Worst Racism You've Encountered

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

So every so often the dreaded topic of race will crop up on these forums, and I had an interesting idea.

Have you personally experienced racism? Have other people in your vicinity been racist around you? And what is the worst racism you have been witness, party or receiver to?

For me, it was while working in my local Waitrose supermarket, I was in the soup aisle, and an elderly couple were making their way down the aisle. The husband stopped the trolley to get some Ainsley Harriot soup, and the wife said (not making this up) in the middle of the aisle:

'We don't want any of that nasty ****** soup.'

We were alone in the aisle, but the casual way it was said, the throwaway use of a word I can barely even use when quoting someone else in context, the very normal setting. I have never been quite so shocked by something before. Quite a few of my year mates (I struggle to call them friends) were also very casually racist, but it was never quite the same as this.

I know my story is kind of tame to start it off but I'm a middle class white boy. So let's hear yours.

 

[BonsaiK]

So let's hear yours.

I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote in another thread about 30 minutes ago about touring Australia with a mixed-race punk band, because I'm lazy, and this is actually more on-topic here than it is there:

When you go to book the motel room, we got the sound engineer to do it because he was the only white guy with us (I can pass for white but it's funnier to get him to do it, and besides he's getting paid more than us so he's gotta earn his money somehow), otherwise they ask for huge deposits because they think we're gonna trash the rooms. Or the weird glare you get everywhere you go. Or getting stopped by the police constantly in Queensland because one of the guys in the band looks like an Aboriginal Bob Marley, so of course we must be drug dealers. Most extreme example - being told to "move on" in a food court - the crime? Playing chess at one of the tables (yes we had food too). If we were some 60 year old white guys I doubt that would have happened.

EDIT: damn, didn't get in before the inevitable "racism doesn't exist" post.

 

[AvsJoe]

Most of my ex-flatmates in Calgary were either slightly or full-blown racist, the worst of whom was mulatto himself. I can't stand racism, even if it's in jest, so at times that was a particularly difficult place to tolerate.

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

If anyone has ever been to the website toxicjunction...you will understand. Even with a video of a kitten someone will bring up something racist.....ALL THE TIME.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

There isn't a scholarship program just for my white person self.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Gennadios]

This isn't "bad" in the traditional sense, as all parties involved were laughing about it, but it was pretty shocking.

I was working at a hospital in San Francisco at the time, if anyone's not familiar with the city, it pretty much has members of every ethnic group you can name living within the county.

So I was registering this one traditional white lady and her 3 daughters from the boondock areas of the state. Once finished, one of the daughters commented on my slight accent, so I informed them I'm Ukrainian, after a blank stare I just said "Russian" and their eyes just bulged.

One of them blurted "I knew it! There's always something a little off about you people!" (once again, not in a mean spirited way, just totally clueless.)

So half an hour later, the same family leaves the floor and the xray tech(who'se Korean) comes by and starts telling me how over the course of the xray she had a nice discussion with the daughters about her racial background and about whether eye slant indicates just what kind of asian one is.

One person in the waiting room overheard us talking and walked up to mention how when he told them he was Peruvian they assumed it was somewhere in Spain.

I swear, seems like those people thought they were in some kind of petting zoo for ethnic minorities.

 

[DJDarque]

It's thrown around so casually and jokingly nowadays that I can't even think of the worst I've heard. If I had to guess, it would probably be something my grandparents have said. They always try to say, "Not that I'm prejudiced [or racist] or anything, but...[insert inappropriate racial comment]." In my opinion that only makes it worse.

 

[SwimmingRock]

In the car, my father once said:"I don't think black people should be allowed to drive white cars." and my uncle replied:"Or any colour car, for that matter." To this day, I don't get how this is supposed to make sense.

Other than that, I was the only white kid in my class for years, so I got called the local insult term for white people every now and then, but it didn't bother me much.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

There isn't a scholarship program just for my white person self.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Didn't a Texas school challenge that?

At any rate, I'm from Indiana so witnessing racism isn't exactly new. Hell, I think I have a cousin in the Klan. Can't say for sure though, I'm not too familiar with the family tree on my maternal side.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

One time in Texas there was a group of young girls driving past in a limo and they shouted out the window to the guy infront of me to 'fuck off ******'
or something to that effect. Either way, it wasn't TERRIBLE but I found it so distasteful I shutter to think about it. I mean, to drive up next to him and yell at him? Come on.

