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Original poster

Can white people ever experience racism?

692 replies

LittleRedCourgettes · 05/02/2021 09:14

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

OP posts:
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5
PlanDeRaccordement · 05/02/2021 15:03

racism is against a history and background of oppression, which is not experienced or understood by a group who have never been in that position

But throughout history, every group has been in that position. I literally cannot think of a single group that has never been oppressed in all of history.

JaneJeffer · 05/02/2021 15:04

Yes they can but I am loath to discuss it on here having been set upon by xenophobes before. It gets very tiresome dealing with them.

WhateverJohnnyMcNofriends · 05/02/2021 15:05

@NuniaBeeswax

Has anyone mentioned Scottish/Welsh/Irish people supporting whoever plays England at insert sport here as racism yet?
Just you.
ReggieKrait · 05/02/2021 15:05

@Snapsnapcrocodile and @Fuckingcrustybread that is horrible. Just horrible. It makes me ashamed to be Scottish.

I moved away and don’t feel I have the right to have an opinion on the independence debate, but rampant nationalism and stupid ill-educated cretins is a bad combination. I hope to god they are the minority.

MintyMabel · 05/02/2021 15:08

Try being English in Scotland, OP!

Have been for 40 years, it's not been a problem.

NuniaBeeswax · 05/02/2021 15:08

"Just you."

How disappointing.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 05/02/2021 15:09

@NuniaBeeswax

Has anyone mentioned Scottish/Welsh/Irish people supporting whoever plays England at insert sport here as racism yet?
No, because it isn't anywhere near the same thing. It's akin to Scottish/Welsh/Irish football fans supporting whoever plays against the Old Firm. That's not racism, that's simply wanting to stick one up against the big boys.
DarcyJack · 05/02/2021 15:09

Some white uk exchange placement students gave experienced quite horrible racism in China I am sorry to say

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 05/02/2021 15:10

^Or probably just more Scottish fans supporting whoever is playing against the Old Firm, I don't know how invested the other nations are in Scottish football!

ConspiracyOfOne · 05/02/2021 15:10

Yes it's Spiked but I think this is a pretty accurate view of how things stand re: racism between communities:

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/06/29/the-truth-about-racism-in-london/]]

Gwenhwyfar · 05/02/2021 15:12

"someone called me white girl."

I don't think that's necessarily racist, any more than calling someone 'redhead' would be or anything else based on what they look like. Of course, it could be racist, depending on the intent and the situation.

NuniaBeeswax · 05/02/2021 15:12

"No, because it isn't anywhere near the same thing. It's akin to Scottish/Welsh/Irish football fans supporting whoever plays against the Old Firm. That's not racism, that's simply wanting to stick one up against the big boys."

I really didn't think I'd have to clarify this but I was being sarcastic...

Gwenhwyfar · 05/02/2021 15:13

"No, because it isn't anywhere near the same thing. It's akin to Scottish/Welsh/Irish football fans supporting whoever plays against the Old Firm. That's not racism, that's simply wanting to stick one up against the big boys."

Yes, not supporting a team isn't racist!

Afromeg · 05/02/2021 15:15

@ConspiracyofOne Link's not working. I think it's because of the double brackets.

Glenchase · 05/02/2021 15:15

I once walked through an area which unknown to me had a high Asian population. I was chased down the street by three young men shouting “What you doing here white girl? This is Pakistan! You have no business being here!” Would you call that racism? I would, because I was targeted solely due to the colour of my skin.

NuniaBeeswax · 05/02/2021 15:16

"Yes, not supporting a team isn't racist!"

Exactly. That was my point. But that's the shit that usually rears it's head on these threads, along with "how dare Welsh people speak Welsh in Wales" and other such nonsense.

Gwenhwyfar · 05/02/2021 15:18

"“What you doing here white girl? This is Pakistan! You have no business being here!” Would you call that racism? I would, because I was targeted solely due to the colour of my skin."

Yes, in this case 'white girl' was racist, yes. And also, they had the power, not you.

