Can white people ever experience racism?

[LittleRedCourgettes]

Following a discussion on this topic with some students, I was reading this article and am interested to hear your honest thoughts on this question.....

https://www.nas.org/blogs/article/wherediddwegetttheideaathatonlyywhitepeopleecanbeeracist

Yes.

The English/Scottish example is about Ethnicity though. "Race" is about having different physical characteristics - skin colour or hair texture for example.

This is why racism needs to be tackled as a whole, rather than individual races.
Yes we have differences in culture, birth, colour of skin, social norms etc but what we all share is the racism either at an individual or group level.
Whilst it's still deemed to be a case of only Black people experiencing rasism there will be "whataboutery" or worst, acceptance because other racism isn't isn't as bad.

I was specifically asking about "racism" not "discrimination"

@AIMD sorry for my late reply.

It is nice to have a reasoned discussion on here! I can’t be doing with arguing for arguing’s sake.

I am actually starting to think my point of view may be a little simplistic and idealistic - seeing things as how they should be rather than how they are. I’m conscious that I can never understand the type of entrenched systemic racism BAME people have faced for generations and continue to face, and how that feels. It’s beyond my realm of experience.

Can prejudice towards white people ever be described as racism when we live in a society that structurally supports racism towards black people?

Hang on @LittleRedCourgettes, ethnicity is whether you identify as white/A-C/South Asian/Chinese ect.

Race relates to physical features, ethnicity to cultural identity.

The English/Scottish thing relates to nationality or citizenship.

Discrimination for any of these is illegal.

Can prejudice towards white people ever be described as racism

Yes. It can.

@LittleRedCourgettes

Would you say this thread is racist?

or rice and peas? [[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/black_mumsnetters/4152954-Jollof-or-rice-and-peas]]

And do you think that is why the OP had tried to hide it?

I don't think that you are allowed to discuss threads on other threads if you know what I mean. If you want to discuss a thread the place to do it is on that thread.

I did when I worked in Japan.

@polarbearoverthere Robin DiAngelo is an interesting case in point! She has experienced a lot of abuse as a white woman for making her living out of lecturing & writing books about anti-racism. Is this abuse "racist" though?

Of course there can be racism towards anyone if the prejudice is based on their ethnicity or nationality. I am white British but experienced hostility in the USA from native Americans simply because because I am white. In Scotland I have been spat at simply because the car I was driving had an English numberplate.

@Aloethere oh I didn't know that rule!
I tried to discuss it there but my post got deleted 😬

@Babdoc

Try being English in Scotland, OP! One of the consultant surgeons from my hospital had an SNP supporter spit in his face, shouting “Bloody English” - for daring to chat (to his own wife!) in an English accent in a shopping street in broad daylight. I have been intimidated by a Scottish van driver while campaigning against the independence referendum. I have been warned to stay silent by Scots friends, and hustled out of a cinema for my own safety during a screening of Braveheart, where the atmosphere was turning distinctly ugly. And when I was a newly qualified junior doctor, I overheard two of the nurses on my ward discussing me: “How’s the new doctor?” “ Well, she’s English.” Said in a tone of disgust. Before adding grudgingly: But she’s all right.” My DD had to report one of her high school teachers for anti English racism, and suffered regular abuse from pupils during the football world cup. So yes, white people can also suffer racism.

Im Scottish born and bred but my dh is English. Hes been called a English bastard a few times. Scots tend to hate everyone else from the uk.

[quote LittleRedCourgettes]@polarbearoverthere Robin DiAngelo is an interesting case in point! She has experienced a lot of abuse as a white woman for making her living out of lecturing & writing books about anti-racism. Is this abuse "racist" though?[/quote]
If we base our responses on the dictionary definition of racism, then yes, that is racist and yes, prejudice towards white people can be described as racism.

If we're NOT using the dictionary definition of racism, then I guess anything can be called anything really.

@LittleRedCourgettes

Can prejudice towards white people ever be described as racism when we live in a society that structurally supports racism towards black people?

Of course, we live in a society where people irrespective of their race or colour experience racism. Society structurally supports racism towards white people too. Do have a look at the link I included, we are just one white race who have experienced centuries of racism, slavery, ethnic and social engineering, at one time we were hung on sight. Past and present are pretty bleak for Romany, but because we sort of fade into the background most don't even see racism towards us as a problem. We are outwardly called dirty, thieves, and not wanted anywhere. We are white.

@LittleRedCourgettes

Can prejudice towards white people ever be described as racism when we live in a society that structurally supports racism towards black people?

So to your first question no I don’t think that thread is racist.

To your second question I think we are getting hung up on semantics. For you racism means more than prejudice about skin colour. To me that’s just what it means, with structural/systematic racism describing racism that rarely applies to white people.

I think we both agree that racism towards people of colour is a huge problem, racism towards white people not so much.

@Devlesko
I have seen and heard comments made about gypsy and traveller groups from people who wouldn’t ever make that comment about other groups. For some reason people feel more justified in being hateful towards travellers, I wonder if that’s partly because many are white skinned and people don’t view it the same way.

[quote LittleRedCourgettes]@Aloethere oh I didn't know that rule!
I tried to discuss it there but my post got deleted 😬[/quote]
There is a difference between discussing cultural and friendship circles.

I don't mind a bit of healthy discussion as your current thread title is but then linking to another thread is just trying to stir things which I don't agree with.

Im Scottish born and bred but my dh is English. Hes been called a English bastard a few times. Scots tend to hate everyone else from the uk.

Yes lots of Scots dislike the English @Meowmeow20202 but they look the same as each other so is it really "Racist" ???

(As in they appear to be of the same "race")

@LittleRedCourgettes

Would you say this thread is racist?

or rice and peas? [[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/black_mumsnetters/4152954-Jollof-or-rice-and-peas]]

And do you think that is why the OP had tried to hide it?

Reading the OP (didn't read the comments), I wouldn't call it racism and I don't think it's why the OP hid it.

What did you try to discuss that was deleted?

If we're NOT using the dictionary definition of racism, then I guess anything can be called anything really.

Indeed. Personally I stick to the dictionary definition rather than a definition made up in someone else's head, that they then expect everyone to adhere to.

Yes lots of Scots dislike the English @Meowmeow20202 but they look the same as each other so is it really "Racist" ???

No, it's xenophobia.