Mixed race kids called mongrels

[Whatsinaname100]

Well I am fuming.

I am Asian my husband is white. Me and my husband were walking down the canal in Birmingham city centre today. We were with our 4 month old daughter and my 2 nephews and niece ( 6 to 11 in ages) We walked past a group of 4 young lads. They stared then started sniggering. As we walked passed they shouted "mongrels." This was obviously aimed at the children. We ignored them but I was furious.

I am angry that this was said in front of kids and obviously was a racial insult which hurts. Aibu to be so upset or is this the kind of abuse those in a mixed race relationship do encounter??

I know I should brush it off but didnt expect it in multi racial Birmingham.

The long-term, centuries-long impact of racist colonialism that deliberately destroyed the infrastructure, economics, politics, culture, societies and individuals' lives means that when a white person is racist towards an "other" (BME or person of color, depending which terminology you use) there's a shit-load of historical racial abuse coming along with that word. That just doesn't happen in the other direction.

This.

KickAssAngel

I was talking about people wanting to touch hair, whether it be Afro or European, in reply to GoldenChildAndIHateIt when she said she would only stroke her boyfriend’s Afro, not anyone else’s. Pointing out the people like to stroke children’s hair whatever their race.

I was born in Hackney and brought up in Tottenham in the 70’s and 50% of my school was other nationalities and races, so I do “get it”.

Name calling is never OK of course, now or then, but I was called names for being white, “white honky” was one that I remember. Thick as well because I’m blonde and ugly because I had to wear glasses.

I'm so surprised to see people talking about bad experiences in Cornwall :(

I'm from Cornwall & I know it isn't very diverse but I don't know anyone who would stare or comment on anyones skin colour etc.

When I went to Greece as a child I had my hair stroked & was hugged by many people (I had blond hair & blue eyes) mostly older women. I wasn't offended but it was slightly unnerving at times.

It's just sad & surprising to see Cornwall mentioned like this :(

But for young people to use such a term about people is disgusting and must have been heard and picked up from somewhere, unfortunately I think racism is going to get slightly worse in the uk with peoples uneducated views of what is happening currently.

I agree with you if young must have been picked up from somewhere, I know with certainty mine see everyone the same. As that's all they've ever been taught and been exposed to. Please don't umbrella brush the UK's going to get worse with what's going on as there's still plenty of normal decent people still out there.

GoldenChildAndIHateIt

some of the countries in the EU are actually asking Jews and Roma to register themselves

Where is this happening? It's shocking.

I find it laughable that Brexit is being brought into a discussion about racism, when some of the countries in the EU are actually asking Jews and Roma to register themselves.

Links? Never heard of that so no idea if true or something you've just written and put out there.
As pp said, shocking if so.

JurrasicGirl

I have spent a lot of time in North Cornwall over the past 20 odd years,, on a holiday camp complex, and I’ve seen lots of different nationalities on our site. In the swimming pool, clubhouse and in the local town, shops, pubs etc. I can’t say that I’ve noticed any problems or racism.

A few years ago some American guys visited the site with me and a friend and they were a novelty because of their accents which were very similar to Jerry Halls, more of a drawl and they called everyone female Miss (a bit like in Dallas, Miss Ellie) one was white and the other was black, we visited places like Tintagel and Boscastle and I didn’t notice any strange looks or comments in our direction. Cornwall’s a big county though, maybe some smaller villages are less diverse?

I havent heard that awful term since the 80's. Horrific.

Same, hellywelly and it was what made me question it in the first place for the one asking earlier as it referred to something totally different. Equally awful, neither acceptable in any way just to make clear.

My children got called a mongrel by their ' charming' white uncle right infront of my face. The dickhead.

Goldenchild that’s happening in Austria.

OP the British are the biggest racial mix you can get. We’ve got Roman, Celt, Saxon, Viking and everyone since then. Some people choose to ignore this.

I am british Asian and I find the uk to be incredibly racist.

When people say mixed race children are beautiful, there is a very good chance they have cousins, siblings, family members and friends who are dark skinned who just do not get the same delighted response of onlookers. I have seen mixed children get compliments on their looks when dark skinned children are present. ALL children are beautiful, all complexion and hair types, eye colors, body shapes are attractive.

