Is racism on American college campuses serious ?

College Life
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<p>"Also, multiculturalism has been brought up in this thread. That is also racist. America has a founding value of “e pluribus unum”–“from many, one.” It means that we do not care what culture/country you came form, now you are an American. That is the melting pot. Multiculturalism is starkly opposed to the melting pot because it favors a resistance towards unity.</p>

<p>I do not refer to anyone as African-American or Mexican-American or anything hyphenated. You’re an American. Plain and simple."</p>

<p>Overcoming racism does not mean ignoring race completely. As a “hyphenated” Asian-American, it bothers me to hear someone say that my race doesn’t matter. I am 100% American, and my culture and ethnic origin is a large part of my identity. Race is an aspect of identity, and ignoring it because I am in America is insulting. I–and I am sure many other “hyphenated” people will agree–am extremely proud of being an Asian-American. Our individual experiences make up our being. It is this combination of such different cultural experiences from all over the world concentrated in a single country that makes America unique. THAT is the “melting pot.” It is a place where cultures meet and mix–they do not disappear into “American-ness” once immigrants establish themselves in this country. </p>

<p>Ignoring race completely is NOT the solution to racism.</p>

<p>But back to the OP’s original question, yes, racism exists. It is not necessarily harmful racism (in most places at least), but permeating stereotypes exist as forms of racism. All minorities have dealt with these stereotypes at some point or another, and it’s up to us to choose whether to be insulted or just walk it off.</p>

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<p>I think there are different levels of racists:</p>

<p>1) The evil, completely self-aware form of racists. These people know that they’re racist and they’re proud of it. They like to actively discriminate and go out and commit violent crimes.
2) The angry (but not quite evil), self-aware form of racists. These people know they’re racist, but they’re not hateful (or crazy) enough to go out and lynch people. They probably just sit around with their racist buddies and whine about other groups.
3) The clueless racists. These people aren’t evil. They don’t mean any harm and they definitely don’t consider themselves racists. They subconsciously hold some racist views which they don’t realize are racist.
4) The “liberal”, I-love-everybody racists. These people insist they love all races, but subconsciously, they don’t see other races as “normal” people. They view them more as trophies. These people feel proud of themselves when they make friends with someone of a different color and feel compelled to show off their new shiny friend to the world. </p>

<p>I think most people these days are numbers 2,3, and 4. The #2 type of racists probably won’t be sharing their anger around campus. They might do it in secret with their other same-race, also-angry friends, but they probably won’t show their feelings in front of you.</p>

<p>I think you’re more in danger of seeing the #3 and #4 type of racists on a daily basis. I don’t really take these kinds of people seriously at all, because they’re really just clueless. They don’t realize how annoying some of their comments are. They’re almost incapable of understanding why their comments would be seen as offensive. These people, I just shrug off.</p>

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<p>The term “reverse racism” has been thought to be a stupid term for quite a while now by most people. The word “racism” means prejudice based on race, something that all human beings can feel. In the US, the term “reverse racism” is used to describe the prejudice a non-white person feels towards a white person. What this does is indirectly suggest that racism is an inherently “white” trait. It suggests that the “regular” racist is always a white person, when in reality, that’s not what the words “racism” or “racist” mean at all. A racist is a person, regardless of race, who hates people of a different race. A white man who hates black people is a racist. A black man who hates white people is in turn also just a racist, not a “reverse racist.”</p>

<p>I mean, I understand where the term comes from and everything, but it’s a pretty annoying term if you think about it and also completely unnecessary. I guess at some point along the line, people started wondering how they should describe racist minorities and invented this term. All they had to do was keep using the word “racist” though. A new one didn’t have to be created for this apparent “phenomenon.”</p>

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<p>I use the term reverse racism to refer to colleges giving aid to minorities just because they’re minorities. I can’t wait for 2030 or whenever the Census estimates white people will no longer be the majority. By then my kids will be going to college and can cash in on being neo-minorities.</p>

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<p>Well hell, if you want to characterize your own race as the “default” racist group, by all means go ahead. That’s actually hilarious to me.</p>

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<p>It is possible for someone to be racist against his/her own race.</p>

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<p>^^ I don’t know about that though. Then why wouldn’t you be lynching yourself constantly?</p>

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<p>Racism need not get to the point of lynching / murder.</p>

<p>In terms of being racist against one’s own race, some hypothetical examples:</p>

<p>A white person who believes that white people are inherently racist.</p>

<p>An Asian person who believes that universities should have have fewer Asian students.</p>

<p>A black taxi driver who prefers to pick up non-black taxi customers.</p>

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<p>I think the definition of racism is being obscured though. Racism in most contexts means believing one’s race is superior to another. I can dislike black people in general without being racist against them. It’s sort of my pet peeve when people automatically say “racism” when anyone does anything negative regarding another race.</p>

