Hey Pandas, How Has Racism Affected Your Life? (Closed)

Racism has affected a lot of us - how has it affected yours? You can provide specific events, or just talk about it generally to help inform those who might not be aware.

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I am biracial, which makes me feel so out of place. I am a Korean-New Zealander living in Australia and I have never really felt a part of my culture. I’m either too white to be Asian, or not white enough to be considered Caucasian. I’ve had random people in the street coming up to me and asking “what are you?”. I’ve been accused of cultural appropriation (by white people). Stuff like this makes it so hard to be multiracial in any society, because people don’t pay enough attention to how being mixed race actively affects our lives. I love being biracial and I wouldn’t trade it for the world- but it would help if I didn’t need to validate my race every single time I meet someone new.

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Final score:

28points

Ani

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AsexualShrimp 2 years ago

How sad. You are valid no matter what they say. But fr tho, Korean+NewZealander is such a good combo. I bet ur so pretty hahaha! Ignore the haters and live a happy life

15points

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well, I'm black, and as a kid I've always wanted to do amazing things, but seeing all the horrible things happening to my culture, religion and people my color has made me rather hide away from reality, so I'm now a kid who rather hide and shiver.
duck you racism, duck you.

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Final score:

22points

samuel the (???)

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Corcaigh 2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

7points

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White woman here.
My dad’s racist.
I’ve tried every means under the sun to make him see sense.
I’ve tried emotional.
I’ve tried logical.
No joy.

☹️😤

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Final score:

20points

Jackie Warner

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ThisIsMe 2 years ago

Same here. White woman, racist father. Not overtly so, more subtle. His father (whom I never knew well) was apparently very racist. So I would correct language and stated opinions, and while things seemed to improve I was never sure if he had changed any or if he just watched what he said around me.

10points

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I’m Indian, born in Chennai, India. I moved to the United States when I was 5-6 years old so it was extremely difficult to adapt to the new environment. I had the stereotypical Indian accent. When I was in 3rd grade, maybe 2-3 years after I moved, I still had the accent but my English was slowly improving. My teachers and classmates would avoid me like the plague. This was in Florida, to top it off. One day, I remember asking my teacher why she helped the other students understand and why she would leave me alone, and she said, and I quote “well it’s because you don’t belong.” That crushed my heart. I tried that entire year to blend in to the American society and it was all for waste. I went to my parents and after saving up money, they went to a voice coach, who helped me get rid of my accent. Now I’m 20, and am just buying my first apartment. But I can’t help to think how my life would’ve been if I stayed strong and embraced myself.

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Final score:

19points

AsexualShrimp

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Ozacoter 2 years ago

Thats horrible! Why are people like that allowed to work with children?

19points

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I remember one guy at the beach. My sister's and I were walking on a trail that led to the beach. We were joking around, like young kids/teenagers. This white teenage boy (maybe 16) walks up and goes "Well, look at these little black girls." And we stop joking with each other. We are quiet and confused. He starts going on about me wearing big hoop earrings and our hair. Then my sister says "hey... Just leave us alone." And he starts yelling "WHAT! Well F you, you bunch of n word!" And just saying the n word over and over again. Screaming at us! It was just this out of the blue, unprovoked attack. And his family is there with him which is the sad part. His dad yells at him once to stop. But he kept going. I was about 12. (It felt like one of those moments in a movie that takes place back in segregation days where the black kids just standing quietly while being yelled at)
It's one thing to see someone being outright racist because their parents are. But this dad knew his son was a monster. He tried to condemn him but ultimately let him carry on berating us. That's so much worse in my mind.

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Final score:

17points

Clara

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Clara (Submission author) 2 years ago

I'm the one who posted! Sorry for the typos and sentence structure errors. I meant *sisters. I don't why it autocorrected into sister's. Sorry!

4points

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As the minority, you feel like you can never afford to make a mistake since your actions can affect how people view your entire race and not just you as a person.

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Final score:

16points

Elliot Fowler

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AsexualShrimp 2 years ago

Ugh I know the feeling.

