NEWS: Race Relations in America Suck

CULTURE: Race Relations in America Suck

According to a recent poll, American Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians don't trust each other. The poll was conducted by New America Media, the country’s first and largest national collaboration of ethnic news organizations, which seeks to "expand the news lens through ethnic media." They surveyed 1,105 Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults, and what they found was saddening.

The amazing thing is that while Hispanics and Asians are blaming black people for crime, and black people and Hispanics are looking for more respect from Asians, most of the people polled said they were cool with white people.

Another interesting outcome of the study was the varying views of the American Dream among the different ethnicities. Black people tended to express concern that their chances of achieving the American Dream were being eclipsed by the other two ethnic groups. A whopping 60% of the African-Americans polled wrote the American Dream off, claiming that it didn't work for them. Hispanics and Asians, however, expressed a firm belief in their ability to grasp the good life through hard work.

When it comes down to it, the survey shows that a majority of people are still buying into cultural and ethnic stereotypes, and judging one another through racist eyes, rather than finding ways to unite. Interestingly, though, almost everyone polled agreed that if Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics held more authoritative positions at universities, businesses, and in media and government, it would be a big improvement for America.

I can't help but agree with that sentiment, and I hope that the stereotypes and racism that slows our path in that direction diffuse and disintegrate quickly.

We've come a long way in the past few generations: My mother remembers when her New Jersey school was integrated and interracial couples were considered a shame and a freak show. Meanwhile, I grew up in Los Angeles where (though the neighborhoods that comprise the city tend to be very segregated) daily life is an ethnic and cultural smorgasbord. One of my absolute favorite things about this metropolis is how ethnically vibrant it is. More often than not, I'll find myself marveling at how many different ethnicities are represented in the faces of passersby on the sidewalk, or at the grocery store. I love looking around me, seeing faces from all over the world, and knowing they're my neighbors.

1,105 people surveyed...sounds like they pulled out all the stops here.

Really?

You? Really?

Where am I? What year is this?

In my interactions with numerous people and the multi-culture nature of my circle of friends... I have found the results of this study consistant with the concerns I've heard expressed.

But what I find most appealing in your article, is the sentiments you express in your last paragraph... especially the last few lines.

Nicely said...

According to these guys, 1000 is a pretty standard sample for measuring the opinions of Americans.

*sigh*

It would be nice if all users on every forum everywhere figured out how statistics worked before they came up with winning opinions like the above.

Not to mention: knew the costs that deploying a large scale survey involves.

That;s because there are only about 1000 people in the US who actually like to be surveilled...I mean surveyed.

"They also said they believe racial tensions in the United States will ease over the next 10 years."

not at the rate we're going
2007 will forever be remembered as "the year racism got trendy again"

every other day someones hanging a noose somewhere

I can't help it.

That's still going on today in places. When my mother and her new husband were courting, the locals in his neighborhood (lovely Camden, NJ) took none too kindly to a Puerto Rican going out of "the pool" and dating a white woman. One social commentator went as far as to put two bottles on the stoop of his porch side-by-side, one brown, one white. Granted this was a poor neighborhood mainly consisting of Puerto Ricans that only excelled at failing in life. The black ex-pimp across the street approved, however.

While racism is based in ignorance and fear, none-the-less what happened to the freedoms of America that grant everyone to hate everyone else? Or are we only tolerant of "enlightened" points of view? My sister in law is from South Africa and when she was here I picked up on some racial biases she has and was disgusted by it. However if she wants to believe them and act on them, should she not be afforded that right? Why does she have to like anyone who's different? I'm not saying she should be allowed to harm or injure anyone else (in all terms of that word) but where in the Constitution does it offer the right not to be offended? Racists are idiots but they have the right to be stupid.

As for what race relations will be like in 10 years? I think people over time, be it 10 years, 5 years, or 25 years, will assimilate into a new ideal of the American melting pot and when that time comes, if America is still the great country it is today, there will be a new group of people clamoring to come here for the freedoms and they will be hated as well. To the victors go the spoils, as they say. Every group that has ever fought for equality, when they finally achieve it, fight to maintain their status quo and superior position they've gained and never want it threatened or even equaled. It is, in my opinion, a sad fact of human nature.

Wait, what? Are you kidding me. If by enlightened points of view you mean those that aren't ignorant and uniformed then yes. I can't even grasp the absurdity of the idea that racists should be allowed to be racist because "hey it's a free country" enough to formulate a good reply

But that's exactly my point. Why should your point of view be more valid than a racist's? Why must he conform to your point of view that says all races must be accept and the love thy neighbor as yourself. Why can't some guy hate another person because he has different skin color if he isn't beating him, firing him, attacking him, etc? Maybe I just like living with my own color or religion or whatever. Should I have to desegregate my neighborhood to achieve a racial balance and through exposure learn to like to live with others? That is taking away another's rights and imposing your point of the view. Unless you maintain your view is superior to all others which I am willing to accept. If you're right and everyone else is wrong, prove it and I'll follow.

I am, for whatever strange reason, as optimistic as some of you about time improving these issues in the US. I am not, however, convinced that the fundamental problems that drive these issues -- that make them resurface, etc. -- will go away any time soon. We sure like our stories of progressive tolerance in America. We like to say how just a short while ago it was crazy racist or homophobic and now people are slightly more tolerant, gays have their own sitcoms, and me and my black girlfriend can go to the Target without getting the hairy eyeball.

But we consistently disregard the fact that the gross privatization of our society has and is continuing to devastate the working and middle classes, depositing massive amounts of wealth in the hands of the few. And this experience has gone global, and for some time now.

