Worst Racism You've Encountered

[Pontus Hashis]

Yeah, I'm from Sweden too so I know where that is.

I don't really know what age those guys were, I don't know them.

I mean what age would you guess, 13,15,17?

 

[Celtic_Kerr]

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.

I've seen people like that. I had a Croatian friend come and visit. His accent wasn't very thick as he was born in Canada and moved to Croatia to tend to his grand mum. Whilst walking down the street with him, a passerby asked him where his accent was from. When he said Croatia, she just shook her head "Might as well be a fucking Russian" and walked away.

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.

Oh yeah, had a few friends like that. Montreal is one of the metal capitals of the world (simply because we have a great deal of metal fans and metal bands come here often to play). WHile going to a concert one night I was standing in line outside the venue and this cop asked me to move along. I was wearing one arm cuff with metal rings in it, a second leather cuff, a spiked collar, a leather jacked with tears in it, shredded jeans, and army boots.

When I told him I was waiting to go in, he demanded that I don't get smart with him. He then noticed the other 60 people dressed like me and muttered "Fucking degenerates"

Gave us a good laugh

 

[manic_depressive13]

Once upon a time, a black guy (some friend of my mother's) slept over at out house, and we gave him a woolen blanket. A few days later, I was cold, so I got that woolen blanket out, and my grandma said, in horror: "you can't use that blanket! That ****** slept in it." Well, she used the greek equivalent of ******. She doesn't speak english.

Another time, I was having dinner with my godparents, and my godfather was talking about how his daughter had gone out with an Indian, saying "Thank God they broke up. Indians always look sick- they're so yellow. Every time I saw him I wanted to take him to the hospital."

I was shocked both times, but I also found it hilarious, in a fucked up sort of way. Also, I'm not racist BUT I do use racial slurs with reckless abandon, so I probably come across as racist.

 

[The Funslinger]

Not exactly a race issue, but when I was in my first year of secondary school one of the kids a couple of years above me started calling me jew boy. I'm actually an atheist, and don't even come from a jewish family, and even if I did, what's wrong with being jewish? The reason, I suspect, was because I had a sort of prominent nose, not big exactly. Way to be an ignorant shit, I thought.

 

[WiMoTj]

Yeah, I'm from Sweden too so I know where that is.

I don't really know what age those guys were, I don't know them.

I mean what age would you guess, 13,15,17?

I'd say around 15-17.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

My mom once claimed that Black people are the descendants of Cain, and that dark skin was his mark. I've never told her I dated a Muslim from Pakistan. Her head would explode.

I haven't experienced that much bad to be honest. Most racism I've seen tends to just be mumbling by angry people in private rather than actions taken directly against other people.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

I love the poor little white man act that some people on this forum have started playing.

Yeah. It's a pretty weak, though annoying, shield.

"I don't trust those White people."

He came over in the 60s, so I get it, and I love him to death, but it never made sense to me.

Maybe it's better that it never makes sense to you. Certain aspects of the sixties are downright scary, depending on whose history you read about.

Well, I read past the first sentence with no problem(...)

After a while, one gets very tired of plowing through bigoted posts on the net to get to good content.

No doubt, certainly on the Escapist. However, a good joke at the expense of the bigoted posts is always welcome, at least to me.

Sadly I didn't get to the joke part, because I took seriously the first sentence. Mistake already corrected.

But trust me, I felt better reading the posts here in The Escapist after coming from YouTube. Things here are pretty mild.

It is all b.s. and if you want to take the issue up with someone,go back in time and shoot the Portuguese man (I forget his name) that started the Africa slave trade.That's where all the modern tension's roots lie.

Much like going back in time and killing Hitler, it wouldn't accomplish as much as we would like to believe. Slave trade goes as far back 2050 BCE. =/

I've been accused of shagging sheep because I'm from Scotland. I'm always tempted to live up to the Scottish stereotype and give them a Glasgow kiss. Sure that would shut them up.

