Were your Parents Predjudice/Racist?

I wonder how many ppl here, grew up with racist/ predjudice parents?

If you did, do you think it influenced you in being racist?
or

Do you think completely different then they do?

What group of ppl were they most predjudice about?

Also if they were, I am curious of their background because I notice a lot of Europeans are.


Mine were German and Polish and my mom was REALLY racist. My dad was too but not as much as my mom. She used to always say to me that I better never date a black boy. My parents talked about moving for a while but never did anything about it. When I was about 10 a black family moved in next door that had a girl and a teenage son. After that we were looking at houses every weekend. We moved the following year. We lived in a neighbourhood where almost everyone was white.

As an adult when I bought my new house and they came to see it, one of the things she said was.....There are a lot of "Blacks" and Hindus around here, isnt there. I said not really, she must have seen a few out while driving through the subdivision.

The most targeted by them were the "Blacks" as they called them and the Indians or "Pakis" as they called them.

 

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Both my parents came from poor beginnings and faced a lot of discrimination themselves. So they were careful to avoid any hint of prejudice. My mother had the unfortunate habit of treating everyone who was not self-made as a moocher, but that was it.

 

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My father was beat up by a group of black kids when he was seven years old. He is not particularily racist, he just tells me it is "experience." Most of the people that have robbed his store have been black, most people arrested proportionally have been black, etc.

It has not affected me at all. I hold no grudge against any race. (Although I do not strive to be politically correct)

 

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So even after all his bad experiences with them, he doesn't talk badly about them as a whole?

 

Not really, my father was intelligent enough to know that people are different and that people should not be judged by their race. However, he always assumes black people in baggy clothing and who are talking "slang" are up to no good.

 

My mother: No. Never (that I remember, she died when I was young). She was raised as a wealthy hoity-toity rich section of Cleveland that also had the benefit of being quite liberal.

My step-mother: No. Never. She grew up in a middle class / blue collar, "inner city", section of Cleveland. Her best friend was a gay guy and her next-door neighbor was a black-puertorican. She is about as non-racist as a white person can get.

My dad: Yes. Usually, though in the "look I don't have anything against jigaboos" sort of way. He could not bring himself to say the word "black" or "African". I don't know why. He was quite a an annoying racist. He didn't believe in segregation per se, but he certainly preferred blacks to be seen and not heard. About eight years ago he joined an Assembly of God church which, though very right wing, is very, VERY anti-racism. The head pastor was American-Indian and the assistant pastor was of Korean lineage. Lots of guest pastors of other ethnic varieties. All this preaching against racial hate and whatnot while being exposed to various other races, finally got through to him and he realized just how racist he was for most of his life.

~String

 

I can just see your father living thousands of years ago, continually poking at saber tooth tigers and telling his family "Gee, come on. Just because I've been bitten by one or two of these fellas doesn't mean that they are ALL like that! Gahh, my arm!"

 

i had a black boyfriend when i was younger he was in the army, and we met at a local disco for army cadets, and when he met my mum and step dad they kicked him out of the house becuase he was black, i hated them and still do for doing it,

i miss him!

 

My parents would jokingly say racist things, like me, and still do. But none of us are genuinely racist, "kicking out black boyfriends" racist, we've always had many close friends from all races.
My dad is the most racist, as in almost seeming angry with other races from time to time, but he still judges individuals on their own merit, doesn't even consider someone's race when judging them as a person. I think that's the most important thing.
I honestly despise the kind of racism that leads people to mistreating someone because they are black or asian or indian or whatever, in my mind that is "racism" and it's ugly.
Speaking in negative generalisations about racial groups should be seen as a distant secondary concern, it can actually be a valuable source for comedic material. Ask any black comedian.

 

Blue collars

My parents had this weird thing about the working class that I've never quite understood. To the other, they're over it, so ... yeah.

 

Sounds like my mom and yours would have gotten along very well. I am somewhat predjudice myself. I don't really know how much
their ideas influenced me to be that way, or I have just become that way by personal experience.

For instance every yr our street has a street (garage) sale. Every yr what I dread most is when the people which appear to be Indian or
from that type of background show up. They are indeed the most RUDE ppl I have ever dealt with. Everybody on the street agrees and I even
hear ppl talking when I go to other ppl's garage sales. They want, EXPECT actually you to give them everything for nothing. They insult you by
getting a pile of stuff together that may total about 20.00 and say " I give you 2 dollars"

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Meanwhile all the stuff for 20.00 is a steal. Then they will argue and argue with you, holding on to the stuff. Other ppl are standing there and are willing to pay what you want for it. It really pisses me off.

