Does it seem like the rest of the world is openly racist? Like Japan gives no fucks it seems. Xenophobic, hates China, begrudgingly allowing immigration and still treats them like peasant citizens. Learned behavior? Are you a product of your environment, or is it just in the human DNA to hate others? Is it our tribalism? Are we just hairless murder apes afterall? Sometimes it feels like the only difference between "us" and "them" is we collectively at least try and keep it behind closed doors.

Do you feel you're racist? Even a little bit.

Me the first time I learned Maplebacks hate indigenous people. That's indians, right? Like who thought that was even possible???

We all have our biases.

US is oddly one of the least racist places. Only a minority behind closed doors are really being racist.  Much of the world it is very, very open. Even the countries that consider them above it have one or two groups it is socially acceptable to be racist against. Usually muslims or the Romini people. Like Europe all nice and polite until you mention the Romini then the naked hate flows hard.  

Mar 26, 2024 0:22:54 GMT @ness said:

Does it seem like the rest of the world is openly racist? Like Japan gives no fucks it seems. Xenophobic, hates China, begrudgingly allowing immigration and still treats them like peasant citizens. Learned behavior? Are you a product of your environment, or is it just in the human DNA to hate others? Is it our tribalism? Are we just hairless murder apes afterall? Sometimes it feels like the only difference between "us" and "them" is we collectively at least try and keep it behind closed doors.

Do you feel you're racist? Even a little bit.

Me the first time I learned Maplebacks hate indigenous people. That's indians, right? Like who thought that was even possible???

There is something rooted in the evolutionary process about feeling more at ease around those that share your backgrounds and values.

Am I racist?
Depends on your definition, I think all people are equally worth of respect and should not be treated differently based on the colour of their skin or beliefs.
I would however temper that with the notion that in my old age  that not all cultures are equal and I can respect an individual while not having to hold their cultural or religious practices in high esteem.
It bothers me when we act as if all ideas and views are valid.... They aren't.

I don't think any form of hate is normal. It's definitely a learned behavior.

Mar 27, 2024 1:10:33 GMT @ness said:

Me the first time I learned Maplebacks hate indigenous people. That's indians, right? Like who thought that was even possible???

Truth. We have created an apartheid in our own country with regards to our Indigenous peoples (you call them Native Americans). The bias/racism towards them can be very strong. 

I’d say tribalism is everywhere, not straight up racism to the point people won’t associate with others but still prefer to keep within themselves.
Definitely the case in Asia.

Like you mentioned with Japan, move there and start a family.
Generations on your descendants with never be seen as Japanese.

Very different in western cultures but that’s probably because we’re all on invaded lands.

Mar 27, 2024 7:21:57 GMT iron maiden said:

I don't think any form of hate is normal. It's definitely a learned behavior.

Mar 27, 2024 6:44:26 GMT iNCY said:

There is something rooted in the evolutionary process about feeling more at ease around those that share your backgrounds and values.

I'd say both of these quotes are equally valid. No baby is born into this world with feelings of racism or any form of prejudice, but I also believe humans are naturally inclined to interact with those they perceive as "alike them" in some way. Whether that's interests, age, location, or race.

I had a fascinating conversation recently about how immigrants in the UK tend to assoiate with people of their own nationality. It's absolutely true. There are societies and social groups for Chinese people, Spanish people, Turkish people, all nationalities. The same is true for British people. Almost all my friends are caucasian, and it was the same for the caucasian people in the group I was conversing with. None of this is racist but it does reflect our desire to associate with people of "our kind".

Because of that it doesn't surprise me that in the past human beings used to be an immensely racist species, and that racism continues to exist to this day. Nature vs nature. The nature is we have an innate attraction to people "like us". It is not difficult for that to transform into rejection of people "not like us". That's where the nurture comes into play.

We're all relatively safe where we live and we likely look at racism or see it through a bit of a lense and shrug our shoulders and wonder why everyone can't just get along.

But when we look at Asian, Middle Eastern, African and some European cultures - pretty much everywhere that isn't The West, and racism, we're talking about it being a result of sometimes centuries of conflict driven by politics, ideology, religion, expansion and sovereignty, etc. There's rhyme and reason behind all of it. It's not a case of a racist old man spouting off slurs and telling racist jokes to his kids, and thus it being learned at home. Or one bad experience turning into a dislike of a particular race or culture.

It's often a result of tragedy and loss. It's how terrorism is born. Anyone who looks at the anti-semitic sentiment towards Israel that is growing today for example and thinks, well that's just good old fashioned racism, they're either naive or on the take. It's a result of a history of violence and obviously the current bloodshed. The continued conflict will result furthermore in continued anti-semitism. And it's not unique to Israel or this conflict. There's conflicts all around the world and always have been, where lingering bad blood and hurt feelings will and have resulted in continued mistrust and hatred towards another culture.

So, as uncomfortable as it is. Racism is normal, but we don't take the time to understand the other reasons why. There's always going to be the ignorant and the assholes, but racism extends beyond the redneck mentality.

That's why the cycle of systemic racism continues. Here we throw money at our Indigenous peoples, but don't stop to see what perpetuated these cycles of trauma in the first place or how we can better use that money to put programs, etc in place to help dismantle those systems and cycles which just breeds further contempt all the way around and perpetuates stereotypes.

It is uncomfortable to face our unconscious biases and check our own privileges. I'm just as guilty as anyone, but have been making a conscious effort to be a better ally and all that it involves. I remember saying to my friend from Jamaica (who has lived in both the US and now here) 'I don't see colour' and she said, 'I'd rather you did because if you don't see colour, then your colour blindness makes you blind to racism and the fact that it's still an issue and I need you to see it so you can help me affect the change necessary.' Talk about a wake up call. Because the opposite of love is not hate, it's apathy and if you are apathetic to someone's plight then how can you ever see the issues that still plague our societies.

I think tolerance works both ways. And believe the key to all of us getting along is normalising one's culture. Assimilation is key. You wouldn't move to a foreign country and completely denounce it's local culture and customs and build a closed off world within a different country, yet it happens.

There's plenty of immigrants that move overseas and to some degree refuse to participate in the local community outside of their own. It adds to fear, and it plays on stereotypes and bias and because there is little integration it further fuels a divide in community.

Understanding and acceptance happens when people converse and interact and move past race and instead focus on what brings us together.