Racism is Alive & Well!

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » May 1, 2003, 6:36 pm

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... te_proms_2

ALBANY, Ga. - A year after holding their first integrated prom, some students at Taylor County High School have decided to again hold a separate, private party for whites only.

While many whites say they still plan to attend next week's integrated prom, the decision to hold the whites-only prom this Friday saddened senior Gerica McCrary, who helped organize last year's dance.

"I cried," said McCrary, who is black. "The black juniors said, 'Our prom is open to everyone. If you want to come, come.'"

Juniors are in charge of planning the prom each year and last year they decided to have just one dance — the first integrated prom in 31 years in the rural Georgia county 150 miles south of Atlanta.

Until then, parents and students organized separate proms for whites and blacks after school officials stopped sponsoring dances, in part because they wanted to avoid problems arising from interracial dating.

This year, a small number of white juniors decided they wanted a separate prom.

"They influenced the others," said McCrary, who plans to major in biology at Columbus State University. "They didn't vote on anything. They said, 'This is what we're going to do.'"

The school has 439 students, 232 of them black. McCrary and a white friend passed out fliers informing students of all races that they would be welcome at the May 9 prom at nearby Fort Valley State University.

The private prom is Friday night 50 miles away in Columbus.

Erin Posey, a white senior, said the entire junior class joined together in hosting last year's prom, but this year's junior class wasn't as unified.

"I think a lot of seniors were disappointed," she said. "Now we have to choose between two groups of friends."

Posey plans to attend both proms.

"I had some white friends who were not going to the other (inclusive) prom," she said. "I wanted to have time with everybody. I'll have a lot of (black) friends there, too. A lot more of the seniors are going to be at the mixed one."

After school integration, separate proms were common in the rural South, but Taylor County was among the last to cling to the practice.

Glenda Latimore, a 1972 graduate, was in the first class to have separate black and white proms. Now her 16-year-old son, Gerard, is preparing for prom night.

As the black junior class president, her son helped organize the open-to-all prom. The class also has a white president.

"I would have liked to see it together this year," said Latimore, an outfielder on the school's baseball team. "My class would have, too. It just didn't happen this year."

Glenda Latimore said relatives in Philadelphia and New Jersey laugh when they read about Taylor County's prom. She said residents here are "nice and friendly," but they still have a problem with proms.

"It seems like it's something secret," she said. "The white people are afraid to speak up against the separation.

"But I went to a black prom and I had fun," she said. "It didn't kill me, so I tell my son, 'Just go to the prom and have fun. Don't come out hating anyone.'"

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noel · Post by **noel** » May 1, 2003, 6:38 pm

People are broken.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » May 1, 2003, 6:49 pm

That is really really sad

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » May 1, 2003, 7:24 pm

It's odd for me reading articles like that, being that I was raised in a community with virtually no racism (there were some minorities but nobody ever even thought twice about it) and it always fascinated me that people can view other people so differently because of their racial background. I live in Vancouver now and there is always a little bit of tension between with the Sikhs and the Chinese and the whites but it's not nearly so bad.

I can understand the sociological aspect of it. Like all social animals, human beings are pack animals, and we are tribal and classist by our very nature. It's natural for the chinese community to want to associate themselves mostly with other chinese etc. But I've never been able to understand the hostility and distrust. Especially between the whites and blacks in the US who have been living amongst each other for generations.

Why the hell would you even want to have a seperate prom for whites only?

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 1, 2003, 7:37 pm

I can't wait to see someone try and justify this.

Mak · Post by **Mak** » May 1, 2003, 7:37 pm

I can only shake my head- you'd have thought this was a 40 year old news story. Crazy.

Fizzlewhip · Post by **Fizzlewhip** » May 1, 2003, 7:51 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:I can't wait to see someone try and justify this.

I will give it a shot

The justification? It makes it easier to remove these idiots from the gene pool if we let them gather in one place?

Racism = stupidity

:vv_fucked:

Spangaloid_PE · Post by **Spangaloid_PE** » May 1, 2003, 7:59 pm

you people actually thought there was no such thing as racism anymore?

Mak · Post by **Mak** » May 1, 2003, 8:01 pm

Spangaloid_PE wrote:you people actually thought there was no such thing as racism anymore?

No- we just thought that there weren't any rednecks still ignorant enough to advocate a "whites only" anything.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 1, 2003, 8:02 pm

Spangaloid_PE wrote:you people actually thought there was no such thing as racism anymore?