Also in my store I had terrible experiences with them. In general I find most of them I come in contact with rude.

 

You're getting rid of stuff you no longer need and you expect to be paid money for it, right?

Tell me, if you go to a used book store to sell your books, who sets the price? You or the buyer?

 

So are you saying if I have a new toaster oven still in the box, never used. I put 15.00 on it, it cost 75.00 at the store I should just give it away for 2.00?

When I price things I keep in mind ppl will haggle the price. What I think is rude is expecting someone to give you stuff for practically nothing. When I go to garage sales
and find some really good stuff, I barely haggle at all because I know I am already getting a bargain. I only do that if it something expensive like a piece of furniture or something. I don't expect to walk away from someones driveway with a box full of stuff for 2.00. I think that is insulting.

 

Then you should sell it properly, not on your lawn. If I go to a garage sale, I am going to pick up things people no longer need, its either me or the trash can, as far as I am concerned. Anything I give you is a favor, since I am saving you the trouble and expense of dumping it and paying you for that privilege. If you have a never used new toaster oven, thats your problem, not mine. Mine is only that you want to get rid of it and how much you want to get rid of it.

And yeah, if you're throwing stuff away because you don't need it, its essentially valueless to you. If you still expect to get paid for it, you have to either agree to the buyers price or sell it where people are willing to pay your price for it. Like ebay.

 

I rather you not do me that favor then and stay home that morning. Why should I give someone stuff for nothing, when there are a lot of ppl who are happily willing to pay the price you want or close to it.

This is what I am saying here. Why is it that other nationalities don't act that way. They are polite and may haggle a bit but nothing like what those ppl do, not even close. They essentially just piss everybody off.

I have heard ppl say " I would rather throw it in the garbage then give it to you for 50cents" they get so pissed off and insulted.

There is one woman that comes around every yr. She brings a change purse with maybe 2.00 in change it. She spends like 30 mins on the driveway collecting TONS of stuff. Then she shows her change and says she wants it all for that. I just laugh.......She says that is all she has.

Well you shouldnt be going to a garage sale wanting a shit load of things if you only have 2.00 should you. You should just stay home.
She will piss you off until you agree with her. The first yr I did, I couldnt take it anymore. Now I just tell her to put it back, I rather give it to the Goodwill or Salvation army.

 

Most Indians have a frugal mentality, it comes from living in a culture where waste is looked down upon. If I went to garage sale and saw a woman selling "good" stuff rather than using it or giving it to people who need it, I would think this is a wasteful woman. Hence, I would see no reason to support such a lifestyle. Plus, if you don't want to haggle, you should not be selling stuff on your lawn, Its extremely unreasonable to want to throw away good stuff, get paid for it and have notions of how much its worth. Just don't sell it. Its a garage sale, not an auction. For auctions, try ebay.

 

Didn't you read what I said? I said when I price things I leave room for haggling, I expect it. Haggling to me is something is 5.00 they want it for 3.00. and I will sell it for 3.00. It is not something is 5.00 they want it for 50cents.

Plus I paid for these things, I have a right to expect a certain amount of money for them. If I don't get what I want I don't have to sell it to them.
Just because I no longer want it doesn't mean ppl should EXPECT it for free. I made almost 300.00 a couple weekends ago, why shouldn't I have a garage sale. Why should I go to E bay.

 

I go to a lot of garage sales. I do not think I am doing ppl a favor by taking the stuff they don't want anymore. I feel like I am getting a real bargain, a steal sometimes.
I am happy they are selling this stuff so cheap. I feel they are doing a favor for me. I am saving a shit load of money.

 

My father was murdered when I was about 5 years old so I really don't know his views but mum's was always very tolerant and open minded about everyone although the only friends she had were white because the community we lived in was totally white for at least 5 miles in all directions.

 

My dad might be subconsciously racist(he does talk lots of shit to the neighbors when he's drunk), but he's always told me to be open-minded and respect everyone(to the extent that he would punish me for hurting people's pride when I was little). My mom, whenever she's lived close enough for me to visit her, and as long as I've lived with her has lived in predominantly black neighborhoods and has many black friends, but every once in a while she'll share some opinion and I'll think: "Wow, that's weird." It really doesn't go much further than that though.