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.

I used to describe myself as a mongrel (mixed C of E, Jewish and Catholic) but I've not heard that terminology since the 80s. Very odd choice of word nowadays and utterly unacceptable to be used about children.

I'm proud that Britain has historically been a safe haven for refugees and a relatively tolerant society. Presumably it still is perceived that way or there wouldn't have been campfuls of people trying to jump on to Euro tunnel trains to get here.

However there has always been racism, not just since Brexit. That's why there were Anti Nazi League and Rock Against Racism in the 70s and 80s. I think anti-discrimination legislation has just driven the feelings underground. People have been as racist as ever underneath, they just haven't voiced it as they knew it was 'politically incorrect' and it could get them into trouble. Brexit just gave them a voice. People living in the London 'bubble' have been living with a false sense of security.

There's a big difference between tolerance and living alongside people and acceptance as 'one of us'. Let's face it, England is still divided by class let alone ethnic background. Hence terminology such as 'chav'.

I suppose my point is that Britain has a number of well established communities but is a long way from being a 'melting pot'.

That is really shocking I'm appalled!! People are dicks. As a white person I don't get exposed to racism much. I am horrified that you would have to experience that.

Someone said this about my son. He’s white and Asian too, and it pissed me off.

At my gs's secondary school, there is a rise in the use of the word n which is used as a general insult. My poor gs was subjected to terrible bullying where he was dragged through the mud daily, thrown down stone steps, had both his eyes blacked and was called a n when he was on the ground. He is white british. Vile people are vile people. School were terrible and when I complained about the punishment or lack of, I was told "We are all equal here". What the hell .

I do think disablist and racist terms are on the rise. Only yesterday my eldest gs and his friend (both 15) tried to cross the road and a car sped up as a joke. The driver shouted out of the window" Could have hit you, you spastics". Apologies for use of that word. Christ I thought that term had died out 30 plus years ago.

Those boys who called you children mongrels are the same ones who will call a passing young girl the c-bomb. You cannot legislate against moron and tbh do you really think they give a damn about Brexit.

I cringe at remarks like mixed race children are so pretty

Do you also say Indian children or black children are so pretty/gorgeous

I doubt it

It’s the toned down of brown/black. I was told all the time as a child yet funny my cousins and half siblings who didn’t have a white mother were not told as much how cute they are, even as a young child I was aware that something wasn’t quite right about it that I looked a bit foreign but thankfully not too much so

I do beleive that the referendum and those involved especially in UKIP’s campaign have legitimatized some nasty people to air their views and direct them at people but the opinions and feelings were there they were communicated in other ways racial prejudice isn’t just vocalised or in writing

And as for people reporting it more now so it’s as bad as it was in the 70/80’s it wasn’t reported or rarely as for many it was just part of life. for those who had come from commonwealth countries they had been conditioned for years by the owners of their countries that they were superior, more intelligent, have their best interests at heart but they know better (this still seems to be the case for many liberals)

Hence second/third class generations are more vocal in not accepting racism and for calling it out and for pointing out history had made our future but for many they seem ungrateful unlike their parents/grandparents (not saying all felt that way)

And agree about France with previous poster my ex (still friends with and with family) was often asked if he was a terrorist or knew any (that was here too) and there is far more segregation in France and people will openly make racist comments I thought before France was more integrated and accepting how wrong I was

Reading all the posts, obviously with 4 month old bit difficult to respond to all!

Thank you everyone who has shared their story and offered support. I am still a bit shaken by it and have started to worry about whether this is something my daughter will have to encounter growing up.

But as they say history's arc always bends towards justice and I believe it will.

Lin, do stop being such an arsehole. If you can.

Because people fetish over mixed raced children in a way they don’t over black children they are seen as more pretty because they are mixed with white

I totally agree with this argument. However, aren’t people also saying these children are more pretty because they are mixed with black? Ie more beautiful than either black or white children. I would have thought there is an element of being unusual and therefore sought after. Ofcourse I totally understand how any other black siblings or white siblings would feel deeply confused and potentially inferior.

I’m chuckling at the Filipino nurse comment not because it’s acceptable but because that’s a little close to home. Dh is foreign and not tall - a shave shorter than me. My family have always called him a little foreign man in a joking but rather superior way. I showed him the Filipino comment and laughed that it’s only taken dh about 25 years to attain equal status as he’s now British. . Thanks Brexit.

Goodness I forgot to respond to you op. I’m very sorry. What a vile thing to say. Bunch of idiot arseholes.

They are being twats. It’s irritating because you get the constant where are you from, whether your mum or dad are not white, it’s bollocks really.

Surprised that happened in Birmingham.
What part of Birmingham were you in

I was shouted at lots in the street when I lived in Spain, I’m ginger, very fair, blue eyes. It just isn’t common there. My little cousin was paraded around a village in Greece, everyone wanted to touch his very blond hair.

