Rosie's ching-chong comments

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

White trash: not even close to being the same as the N word, in my opinon. The n word used throughout history in a vicious manner, associated with violence, slavery, and treating a group of people as less than human.

I don't particularly like the term white trash because it demeans an economic class (agree with cliffdweller) and why use the word trash to talk about someone? But I didn't grow up in the same environment as sparky, so I think the term is probably used without malice by many people.

And black people and some white people use ni**er without malice all the time too - e.g. "ni**er please" in response to a silly question.

[sparky]

Originally Posted by BTFLCHLD

what did you do/say in response?

"F*ck you both" is what I said.

[BTFLCHLD]

Originally Posted by sparky

"F*ck you both" is what I said.

That's what I wanted to read!

[wondergirl9847]

Did anyone here have a say in your ethnic background? Did you have a conversation with your parents before your own birth?

I'll go ahead and say a collective NO for everyone here.

Seriously though, I'll NEVER EVER understand how someone can say another person is inferior for being a certain race. We do not get to choose WHAT we are, but we can choose WHO we are. You wanna be a jerkface...you chose to be so. You wanna be a nice, decent person, you chose that. But, nobody can choose to be a particular race. No Michael Jackson jokes here, okay.

It saddens me when people like HejiraNYC say they were ashamed of being Asian. Nothing is wrong with being Asian or black or white or Hispanic, etc. I don't like to say I'm a white person, because I literally am not white. I am not an albino person. I have a varied background, with Italian, Irish, German and Native American descent. I know what white means, but I hate being called a white person. I'm a HUMAN BEING.

A friend of mine asked me once how I felt going into a Middle Eastern restaurant. I said "What do you mean?" and he asked "Do you feel anger towards the people who work here because of 9/11?" I said "Why would I feel anger towards people I don't know? They didn't do anything. They are making my meal."

I was taught to love everyone and not judge. I wish that everyone in the world were taught that as well.

[estranged4life]

Most of my adult life I have had Indians in this hellhole town tell me I'm not really Indian since I am not 100% of pure Indian blood.

I have had white people (In this same town) tell me I am 'trash' for being of Indian blood and not having $$$$...Yeah, like I had a choice in how I was created and who created me. "Gee Mom could you be more Indian...Hey Dad, Can ya be less redskinned and more pale-skinned? Ya know a reverse sun-tan"

Wanna know my reply to both sides (Among other people)? It's the "360 degree F.U."-Outstretch your arms and lift the middle finger on both hands, now spin (Like that ol' Stevie witch during "Stand Back") in a complete circle with both fingers extended and say "F**k you!!!" That pretty much covers everyone all at the same time

[skcin]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

For the most part, generally speaking, I agree with you. However, I WAS the victim of racism by a group of black girls when I was in the 7th grade. The odd thing was, eventually another black girl put a stop to it.

Why is that odd?

And what did they do to you?

[michelle2677]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

And black people and some white people use ni**er without malice all the time too - e.g. "ni**er please" in response to a silly question.

I use "n*gga" all the time. (which oddly enough I think is different than "N*gger".) But it is only used like you said "n*gga please" ....but I use cracka and honkey too..so...
My father is very racist. They are divorced and in the 8th grade my best friend was black and she was not even allowed to come over My mother on the other hand-brought me up right and thankfully for her I see people for who they are, not the color of their skin.

[DrummerDeanna]

^^

My grandparents were somewhat racist...like they had black friends - but if any of us dated a black person - oh. my. God. All hell broke loose- though they also didn't much like us dating white people either

One of my cousins got knocked up a few years ago by her boyfriend (black). and my grandma called my mom all panicked...my mom couldn't figure out why she was in such a panic until finally my grandma said about my cousin's boyfriend, "he's a negrito!" My mom said, "well in this day and age be thankful she's having a baby with a man and not a woman..." My grandma hung up on her

They've let up in the last few years- but for older generations I guess it's hard to let go of the old notions....thankfully they did NOT pass down any racial prejudices to their kids - and therefore me and my cousins didn't get any passed down to us

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by sparky

"You're gonna be the minority here soon, Motherf*cker. We're taking over and your white bitch ass is gonna be sorry. You notice you're the only white face in this store?"

So, last week, I experienced the hint that your statement isn't completely correct. Not in Los Angeles anyway.

I'm sorry that you had this very unpleasant exchange. What they said was really, really uncalled for. However... in the spectrum of "racial epithets," that registers, very, very low. It's a flesh wound. It's almost like calling someone a "rich bitch" or a "yuppie." It's a dig at you, but it's also indirectly saying that you are in a better position in life than they are. Again, it's the power dynamic that exists.

You know all too well that Mexicans in this country, legal or not, are all perceived to be illegal, uneducated leeches on society, when, if anything, the U.S. today cannot function without them. Accordingly, even in this day and age, it almost seems acceptable to display overt signs of racism against Mexicans. When the difficult issue of Mexican immigration comes up, it seems that everybody's flaming crosses come right out of the closet... and it's okay.

