To think I should be able to express a desire to not want to send my child to the local school which has more than 95% asian children and not be called a racist!

[Sails]

The school is a few minutes walk away from me but I have no intention of sending my children there. Most classes there isn't a single white child in it especially the younger end of the school. The other nearest school is about a 25 minute walk away. It has a 50% mix have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. I have asian neighbours and even they don't even send their Reception child to the local school. Told my hairdresser that I don't want to send my child to x school and she said "thats a bit racist!" Told my neighbour and she too was shocked and said I am probably the least racist person she knows!

There was a thread a few months ago but i have forgotten what it was about. The op stated that she wouldn't let her dc watch tv programmes that had all white people in it and said that's why her dc tv time is strictly limited. I found that quite racist but as usual, no one else did because racism doesn't exist towards white people apparently

Oh, was that the Upsy Daisy thread? It might have been Spokette who said that? But I'm not convinced that that was what she'd said, especially as I have a feeling her children are multi-ethnic. I might be wrong.

Chegirl - why don't you ask a Muslim (and a Jew) about Halah/ Kosher meat? It's about abstaining from eating blood; the methods they use to kill their animals ensure that all the blood passes out of the animal

What do you mean?

I know what Halal is. I am just not sure one method of killing an animal is much better than another. I dont think its a particularly good reason for not sending a child to a school either. But thats just my opinion.

And what is a multi ethnic child?

Chegirl, the point I was making about Halal as I understand it is not about humane killing methods, but about blood.

Are you joking about 'multi-ethnic' child? It means a child who has different ethnicities - e.g. African + European. I hate the term 'mixed race' (as race is a social construction, not a genetic one) but no-one's ever said they didn't understand 'multi-ethnic' before.

Its not a term I have ever heard applied to a child. So no I am not joking.

I dont see a problem with mixed race myself. Its better than half caste or half breed (as someone charmingly referred to my Lo last week). I dislike bi racial and dual heritage too but again - just my opinion.

MrsTH, I agree, would be racist if she had complained ?that there aren't enough white children in a school? but she didn?t, that has been a contiued misconstivance of what she did say. She was concerned that there wasn?t a great diveristy in the school. That?s all. Everything else is people jumping to conclusions. She may have been confused and worded it clumsily, but being confused aren?t morally dubious actions.

We might also be confusing discrimition/predjudive with racism. To be discriminating or prejuciced is not always the same as being hateful and racist. Actually we are all discriminating and predjudiced about many things. Racism is about hate ? it doesn?t do anyone any good to muddy the waters about this. It?s like the over use of the word misogyny. Like Russell Brand and Jon Ross are misogynpous in a world where some cultures slicve of women?s clitori with out anestehis or stone them to death for dishonering their families. There is a huge middle ground that people seem unable to negotiate and simply go for the path of least resistance.

FFS! - PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE! DOES NOT MATTER WHAT WRAPPING PAPER YOUR PRESENT COMES IN!aaaargh....

Fair enought, Che. I hate half caste bi-racial and dual heritage as well! "Half breed", though? What kind of nutter thought that was an acceptable term? I describe my DS as multi-ethnic because it's the best term I could come up with, but am open to suggestions!

MT - I take your first point, however the trouble is that saying "there isn't a single white child in it" does come across very badly; as I said earlier she needed to qualify that statement with a better explanation of her rationale. Having made what sounds like a prejudiced (good second point, MT!) statement against non-whites, to then say "I have absolutely no problem with that" is not the same as saying "I'd love my child to go to a school which better reflects cultural diversity", etc and sounds a bit like an add-on. So my criticism is that she should have thought better about how she phrased her OP so as not to give the wrong impression.

Interesting MrsM (nearly called you MrsT then .

I think I prefer Mixed race because I feel it describes my kids better i.e. they are very mixed - not 'half' of anything IYSWIM. OH from Guyana which is a preverbial (sp) melting pot and me being all mixed up with various European influences. Get your point about 'race' though.

The halfbreed thing was in Romford. Dont worry the munter got a short sharp education in what terms were acceptable and which were not .

I do think the OP made a mistake in the way she worded the thread. Its really does sound like a racist comment. But who could object to a parent wanting to send her child to a mixed school rather than one that is mostly Asian/White/African whatever?

Romford - now that makes sense. I hope your dose of short sharp education was delivered with a stinging hand slap!