I'm not even scottish and already have done a Glasgow Kiss. Yay for multiculturalism.

The white entertainment networks are just called "networks." One of the advantages of being in the ethnic majority is that the bulk of entertainment is produced with you in mind. That's why complaints about how there oughta be "white this" and "white that" look so ridiculously insecure.

Hmm, that's a very good point. I guess I never thought of it like that before. Although it's actually very rare (from what I've seen, at least) that race plays a large part in figuring TV demographics (outside of the obvious BET type of scenario). It's usually more along the lines of "Kids 8-16" (for many of the current Disney shows), "Females 16-35" (that was Sex and the City) and etc. At least that's how I've heard all the projects I've worked on described.

Just check the yet prevalent existence of the token minorities [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenMinority] in the very shows that you quoted as examples, and then go and check just about a random variety of others.

Though I do believe that, in most cases, it's simply force of (a bad) habit and outright racism. A bad habit that needs to be dropped though.

All it takes is that more people think of it this way. Both the makers of the show and especially the audience. =]

The white entertainment networks are just called "networks." One of the advantages of being in the ethnic majority is that the bulk of entertainment is produced with you in mind. That's why complaints about how there oughta be "white this" and "white that" look so ridiculously insecure.

Hmm, that's a very good point. I guess I never thought of it like that before. Although it's actually very rare (from what I've seen, at least) that race plays a large part in figuring TV demographics (outside of the obvious BET type of scenario). It's usually more along the lines of "Kids 8-16" (for many of the current Disney shows), "Females 16-35" (that was Sex and the City) and etc. At least that's how I've heard all the projects I've worked on described.

Just check the yet prevalent existence of the token minorities [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenMinority] in the very shows that you quoted as examples, and then go and check just about a random variety of others.

Though I do believe that, in most cases, it's simply force of (a bad) habit and outright racism. A bad habit that needs to be dropped though.

All it takes is that more people think of it this way. Both the makers of the show and especially the audience. =]

I answered that earlier, I live in Idaho. I'd move, but it's all but impossible given I have not, in the last 20 years sine moving here, been capable of finding employment without discrimination. To my amazement, there are a fair number of black people that are doing just fine. I guess I just know how to land in all the wrong places. No money, can't move.

That being the case, I must say again that you shouldn't give up.

Yeah with the Greeks and Assyrians and such,but I refer to the most referred to one

 

[Grand_Arcana]

Not really racist itself, but I thought it was funny: My best friend flew up to NYC to spend a week with me, and when I was taking him around Times Square a black guy advertising his comedy club tried to entice us into going by telling us "You'll like it guys, we tell lots of racist jokes!!"

Other than that, I think the standards that white people are held to are racist. Yes, we were the supermajority in the past, but now we're hardly outnumbering other races in the US by the billions. I guarantee if any openly white only colleges opened up, they would be crucified by the media, the NAACP, and Al Sharpton in a split second, but there's no problem with the 60+ openly black only colleges in this country.

Same with television. There exists the BET (Black Entertainment Television), but if a WET station came on the air, it would be racist.

I sincerely wish racism could just become an non-issue in this day and age, but, as a great musical once said, "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist".

Um, there are no "Black Only" colleges. I'm Sophomore at Howard now, and three of the students who live on my dorm floor are White. Howard doesn't reject non-black students, in fact there are whispers that Howard may soon look like other Universities.

I believe the most racist thing I've experienced IRL is being slapped around by a White Kid on my first day of school. My parents sorted things out, and he and I became best friends growing up and he later apologized for his asshole behavior in our Senior year in High School. By then it was all water under the bridge.

Then there are those weird "Should I be offended?" moments like this one White kid saying "You're the first Colored friend I ever had," and my Pakistani friend telling me "You're not as much of an asshole as the others." I'm pretty sure I've astounded my fair share of people with my solid grasp of the English language.

