I'm a racist

LegacyUser

I'm ashamed to say, I seem to have become a racist. I most definitely wasn't brought up as one. There weren't many people of colour in my town in Ireland, but one of my best friends was of Indian origin and I always liked hip hop music and watched black sitcoms and all that. Then a year ago, I moved to London for a job and have just gotten more and more racist every day. My main problem is with black people. It seems like almost all the black people here are really loud, obnoxious and rude and have a massive chip on their shoulder. The receptionist at work is just absolutely pig ignorant, she just grunts in response to questions and constantly makes comments about white women being stupid/weak/lazy, I wish she were the exception but no, this seems to be the norm. Gangs who are fighting on the street, causing trouble and bothering innocent people are nearly always black, whenever you hear of someone being stabbed, the perpetrator is nearly always black. I find it more and more difficult not to judge and make assumptions. I find myself hoping that I will be served by a white person when in the bank/supermarket because they are generally less ignorant. I really hate myself for feeling like this, and when I do meet a nice black person, I feel really bad that I judged them. What can I do? I don't want to be a racist.

Nolanger

You're not racist. Most of those people are just scangers who happen to be black.

ShiresV2

Nolanger wrote: »

You're not racist. Most of those people are just scangers who happen to be black.

What he said. Perhaps you're living or working in the wrong place? Plenty of areas in London are complete sh1tholes. I spent 7 years there and my experience of black English (*) people was positive.

* although, they would say British there which begs an interesting question!

mikemac

Scumbags are still scum no matter what colour they are.

Seems you're living in a rough area, maybe time to move?

Bob_Harris

If the majority of black people you come across give you a bad experience then what other way can you feel about them as a whole?

jessiejam

I suppose its like going to a county in ireland like say dublin. You meet a few scumbags from dublin (all white). You come home stating that you hate all dubs.:eek:

does that make you racist then?

I know i have felt that way about certain groups, and I may have only met a few of them. didn't matter if they were black yellow or green, just the people were scum.

You just seem to be unlucky where your living.

eviltwin

Scum are scum regardless of colour but when you're actually hoping not to have to deal with anyone of a particular group just because of the actions of a few its a bit much.

I mean I got mugged two years ago but two young lads but I don't treat all teenage boys like potential muggers, its not fair on them and its not healthy for me so I try to rise about it.

I think maybe getting yourself into a new, less volatile area is a good way to start. Maybe if you start interacting more with decent, law abiding black people it might make a difference.

I'm sure you are aware that there are as many scummy whites in London as there are blacks and that not all black people are like this of course :rolleyes:

Tragedy

Unregistered wrote: »

I don't want to be a racist.

Try make black friends. Also, try get a black girl/boy friend. If you're having sex with a black person I don't think it's possible to be racist, as long as it's consensual.

D-Generate

I say its where you are living to be honest. Where I live in London (Tooting Broadway) I would be the only white person walking down the street at times and the area has a high crime rate. As such it is easy for me to go "There is lots of crime here, most people are black/asian, therefore they are criminals" because it is not making a judgement on me. However if I lived in Croydon or someplace where it is predominately white with high crime I doubt I would say the same thing because I am a part of that ethnicity. I have no doubt there is some black or asian people in Croydon who think that white people are up to no good.

I am looking to move away from the area now myself because I feel its making me a jaded person and I suggest you do the same yourself.

krudler

Tragedy wrote: »

Try make black friends. Also, try get a black girl/boy friend. If you're having sex with a black person I don't think it's possible to be racist, as long as it's consensual.

So...unless we all go have sex with black people, we're inherently racist?

what an idiotic statement.

VinnyTGM

Tragedy wrote: »

Try make black friends. Also, try get a black girl/boy friend. If you're having sex with a black person I don't think it's possible to be racist, as long as it's consensual.

Wow, just.. wow.

LegacyUser

I work in London myself and i understand where you are coming from have none of your work mates ever tell you of BWA? Basically it's Black Women Attitude and is pretty well known in London they are horrible obnoxious and basically down right nasty. It's usually not actual brits but rather people who have moved there and expect everything to be done for them. Guys from work who are british indian, brit nigerian etc will all tell you there horrible to deal with!

dudara

Tragedy wrote: »

Try make black friends. Also, try get a black girl/boy friend. If you're having sex with a black person I don't think it's possible to be racist, as long as it's consensual.

Tragedy - you might want to think twice before you make a post like that again.

dudara

Tender Hoop

Tragedy wrote: »

Try make black friends. Also, try get a black girl/boy friend. If you're having sex with a black person I don't think it's possible to be racist, as long as it's consensual.

Ha Ha. I don't like allot of people and I don't think having sex with them will make a difference.

Classic, just classic.

dudara

Tender Hoop If you have nothing helpful to add, then please don't post. Please take the time to read to forum charter and learn how PI works

dudara

freakmagnet

I think an important thing to remember is that there is a socioeconomic thing going on here which has a race dimension, but not in the most obvious way.

The behaviour you mention - broad strokes - is often associated with disadvantage, poor education etc etc - and it doesn't matter if your black or white - if you're disadvantaged, that behaviour is just more likely.

Then add to this, that black people suffer from racism - direct and indirect, subtle and causal. Because of this, they are more likely to live in a disadvantaged area, and thus exhibit the type of behaviour you refer to. Its not because they are black per se, its because they are more likely to come from a tough, lower socioeconomic background because of the visible and invisible barriers they face. If you think about it this way, the people you refer to are just victims of it all... Do you think that anyone, black or white, who had the kind of upbringing you did would be a yob? That's ultimately the question, and the answer.

