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[Choke on the Magic]

rac·ism
/ˈrāˌsizəm/Noun
1.The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, esp. so as to distinguish it as...
2.Prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief.

Are you saying white people can't experience racism?

Yes, but they can still be subjected to prejudice

A common thing with people who are confused by what racism is to consult the dictionary definition of what the word means. If you want to speak more of it, feel free to PM me or start another thread.

So here's is the thread hypernima. I feel that a thread on this matter is an excellent idea. I took your advice and looked up the definition of racism and it appears that in fact white people can experience racism.

Personally I find your opinion on the matter pretty offensive, but I'm particularily interested in finding out if this is something that gaffers agree or disagree with. As far as I'm concerned anyone from any race/color or what have you can experience racism.

I know that this subject brought out some ban hammers for some who turned to personal attacks. I'm not trying to go there so let's try to keep it clean.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=625746&page=2

Discuss.

 

[h0pper]

White people can sure as fuck be victims of racism. Just because there's not that one really hurtful word for us doesn't make us immune from it.

 

[lil smoke]

Anyone can be subject to racism. This is being argued? Are you sure this person is worth arguing with?

 

[Speevy]

It's hard for white Americans to experience racism unless they just find themselves around a bunch of jerks.

 

[Kurita]

Anyone can experience racism.

 

[h0pper]

It's hard for white Americans to experience racism unless they just find themselves around a bunch of jerks.

It depends where you live. I wouldn't say it's hard.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

It's not even about name calling. Acts of violence, discimination are included in this.

Anyone can be subject to racism. This is being argued? Are you sure this person is worth arguing with?

Absolutely worth discussing. I just found the fact that the poster seemed to be so sure of him/her self that racism cannot be experience by white people that they told a poster to look it up and make thread. I did.

 

[Jb]

It's not that it's impossible, it's that the probability of experiencing racism as a white person in Europe/NA is comparatively minuscule.

 

[cutmeamango]

Cue Mumei's post about systemic/institutional racism. It makes sense when context is set, but when people use it as the common definition, it is a mess.

 

[Pollux]

Yes, white people can be the victims of racism.

 

[daffy]

Looks like Hypernima got blown up.

 

[umop_3pisdn]

Sure they can, but it's generally going to be a lot more single-faceted for obvious reasons I think.

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

It's hard for white Americans to experience racism unless they just find themselves around a bunch of jerks.

Well, errmmm... :|

 

[h0pper]

It's not even about name calling. Acts of violence, discimination are included in this.

Yeah, I mean I've never been denied a job or anything like that. But I've been intimidated, threatened, etc.

 

[Bomber Bob]

lol just go to japan

 

[mernst23]

Just because in the overwhelming majority of history white people have been identified as the purveyors of racism does not mean that white people cannot be the targets of racists or prejudicial treatment.

 

[SmackDaddy]

I don't really mind being called a cracker or anything. Anti-white sentiment is usually just funny to me, because I can always relate.

 

[Thai]

move to a different country where you are the minority, you'll expereince racism.

 

[Minigo]

lol just go to japan

Waito piggu go homu

 

[contagious]

They sure can, especially in areas where they are the minority.

That isn't the case in most of America though, which might be the frame of reference he's speaking from.

 

[LiK]

It goes both ways.

 

[gryz]

if you are white and go to backwoods Japan you will experience racism.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

It's not that it's impossible, it's that the probability of experiencing racism as a white person in Europe/NA is comparatively minuscule.

Agreed, but I'm not speaking of the prevalence of it. While I have experienced it on no where near the level that some people have for someone to deny that it's possible didn't set well with me.

Looks like Hypernima got blown up.

Still waiting for a response.

 

[vas_a_morir]

lol just go to japan

Sorta, but it comes from a different place. Their hate is less about feeling superior to white people and more about wanting a pure racial society. In rural areas, though, I bet you'd hear it a lot more.

Waito piggu go homu

Yとピッグ語法！白人の日本侮蔑を許さないぞー！Ｙーとピッッグ…語法！ CLASSIC VIDEO

 

[bidguy]

White people can sure as fuck be victims of racism. Just because there's not that one really hurtful word for us doesn't make us immune from it.

 

[SmackDaddy]

lolol this just reminded me- was in downtown cincinnati one night, I guy told me to "Get outta here witchyo beeig white hayd".

 

[Buddha Beam]

Personally, I've experienced racism on a trip to Thailand. It didn't really bother me, as it was never meant to be hateful or mean. Just naivety. Particularly pertaining to what I'd like to eat or that all Americans are overweight white people.

 

[EloquentM]

What? of course they can. Is it common in America as a whole? I'd assume not.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Um why wouldn't a white person be able to experience racism?

 

[FStop7]

Someone tell the white farmers in Zimbabwe they haven't experienced racism.

 

[Windu]

lol of course white people can experience racism.

 

[commedieu]

Yes, white people can be targets of racism. Most times, minority groups are, but that is the same for humanity globally. You don't see members posting from 90210 that a black man gave them a dirty look and moved his wallet from his back to front. You have people, in minority situations, experiencing what it is to be a minority 247 in america. Which doesn't stop with civilians, but it applies to law enforcement as well.