Inequalities start with economics, guys. As long as their has been capitalism there has been racism, and racism is a convenient tool of the powerful. "It's not your government (democrat and republican alike) that sold you out, that signed free trade agreements and sent millions of jobs overseas, it's those other people -- they took your jobs, they sell crack, they they they they." It's a distraction from the real problem.

But hey, maybe we should qualify things. ;-) In ten years, those of us who have health care, fair wages, live in nice privately secured ex-urb and can afford all of the silly accoutrements of the age,will be tolerant and open to mixed race, same sex, whatever. Those who can get out of the flood waters, those who can pay five bucks a gallon, those who have reserved their beach front property in Alaska -- they'll be such nice, wonderful, open minded people.

And it'll be just those other people, those fuckups on the outside that'll hold to these cro-magnon beliefs. You know. Poor people.

Unfortunately, with freedom of speech, we have to take the bad with the good. If we open the door to legally defining what is acceptable or unacceptable speech and thought, then we risk that meter being moved in a direction we do not like when a different mindset is prevalent.

For example, if we were to start banning forms of discriminatory speech, then what would happen when someone were to say... criticize a political figure who was also a religious zealot? That public figure could (at least try to) make the case that any adverse speech towards his or her political actions was discriminatory towards his/her religion.

Our civil libel laws protect individuals who are injured by patently false statements. But the absolute freedom of speech afforded by the US, also allows for parody and satire of public figures who have profound influence on the nation.

Personally, I've always felt that the best way to defeat hate speech is to allow it to be seen for it's stupidity and evil. If it's forced into hiding and allowed to fester, than it often gains a mystique and underground credibility that suckers in new converts.

Just out of curiosity, what if someone makes it a point to become knowledgable and informed about Group X and ends up hating Group X anyway?

You are right in saying that we can't stop it if they aren't hurting others but it doesn't mean that I have to accept it. I do think my view that everyone is created equal is superior to those that are racists. From my experience racists are usually really inept in other areas as well. And yes you should have to desegregate your neighboorhood. If you want to be allowed to feel and say whatever you want then you have to accept that others are entitled to live wherever they want, within reason.

I think there are plenty of groups that a lot of people don't like, but in relation to things such as race I can't see any blanket reason that someone could say that allows them to hate them.

However in your hypothetical situation then fine they can hate you they want, However that's not what I was arguing in the first place. No one can stop anyone else from hating people, but what I was rejecting the idea that I should somehow be okay with it.

It's been a while since I logged on, but isn't this the same person who posted a story (that was deleted) where they stereotyped Italians and gypsies?

Fucking irony......er........or hypocrisy.

You're right. People can and should be allowed to be ignorant and hate others for no reason. Because if we start imposing rules on what someone can think or say, then, as another poster pointed out, you run the risk of an extremist getting up and flipping it around and banning your speech and thought.

As for neighborhoods, I don't mean to desegregate in a legal sense, but that if I and a group of people buy a plot of land and build houses so we can live together and form a commune like area, we shouldn't be forced to have a lottery and force someone out of the home in order to create ethnic diversity in the neighborhood. Ultimately I think a lot of opposition to getting rid of racism (aside from ignorance) is the feeling of it being forced upon people rather than it happening organically. When the gov't imposes a decree, there's natural resentment. As a society becomes wealthier and people no longer by and large have to toil from 4am till 10pm in fields to eek out a living to support a large agrarian family, it is my belief that people will on their own accord become more tolerant and inclusive.

You mean like being knowledgeable and informed about bigots, and hating them anyway ? Like that ?

Well, it depends on what you mean by racism. If you're talking about simple name-calling, then I don't really agree that it's neccesarilly true-blue racism, because, overall, the most damaging form of racism in the US is institutional. Somebody could say all the insensitive derogatory names toward another on an idividual level (based on race) that they want. But if there is no race-based domination or racial disadvantage involved, then it's not racism; it's petty bigotry between individuals - and they're just spouting off like dumb-fucks. Words have got nothing on the history of collective racism (action) in this country.

If by racism, you're talking about "hate-speech," then yes, they should be allowed to say it because it is a free country, and it is protected. And whom is going to disallow racists to be racist? It's impossible to govern somebody else's thought processes. You can't make a racist not racist, they've got to do it themselves.

What you're describing isn't a neighborhood though, it's private land. Of course you can't force people to let others live on their property. But you said neighborhood, and you really can't decide who can and can't live in the neighborhood you live in.

I am all for free speech. I'm the first one to defend almost everyone's right to protest, though I do think sometimes people take it too far and some limitations should be put up, but that's another discussion. I just don't think anyone should be told they should be okay with it. I can agree that someone should be allowed to say what they want to say, without thinking that they should be saying it. Something being allowed and approving of something are completely different.

You should that we should be tolerant of it. I'm not tolerant of ignorance. It's hurtful. I understand that you said you didn't agree with it, but I don't agree with being tolerant of other's ignorance past the point of letting it happen. I'm all for letting them have their stupid protests but it doesn't mean I can't think and say that they're horrible for it. About once every two months I have to see these stupid antigay protesters at my school. They are completely uniformed and have signs with things about how homosex is a threat to nation security. I understand that it's stupid but as a bisexual person it does hurt. I'm the first to argue with someone how says they shouldn't be allowed to do it, but it doesn't mean that I will just stand there and say "oh well it's okay. it's not my place to argue and condemn them for their actions."

That got really long winded so I'll end it now.

As I said, what I found absurd was the idea that I should somehow tolerate it and flag it as okay because "ehy it's what they think"
Let them protest all they want but you can't expect people to not get offended and write articles about how stupid it is.