10points

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I am German and around the age of 12 I looked a bit like I am turkish. That was no fun for me because I lived in the east part of Germany, in a small city, where nazis are all around. So I got bullied a lot at school and it was hard for me to find friends, especially since my best friend since kindergarten went over to the nazis kids (Years later we meet again and he apologized that he was such an idiot and didn’t realized). I also started to hate Turkish people because they were the reason I got bullied, but I never befriended with the nazis.
After school I started working in the west part of Germany and my first boss, who would have tought, was Turkish. It was the first time actually had met one, since there were not man foreign people where I grew up. And so I learnt they are the most friendly people you can met, when you are also friendly to them. And the best think is, my best friend now is half turkish too.

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Final score:

12points

Ben

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Amy S 2 years ago

And Turkish food...omg...so delicious!!

3points

I am Hungarian, from Transylvania, part of a minority, considered "countryless" in Romania, but if I go in Hungary, sadly many people think I am Romanian, most people from other countries just can't even grasp this situation.

The best part is when someone who thinks is entitled because they are way older than you (not a Hungarian person nor Romanian, another nationality) screamingly scolding you and explaining to you what you are, defying the reality that you lived through until now and still living, convincing you of your nationality which is not yours, because they "know better". If you were born there you automatically have that nationality. Umm no my nationality is Hungarian and I have dual citizenship.

After this encounter I learned that by the time when I get to the glorious age of 50, I will try my best to remain an open minded person and try to learn and understand as many things as possible and not to become an ignorant wrinkly b**** like them. :)

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Final score:

12points

Maux

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Pharmtechgurl 2 years ago

Hey, now! I'm a wrinkly b****. But I'm not a racist and I'm not ignorant

1point

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White woman here. When I lived in Florida I was one of the only white kids in my class and I got a lot of racism for that. When I first walked into class and the teacher introduced me I heard someone yell oh not another white girl. My dad was racist and I could have easily turned out that way but when I asked my certain people especially my dad hated people of color she said that you should just treat people and that there are good and bad of every type of race. Also, I just naturally prefer dark skin men and in the town I'm in in Massachusetts when I walk with my then boyfriend now bff who's a 6 foot 7 black guy I noticed all the cops would start slowing down to watch us. When I asked him why he said it's because they assumed I was a prostitute. Just for walking with him. I thought he was nuts but it kept happening and then one day I got pulled over and again the cop that pulled me over accused me of prostituting because I had a black guy in my car and money I had just got from my tax returns. The same friend is now fighting a court battle because he was accused by name for a robbery when he was somewhere completely different and have video footage to prove it but he still has to go through the whole court case. He is always being singled out for fitting a description. And there are times the cops would stop us just for no reason wanting to know where we're going or what we were doing. It's sad because we almost had a baby together and I had to think about that conversation that mothers of children of color have to have with their children about how to behave around the police things like that and it really made me understand just how rampant and horrible racism still is to this day. It's not fair another should have to have that conversation with their child that a mother of a white child doesn't even worry about.

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Final score:

11points

Who Panda 420

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Stacy B 2 years ago

I truly relate to this! My kids are biracial and you wouldn't believe what my kids have been forced to deal with from adults! Makes me want to "catch a case." Its terrible!

5points

#10

I was looking for a flat in Germany and was on the phone with a man who had one to rent. As soon as I told him that I was French (which wasn't immediately noticeable because I had a German phone number at that time), he hung up on me.

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Final score:

10points

Shelp

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Michael Largey 2 years ago

Your German must be very good if he couldn't tell by listening to you that you were foreign.

8points

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#11

My father was an immigrant, from southern Europe to central Europe. I was mocked several times by other kids at schools, treated as the foreigner. Even if I was born int the country.
It made me want to become even more assimilated. I never wanted to be considered as the foreigner or a victim. So I became very good in language and culture.

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Final score:

10points

Edgar

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ADHORTATOR 2 years ago

Same story here, my father is from Italy and my mother was german... For the Germans I was the "Spaghettifresser" and for the Italians "Kartoffel"..... Now I am French and nobody cares about my family :-)

6points

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#12

I am a white male living in the south. I have never done anything to anyone, but everyone assumes that I have or will. I know what those who came before me have done and I don't understand why anyone would want to do such horrible things, and because they did an immense group of people won't trust or even speak to me. I've even had friends that I've known online for years suddenly stop talking to me because the subject of race came up. I don't say or do anything racist and grew up with a mother that taught me to love and learn about all walks of life and preaches tolerance and acceptance. The fact that I'm gay seems to bother people less than the fact that I'm white in most places. I think the worst part is everyone who says "You can't be racist to white people." But here I am telling an opinion that I'll probably get blasted for. Racism is a two way street, and people should be judged by their character and their actions as individuals. Nothing more nothing less.