There is an underlying message and assumption that mixed-race kids are more physically attractive than darker children particularly and that is colorist and just very hard for dark skinned peers to be around if noone ever gets excited about their physical appearance in the same way.

Compliment ALL children.

Apileofballyhoo and rainbow Italy, Denmark (actaully, not sure if Denmark is in EU) and Austria. in France the anti semitism is shocking to.

Lacymacy that is sad. i would be tempted to not allow the kids near their uncle if that were me.

I could have been nothing to do with race...

Incredibly sad, disgusting and revolting.

But so is Brexit England. A country once known for tolerance, now known across the world for being small minded and racist.

I’m mixed - white and black Caribbean.

Experienced racism since I can remember. A couple months after I had DD, and older woman called me a f**king monkey as she walked passed me in a supermarket. That was probably my most shocking racist experience.

My DD could pass as white and I’m glad. I want her to be proud of her hertiage but equally I never want her to experience the same abuse I have. I’ve worked in customer facing jobs all my life and it’s sad when you realise someone is judging you because of your colour.

"I was at school in the 80s. My brother was called the N word on a regular basis in school.""

I'm mixed heritage, but white. I was insulted via my Mother being "a n*** shagger". I was called all sorts, in the attempt to guess were my features originated from.The worse insult you could throw at a Woman in my area, in the 80's was saying that she'd have a black baby. if a Woman married a Black/Pakistan/Indian man she was viewed as marrying 'down'.

""But mixed race children often are very, very pretty.""

That's on a par with the 'jokes' about "them all looking the same" (black people). Children are often very very pretty, some are mixed heritage and some aren't.

""Racism can come from people of any colour and be directed toward people of any colour.""

It can, but then it becomes about the status in Society of the person being Racist and the receiver.

I've had the curiosity when traveling in the Countries mentioned, but as a British Citizen, I have a level of protection and my living standards will never be that of those people who are curious.

It is very different than an ethnic minority being verbally abused by white British Citizens in the UK, because help from the Police, Security etc might not happen.

""but I was called names for being white, “white honky” was one that I remember. ""

It isn't comparable, given that White people at the time were top of the food chain, as such.

""it’s sad when you realise someone is judging you because of your colour.""

It's also ridiculous. I'm White, my Sister isn't. We both get insulted but she has a few more words with massive connotations thrown at her. She also had a lack of role models growing up and enough people telling her "what she was" to badly effect her self esteem.

The level of ignorance and stupidity needed to be Racist is what saddens me and also scares me. The lack of critical thinking is what makes people dangerous. Especially when you have the Media/Politicians with such strong agendas.

My children are mixed race and thankfully we/they have knowingly encountered any racism. We live in London so they are hardly a novelty here.

However, one of OH's earliest memories is walking down the road with his mum whilst a group of skins threw stones at her and told her to 'go home'.

Wow was not expecting such a response. It is genuinely upsetting to hear people's experiences here.

I was taken aback because I have not heard "mongrels" for years and it took me a bit of time to process it and realise what they were saying.

I am a long time poster but namechanged for this story (mainly because I have asked medical questions in the past!).

What I am really upset was that it was directed at children. Big men hurling insults at children. Bloody disgraceful.

Dreamscomingtrue (and any other white people who don't get why this doesn't work the same way in reverse)

The long-term, centuries-long impact of racist colonialism that deliberately destroyed the infrastructure, economics, politics, culture, societies and individuals' lives means that when a white person is racist towards an "other" (BME or person of color, depending which terminology you use) there's a shit-load of historical racial abuse coming along with that word. That just doesn't happen in the other direction.

The above statement is the very definition of racism and the writer is incapable of realizing this because of the so-called reinterpretation of history. The poster is clearly stating that all white people deserve or should not complain about any racism that comes their way because of things that happened long ago in the past.

I have been the victim of racist black Americans almost 50 years ago. I have been told to get out of cafes etc for being white. It was all because I had the gall to follow my husband into these establishments where apparently I was not welcome by the black customers/owners. But according to the PP I deserved it because of my race. That is racism.