The Mexican guys are angry at those who hold power in America (the whites), the ones who have the biggest houses and the biggest cars (the whites), and the regime that wants to criminalize them. Unfortunately you happened to be a whipping post for some of their frustration. I'm not saying it was acceptable or appropriate... only understandable.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I understand your hatred, but "white trash?" And in a thread about racial sensitivity? Your point was well made until that little hate phrase popped up.

Goodness, gracious! Hatred?? Where the f*ck did you detect "hatred" in my post. I was just trying to get a point across about perspective... that people in different circumstances will perceive things differently.

As for "white trash," I stand by the double standard that exists today for white people (as I had described in an earlier post) . I suppose I could have used the term "trailer trash," which is racially nondescript, but it would have been rather awkward for me to describe my history teacher as "trailer trash who happened to be of the caucasian persuation." "White trash" is more direct and to the point. Anyway... can you blame me for getting my digs at him after the horrendous way he singled me out? A teacher could get fired for such conduct these days...

[BTFLCHLD]

Originally Posted by sparky

"F*ck you both" is what I said.

sparky, this gave me giggles in the driveway...imagining you...cutie.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

As mentioned earlier, there exists this whole line of thought that white people (apparently all of them) cannot be discrimminated against by minorities essentially because white people did the majority of the discrimminating in recent history. Personally, I think this is hogwash because discrimmination based on a stereotype is all the same to me and the mocking of one class or type of person is equally hateful if put forth in that manner.

I totally call bull***** on this. It's not all equally hateful. For example, if you were walking down the sidewalk and you accidentally bumped the shoulder of the person walking in the opposite direction, and he said loudly, "watch it, you honkey!" would you be offended? Probably not. What if he said "watch it, you b*tt-f**king f@ggot pansy a$$?" I don't know about you, but that would piss me the heck off. I would quickly think about stupid thugs like him who probably make a sport of taunting gays and who has probably beaten them up too. Gays are minorities too. And we all know that Rosie can get her boxer shorts all up in a bunch when she smells something anti-gay in the air, e.g., the whole Kelly Ripa-Clay Aiken affair. "rolleyes:

It's not all the same.

[markolas]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Most people use the term ni**er to refer to black people who are lower in class a la the people of your hometown as opposed to terming all black people as ni**ers.

I've never heard that. Members of my family used the "n" word quite liberally, and it was clear to me that it applied to all black people. My great aunt moved out of her still upper middle class neighborhood and into a much more expensive, exclusive one, because too many blacks had moved in. And who should buy a house right behind her in the "exclusive" neighborhood but a rich black family. But to her, they were still n***ers. She even said that she thought the NAACP must've put them in that house, because "how else could a [black person] afford to live there?"

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I'll just say that white trash is not a good phrase, and to me, it's the equivalent of the n-word, or calling Mexicans "wetbacks," or Italians w.o.p.'s, etc. They are all racial and or ethnic slurs, it's just that white trash happens to hit most squarely at the socio-economic level than mere race or ethnicity. To call someone white trash is descriminatory and classist, it's just that people (mainly whites) tend to be very de-sensitized and or just generally unbothered by the term. But to throw hands in the air and claim that you can't see the parallel that exists between the term "white trash" and other racial/ethnic/socio-economic slurs is just plain ridiculous. I'm sure that you can imagine why one would make such an argument. If not, really, forget it.

White trash knows no socioeconomic boundaries. It's more of a mindset. For me "trash" equals "common, as in bad taste." So for example, as much as I loves me some Dolly, she does have certain "white trash" sensibilities, which may very well be part of her stage persona for all we know. She's richer than God, but her feet are planted firmly in the trailer park. And she's not exactly paying attention to the latest fashion trends, to put it mildly.

The same applies to "Eurotrash," which again refers to "common, as in bad European taste." These are usually people from Europe who are actually very well-to-do. It's just that they are exquisitely pretentious and have awful taste in clothes and music. And they are very common (at least in NY, anyway).

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by wondergirl9847

It saddens me when people like HejiraNYC say they were ashamed of being Asian. Nothing is wrong with being Asian or black or white or Hispanic, etc. I don't like to say I'm a white person, because I literally am not white. I am not an albino person. I have a varied background, with Italian, Irish, German and Native American descent. I know what white means, but I hate being called a white person. I'm a HUMAN BEING.

A friend of mine asked me once how I felt going into a Middle Eastern restaurant. I said "What do you mean?" and he asked "Do you feel anger towards the people who work here because of 9/11?" I said "Why would I feel anger towards people I don't know? They didn't do anything. They are making my meal."

I was taught to love everyone and not judge. I wish that everyone in the world were taught that as well.

Let me underscore that my shame is in the past tense. I am not as hung up on racial stuff as I used to be... of course, being in NYC, everybody is a minority! And of course, I agree with everything you said... and I only wish things were that simple.

But *****'s complicated, you dig?