People are fascinated by anything different. Commenting in a derogatory manner is totally unacceptable.

I don’t think Brexit is relevant, unless you talk to some idiots who voted and then banged on about taking back our country, stopping immigration as their motivation. I think Britain has always been very racist and intolerant. There wouldn’t be a racially aggravated element to some crimes if it weren’t.

PortSouth, Germans staring is definitely a thing, so it may not have been racism in this instance (it may have been of course). We went on holiday to a town full of German tourists and oh my god the expressionless staring was UNREAL, and we are a white family. It was so constant and remarkable that we googled to see if it was a cultural characteristic and found out it was.

Re “positive” racism, there’s a scene in the movie “Get Out” which really brought this home to me, could really empathise with how othering it is. It’s the scene at the dinner party where the other guests are commenting on what good runners black people are etc. I don’t know if anyone else has seen this movie, its really good.

People are fascinated by anything different. Commenting in a derogatory manner is totally unacceptable.

This is key, I think. Natural curiosity isn’t racist, but being derogatory and insulting about someone’s race or ethnicity obviously is.

I get lots of questions about what “race” I am because my colouring is unusual (fair skin, dark eyes, lashes, brows and jet black hair). I’m Irish but people tend to assume I’m white and Iranian or white and Indian. I don’t mind providing they aren’t being rude.

My children are mixed, and people always comment on my sons “big brown eyes and tanned skin”. I don’t mind that either providing they don’t call him exotic or anything weird like that.

Re “positive” racism, there’s a scene in the movie “Get Out” which really brought this home to me, could really empathise with how othering it is. It’s the scene at the dinner party where the other guests are commenting on what good runners black people are etc. I don’t know if anyone else has seen this movie, its really good.

Lmao my partner and I had a good laugh watching that because my granddad always does this to him. Whenever he sees him, he asks him loads of questions about India and if he’s seen another Indian person or spoken to someone vaguely related to India, he’ll mention it.

I think the issue is if people make the persons race the ONLY thing they talk about. So someone being black, and then reducing them to just being black rather than talking to them about their hobbies or interests.

Slap bang in Birmingham city centre by the Mailbox.

OliviaStabler

of course Brexit has made it worse. the 60s to the 90s was awful but began slowly to improve. 9/11 started a downward spiral made 100% worse by Brexit

You're completely kidding yourself. Nothing 'improved'. The 90's was the time of political correctness, so racists had to hide themselves a bit better than they did before.

Amen 🙏

Can I ask if the posters calming that their was a virtual racial nervana pre brexit
Can I ask you ethnicity

because black Asian and mixed raced posters are consistently saying that they had had racist issues since they were born in the U.K. most starting at school however most of our parents would have some stories consistently said the 80s 90s were really tough and the 00 their was a quiet Racist feeling to the county people weren’t calling me a wog in the 00 but nor would the shop keeper touch my hand and the murder of black men in custody was peaking

Would really like to know please

Whatsinaname100

Yes she will I am not judging op and belive you 100% but have you never experienced racism until NOW

I know you live in brum so may be a bit more insulated from it but being Asian you must of had stories even from other members of your family

When we are getting assessed to adopt the white middle class sw asked dh with a stright face this

Why is it you have consistently dated black women and not white is this to get back at you mother whom you don’t get on with a subconscious punishment do you think?

And what is it about black women you find attractive?
She said it in a really bemused way

if we weren’t so desperate to adopt he would have told her to go fuck herself we were only two days from panel however we do complain after we got the girls

This is a black persons reality rasict views from middle class white whom I can often do nothing about because they often hold the power over my life

I cringe at remarks like mixed race children are so pretty

Do you also say Indian children or black children are so pretty/gorgeous

I doubt it

Having been to India, yes actually.

I think the big brown eyes have a lot to do with it.

Mixed race children often do just seem to get the best from both sides and come out as more than the sum of their parents’ parts though. I don’t know how to describe it. A lot of people have objected to the word “exotic” but that is sort of what comes to mind, actually.

Obviously I wouldn’t dream of actually saying that out loud, especially not to a mixed race person or their parent, because it necessarily is “othering” (even though not in a racist way) and will make people feel uncomfortable.

I think the big brown eyes have a lot to do with it.

I think so. People tell me my (Indian and white) sons eyes are big and beautiful. They’re dark and warm and lovely.

I used to get horrible stuff said to me as a kid because I'm black Irish (dark curly hair, dark eyes and olive skin)- terrorist comments etc. It's never enough for these type of dickheads even if they are very well- established at top of social pecking order and I pose absolutely NO threat to that.

As a mixed race kid I've had shit like this all my life.
Most of the abuse thrown at me was about my lovely mum that I won't type here.
Society also likes to label us. I've been a half caste, mxed race. I think I'm still dual heritage until some decided to give is another label for a few years!

Lindalee3 - what a load of absolute tosh. The fact that some people think like you is the most depressing thing I’ve read on here for ages