So openly and endorsed by the education system? Yes, I actually thought that didn't exist anymore.

Acies · Post by **Acies** » May 1, 2003, 8:03 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:I can't wait to see someone try and justify this.

Us Whiteys can't dance, and it makes us ashamed in the light of the natural jiggy-ness of teh african american.

Seriously though, this is some bullshit. I am glad I live in California, away from this crap.

noel · Post by **noel** » May 1, 2003, 8:12 pm

As much as I hate racists, I would strongly argue that racism has less to do with stupidity, and more to do with ignorance.

Acies · Post by **Acies** » May 1, 2003, 8:21 pm

That being said though, it is a two way street.

African Americans have a "Black pride day" and for some reason it sounds noble and overcoming, etc.
If Caucassian Americans held a "White Pride day", then anyone who participated would be labeled as a racist.

Alfan · Post by **Alfan** » May 1, 2003, 8:24 pm

Well . . .

This feels very relevant to me today. We had a teaser assembly at my high school for The Foreigner. This comedy is set (kind of ironically) in Georgia and has the Klan as part of play. The moment the Klan walked onto the stage it was barely met by the muted gasp of astonishment that one might suspect from suburban teenagers when confronted with a taboo subject. Instead there was a general silence mixed with a noticeable, almost cheering in nature, call.

I’m ashamed of my classmates. I know I don’t live in a particularly progressive neighborhood, although I like to think my family is

. But this seemed a little out of line. I guess I suffer from more naiveté than I had previously believed.

-Alfan

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » May 1, 2003, 9:01 pm

"hey pretty lady, we dont take kindly to your types here"
damn i hate racist, they should be shot

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 1, 2003, 9:03 pm

Acies wrote:That being said though, it is a two way street.

African Americans have a "Black pride day" and for some reason it sounds noble and overcoming, etc.
If Caucassian Americans held a "White Pride day", then anyone who participated would be labeled as a racist.

I won't tell African Americans no if they feel they need a Black Pride day. Their history is one of oppression, pain, injustice and hate. You'd probably appreciate things like pride days and parades if you grew up with those kind of things, those kind of facts. It's not a two-way street.

Spangaloid_PE · Post by **Spangaloid_PE** » May 1, 2003, 9:09 pm

african americans? from now on call me german american then

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » May 1, 2003, 9:12 pm

You have a problem with African American? You are such a Nazi.

Acies · Post by **Acies** » May 1, 2003, 9:14 pm

Spangaloid_PE wrote:african americans? from now on call me german american then

How about Euromutt American?
Compromise?

Mumblefug · Post by **Mumblefug** » May 1, 2003, 9:17 pm

I tell you it IS a two way street. I am the first to say, ignore skin color, and just hate on STUPID people. But here in New Orleans at least, black people do OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of hating on white people. In fact, Blacks are the majority population of the actual City of New Orleans (the burbs are mostly white tho), so the hate really does impact OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of white folks.
Racism is a product of upbringing and environment as well as intelligence. I stand behind every brave black man that stood up to defend his cause and risked death to speak his peace and work for change. But how can you tell kids getting beat up by other kids of a different color on a weekly basis at school that color doesn't matter? The 60's thru 80's saw some real progress in erasing racism, but everything is backsliding now, the world is full of hate, it's a sad, sad place to be.
Wish the parents would stay out of the shit and let the kids decide where they want to go for prom, you can bet theres OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of pressure behind the scenes from the parents.

Mumbles

Spangaloid_PE · Post by **Spangaloid_PE** » May 1, 2003, 9:19 pm

Lalanae wrote:You have a problem with African American? You are such a Nazi.

no, i have a problem with calling all black people african americans...unles they was born there, they're just americans like me or any other american born in america regardless of race...nothing more, nothing less.

now if they was born in africa, that's different.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » May 1, 2003, 9:22 pm

Dregor: Many caucasian ethnicities have had histories of oppression as well. I guess the difference is that, in America, these ethnicities haven't been lumped together as "white," but kept separate- while the Irish may have been discriminated against, the discrimination was perpetrated by other white people. Meanwhile, black people, even though many come from vastly different backgrounds and geographic areas, have been lumped together in the United States as "black" and been forced into slavery, oppressed through segregation and so on, whether they were truly Jamaican or African.