If you want to know the worst of it...I suppose it's when a friend of mine completely abandoned me after finding out. I was going through a very hard time coming to terms with myself and who I am. They told me I led them on and that I had betrayed them. And after reading their entire tirade and trying to reply to who I thought was my best friend, I found out I was blocked. I still see them posting on Twitter now and then. It used to be all stuff about art and Japan and their hobbies....but now its all about "the white man" stomping on people....and honestly? I feel like I'm to blame for that...it's like they're a different person now...and all cause of the stuff that people who have been gone for longer than I've been alive did.

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Final score:

9points

Luke Terrill

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Joy 2 years ago

You've been stereotyped by people who've been stereotyped. And this is why bigotry in all its forms can be a vicious circle. You sound like a good soul so - although it might not be easy - be the person you wished existed. Lead by example. Show others how to be by being it. Don't be disheartened and live your life so well that it makes the bigots wither in front of you 🤜🏾🤛🏼

7points

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#13

I work in an organisation where the former Chief Exec was BAME and clearly had unfortunate past experiences. And while it's one thing to further the equality and diversity agenda, to essentially imply that 90% of the workforce were hardcore, bigoted racists did immense damage. Employees felt attacked, led to believe we were all ignorant and evil. It resulted not in recognising and respecting our difference / protected characteristics, but instead created a culture of paranoia and insecurity. Teams and departments became more fragmented than ever before and trust was eroded. Rather than seeing colleagues, we all saw labels. That's not how we created a more cohesive society.

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Final score:

8points

Uncommon Sense

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Joy 2 years ago

I agree. Someone who's been on the receiving end of racism can end up bigoted.

2points

#14

I’m a white woman living here in the northern Europe. In this city lives a lot of foreigners and immigrants. No one can see from their looks who was born here or not, it’s normal to live with many different races. For me. Not for everyone here.

So I was in the metro and I saw a young, black woman speaking on the phone, and at the same time she was looking at someone else and she was really confused about him. I went closer and I heard there was an older, drunk man telling every possible racist bullsh*t you can think of to this young lady. Everyone around them was silent. I’m furious to even think about that situation - why didn’t anyone help her? I went and told the man to stop. I kept speaking with him and he was so drunk he couldn’t think clearly. I had to step out of the metro, it was my stop. I tried to say something nice to that black woman. Fortunately there were security men watcing out the station, and I managed to say what was going on in the metro and they went there immidiately to help her. Hopefully the young woman had a better day after that.

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Final score:

8points

Katariina

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Nicki 2 years ago

This needs to be higher! I have had some stranger verbally attack me because I am black (I was a teen at the time) and NO ONE did anything, people saw me crying and no one did anything. So thank you for stepping up, we need more of this.

1point

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#15

I guess I mistakenly thought that someday soon all the racists would just die off. I have experienced reverse racism( I'm white) can't say I blame them. But this racism c**p that seems to be in so many people. IT'S NOT IN ME! I've been asked more than once if I'm married to a black man. Gives me a sense of pride when that happens and confirms that I'm treating people right.

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Final score:

7points

Inside looking out

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Elizabeth VanDyke 2 years ago

For quite some time, I was under the impression that racism was well on its way out. Until.... somehow tRUMP was elected president. (I believe the election was stolen with the help of Putin). After Putin's butt-boy was elected, racists appeared out of nowhere. They crawled out from under their rocks and proudly made their presence known. And full-blown racism has made itself known ever since. Just consider all the unarmed black men black men that have been shot and in one case suffocated since tRUMP started spewing his stupidity.

3points

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#16

I work with a lot of other people who are non-racist like me. Bosses hired a bunch of racists to gather us into a room, whereupon they spent the next two hours trying to convince us that we were actually racists and that they were actually non-racists, and that non-racist things are really racist and racist things are really not racist. Even though they tried hard to convince half of us to hate the other half, we all went back to work and treated each other with dignity and respect like usual. Really weird.

