race, which would probably be for the better anyways. I just dont want to be hated and stereotyped becuase of the color of my skin or my race,I don't think anyone does. For some reason the lighter you are the better you are?, this way of thinking needs to be changed. And the acknowledgment of the differences amongst the races should be embraced, not neutralized.
24 - Jas
oh and i dont blame todays generation for what happened years ago, but i do blame those that keep the hatred escalating.
25 - Redneck
Momma's little baby love shortnin shortnin, momma's little baby love shortnin bread. Bring on the watermelon, fried chicken and collard greens.