So a black pride event in the United States makes sense in context, because blacks have been forced to become one group in America. A white pride day does not, because the reverse does not hold true. However, things like Irish, Italian, Jewish, German, pride are sensible, because these groups have been categorized and treated as separate in our society.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 1, 2003, 9:25 pm

Good points, but not without flaws. Jews DEFINITELY have their own days

And I mean hey, the Irish have St. Patrick's day, right??

Acies · Post by **Acies** » May 1, 2003, 9:30 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:
Acies wrote:That being said though, it is a two way street.

African Americans have a "Black pride day" and for some reason it sounds noble and overcoming, etc.
If Caucassian Americans held a "White Pride day", then anyone who participated would be labeled as a racist.
I won't tell African Americans no if they feel they need a Black Pride day. Their history is one of oppression, pain, injustice and hate. You'd probably appreciate things like pride days and parades if you grew up with those kind of things, those kind of facts. It's not a two-way street.

Everyone's history is one of pain and oppresson and injustice, depending on how far back you go.
It is a two way street.
What that shows me it is okay to be proud to be an African American.
What the reverse shows me, it is not to be Caucassian.

EDIT:

Sueven wrote:So a black pride event in the United States makes sense in context, because blacks have been forced to become one group in America. A white pride day does not, because the reverse does not hold true. However, things like Irish, Italian, Jewish, German, pride are sensible, because these groups have been categorized and treated as separate in our society.

White people are not forced into one group?
I remember getting the shit kicked out of me because I was white when I was a child. Believe me, other ethnic groups who do not share pale-skin tendancies "do" lump caucassians in one category.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » May 1, 2003, 9:59 pm

Dregor: That was my point. That sort of thing makes sense, whereas a generic "white pride" event doesn't.

Acies: Perhaps to some people, all white people can be grouped together. However, by mainstream culture and by most of the people in power, there are clearly marked differences.

cid · Post by **cid** » May 1, 2003, 10:05 pm

Acording to the government im caucasian

Acies · Post by **Acies** » May 1, 2003, 10:09 pm

Sueven wrote:Dregor: That was my point. That sort of thing makes sense, whereas a generic "white pride" event doesn't.

Acies: Perhaps to some people, all white people can be grouped together. However, by mainstream culture and by most of the people in power, there are clearly marked differences.

cid wrote:Acording to the government im caucasian

People in power, as well as other ethnicities, put me in one pile.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » May 1, 2003, 10:14 pm

having light olive skin and a tan with a 1/4th cuban backround i can pass for being almost every single race!1!1!, except maybe black and asain

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » May 2, 2003, 3:23 am

Fucking idiots.

I live in a damn small town, maybe ten blacks total against around 1100 whites. Racism IS dead here, except for a very few people who know to keep their mouths shut in public.

That said, as long as we continue to delineate people by skin color or ethnic background ( Affirmative Action ring any bells? ), this problem isn't going to go away.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » May 2, 2003, 7:47 am

Racism isn't dead unfortunately and it IS a two-way street. However, you have to ask yourself this: Do the majority of black kids have the same opportunities as the majority of white kids?

To be able to remove the "reverse racism" that does indeed exist, you have to be able to provide equal opportunities. And honestly, inner city kids don't have it yet.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » May 2, 2003, 8:04 am

the african american term is retarded, being called "black" is not dirogatory, and i know at least 3 white people from either south africa, morocco etc that are technically african americans

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » May 2, 2003, 9:17 am

I had to ask my parents why some kids at school called me a nigger and what it meant pretty early on in life, around age 7. Kids at that age only repeat what they most likely hear their parents saying in the household, so I guess it was a sign of the times. My 12yr old son and 9yr old daughter asked me what it meant the other day because they heard it in a song. You may call me crazy, but I think that's progress, and I thought about it all day. I was upset about the song, but then I looked at the bigger picture. Their exposure to this gruesom word came from a song, not from their peers. Same town I grew up in. Racism is still in the world and will never go away, but this one small example was enough to make me happy for a while. This had a great impact on me as my wife and I were just discussing about a week prior to their question how things were racially better now than they were when we were kids, and I had just brought up to her that the kids had not asked me the dreaded "why are they calling me nigger" question. It's progress I think Mr. King would smile at, even if it is such a small victory.

The song is enough to say we still need work, and my people are the ones that need to put forth more effort. It's like racism is starting to flip flop with my generation. By that I mean I see racism from black to white, and zero from white to black. When I say this, I mean racism that I have personally witnessed with my own eyes. To be honest, I don't know why this is, and I cannot explain it. Can you?

