Discrimination (page 3)

Fe2O3Girl

It is a medical condition - I suffer from cake retention.

james_woods

Would that explain your alias? Was the problem "yellow cake" -

I thought that was uranium oxide, rather than iron oxide.

Just kidding,

James

hambeak

lmao me too! I never thought of it that way as I am 40 lbs overweight.

RAZORMIND55

In answer to the topic question,

"YES" to racial discrimination (I am Black and I live in the US, in the South, need I say more?)

"YES" to gender discrimination (I am female)

"YES" to age discrimination (I am very small and supposedly look very young for my age, 36 yo)

"YES" to African American color discrimination as well (i.e., "light-skinned/dark-skinned" issue)

Most White people seem genuinely shocked that I speak regular English, have manners, that I have a husband, and that I am an considerably intelligent person. Throw in a lot of "unusual" tastes and interests, and sometimes I feel like I'm viewed as a freak, or an alien at most. A lot of White people only feel comfortable with trying to use "Black" slang, and high-fiving and trying to be a "homie", and talking about the latest rap/hip-hop songs/movies to a Black person. Most do not know how to address me or act towards me. Um, how about just as a regular person?!? Hey, that'd probably work!

The Turkish hair salon owners near my house have a habit of chatting up the White customers, asking about their health, laughing, talking about the weather--while I got only the barest, most perfunctory service. I no longer frequent their business because there have been several instances where they have rushed to wait on White customers who just walked in the door, while I (and other Black customers) had been waiting (and waiting, and waiting....) My mom let my sister and I take a craft class when we were 11-12, we were the only minority kids in the entire class, and the White teacher could barely hide her contempt for us, the freckly bitch. That was pretty miserable.

I had a White boss (a pharmacist) who would show her White customers all the OTC options on the shelves when they had medical questions, but to the Black ones she would always snap, "Well, I can show you what we have, but it's the cheapest--all the other items will probably be too expensive for you."

The Chinese waitresses at the restaurant we used to visit frequently left us stranded at our table for eternity, empty glasses and plates, while they laughed and joked with and basically ass-kissed the White customers. My husband still goes there, but I REFUSE to pay somebody to treat me like shit. And if I go into one more hair-supply shop and have the Asian cashier ask me if my hair is real...I swear to God.

A lot of people don't like when I use "big words." Some have said that "I don't always have to be so smart." Not "smart" as in flippant, but "smart" as in brainy. I never hear men being told something like this. I have to really assert myself sometimes to keep from being talked down to by people who think I'm a lot younger than I am.

Stuff like this doesn't happen every day by any means, but these are all incidences that I have had happen to me.

Kudra

I was discriminated against at the kingdom hall and not allowed to give talks, prayers, deliver the mike, operate the sound system, work with the literature because I am a woman.

I get discriminated against at the mechanics when the workers turn to face my companion (if I have a guy or my dad with me) to explain the work they will do.

The worst is the Kingdom Hall stuff because they blatantly admit that the only reason that I couldn't do any of the above things is because I am female.

-K

jakes

As I am from South Africa and Coloured, need I say more. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, racial discrimination was of cause the norm. As I am Coloured, I very often experienced racial discrimination from fellow White dubs in a neighbouring congregation. This, however,was from a limited few and the majority were quite tolerent.

jakes

Confession

I once applied for a job at a radio station. Though my credentials were ideal, I was told by the Program Director that I was "the wrong color." He was not joking.

Once, when hanging out with my former best friend (a JW,) I objected to his using the "N" word. He was an Hispanic man and thought his use of it was acceptable when he was just joking around. I couldn't believe he took this position, considering his genuine zeal as a JW. He explained that the word was off limits for me--because I was white--but that it was okay for him as an Hispanic.

I used to work out at a really great gym where the people were about half male, half female, half black and half white. One black man used to scowl at me every time he saw me. I did not immediately conclude that it was a racial issue--until one of my black friends explained that it definitely was, telling me he was a "militant" white-hater. Only then did I notice that he gave this treatment to all of the white males who worked out there. (For some reason he was just fine with white females.) Since most everyone worked out in "circuits," it was commonplace for people to be waiting to use the next piece of equipment in line. Once, while I was waiting (from a distance) for the equipment he was using, he jumped up and said, "I do NOT need your white ass anywhere NEAR me when I am working out! See?!"

I am sure I could remember more of this type of thing, but the truth is I know it has happened far less to me than many other people in this country. But the type of racism that, I think, bothers me even more is the type in which a person wrongly assigns "racism.".

I was shopping with my daughter at a clothing store when she was about fourteen. While she was in the fitting room, I waited outside. Standing next to me was a black man whose wife or girlfriend was also trying something on. She came out before my daughter did, and as they walked toward the register, he whirled around, pulled out a wad of cash and shouted, "There! We're payin' for it, all right?! We don't all steal!" He thought I was a store detective. But I wasn't, was I? Why did he think this? Because I was a clean-cut, white male? What gets me even more is, as he and his wife were finished paying, they walked past my daughter and I in line. He looked at me and sneered, saying, "Let's get up on outta this place." As if I'd hired this teenage girl to stand near me as some kind of elaborate, undercover, racial-profiling charade.

Once, when I was talking to a good friend and co-worker (who is black,) he told me of a blatantly racist experience he'd just had. As I sympathized he said, "Just because some black guy might've done something bad to them, they need to know--I AM NOT THAT BLACK MAN." I agreed. Then I told him about the way I was treated by the aforementioned man at the gym. His response? "Well that might just be his experience with white people. You need to understand that."

funkyderek

Never. I think all these claims of discrimination are exaggerated.

~ Derek of the thin able-bodied white heterosexual male aged 18-39 class

sandy

Never. I think all these claims of discrimination are exaggerated.
~ Derek of the thin able-bodied white heterosexual male aged 18-39 class

LOL, Derek

I'm taking a calss called Anti-Bias Perspective Seminar and I hope I can use these responses in an essay.

Discrimination

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