Page 5 | Racism on room advertisements

Mulletsaremisunderstood · 10/09/2021 09:04

@Doomscrolling

It’s about who you want to share your house with, so it’s totally different from job applications etc.

You can request women only, men only, Aussies and Kiwis preferred, non-smokers only, cat lovers, Muslims only, knitters preferred etc etc.

I agree, surely it’s a bit like dating, people should be allowed to have preferences. If you’re sharing your home with someone you should be able to be picky, just don’t be a dick about it.

When I was looking for accommodation in Canada, many of the ads we’re like dating websites - ‘looking for an open minded, attractive woman’ etc. it was ridiculous!

Mulletsaremisunderstood · 10/09/2021 09:08

mrschocolate

For example women’s refuges can ask for applicants to be women for pretty obvious reasons.

Tell that to the Edinburgh Rape Crisis centre!

Thehardtruth · 10/09/2021 09:15

I posted some links earlier but they aren't showing. Must have done it wrong. Let's try again.

"Racism is not just a white problem – it’s time we Asians confronted our own prejudices"
www.google.com/amp/s/inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/racism-south-asian-prejudices-black-lives-matter-753885/amp

"China has an irrational fear of a “black invasion” bringing drugs, crime, and interracial marriage"
qz.com/945053/china-has-an-irrational-fear-of-a-black-invasion-bringing-drugs-crime-and-interracial-marriage/amp/
"The ad featured a Asianwoman stuffing a black man into a washing machine to turn him into a pale-skinned Asian man..."

"South Asian anti-black racism: 'We don't marry black people'"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/newsbeat-53395935

Comedycook · 10/09/2021 09:17

An interesting debate and reminds me of something which happened years ago to me.

I was looking for a nursery for my ds...I'm white but my ds is mixed race. We live in a very diverse area. All the nurseries I viewed had a mix of white, mixed, black, Asian children and the same for the staff...very diverse. One nursery I went to I noticed that every single child was black as was every member of staff. Not a single mixed race child, Asian child or white child. Now, a fully white nursery in my area would have also been very unusual and surprised me. Anyway, the woman was a bit short with me whilst I was looking round and when I asked her if she had space, she said no...now i had asked her previously if there was space when I had phoned her to arrange a visit and she had said she wasn't sure and had been a bit vague. It certainly seemed to me like there was an agenda there. Just as I'd be suspicious there was an agenda if I saw a nursery with an entire white group of children and staff in the area. And before anyone jumps on me, I have zero issue with my child being in a nursery with only black children. It just seemed like it had been engineered as all other nurseries in the area had a very mixed intake. As it stood he went to a different nursery with black, white, Asian, mixed children and the staff were a mix of ethnicities too. It was much more representative of the area we lived in.

Do i believe she denied my child a place based on his ethnicity? Probably
Is that right? No
Was I deeply offended and hurt? No because within the society I live in I experience white privilege so the incident was not set under the backdrop of me already experiencing prejudice and discrimination.

mustlovegin · 10/09/2021 09:22

Was I deeply offended and hurt? No

What if it was the only nursery close to you and you had to travel 30 miles for a place because you were rejected there? Would you still have found it acceptable?

Comedycook · 10/09/2021 09:24

@mustlovegin

Was I deeply offended and hurt? No

What if it was the only nursery close to you and you had to travel 30 miles for a place because you were rejected there? Would you still have found it acceptable?

It's not acceptable. I'm not saying it was but it didn't hurt me or deeply upset me.

ManifestDestinee · 10/09/2021 09:37

@FortunesFave

YABU. It's similar to a gym deciding to run a women's only session. That's not sexist because women are a minority who have suffered due to male behaviour.

Asians are a minority who have suffered racism. If they want only Asians there are good, cultural reasons for that.

Neither women nor Asians are a minority. Both, in fact, are the majority.

toconclude · 10/09/2021 09:42

@SukonthaM
Of course they wouldn't be arrested, don't be bloody silly. How is it that racists ( and yes, your and OPs comments are racist) always come up with this overegged nonsense?

toconclude · 10/09/2021 09:46

@Manifesdestinee
Asians are a minority in the UK as you very well know.

ManifestDestinee · 10/09/2021 09:50

You didn't mention the UK. And women are not a minority in the UK, so.....

Peanutsandchilli · 10/09/2021 09:51

Do they mean Asians preferred or Muslims preferred? I can see, for example, a white Muslim fitting in better with a group of Asian Muslims, and an Asian Christian fitting in better with white Christians. Just saying Asians preferred is a very broad request, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I wouldn't necessarily be comfortable living with a group of people from an entirely different culture/religion to me. People are within their rights to feel comfortable in their home.

toconclude · 10/09/2021 09:52

@ManifestDestinee
I'm sure you think that's a clever argument. It's not. It is, however pretty revealing.