Somali · Post by **Somali** » May 2, 2003, 10:09 am

Keshlara,

You can have equal opportunity programs for inner city kids without labelling them as affirmative action programs for an ethnic background. Lets eliminate the affirmative action for skin color and instead make it based on monetary values. If you want to tell me that a poor "white" kid in an all "black" neighborhood doesn't have it rough too then I think you need to re-examine your statistics.

Krimson,

I can empathise with your point here, and like you I do think there is some progress being made, but are you telling me that your kids heard the word nigger in a song that wasn't a rap song? Rap is about the only place I have heard that word since coming out of the backwoods of Alabamy/Mississippi. Even there you predominately only hear it from the older population.

Some background on myself, I consider myself to be a mutt. I'm an Irish, Italian, German, Mexican, Cherokee, Seminole Indian. Emphasis on the Mexican and Irish parts. By virtue of the heritages I have I can also consider myself to be African and Asian I suppose. For any of you that aren't familiar with Mexican heritage, there is a lot of Mulato in any mexican. A Mulato in Mexico is Spanish/"Indian"/African. Mostly because the Spaniards used the "Indians" and Africans as slaves and "got busy" with the pretty ones. The native americans were actually treated with less respect than the African slaves that were brought over presumabley due to their numbers and ease of replacement.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » May 2, 2003, 10:17 am

Somali wrote:Keshlara,

You can have equal opportunity programs for inner city kids without labelling them as affirmative action programs for an ethnic background. Lets eliminate the affirmative action for skin color and instead make it based on monetary values. If you want to tell me that a poor "white" kid in an all "black" neighborhood doesn't have it rough too then I think you need to re-examine your statistics.

Krimson,

I can empathise with your point here, and like you I do think there is some progress being made, but are you telling me that your kids heard the word nigger in a song that wasn't a rap song? Rap is about the only place I have heard that word since coming out of the backwoods of Alabamy/Mississippi. Even there you predominately only hear it from the older population.

Some background on myself, I consider myself to be a mutt. I'm an Irish, Italian, German, Mexican, Cherokee, Seminole Indian. Emphasis on the Mexican and Irish parts. By virtue of the heritages I have I can also consider myself to be African and Asian I suppose. For any of you that aren't familiar with Mexican heritage, there is a lot of Mulato in any mexican. A Mulato in Mexico is Spanish/"Indian"/African. Mostly because the Spaniards used the "Indians" and Africans as slaves and "got busy" with the pretty ones. The native americans were actually treated with less respect than the African slaves that were brought over presumabley due to their numbers and ease of replacement.

It was a rap video, which I dont allow them to watch. What can they possibly learn from a rap video that's beneficial to them? My cousin was over watching videos while I was upstairs. That is why I pointed out in the end of my post the racism from blacks to whites. I see more racial slurs from blacks to black and blacks to whites than I do anything else. It's 100% lopsided from James Sneed's perspective. I know this is not the case everywhere. I am not delusional or blindly optimistic. Just stating the facts from the part of Nashville and Murfreesboro Tennessee that I happen to colaborate with.

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » May 2, 2003, 10:35 am

I know this is not the case everywhere.

Seems to be pretty prevalent everywhere I have been.

I guess it's a revenge mindset. A slur against a white person is socially acceptable, a slur against a black, mexican, etc will get you labelled a racist in a heartbeat.

Very stupid when you think about it. As if equality could be acheived by tilting the playing field 180 degrees.

Lalanae · Post by **Lalanae** » May 2, 2003, 10:49 am

Spangaloid_PE wrote:
Lalanae wrote:You have a problem with African American? You are such a Nazi.
no, i have a problem with calling all black people african americans...unles they was born there, they're just americans like me or any other american born in america regardless of race...nothing more, nothing less.

now if they was born in africa, that's different.

So, smart guy, what do you call Asian Americans? Your logic doesn't apply there.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » May 2, 2003, 11:00 am

A bunch of white people talking about racisim is funny.

miir · Post by **miir** » May 2, 2003, 11:00 am

Racism IS dead here, except for a very few people who know to keep their mouths shut in public.

So it's OK for someone to be racist as long as the keep their mouth shut?

