Why are people racist?

[wireman]

Why? I mean, why?

[CkyBlue]

Nationalism, generalization, competition, and history. Oh, and for the ****z and gigs on the Comedy Channel.

[Frizzy]

Building on what marf said, it's also due to competition for resources. We generally look for ourselves in others. The first thing we see is skin colour, because that's very distinguishable and easily identifiable. Humans are also scared of the unknown, change, and difference in general. As such you will be more inclined to hang around your own ethnicity due to very obvious similarities.

And, as an unfortunate fact, you are also racist. So is marf. So am I! Everyone is racist to some extent, even if it's not active racism. You will still judge a person based on their skin colour. Why? Because we're lazy creatures, as it's easier to judge first, then learn about the person, and we like to categorise things. So why not just put the most obvious differences (such as skin colour) into their own file.

Gotta love HL Psych.

[wireman]

But don't you think because of globalisation and stuff like that, inter-mingling between students across various countries, the whole comfort factor that one feels with people of his/her own ethnicity may not be because of similar ethnicities. It might be because of other stuff.

I think more than lazy, we're just ignorant. Even if we're involuntarily racist, I think it's just wrong and naive.

[Dew]

But don't you think because of globalisation and stuff like that, inter-mingling between students across various countries, the whole comfort factor that one feels with people of his/her own ethnicity may not be because of similar ethnicities. It might be because of other stuff.

I think more than lazy, we're just ignorant. Even if we're involuntarily racist, I think it's just wrong and naive.

Your thoughts on the matter don't change that gut feeling one gets when faced with unfamiliar individuals; getting rid of racism completely is something that only exists in one's Utopia. As people become more familiar with different coloured individuals whom have different ethinicities, they will lose that cold and bitter feeling they once had for that race. Just like racism towards african-americans has diminished greatly in the US, any sort of racism that exists at the moment will decrease.

[Frizzy]

But don't you think because of globalisation and stuff like that, inter-mingling between students across various countries, the whole comfort factor that one feels with people of his/her own ethnicity may not be because of similar ethnicities. It might be because of other stuff.

I think more than lazy, we're just ignorant. Even if we're involuntarily racist, I think it's just wrong and naive.

Your thoughts on the matter don't change that gut feeling one gets when faced with unfamiliar individuals; getting rid of racism completely is something that only exists in one's Utopia. As people become more familiar with different coloured individuals whom have different ethinicities, they will lose that cold and bitter feeling they once had for that race. Just like racism towards african-americans has diminished greatly in the US, any sort of racism that exists at the moment will decrease.

Unfortunately, it will always exist. Prejudice is natural for humans. In fact, it's a huge factor in what makes us human.

[Nabz]

I would say that globalization did impact on racism but on a positive way because more and more people are adopting each other's culture. As far as racism is concerned, i would say that it is due to people being affected in an environment where these kind of things are practiced and to be honest, i've seen many competitive people though they are not racist. I would say that racism comes down to how each individual really is even in schools and colleges, reflecting their personality through racism.

[Sandwich]

I think we are always suspicious of people different from ourselves. However, certainly in my country and my part of society, I think racism is pretty dead. I think people have come to see that there are much bigger differences than skin colour - you know, I'm a lot more similar to people I know of any given race who're from a similar middle class background to me than I am to people of my own ethnic background who are in a different class to me. Maybe not in every way but in many ways which are important to me. I think that your skin colour used to carry a lot of other differences with it which made it just a very obvious symbol and a way to recognise somebody different from you - and some people reacted with anger and suspicion. As I said, to me it's social class which is the real divide more than race.

I would say that people in my country are very tolerant (relatively speaking) of race, perhaps depending on which part you're from - multiculturalism tends to be more of an urban than a rural theme.

I think it IS stupid to ignore race and say "we are all the same" because a lot of things CAN be generalised by race and shown to be true. Largely because race often carries with it a basketful of culture and even in people who're naturalised to a country, the culture of your parents or grandparents and so on can often carry down. Pretending otherwise seems silly to me - it's a hell of a lot more likely that an Indian person will like curry than a native Brit because it's likely their family have it as a frequent meal. I mean, this is ignoring the fact that the British also madly love curry But you know what I mean. These little assumptions are fine, in my opinion, and they help inform our behaviour so actually we can get on better and be accepting of differences. I think the real thing with assumptions is to use them fairly and test them before you act on them. Without assumptions we'd be blind and foolish, but then making assumptions into truth is the basis of prejudice. It's about using your assumptions wisely - to sketch out a truth but then to edit it based on actual evidence before acting on it. This applies to all sorts of things, not just racism.

[IB Smacher Glau]

This is Based on my Research !

It's because white people want to survive. That's what it's always been about. White identity.

White identity. get it? Like asian identity, african identity, arab identity, indian identity, native american identity.

White people, whom came from europe, want to remain looking white.

We have a very low birth rate, that's why everyone's immigrating to the west, so our rich white people can remain rich. They are willing to sacrifice our identity for their own personal fleeting gain. This is irrisponsible because it's clear that white people like being white and we don't want the world that we have worked so hard to build to be destroyed.