ManifestDestinee · 10/09/2021 10:02

Being correct is not a clever argument? And reveals...what exactly?

Calling women a minority was very silly of you, as was assuming everyone here is in the UK. Don't compound your embarrassment by lashing out.

Thefaceofboe · 10/09/2021 10:06

Because it is reasonable for people from ethnic minorities, who are looking for a houseshare in a country where they will almost definitely have experienced overt racism, to try and protect themselves from further racism

100% this, it’s really sad.

BreadPita · 10/09/2021 10:08

@Suetully

I was going through spareroom tonight and some of the ads real 'Asians preferred.' I have some recollection of reading similar ads years ago saying 'Asians only.'

AIBU to think if ads like that read 'whites only' there would be outrage?

If there is outrage, I imagine it would mostly be about the signalling than anything else. We live in the UK. 86% of people are white in England and Wales. I don't think there are many places where you could advertise a rental and not have the vast majority of applicants be white. In that context, it feels like a more acceptable shorthand for "this is a racist household". That said, I also don't think anyone would care that much. Minorities certainly won't be fighting for their right to sleep in a house with racists.

Comedycook · 10/09/2021 10:09

Because it is reasonable for people from ethnic minorities, who are looking for a houseshare in a country where they will almost definitely have experienced overt racism, to try and protect themselves from further racism

I understand this point but to play devils advocate, how far would you take this? If too many spaces and facilities are separated by race then surely the logical end to that ends up with a form of apartheid

phishy · 10/09/2021 10:14

@Comedycook

Because it is reasonable for people from ethnic minorities, who are looking for a houseshare in a country where they will almost definitely have experienced overt racism, to try and protect themselves from further racism

I understand this point but to play devils advocate, how far would you take this? If too many spaces and facilities are separated by race then surely the logical end to that ends up with a form of apartheid

Most of the white people I know who live in house shares live in all white households. This seems natural given the majority of people in this country are white but it does mean white people are more likely to live with other white people. So the odds are in their favour in that respect.

BreadPita · 10/09/2021 10:19

@Comedycook
Our situation is sort of a reverse of the slippery slope. Where we can, as a society, legislate for harmonious racial relationships, we do.
You can't legislate for not making people uncomfortable in their homes, so people have to manage these for themselves as far as is possible.
Lots of minorities make these concessions in all sorts of avenues to live comfortable lives.

DayKay · 10/09/2021 10:20

When I was 21 and move to London to work, I only looked at flatshare with an Asian name. It wasn’t to do with racism but to protect myself from it. The poster who mentioned feeling vulnerable has it spot on.
When you’re young, vulnerable and trying to navigate around your world independently, there are some measures that you feel you can try to control. For me, it was finding a house share with another Asian female who just ‘gets’ all the cultural stuff and id feel safe.

mustlovegin · 10/09/2021 10:31

make these concessions in all sorts of avenues to live comfortable lives

Concessions?

BreadPita · 10/09/2021 10:39

@mustlovegin
Yes, an acceptance that certain situations that are normal or commonplace for the "indigenous" population will be uncomfortable as a minority and that it will not be understood if you voice it (the entire basis of this thread is one example).
As a result, you have to find your own method of creating a comfortable situation for yourself, rather than demanding that you are accommodated.

LaBellina · 10/09/2021 10:50

A shared house is not a public place. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to want to share your home, your safe place, with someone that shares your beliefs and values.
Perhaps the ‘Asians preferred’ isn’t only for those that already live there but also to support their community, knowing other Asians might be excluded from shared houses because of anti Asian racism.

LaBellina · 10/09/2021 10:56

Also, females from certain cultures including some in Asia would feel highly uncomfortable and unsafe in their home if there were a strange male staying over.
If they share the house with a flat mate from the same cultural background they know that it’s highly unlikely they will encounter the issue of boyfriends/ partners staying in their flat. Although I wouldn’t find this an issue as long as the guy is respectful and not a creep, I can completely understand it if women from other cultures find this unacceptable. It’s not racist to want to be sure you can have flatmates that will respect this.

JudgeJ · 10/09/2021 11:28

@Antinerak

Asians preferred likely means someone is looking to avoid racism

It is not equal to whites preferred as white people don't need to avoid racism unless its their own.

How is excluding a large percentage of the population avoiding racism?

The idea that white people do not experience racism is laughable! Try telling that to white people living in a multi-cultural community.

VladmirsPoutine · 10/09/2021 11:39

@JudgeJ Really? Ok.