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Final score:

6points

Freddy H

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Brandie Litchfield 2 years ago

Were you being asked to examine your own white privilege, that most white ppl swear they don't have? I thought for sure that I couldn't have experienced white privilege either. But I've never had to worry about being shot when the police pull me over, or been racially profiled/targeted. I've never experienced racism, nor the experiences of systemic racism determining where I grow up or raise my family or own my home. By ignorantly reaching adulthood unaware that so many daily injustices are experienced by BIPOC. I've seen the blatant, disgusting, horrific racism experienced by friends of mine. My white privilege is that I had no idea how oppressed BIPOC have continued to be, still! To this day, so many years after the Civil Rights movement! Didn't we learn anything?? I am no less of a person for admitting to unknowingly growing up having white privilege, we always have room for growth.

1point

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#17

You would be surprised, but many Japanese people are still racist. Fortunately, there are many that aren’t, otherwise I wouldn’t be living for 20 yrs here.
Well, being denied housing or job for being white, being chased around the store because of the belief that “foreigners steal “ ( AMF it is elderly people and kids who mostly steal from stores), and so many others. But what hurt me most was some kids yelling at my kids to leave the playground because it is for Japanese, not foreigners. They started throwing baseball balls at my children and yelling insults. No adult around to interfere.I tried to call them on their behavior, but they kept yelling insults and throwing balls. My children finally left.

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Final score:

4points

Lily Anne

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AsexualShrimp 2 years ago

This is a problem in a lot of Asian and European countries. Hope your kids and you are well.

2points

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#18

I hear racist language at my middle school every day, and every day I see more and more Gay people at my school being shamed, and the TEACHERS- who you want to be on your side- regularly forgetting pronouns or names. It's disgusting.

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Final score:

4points

Your Favorite Child

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lazypanda 2 years ago

one person my freind knows game out as gay and trangender male to their parents and went missing for a month. they came back after they had convertion therapy and say they were just "confused" it breaks my heart to see this person who was happy being a boy have painted nails and long hair.

4points

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#19

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Final score:

1point

Ani

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Jane Alexander 2 years ago

There's a song for that; ♪ Ain't Nobody s Business, nobody s dirty business...♪

1point

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#20

(UK, White British) 29 years ago I applied to be a Police Constable. I passed all the tests, everything. However, during my final interview, I was rejected because I couldn’t talk eruditely about John Major's (Prime Minister at the time ) speech about 'Back to Basics'. I was 21 and not really into Politics. The two interviewers made a meal of this, it was embarrassing. I later found out that they were only recruiting persons who weren’t UK and white British. This was confirmed to me by those that I had befriended and who were accepted.

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Final score:

1point

Steve Barnett

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Edgar 2 years ago

Anti-white racism.

0points

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#21

I was often mistaken for Maori, I have slightly olive tinted skin, not very, but a lot of Maori here are pale. Maori are disappointed to discover I'm not. No-one blatant but I wonder, might be a reason I didn't get certain jobs.

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Final score:

1point

H M

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Who Panda 420 2 years ago

I'm white but when I was in Florida I was so tan that I got mistaken all the time for Latina. I speak a little Spanish but people would come up to me speaking quickly and fluently and were disappointed when I couldn't follow what they were saying.

0points

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What do you think ?

I'm convinced that racists and bigots are the real minorities. When bigotry can be laughed at for the backwards primitive mindset it is and when we see people as we are, that's when the world will be free of it.

Christof Irran 2 years ago

I am an immigrant; I moved to the US in November of 1985. I am a caucasian male with all the privileges that come with that – until I open my mouth. My accent immediately reveals me as the immigrant I am, and all the social and professional privileges drop away. This made me more aware of the degree to which white males are favored and trusted in business and elsewhere; and it made it easier for me to empathize and feel compassion for those who are perceived to be even further down the social strata than I ever was. And therefore, seeing real racism in action became more hurtful when I had to witness it, although I have never had to experience against my own person to the degree other groups had to and still do.

Annie Steele 2 years ago

How can I? I'm white, married, no children, well paid and don't have any non white friends .... would be a reply from Karen ...

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Hey Pandas, How Has Racism Affected Your Life? (Closed)

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Gabrielė Malukaitė

Gabrielė Malukaitė