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » May 2, 2003, 11:18 am

miir wrote:
Racism IS dead here, except for a very few people who know to keep their mouths shut in public.
So it's OK for someone to be racist as long as the keep their mouth shut?

Yea, keeping mouth shut != dead racism, but at least they are not spewing it.

miir · Post by **miir** » May 2, 2003, 11:20 am

Krimson Klaw wrote:
miir wrote:
Racism IS dead here, except for a very few people who know to keep their mouths shut in public.
So it's OK for someone to be racist as long as the keep their mouth shut?
Yea, keeping mouth shut != dead racism, but at least they are not spewing it.

I prefer racists to be loud.

It makes them easier to ridicule.
It draws attention to them.
It makes people realise that racisim is still very much alive in the good ole USA.

Cartalas · Post by **Cartalas** » May 2, 2003, 11:22 am

miir wrote:
Krimson Klaw wrote:
miir wrote:
Racism IS dead here, except for a very few people who know to keep their mouths shut in public.
So it's OK for someone to be racist as long as the keep their mouth shut?
Yea, keeping mouth shut != dead racism, but at least they are not spewing it.
I prefer racists to be loud.

It makes them easier to ridicule.
It draws attention to them.
It makes people realise that racisim is still very much alive in the good ole USA.

As well as the rest of the world

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » May 2, 2003, 11:23 am

So it's OK for someone to be racist as long as the keep their mouth shut?

Keeping their mouths shut is an indication that they know the behavior is not acceptable.

Which means others aren't hearing their racist message. Which means impressions are not made. Which means, in the long run, racism dies out.

I'd call a silent racist a hell of an improvement over one trying to pass their disease on to others.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » May 2, 2003, 11:27 am

yeah there are a lot of really ignorant fucking wastes of carbon in Georgia and the rest of the south for that matter.

i'm proud to be from this part of the country, but i am sick of all these ignorant fucking pieces of shit continue to make us look bad.

If it isnt for the stupid crackers waiving the "stars and bars" it is some bullshit like this.

fucking morons. i'd drive down to that shithole of a town and protest if i thought i wouldnt be shot - by the inbred rednecks who happen to be the cops.

if you even partially agree with this policy do the whole planet a favor and kill yourself. you are a fucking disgrace.

Fizzlewhip · Post by **Fizzlewhip** » May 2, 2003, 11:55 am

Lalanae wrote:
Spangaloid_PE wrote:
Lalanae wrote:You have a problem with African American? You are such a Nazi.
no, i have a problem with calling all black people african americans...unles they was born there, they're just americans like me or any other american born in america regardless of race...nothing more, nothing less.

now if they was born in africa, that's different.
So, smart guy, what do you call Asian Americans? Your logic doesn't apply there.

Um, not sure what you are trying to say there Lalanae. As much as I hate agreeing with Spang, I have to say I feel he is correct here.

Asian American? If they were born in countries associated with the continent of Asia, then yes, I suppose you could call them that. However, if they are American citizens, then why divide the country based on races? Why not just call them Americans? Better yet, if they decided to become citizens of the US, why not call them Americans.

I think that is the point. Pride in your heritage is great, and should not be cast aside, lest we forget our pasts. But why perpetuate stereotypes by purposely dividing yourself from a society. Minorities are always complaining of unfair treatment, yet in the same sentence seperate themselves from the rest of society by purposely applying labels to themselves.

Terms I find silly, when dealing with citizens of the US.

Mexian-american. African-american. Asian-american.

All of the Above can be covered by one term. American. In Canada, do they have "Asian-Canadians?". About the only -Canadian term I have every heard used was French-Canadian. How about in England. Are there African-English? Asian-English? I never heard those terms when I lived there. What about in Germany? African-German? Asian-German? Nope. Again, in the 3 years I lived there, I didn't hear that, and Yes, I do speak some German.

About the only '-american" I can see being of any use is "Indian-american."

After all, the majority of us are actually of European, African, or Asian descent. The only true Americans were the Indians.

Politcal Correctness aside. I agree with Aranuil, that racism is less about stupidity, and more about ignorance. I only used the term stupidity because I lacked a shorter, concise word at the time. I grew up in a small town, with less of a black population than Falanthas. We had 1. Racism was not prevalent, at least not openly in our town. That does not mean it didn't exist, but I never saw signs of it.

To paraphrase an old radio show.....