<p>Example - White cop arrests more black dudes on average. IMO not racism if the cop is doing it because he’s following the statistics that black people are more likely to commit crimes.</p>

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<p>^It’s when they “look” for minorities (or examine minority actions more closely) because they “expect” they are more culpable.</p>

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<p>^ But it’s a safe assumption to make, especially when there’s tons of studies that have found certain races typically are more culpable. If I said Fords break down 2x as much as Toyotas, you’d be watching the Ford more carefully for problems. So yeah you’re racial profiling, but it wouldn’t make you a racist.</p>

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<p>Basically agree, but when you observe, it can raise questions.
Eg, for the past 5+ years (since my state troopers were accsed of racial bias,) why have I noticed that virtually every traffic stop on the hwy is a minority? This is a state where it’s (ok, again just my observation) rare to see truly excessive speed or weaving on the hwy. (Compared with my experiences in, say, LA.) Wish I could qoute the H prof who discussed how many times his son was stopped in Cambridge, when driving the family Mercedes. The father’s advice was “Dress up when you drive it- forget the sweats or rumpled t-shirt.”</p>

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<p>LOL… Only a racist would dislike a whole race in general… Unless you can present a legitimate argument that disliking a whole race is not due to feelings of superiority which is doubtful.</p>

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<p>Black people are more likely to commit crimes? Classic misunderstanding of statistics.</p>

<p>Those studies only show that blacks are more likely to be prosecuted. The larger number of crimes are still committed by the majority in this country.</p>

<p>In all reality, no cop is going to look for the more statistically likely suspect, they are going to look for people that fit their view of a criminal. Depending on the cop, location, criminal and circumstances it may or may not be racist.</p>

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<p>Well when it’s dark and you see a group of 5 black guys standing around, I’ll applaud your lack of racism by walking right past them and waving hello. There’s a difference between racism and stereotyping with a “general dislike”.</p>

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<p>I am black… Assuming we are inherently criminal and dangerous is racist. </p>

<p>And nonsensical, if you add up all the black on white murders it is only a tiny fraction of the white on white or white on black murders over the course of our history.</p>

<p>You can argue on the definition of racism all you want but that view is ignorant…</p>

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<p>^ agree it’s racist. Sorry. They could be college kids. You describe them only as “black guys” not dressed as gangbangers or flashing weapons or fighting. You didn’t say, crime-ridden section of town. Or whether it’s the bus stop near the U.
I’m not out to point fingers- just to show how easy it is to make assumptions.</p>

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<p>Exactly…</p>

<p>So if Bill Cosby, Barack Obama, Will Smith, Clarence Thomas and Idris Elba are standing in the dark they are automatically dangerous??? ROFL!!!</p>

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<p>^^ Racial profiling doesn’t have to be done with the lack of heuristics akin to a robot. </p>

<p>But anyways getting back to the definition of racism that implies believing one race is superior to another, I don’t think many of the so called “racists” would still qualify. Every race has some advantage over another (at least on the average), so it’d be silly to believe that your race is the best in every possible way.</p>

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<p>I just wanted to throw my two cents in, to mention that racism is a two way street.</p>

<p>I had two african american suite-mates in graduate school.</p>

<p>The first night together, we were all studying, and I came out and suggested we all order a pizza. They told me that they had already ordered a pizza (without even having the common courtesy of asking me if I wanted to participate). A couple hours later, one of the guys knocked on my door, and told me they had one slice of pizza left and offered it to me, and then asked me for a dollar.</p>

<p>Also, sometimes, we would all be eating lunch in the cafeteria together, but then a group of 5 black guys would come into the cafeteria, and they would immediately “dump me” and go sit with that group, right in the middle of the meal.</p>

<p>Also, in undergraduate schools, the african american kids would routinely cut ahead on line at the cafeteria. Athletes were allowed to go to the front of the line, because of their tight schedules, which is understandable, but then 5 of their friends would join them at the front of the line.</p>

<p>True, these are petty grievances, relatively speaking, but if a white person had done those things to a black person, the black person might well classify a school as “racist”</p>

<p>Also, in my life, I have seen a lot of racist behavior by african americans towards asians.</p>

<p>It is sad that this topic has even been posted, because now, with Obama as President, we should all be moving beyond that point.</p>

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<p>I don’t see racism only as assuming your race is superior. Racism, as its most simple, is stereotyping. By the way, scholars are now turning away from the word “race” to describe differences. The genetic differences are superficial. </p>

<p>For a real and scary view, see the other recent racism threads.</p>

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<p>^Or this thread lol. Pretty scary IMO</p>