Sure other races will take over and they'll do an ok job. However other cultures also threaten to comsume our society. This effects all our children. Islam is threatening to overtake the world. They are the most dominateing organised religion.

White people are going to be all gone in 200 years, all of our genes will probably be wiped out in 300-400 years. Meanwhile the rest of the races of the world will probably survive for thousands of years before they mix together. That's a long time lived without white people. Do you want that for your children?

This is what racism has always been about, we've been fighting against ourselves to boot all forgeiners out our countries since the beginning. Because we want a place to live just like the asians and africans and everyone else has. I understand that now we've made friends with many of you, so now that seems all but impossible for you all to just go away. So ofcourse, you stay here.

We will all mix together eventuly, but the reason i'm concerned about it is because of the way white people look. Is it disgusting to say that we are beautiful? Because physical love is one of humanitys most powerful tools to modivate ourselves. The value of it, to beat damning pleasures, vice and addiction is strong.

We will mix together but atleast give us some more time so we can have more white couples. Is that disgusting to you? Well you should know better, it was you who stepped over the line. You knew. You saw and you knew. Don't blame us for rubbing it in your face.

Read more:

Why are people racist? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/65174#ixzz1vyxqIBpz

[TheGlitch]

For me, I think it's because of inheritance. How? simply because back in the days the society was based on discrimination, the black people were the slaves, the white people were either poor or rich, and it was just like that, the problem now is how to get rid of this problem, which should not exist in our modern society, because it seems like we are not able to force it out of our daily life so far... Many people can't grasp the fact that all people are the same.

[funny10sport]

I think it is mainly because of two things...

Differences

Naturally, the majority of people don't like change. Once we are used to a certain thing or accustomed to certain people, we usually maintain preference to it and stick with it. If a black person was in a room full of white, asian and black people, that person would probably try to socialize with other blacks because he will have something in common with them, their skin colour. (Although there are also many cultural, ethnic backgrounds implicated here but you know what I mean). The truth is, we are not used to differences and are infact scared of the unknown. This ignorannce can sometimes keep us close minded, which leads to long term stereotypes.

Long term Stereotypes

Because we are close minded, usually, the majority of us will judge others based on their first impressions. Imagine if every asian person you met was snobby and rude to you. After some time, you would develop some type of stereotype in your head like : "All Asians are snobby and rude people." Eventually, if that stereotype stays with you longterm, it may turn into racism. These assumptions can influence a person's future decisions. For example, in a workplace, that person may not hire any asians or other minorities due to their preferences. (That is an example of what my mom experienced when she applied to work here in Canada).

Note: The examples here are not intended to generalize or discriminate against others. I am sure black people are very social with others and that not all asians are mean (because I certainly am not! ). They are simply to put my ideas in context.

[citizenoftheuniverse]

"However, certainly in my country and my part of society, I think racism is pretty dead."

[Award Winning Boss]

"However, certainly in my country and my part of society, I think racism is pretty dead."

She isn't saying that it never happens. That'd be nearly impossible. People are always quick to make judgements, assume they're under threat by people who look different to them and start becoming racist nationalists but leave out the racist part in their name (I'm looking at you BNP) It's fairly disappointing tbh but people are learning and becoming less ignorant. Which is a good thing.

I reckon the only way racism will decrease is through education and exposure to other races. It's easy to think that someone is less than you if you've never ever seen anyone like them.

[Sandwich]

"However, certainly in my country and my part of society, I think racism is pretty dead."

[media=]

Pretty dead!! To be fair she's been arrested AND it's such an unusual and horrible occurrence that it's made it onto youtube to be sensationalised. I'm not saying nobody is racist, of course - but cases like this are minority and to be honest it's racism mixed with xenophobia and a move towards protectionism because the government are harping on about people claiming benefits, clamping down on immigration etc.

I've never personally witnessed anything like this and to my knowledge don't know anybody who has either - nor do I have non-white friends who've ever been discriminated against (again, to my knowledge!). The odd ignorant imbecile crops up in every society, but I don't think this is a common or entrenched attitude in society here.

[xXRainbowDashXx]

Ignorance, brain washing, upbringing, lack of education, prejudice and personal problems with other human races.. are some of the reasons.

[Ezak]

This is Based on my Research !

It's because white people want to survive. That's what it's always been about. White identity.

White identity. get it? Like asian identity, african identity, arab identity, indian identity, native american identity.

White people, whom came from europe, want to remain looking white.

We have a very low birth rate, that's why everyone's immigrating to the west, so our rich white people can remain rich. They are willing to sacrifice our identity for their own personal fleeting gain. This is irrisponsible because it's clear that white people like being white and we don't want the world that we have worked so hard to build to be destroyed.

Sure other races will take over and they'll do an ok job. However other cultures also threaten to comsume our society. This effects all our children. Islam is threatening to overtake the world. They are the most dominateing organised religion.