Online I briefly lurked a White Pride forum for lulz (never posted). I also got into a short spat with someone on youtube concerning Race & Crime. The moment he brought up genotype and made deductions upon Black crime being lower in pre-Civil Rights era America, I soundly kicked his ass with cold logic and biological talent.

 

[DuctTapeJedi]

I once had a horrendously racist boss when I worked for a dollar store. She hated anyone who wasn't Hispanic, except (strangely enough, as "White and Nerdy" might as well start playing whenever I enter a room) for me.

I know it wasn't the knee jerk reaction some whites have to racial minorities having equal status to them, she didn't like African American people, either. Some of her worst, and most horrifying comments were to our Black assistant manager.

 

[FalloutJack]

The worst racist moment was actually the ONLY racist moment I ever got. The Pittsburgh area includes the Strip District, which is essentially a long strip of different stores, many of which reflect an Asian culture. I was politely asked to leave a Lotus Foods store. I say potitely because the man was very controlled in his manner. However, it was clearly racist because he was shooing out the one Caucasion in the store who was looking for something good from the aisles. In other words, alienating a customer because he's not your kind. Have it your way.

 

[eggmiester]

How do I describe the last 20 years of my life? I can make a shortlist and you can be the judge of what was worse.

I've lost 5 jobs because of my black person status (they usually just n-word me.... a lot, and calling me buckwheat is also popular around here)
I was assaulted in high school (again, lots of n-words... bottles and rocks were thrown, and not shit was done about it by faculty member or local law enforcement)
I've been ejected from church... (not as much n-wording)
I've been ejected from places of business (very little n-wording, but my "kind" was not permitted)
I've been refused service at a restaurant (also a bar, but at least the owner was willing to call me n-words to my face, the restaurant manager was another of those "we don't serve your kind" people)
I won't even go into what my family life has been like, but let's just say one of my parents was not above making remarks about me either
I get harassed often when in public, which is why I'm a shut-in now, have been for most of these last two decades.
I've been n-worded by local police, so if something happens to me I don't exactly feel safe looking to them for help.
Little children have n-worded me.... that one stung a lot more than usual, though you never quite get used to it, even after all these years
I can disguise being half-black, and I generally do that as much as I can, but on occasion questions arise and I answer honestly, even knowing the consequences will usually be pretty goddamn negative. My favorite was a white girl I dated briefly that stated that the only kind of men she wanted to be with were whites only. I knew my future was not with her, but then this is not uncommon where I live, so I just sort of went with it for that final date (yes, it was the final date that she'd said that).
Friends have questioned whether or not I really consider myself a black person, treating it like an unfortunate condition. They aren't friends anymore, not all because of this, but it happens a lot here.
I was refuse employment because I revealed I was black to potential employers, who would upon finding out show me the door saying they were no longer interested in hiring, or "we just don't need your kind of trouble".
Friends have refused to be in public places with me because I am black, so I was sort of a secret for them.

I really could go on and on, but I think this should be enough to choose from. You tell me, which is worse? Which one of these has left me with clinically diagnosed debilitating disorders.

For me this growing collage of personal experiences has sort of melted into two very simple schools of thought; I am ethnically inferior to anyone that is not black and white, and that the state I live in will always be hell.

And before anyone suggests I leave explain how I do that when I can't hold down a job long enough to make money and move....

Apologies for typos, but this thread upsets me, and writing this the first time was hard enough.

dude, did that really all happen to you? jesus...i honestly can't imagine what that's like dude. i don't know what to say.

... it's a lovely world we live in, eh?

 

[Elephant Walker19]

I'm going to name a few since I don't know the worst one.

I got called a "beaner" for wearing a white fedora in public.

I was in class one day when the teacher was talking to one of the "I'am smarter then everyone" type of kid when she said that she was in a math bee and hen said "I didn't win but I beat all the asians"(this one me off)

I was in the mall when some guy behind me said "ching chong chi".

 

[redisforever]

There was the atrocious minecraft nazi server...

[sub] I crashed it ;P [/sub]

WHAT IS IT? I must know.
I have to get my friends to help me crash it. Again.

