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Nov 19th
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Progress on race doesn't mean the end of racism

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Move On

By: flyover0909 (Registered ) on 18-06-2008 10:25

You can analyze anything to death. Its really pretty simple. If you are a different color, I am going to notice it and so are you. There are laws in place to stop discrimination becuase you are a different color, however, it is not possible to legislate perception. I think when one group continues to demand to be treated differently, it makes the diferences more pronounced. To illustrate both our points, I once was seated on a plane next to a Chinese guy. I looked at him expecting him to be Chinese. When I sat down and he talked without an accent, I thought American. He had assimilated in spite of looking differently from me and I instantly changed my perception. I have the same experience in the UK where blacks speak with the same accent as whites. Its interesting that in the UK they don't understand why whites here have had historical problems with blacks, however they have the same problems with Pakistanis (who maintain a different cultural style and usually have accents). The melting pot used to forge away these differences. Now we want to be African Americans (a term I refuse to use), Mexican Americans, etc. We want to keep those cultural differences at the expense of being Americans. America will not work as well with this model of competing ethnic groups. Everyone should be American and quit worrying if some people think they are different. Its a big country and there are plenty of nice people who don't care what color you are. I think the people who continue to beat this drum do a disservice to the country.

 

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What happened next?

By: mwfreivogel (Registered ) on 18-06-2008 12:54

I'm wondering what happened after the encounter with the "Chinese" man. Did you ask yourself whether it might be a good idea to recalibrate the assumptions you make when you see someone who looks like that - for example, the assumption that he is not American?

 

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