Scottishskifun · 05/02/2021 15:20

Simple answer yes.
The frequency of it however is difficult to determine and would say on reportable incidents would be a lot lower.

I'm also originally English living in Scotland and yes have experienced some of the things others have described especially around the independence election and at rugby.
I called one guy up on his abuse in a pub at the 6 nations he didn't see it as racist until I pointed out the definition of racism and repeated what he said to be back replacing it with scottish and asked how he felt...... He was ashamed and never thought of it that way.

LindyLou2020 · 05/02/2021 15:21

I used to be a social worker, and a some years ago, a BAME friend of mine who was also a social worker in a different area was organising social activities for BAME kids. (Although the term BAME wasn't in use then).
The activities included trips to the bowling alley, cinema, etc, and she was having trouble getting enough car drivers to help with transport. Her partner and I (white), offered to help, but this was declined because we "weren't black". Ok, nothing awful in the grand scheme of things, but I felt it was racism in reverse, and not very gracious..
And we were too scared to say anything for fear of being accused of being racist........🙄🙄🙄

AIMD · 05/02/2021 15:29

@LindyLou2020

I used to be a social worker, and a some years ago, a BAME friend of mine who was also a social worker in a different area was organising social activities for BAME kids. (Although the term BAME wasn't in use then). The activities included trips to the bowling alley, cinema, etc, and she was having trouble getting enough car drivers to help with transport. Her partner and I (white), offered to help, but this was declined because we "weren't black". Ok, nothing awful in the grand scheme of things, but I felt it was racism in reverse, and not very gracious.. And we were too scared to say anything for fear of being accused of being racist........🙄🙄🙄
Presumably that’s because they wanted the adults helping to reflect the children they were working with?
ElliFAntspoo · 05/02/2021 15:33

@DianaT1969

Polish people in the UK have experienced racism.
Poles are not a race. Why are all the illiterate and poorly educated people drawn to threads where the words are too long for them to understand? Is it so they can try to debate like normal people?
Devlesko · 05/02/2021 15:33

Take a look at this OP, if you look through the site you'll see the racism still existing after centuries of slavery, ethnic cleansing, social engineering, murder and acceptable overt racism.

www.travellerstimes.org.uk/features/travellers-times-condemns-hostile-new-anti-traveller-laws

ElectraBlue · 05/02/2021 15:36

Of course.

Travellers, the Jewish community and anyone who might be white but has an accent/was not born here.

I am British but was born in an EU country and I have had a few instances of people making nasty comments to me over the 30 years I have lived here when they hear that I have a bit of a foreign accent. Thankfully I live in multicultural London so it is pretty rare but it happens. Usually, it is white English men who do it.

7Days · 05/02/2021 15:37

One of the more popular definitions of racism of late is this: 'prejudice + power'

This makes sense in lots of contexts, specially in US

But it leads to people saying X group can't be victims - but theres lots of different power networks. Not every structure is a national or professional one. Like the poster above who experienced anti white racism in a predominantly Asian town, or workplaces and schools, even families.

In group and out groups are a feature of every human society, from your dd's class to massive countries. Race is not always the fault line, but there is always a fault line. I really cant see how adopting current US style identity politics helps at all. If the goal is to get rid of racism, we need to channel our tribal urges into more harmless directions. Not endlessly point to differences rather than similarities.

Vegeetas · 05/02/2021 15:40

When I was a kid I went to Brixton for a concert with a friend. We were maybe 18 years old and absolutely not the bolshey / arrogant kind. We kept our heads down and acted respectfully as its not our town and being south coast boys, London was scary lol

We ended up being chased by a gang of 8 very shouty and sweary black guys in their 20s as they hated white boys in their town and wanted to make us leave. I am paraphrasing most politely and wont retype what was actually said.

We sprinted from the Brixton academy to the local multi story car park where we lept into the car and exited brixton at high speed whilst the gang kicked the car and spat at it. Our only crime was being white. If that isn't racism I don't know what is.

Certainly you can try and fall back on the "it's only racism if people in a position of power are doing it" but that is bull. 8 grown men vs 2 teenagers. Who had the power then? It certainly wasn't us.

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