White people are going to be all gone in 200 years, all of our genes will probably be wiped out in 300-400 years. Meanwhile the rest of the races of the world will probably survive for thousands of years before they mix together. That's a long time lived without white people. Do you want that for your children?

This is what racism has always been about, we've been fighting against ourselves to boot all forgeiners out our countries since the beginning. Because we want a place to live just like the asians and africans and everyone else has. I understand that now we've made friends with many of you, so now that seems all but impossible for you all to just go away. So ofcourse, you stay here.

We will all mix together eventuly, but the reason i'm concerned about it is because of the way white people look. Is it disgusting to say that we are beautiful? Because physical love is one of humanitys most powerful tools to modivate ourselves. The value of it, to beat damning pleasures, vice and addiction is strong.

We will mix together but atleast give us some more time so we can have more white couples. Is that disgusting to you? Well you should know better, it was you who stepped over the line. You knew. You saw and you knew. Don't blame us for rubbing it in your face.

Read more:

Why are people racist? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag...4#ixzz1vyxqIBpz

Seriously?! Wtf are you on? It's not just the inaccurate description of white people, but how you think that we are all in the same boat. Keep your conspiracys elsewhere. Btw, being white and all, what are you doing in another country clearly not belonging to your kin?

[Ellalaa]

Well, this is two months late, but I've been waiting for this topic my whole life. *rubs hands together* Let's get started.

Waaaw. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the media yet. You cannot comprehend how easily the media trains us to make assumptions about others. As a visible Muslim growing up in a "white" country, I cannot express how powerful the media is, when it can tell you what to think, and choose what you hear. Most of the rascist comments I get (and yes, I have been called a terrorist, uninstigated, in the middle of the city) are present in the offender's mind because the are educated only by their TV. Why, when a crime is committed by a Muslim, it is called a terrorist crime? But when it is committed by another person, the religion is irrelevant? They are considered simply a 'disturbed' person. Of course, I'm not making light of any crime that has ever been committed, but people need to realize that crimes are commmitted by people, not religions, or cultures, etc. Generalizing a group like that only leads to more hate. While I'm not saying that the government's a conspiracy, we can't believe anything we hear, I believe that we need to be more critical of what is presented to us, so we don't perpetuate incorrect assumptions. The media will always have a bias, because it is run by people, and it is a lot harder to get rid of a bias than it sounds. What we can try to do is separate that bias from the facts, and with more research than the media will provide you with, formulate an opinion that isn't driven by ignorance.

[Babydolleyes]

People really seem to fear the unknown... so, so much!

What I don't understand is why people feel such a strong need to feel superior to others (especially when it's based on something nobody has any control of).

[peder1001]

Well, this is two months late, but I've been waiting for this topic my whole life. *rubs hands together* Let's get started.

Waaaw. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the media yet. You cannot comprehend how easily the media trains us to make assumptions about others. As a visible Muslim growing up in a "white" country, I cannot express how powerful the media is, when it can tell you what to think, and choose what you hear. Most of the rascist comments I get (and yes, I have been called a terrorist, uninstigated, in the middle of the city) are present in the offender's mind because the are educated only by their TV. Why, when a crime is committed by a Muslim, it is called a terrorist crime? But when it is committed by another person, the religion is irrelevant? They are considered simply a 'disturbed' person. Of course, I'm not making light of any crime that has ever been committed, but people need to realize that crimes are commmitted by people, not religions, or cultures, etc. Generalizing a group like that only leads to more hate. While I'm not saying that the government's a conspiracy, we can't believe anything we hear, I believe that we need to be more critical of what is presented to us, so we don't perpetuate incorrect assumptions. The media will always have a bias, because it is run by people, and it is a lot harder to get rid of a bias than it sounds. What we can try to do is separate that bias from the facts, and with more research than the media will provide you with, formulate an opinion that isn't driven by ignorance.

It's because muslim terrorists blow themselves up in the name of Allah/Mohammad. You'd be hard pressed to find any Black/White/Brown Christian to blow himself up in the name of Jesus. Jihad is alive and kicking, Crusades, not so much.

That is at least why they are called "islamic terrorists" instead of just "terrorists or disturbed". It really ofcourse depends on the nature of the crime. Shop-lifting doesn't really scream terrorist no matter who commits it.

[peder1001]

For me, I think it's because of inheritance. How? simply because back in the days the society was based on discrimination, the black people were the slaves, the white people were either poor or rich, and it was just like that, the problem now is how to get rid of this problem, which should not exist in our modern society, because it seems like we are not able to force it out of our daily life so far... Many people can't grasp the fact that all people are the same.

This is only true in the USA post 1600s.

Africans took Indian slaves and Arabs also took African slaves for many generations. Also don't forget slavery in SE Asia and Japan and China. There seems to be this huge perception that the only racists in the world are white, when that is far from the case.

Chinese are some of the most hatefully racist people I've ever met. And I mean REAL Chinese, not your 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation Chinese living in the West.

By the way, this isn't supposed to be a 'bash', more of a OPEN YOUR EYES experience. Racism is everywhere in many countries, but on forums and in the media, people only tend to focus on white racism.