Emme

It sounds like the OP is living in a very rough area. Put it this way, if a black person were to move to a rough area of Limerick and this was his first experience of white people he might feel the same way as the OP.

I'm lucky because I work in a place where there are professionals of all colours and religions from all over the world, but I can understand how people with limited exposure to different cultures can end up getting culture shock when landed in the middle of a ghetto full of economically deprived people, no matter what colour or ethnic origin.

Nevyn

Unregistered wrote: »

. My main problem is with black people. It seems like almost all the black people here are really loud, obnoxious and rude and have a massive chip on their shoulder. The receptionist at work is just absolutely pig ignorant, she just grunts in response to questions

All of the above are cultural differences which seem to be rubbing you up the wrong way, you need to learn to see the differences as just that and while it's not what you are used to that way of interacting which is different.

bubblybox

My other half lives in London and would openly say he has become very racist since living there and very much dislikes himself for it. He has reasons for certain things, episodes with black women on buses having major chips on their shoulders. Muslims looking at us in disgust as we walk out to the taxi heading on a night out (and before anyone says these would be neighbours who he knows are Muslim from speaking to his landlord - so he isn't just guessing). This has effected me so much that now if I am going for a wkend and now we will be going out/getting the tube I will bring tights to wear under dressed etc to avoid stares. Black people fighting on the bus, stabbings and everything else.

Whilst he lives in an area where white people would be in a minority, he works and spends most of his time out of it. He notices there is a vast difference between black people who are "from" England - i.e. have a thick English accent and those that have come from a different country. He has also noticed that in areas where there is a more equal division of race that these usually black and loud women pipe down, probably because they know they wont be entered.

From my lesser experience it has also made me feel more racist due to incidents mentioned above and a stark difference in the level of politeness and service (be it in shops etc etc) that you receive from white/english black versus everyone else.

I wouldnt feel bad for feeling like this OP it seems like a general trend from people my OH has spoken too. I guess the best thing you can do is keep your opinions to yourself and if you meet someone who is in that catagory of people you feel racist towards - then give them awhile before you judge - but believe me I know how hard that is!

Bob_Harris

Just like there are different social classes within our own society, ranging from scumbags to upper class, some races (in generic terms) are inferior to other races.

I don't know why people try to deny this.

Nevyn

This thread if not for a debate on gentics and the genetic spread or predispostion of any one no matter what thier race.

Unhelpful and off-topic posting will get you banned from this forum.
Do take time to read the charter which contains the rules and abide by them.
Have a nice day.
Thaedydal

Eve_Dublin

I'm visiting a friend in London right now and have been staying in Brixton (a predominantly black area) for just over a week and without sounding all shiny, happy people here but I'm bowled over at how nice people round here are. People (black people)round here who I've come into contact with have had manners, have been really friendly, have had no qualms starting random conversations with me and I've got a really good buzz from the place generally. I had all kind of preconceptions of what South London would be like from thmedia, all of them negative and in all honesty, I've come across none of that.

I lived in Bethnal Green, East London for 2 years a few years ago, which has a large muslim community and also the recent influx of "hipsters". The muslims were always respectful to me, even the gangs of young guys would step aside when I walked down the street with something like, "Let the lady pass!" when their equivalent in Dublin might've called me a slut or asked me to suck their you know what. The hipsters (white, middle class and English), on the other hand, were the most ignorant, stuck up, cliquey bunch of so and sos I've ever some across and were the reason I moved out of the area in the end.

I don't want to put everyone in their boxes as the white English generally were always nice to me regardless of class but my point is that it has nothing to do with race. Perhaps the black community in your neighbourhood are trouble makers but it has nothing to do with their skin colour.

Maybe you need to move to Brixton to get rid of some of your prejudices or even come down here and spend a day. It certainly banished some of the negative preconceptions I had about staying here before I came.

ABajaninCork

D-Generate wrote: »

I say its where you are living to be honest. Where I live in London (Tooting Broadway) I would be the only white person walking down the street at times and the area has a high crime rate. As such it is easy for me to go "There is lots of crime here, most people are black/asian, therefore they are criminals" because it is not making a judgement on me. However if I lived in Croydon or someplace where it is predominately white with high crime I doubt I would say the same thing because I am a part of that ethnicity. I have no doubt there is some black or asian people in Croydon who think that white people are up to no good.

I am looking to move away from the area now myself because I feel its making me a jaded person and I suggest you do the same yourself.

I can speak with some authority, as I'm originally from that area of South London, and have lived in Croydon for some years.

There's good and bad areas everywhere, just as there are nice people and not so nice people. Not all black people are bad, and not all black people are involved in crime. As a matter of fact, if you want to talk about 'white' and 'black' areas, there are a LOT more white, professional middle-class people in Tooting and Balham now, than when I grew up. Predominately, it's people who can't afford to live in Wandsworth/Battersea/Clapham, and Tooting presents an affordable alternative.

To the OP. I'm sorry that you feel that way. What are you doing to rid yourself of these feelings? I've had more rudeness, racism and ignorance than you could shake a stick at, and not all of it from white people either. But I can't allow myself to think ALL white people are this way. They're not. Just as not all black people are not. If I thought like that, I would be putting myself down to their level, and I'm WAY too good for that!

There are plenty of us well-spoken, educated, nicely-mannered black people about - I'm one of the many!