 

[redisforever]

Im black and I think Im annoyed by my one race.

I'm white and I hate white people.

Well, mostly people like the BNP and the EDF, but some of their supporters can barely speak English themselves, as evidenced by this video:-

Oh god, if this is what you have to deal with in the UK...
Are they actually a major political party? Do they stand a chance of getting their hands on real power?
Actually, don't worry. From the evidence I see here, they'd just stand there, look confused, and ramble incoherently about things they have no clue about. I don't understand how that reporter managed to keep himself from punching that guy right out.

 

[Dorian6]

My brother once told me that he hated Asians so much, that he wanted to go to a mall in China and shoot as many as he could. He said that even if the police took him out, it would be worth it because of all the "slant-eyed chinks" he'd be taking with him.

Needless to say, I don't speak to him much anymore

 

[Icehearted]

dude, did that really all happen to you? jesus...i honestly can't imagine what that's like dude. i don't know what to say.

... it's a lovely world we live in, eh?

Yeah, all of that and a lot more. 20 years is a long time. I couldn't put it in a way that might give you a sense of how it feels. I'm not really a person here, I'm not even an animal. They have a word for what I am, and I'm not really keen on repeating it, god knows I hear it enough out here anyway.

The worst part is still that this is a severe handicap. That I can't get away from this place without money, which would require a job, which I cannot hold down for long because people inevitably discover what I am despite my efforts to hide it from them (and my refusal to lie about my ethnicity). No job means no money means no escape.

 

[PatSilverFox]

There was the atrocious minecraft nazi server...

[sub] I crashed it ;P [/sub]

WHAT IS IT? I must know.
I have to get my friends to help me crash it. Again.

I believe it was from a site called House of Derp.

Go my friend.
Strike havoc.

 

[Freechoice]

Same with television. There exists the BET (Black Entertainment Television), but if a WET station came on the air, it would be racist.

A WET station wouldn't get flak for being racist.

 

[y1fella]

Now I'm not actually racist nor do I hold anything against aboriginals but the point is sometimes a reputation is earned. So while It's not entirely on par with what you're saying I feel It's worth mentioning.
I'm also not saying that the entire aboriginal population is addicted to booze but I have to say a large percent definitely is.
I'm not racist.

I know what you mean. Living in central Europe (which is really eastern, because 1/3 of Europe is in Russia) I have a glimpse of how insufferable contacts with members of a nation that doesn't have a reasonable drinking culture can be. The further you go east, the worse it gets. It seems like prevalent alcoholism just drags everything down.
Also I've met a few Australians and every time the issue of Aboriginal people emerged in our conversations (it was usually me asking the question, because what the first guy I've met said made me curious) they always had this sad look on their faces and described them as "hopeless". I still don't know what to make of that.

When they say hopeless it's a situation where they need help and but don't want it. The above mentioned government intervention is an example. The conditions in aboriginal community are seriously third world and they blame us white people for it (which is some what fair I admit, until very recently our government has greatly abused their population) and don't trust us, but the truth is as it stands we mostly want to help them. There will always be a few racist extremists but the majority just want to see them better off.
An example of this is in 2004 or 2005, I forget which, the Howard government started a program to provide the aboriginals with raw resources. The general gist of it was give these people what they need and to police the rampant crime in these community. A fair enough ideal right?
but the foolish thing was that they did this via the army. They sent in armed soldiers. So to the media and the aboriginals it seemed like an invasion. Wen it really wasn't. John Howard got named racist and the population got up and against the government. The situation got quite out of hand though when a popular radio station from a man who said "Bout time they did something bout those fucking animals" and then things got way out of hand.
So really it's now a situation where no politician is willing to touch the issue and the aboriginals want to be left alone to die. Well they don't see it as dieing but this really will kill them if it gets much worse.

 

[Engarde]

I am part of the ethnic majority so I don't get much of it. The worst I have seen is those few times I made a joke at the expense of the sheep shaggers New Zealanders.