There is a problem with comparing isolated racist incidents, to a continual and systematic dismantling of a culture, from the private prison system to voter disenfranchisement. These things do not happen to the white majority of the country. Substantial negative social stigma based on white skin doesn't exist, it doesn't permeate government, schooling, healthcare, or day to day interactions with people.

Can someone be racist to anyone? Of course. People are people.

It's hard for white Americans to experience racism unless they just find themselves around a bunch of "jerks".

pretty much nailed it.

 

[h0pper]

lol did I complain about it? I just said that it happens. The thread was created to incite discussion? If you want to be a little troll prick, go somewhere else.

 

[Blood Diamonds]

You should hit my latino swag neighboorhod sometime white boy.

Spoiler

I'm so sorry, but yes they can experience racism. Anyone can.

 

[The Faceless Master]

it is entirely possible and no doubt happens every day, but i bet they still wouldn't want to be non-white.

 

[Kid Ska]

Nope, we're immune to it. I think it's genetic.

 

[The Lamonster]

White people certainly can experience racism. Everyone can.

However, it's taboo to talk about because whites are seen as the privileged race.

 

[NoRéN]

As someone who has mostly lived in predominantly hispanic neighborhoods I can assure you that white people can experience racism.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

Um why wouldn't a white person be able to experience racism?

People posting garbage like this.

If this is the attitude held you're just purveying racism in general. Anyway I'd like to hear this posters perspective on it if they feel this way beyond a jpg post. It's not much of a disscussion if everyone agrees and those who disagree only post a pic.

 

[Deified Data]

There are racists of all races and ethnicities. Of course whites can be subject to racism and prejudice on an individual basis.

Just not the worst kind - the institutionalized kind.

 

[lil smoke]

lol just go to japan

or Brooklyn where you can have Jews, Chinese, Mexican and blacks all in a 2.5 mile radius. Then you have the hipsters moving into these areas. Mix that up.

 

[Dude Abides]

Why is there no white history month huh?

 

[Kinyou]

I remember this tweet from Adria Richards that got dug up during the whole PyCon sex joke thing.

 

[The Technomancer]

White people can experience racism

However I do not think that it in any way approaches the institutional problem that other races face (in the US at least)

 

[h0pper]

I remember this tweet from Adria Richards that got dug up during the whole PyCon sex joke thing.

That's a 10,000 foot view of a situation.

 

[rocketknight]

One thing some white people apparently can't do is just listen to non-white people for a few pages to see what that's like without chiming in with their own take. I think that thread would have been a lot more interesting if it didn't devolve into the same "but white people totally get this too" stuff as always.

Also, what commedieu said, mostly.

 

[stufte]

Jesus, Don't be an asshole man.

I've experienced being threatened and intimidated because I am white, and that's absolutely racist.

This thread segregation because folks in that other thread think that racism is inherently a "minority" problem is bullshit. The idea that people with white skin should be told that their experience is null or isn't racism because of the color of their skin is, well... racist.

 

[Mudkips]

Of course they can. Racism is simply people being treated differently (better or worse or neither) than others because of their race.

People who say they can't are just using the terrible definition of racism they got from their Sociology 101 class and parroting it back out. That terrible definition is usually focused on some perceived power differential. People who push that definition then tend to pick and choose when to:

A) Ignore the power differential requirement so they can call something/someone racist, and count people as victims of racism.

B) Change it to a "systemic" or "institutionalized" or "historic" power differential requirement (ignoring any actual power differential in the specific instance), so they can call something not racist and not count people as victims of racism.

This definition leads to claims exactly like the one in the OP. I've literally had people tell me that black people can be prejudiced, but no black person can ever be racist because black people don't have a history of power over other races.

Edit: Beaten so hard.

 

[DigitalOp]

I heard something along the lines of this on a debate one day..

But the context of that argument had defined racisim as an actually physical act of oppression regarding the color of one's skin...

Which would technically be called Discrimination.

They were trying to say that in a technical sense, A black person cannot actually interfere or control external factors that involve a white person's life. The system that is in place is slanted beyond our control.

The argument was trying to say there aren't a majority of black cops who profile white people and arrest them.

There aren't a majority of black judges who make biased verdicts across the country.

There aren't a majority of black politicians who cater policies to members of their own community.

There weren't a majority of black people who systematically grouped whites into lower income housing.

And finally the big one... There weren't a majority of blacks who enslaved whites into building the infastructure of an entire nation and then when all was said and done, left them out to dry.

Its a very angry, narrow, and racial charged argument that doesn't really benefit from anything. Im expressing it in detail because I wanted to be thorough... Maybe this was what you were looking for OP??

I personally do not hold any animosity torwards white people, Or any people for that matter. It is truly unfair to hold grudges for past events wayyyyyyy out of our control and present day situation.

But to answer the question straight up, Yes. White people can experience racisim. I hear it everyday amongst everyone, Even other white people

BUT

There will always be a extremely severe disconnect and gap in the severity of such racisim torwards caucasians. Despite racisim being untolerable both ways, I don't think it equates due to what happened long ago and how the effects are STILL being felt today.

 

[commedieu]

White people can experience racism

However I do not think that it in any way approaches the institutional problem that other races face (in the US at least)

I think thats the core issue.

People seem to use their isolated racism experiences to minimize the institutional problem in the country. It needs to be addressed by everyone.