Study paints bleak picture of ethnic diversity

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Japher
IMO, it's the way diversity is viewed or pinned to society that is the problem not the fact that it exists. If that makes sense.

Everyone gets up in arms if Cali or I bring of diversity or racial differences on a genetic level because it is seemingly overtly racist. Now, I'm not going to defend Cali's or my opinion on how we do things, mainly because when I bring stuff up it is only to get a rise out of people. However, it is the fact that it is so easily to troll on this subject that is the point I want to make.

We should not only celebrate diversity and recognize that people are different, but we should be accepting of the fact that there are differences. That accepting has never occured. We are so programed as a society to be color blind that we fail to see the difference, and because of that fail to celebrate it or acknowledge it, at least superficially.

A color blind world is lame, there is black and white, yellow and red, shades of blue (especially around here). This teaching and thought that has come out of the 60s creates those close-minded and scared people. It creates fear of accusations since we'll be called racists or accused of profiling if the case so happens. We can't say certain words, and those words change every day. Of course I'm not going to trust, I've been taught not to trust! If I say something, do something, or behave a certain way that might be perceived as possibly being racist than I am outcasted.

Unable to behave as we want, no matter how innocently, we are forced to be defensive and to draw to others like us.

My favorite line from Dot (SNL or Mad TV, can't remember); "Are you black? Does it hurt?"

Good post. I definitely agree that ethnic diversity would cause far fewer problems if we were all equal under the law, and there wasn't this unrealistic expectation of equal outcomes.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Cort Haus


Who is being racist? Everyone? All the diverse elements are guilty of moral failure in your view if those various elements are not getting along?

Perhaps there are other reasons for distrust than racism, and reasons above and beyond the moral character of individuals.

Racism exists in many subtle ways and doesn't just involve people who wear sheets on their heads and go lynching. I have many friends who no one would call racist but if they passed a stranger on the street they would be far more nervous and uncomfortable about it if that stranger was black.

I'm not wagging my finger at anyone, it is largely unconscious. But it is still racism.

[Pekka]

Yes. The more undertones there are to it, the more hidden it is, the more racist it is. The ones who act as if they aren't racist, or say they aren't racist, they're the biggest ones. We should burn them NOW! In the name of tolerance, I say we stop tolerating these people who claim to be tolerant, because they clearly are deniers. What goes on in their heads is very important to the rest of us, because their denial is a direct insult, and how am I supposed to walk the streets knowing that all the people there are racists, even though they don't show it? It's in the little things... the way they fart, the way they smile.... it's the most sickening form of racism known to man.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Pekka
You trust your family, friends, co-workers and onwards it goes, until it's people you don't know, it's just people. Like business men, cab drivers and so forth. You don't know them, but they're titled X.

People have to trust other people beyond family, friends, co-workers etc. all the time, at least to some extent. Doesn't mean you trust them as much as a close friend or relative in personal affairs, but you trust them in a lot of situations where you need their "services". Noone would call a taxi if he wouldn't at least trust the (never seen before) driver insofar that he drives to the desired destination, doesn't rob you while you're in his taxi etc. etc. You would hardly go to a doctor when you suspect he gives you wrong medication. You wouldn't go on a plane if you think the pilot is drunk and can't land the plane safely. Everyday life is full of situations where you have to have this basic trust into (more or less) strangers, institutions and abstract systems you can't individually check all the time, otherwise society wouldn't work.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by OzzyKP


Racism exists in many subtle ways and doesn't just involve people who wear sheets on their heads and go lynching. I have many friends who no one would call racist but if they passed a stranger on the street they would be far more nervous and uncomfortable about it if that stranger was black.

Does that make Jesse Jackson an anti-black racist?

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by OzzyKP


Racism exists in many subtle ways and doesn't just involve people who wear sheets on their heads and go lynching. I have many friends who no one would call racist but if they passed a stranger on the street they would be far more nervous and uncomfortable about it if that stranger was black.

All things being equal?

I say that cos if I walked past a black man in a regular work suit I wouldn't care in the slightet. If I walk past a white kid in a hoodie and baseball cap I am expecting some kind of crap to pop out his mouth.

Does this make me "racist" against certain types of clothing?

[Barnabas]

My experience (for adults) with diversity (I live in a neighbourhood which is 30% peruvian 20% bolivian 10% jew 10% chinese 30% regular argentine)

Is that the different communities live side by side paralel lifes, peacefully ignoring each other, bolivians go out with bolivians to places for bolivians, and the same with other ethnicities.

The only exception are shops, when someone from a group needs to buy something in a shop whose owner belongs to another group.
That is something common because different groups have different kinds of shops (for example armenians dominate clothes/fabrics), thats the only place were the different ethnicities interact.

I imagine that for kids who go to the public school of the neighbourhood things are quite different, because they meet kids of different backgrounds, and have less prejudices.

I think the worst kind of diversity (if what you want is integration) is religious diversity because it makes intermarriage very rare.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Dauphin

Does this make me "racist" against certain types of clothing?

It makes you a clothist.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by OzzyKP


Racism exists in many subtle ways and doesn't just involve people who wear sheets on their heads and go lynching. I have many friends who no one would call racist but if they passed a stranger on the street they would be far more nervous and uncomfortable about it if that stranger was black.

I'm not wagging my finger at anyone, it is largely unconscious. But it is still racism.

Ah, thought-crimes.

1984+23

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Dauphin
All things being equal?

I say that cos if I walked past a black man in a regular work suit I wouldn't care in the slightet. If I walk past a white kid in a hoodie and baseball cap I am expecting some kind of crap to pop out his mouth.

Does this make me "racist" against certain types of clothing?

Yep. Hoodies, not skin colour are the prime determinate of fear in UK society. In fact the white-working class are the demographic most likely to be considered a threat at the moment.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Arrian
Wild guess:

Could it be that people in small communities (which are less likely to be diverse) are more trusting and people in big (crime-ridden) cities are less trusting? Could it be there is correlation but not causation?

-Arrian

Yes, there could be a lot of correlation but not causation at play. That's a good point.

But I don't think we need sophisticated explanations for what everybody knows intuitively. People don't trust foreigners as a rule. The more different they are, the harder to trust them. It's natural.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by OzzyKP


Racism exists in many subtle ways and doesn't just involve people who wear sheets on their heads and go lynching. I have many friends who no one would call racist but if they passed a stranger on the street they would be far more nervous and uncomfortable about it if that stranger was black.

I'm not wagging my finger at anyone, it is largely unconscious. But it is still racism.

But would you say it's unfair?

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by VetLegion


But would you say it's unfair?

I would say that we as a society need to do more to recognize these prejudices we carry with us and be truly accepting of diversity at our core. Articles like this claiming that diversity is some kind of problem take us in the wrong direction. The only solution to diversity is more diversity, till we are finally color-blind like we should be.

100 years ago people would be keenly aware if someone was Italian or Polish or something, and their uncomfortableness factor would change based on what ethnicity the other person is. Now no one really cares or notices, we just have white, black, Hispanic and Asian pretty much. Give it some time and that'll change too.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by OzzyKP


I would say that we as a society need to do more to recognize these prejudices we carry with us and be truly accepting of diversity at our core. Articles like this claiming that diversity is some kind of problem take us in the wrong direction. The only solution to diversity is more diversity, till we are finally color-blind like we should be.

Ah, so we should accept diversity without question?

[OzzyKP]

If a black (or Arab or whatever) person moved into your neighborhood or wanted to get a job in your office, would you have a problem with that?