 

[-Drifter-]

My brother was playing The Godfather 2 with a black character and my dad accidentally let slip the word "******." He instantly regretted it and apologized.

Yes, that's the worst. Unless we're talking about the internet, in which case... Well, I don't think I have to explain to you guys.

 

[Icaruss]

Directed at my self almost non (save of course asshat's online who use the word ****** like i use word fuck and normal people use the word hello) i don't think i've ever been called the word ****** or any racial slur to my face by someone who isn't black(how very sad).Aganist others though lots...How can i put this i'm part what you might call the working class (i'm poor) if your feeling generous and the unwashed parastic cattle if your ann fucking ryan and thus went to a shitty high school (in the ghetto..in the ghetto) and a load of people i knew who were't black (white,asian,indian etc.) were treated like shit by the brain dead ghetto chimps who roamed the halls and streets around the school calling dudes cracker, whitey, casper etc(quick question and i know this is a little of topic but are their any actuall hurtful raical put-downs for whites? just curious they all sound they're intended to make the user look retarded which now that i think about it is actually a pretty good idea.)throwing rocks and bottles, harsassing girls, and when their was enough of them to assure a one sided fight,beating the shit out of guys for no other reason then lighter skin pigment.Come to think of it those bastards could've starred in The birth of a nation two...thats just downright depressing.

 

[Mr Thin]

I was walking down the street with my friends and some guy driving past on a motorbike yelled out "You guys look like Lord of the Rings!" because we were all wearing glasses.

YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FANS OF TOLKIEN? I shouldn't have to put up with that kind of intolerance!

OK, in all seriousness, I've never encountered any racism beyond the normal high school joking bullshit. If you can even call that racism.

 

[Bags159]

I haven't seen anything worse than people being racist in casual conversation, generally joking around.

 

[Wuffykins]

Personally, I've dealt with it quite a bit, as many a person has inappropriate, although inadvertant, comments which actual end up being against me.

What do I mean? Well, I'm your stereotypical Irishman: Pale skin, red hair, and a name that is practically the Irish version of 'John Smith'. What most people don't realize is that I'm also half-Mexican, in the vein that I am the first Canadian born (well, second after my brother really) person in my entire extended family, and not by distant relation.

So comments against Mexican immigrants, stereotyping jokes, or whatever bigoted remark I hear is always made classic by my bringing up of my heritage. The usual response? Oh, we didn't know...

Because not knowing makes it allll better, right?

True, that's not 'worst' in a sense, but it's one of those surprises that I get to pull on people who don't bother to think about what their saying.

 

[dkyros]

There isn't a scholarship program just for my white person self.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I remember this popping up a few months back on the forums: Your coveted white male scholarship arrived... from Texas who would have guessed.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/nonprofit-scholarships-white-males/story?id=13002066

idk, never really experienced 'real' racism targeted at me (although I do have trouble picking up subtleties).

 

[Littlee300]

There isn't a scholarship program just for my white person self.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Say you are albino black. Be persuasive when you do.
"On the outside you see a white man, but on the inside. On the inside up in here is a proud black man!"
If they aren't buying it then mention how you do every stereotype. If that doesn't work then thats what you get for taking advice from the internet.

Edit: I am also working on my evil plan to turn the human race into green-skinned hermaphrodites.

 

[Nocturnal Gentleman]

I'm less angered by the random comments and more by the bullshit racist jokes. I got a lot of those in middle and high school. You know, the black people are all ghetto, don't take care of their kids, are on welfare blah blah blah. Any racist jokes piss me off to no end but especially when folks bring my family into it. Other than that I have gotten random comments here and there. Slurs on blacks, latinos, mixed people, white people and so on. It never stops really so I just learn to ignore it.

I had some raging racists for roommates though. I mean scary racist like, "I hate the sight of these people so badly I want to stab them." kind of mess. One of the reasons I'm pretty much done with roommates of any kind.

 

[DatCracker]

My sister recently moved to Iowa City, and decided to get a job at a local social work center.
I was visiting, so I was sitting outside the interview room while her future boss interviewed her.
My sister emerged later looking shaken.
Apparently, these are the only three questions they asked her.
"Do you have a problem with colored folks?"
"Do you have a problem with cripples?"
"Where are you from?"

Apparently she had been the first to answer "no" to the first two questions in a while, so they gave her the job on the spot.
I was shocked and appalled.
This is coming from a city who believes they're very accepting and diverse.
The city is like a "Where's Waldo" book, but instead it's "Where's anyone who isn't white?"