What evil lurks in the hearts and minds of men?..... Only the shadow knows

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 2, 2003, 12:10 pm

Not to be picky here, but Canada is in America too. African American, Asian American, etc, all can apply just as easily in Canada. Would you call someone of Chinese descent that was born in the US, Chinese? Or are you devout in referring to them only as American? I hear Asian American and I think of an American of Asian descent. Not really born in Asia, but that's his roots. Same for African Americans.

I don't see anything wrong in calling them black personally, I know I don't mean it in a derrogatory fashion. But I feel uncomfortable calling an Asian yellow, or an East Indian brown. Not that I mean them as insults, I just associate them as not appropriate. It's weird. It'd be lovely if we didn't have to think of someones race at all, but I doubt that will ever happen honestly. Not only because of bad reasons, people also like to hold on to their pieces of culture.

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » May 2, 2003, 12:11 pm

The problem with hyphenated-Americanism is that once again, it promotes "us against them".

My familial 'ethnicity' is mostly Irish, German and Polish, with a bit of Cherokee on my dads side.

That makes me an American. Not an Irish-American, not a German-American, not a Native American. Just an American like everyone else.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » May 2, 2003, 12:14 pm

I'd like to add: The argument that no one is really American other than the Indians is wrong IMO... You use the word American as a citizen of the United States, a country founded primarily by white men, not by the native Americans. So ya, the European settlers which ended up founding the country do indeed qualify as base-line Americans.

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » May 2, 2003, 12:36 pm

I wouldn't consider african\asian\mexican-american to apply to a canadian. We do not have any equivilent terms AFAIK.

French-canadian is the only *-canadian term I'm aware of.

Our equivilent for native americans is aboriginal peoples.

Vaemas · Post by **Vaemas** » May 2, 2003, 12:40 pm

What I don't understand...and what no one here may be able to answer for me is this. Why the hell do black Americans jump all over everyone else for using a word like "nigger" then I here that word tossed around casually by other members of the same background?

FFS, if you don't want people to use it as a slur, don't use the word at all. The other day, a close friend of mine (who happens to be black) described me as "one intense nigger." I'm not black and it wasn't used as a slur, but rather in the second sense of the word that I described above.

Set an example. You don't want that word used? Then don't promote a double standard and don't use it. Don't publish music using that word. Don't make music videos with that word. Don't use the word. Period.

As for being African-American, I'm of the opinion that unless you were born of Africa and immigrated to America, then you're an American. Plain and simple. I'm an American of German and Irish descent. My roots go back to the early 1800's. I'm American, born and bred. Same thing goes for anyone with roots in any country. Doesn't matter to me, they're still American, if they were born here. You want to be American of Asian/African/German/Irish/Indian descent? That's fine. No problem. You want to be Native American? That's cool too.

Enough of the African-American, two-faced bullshit. Stand up, be a man and be an American. Racism does still exist, and it will continue to exist as long as that artifical line is drawn in the sand. By stressing the distinction between African-Americans and the rest of America, all we do is emphasize that line, instead of erasing it.

You live in America. Be an American.

Fizzlewhip · Post by **Fizzlewhip** » May 2, 2003, 12:43 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:Not to be picky here, but Canada is in America too. African American, Asian American, etc, all can apply just as easily in Canada. Would you call someone of Chinese descent that was born in the US, Chinese? Or are you devout in referring to them only as American? I hear Asian American and I think of an American of Asian descent. Not really born in Asia, but that's his roots. Same for African Americans.

I don't see anything wrong in calling them black personally, I know I don't mean it in a derrogatory fashion. But I feel uncomfortable calling an Asian yellow, or an East Indian brown. Not that I mean them as insults, I just associate them as not appropriate. It's weird. It'd be lovely if we didn't have to think of someones race at all, but I doubt that will ever happen honestly. Not only because of bad reasons, people also like to hold on to their pieces of culture.

Actually, if you were being nitpicky, the term American applies to at least 24 different countries, if you count Central and South america. However the term American has become the popular reference to people from the United States of America, possibly because it is much easier to refer to them by a single word, rather than trying to say "You United Stater", or "Statesman/woman". Back when Russia was part of the USSR, we still referred to people from that region as Russian, or Soviet, even if they were actually Ukrainian, Siberian, etc. Now before you state that people were called Siberian, at the time it was the same situation that we have in the US. We have Georgians, but they are still under the blanket term of American.

Am I "religious" about calling a person of Asian descent an American? Yes. I absolutely HATE PC speak.