I did think about Tiger Woods's Casblinasian term as I was writing my explanation of multi-ethnic, not least because 'African' or 'European' refer to huge swathes of people of different ethnic groups. I think that multi-ethnic can cover a wide sweep like that, but I understand your preferring one term over another.

I agree with you about it being very reasonable to want to send one's child to a mixed school; DH and I have gone on occasion to churches which are either all-white or all-black and each time we felt it was a pity that they were so monocultural (this is in East London - a very multicultural area in every sense, i.e. lots of white and brown faces here). It's a pity that the OP was phrased so badly, I also think she may have scarpered because it got such a bad response.

(btw I used to be MrsThierryHenry so honest mistake!)

I personally dislike mixed race and bi racial because we are all one HUMAN race. There isn't a white race and a non-white race is there.

Half caste is horrible it's like saying you are only half of a person or something.

Half breed

My friend is white and her DH is black. She says her DS is of mixed heritage, mixed origin or multi-ethnic.

There is no perfect term. They can become clumsy and overthought IYSWIM. Its not like I go around referring to my 'mixed race kids' all the time but I dont feel uncomfortable describing their ethnic background/origins. I am proud of it as I would expect anyone to be. My DS2 is particularly mixed as he is adopted (from within the OH's family). We are not totally sure of all of the ingredients but they include Guyanese, Dutch, English, Welsh, Jamacian, Irish + He is so beautiful. He has oval eyes and a wonderful skin tone and the biggest brown eyes you ever did see . My birth children are darker but have bright blue eyes. (here I go - blabbing on about my kids

IMO they ARE mixed. But I realise that this is something that has been and will be debated for ever and a day. And that is a good thing.

Language needs to be challenged and explored. Its just hard to do so with out 'its pc gorn maaaad!' being screeched at high volume.

IT'S PC GOOORRRN MAAAAAAAADDD!!!

Very nicely said, che, and in fact when you look into it even the 'English' and 'Jamaican', etc will have a multitude of ethnicities owing to centuries of migration. That's possibly part of the reason why one can't delineate genetically what counts as 'race'. I love this fact, that humans have always been, and continue to be, one big ethnic melting pot.

Off topic but I have to get it in. Did you see that programme with the woman from the Anglo Saxon Society (or summat like that)? She and a few other numpties had agreed to have their DNA mapped to prove how totally British they were. She turned out to be very far from the pure English rose she imagined. It was hilarious! She refused to go back on camera. In fact all of the people on the programme had a huge mixe of DNA from all over the world.

The idea that anyone on this island could be the product of any one culture/race/ethinicity is ridiculous.

Maybe thats why this is a very tolerant country (though it doesnt always seem that way).

I heard about that prog and was gutted that I'd missed it! Hilarious indeed! Silly moo.

Mrs Merry Henry - sorry got sidelined by picking up from pre-school, feeding kids etc
Now back to the important stuff

Yes I'm aware that was a little bit unfair about the gaelic school! But it's a similar issue. She would get a good education there but it isn't part of my culture and TBH I would feel a complete fraud sending her there.

The point I was trying to make is that it is culture that's important and most parents on here just want a balance. I don't think that's reasonable or, indeed, racist.

BTW we have all halal food at preschool and tthe meat is better quality than from other sources.

yes, I agree MrsT

Actually Kew my neighbour was shocked at what I had been called and said I AM NOT racist and said she considers me to be the least likely person to be accused of this (or something like that not in the habit of remembering quotes word for word to be later repoerted on mn!) They are asian and send their child to the predominately white school much further on that I mentioned earlier. She is very pleased with it and is urging me to do the same her dd aged 4 loves it there. It does have excellent ofsted reports etc. My neighbour used to work at the very local school as a teaching assistant and left a couple of years ago and said she would never send her children there.

oops! I've just posted on the wrong thread how embarassing!!!

Mrs Sparkle - I remember that thread well. I suggest you don't misquote other people to try to make your point. Spokette didnt say anything of the sort.

And I'm afraid I disagree with you MonkeyT "Racism is about hate" - yes of course the owret sort is but IMO racism is also more subtle and insidious than that - its also about middle aged white men who point and laugh at my divine 2 yr old boy and call him "chinky" because they think its funny that he's with white mother. You look at the confusion on a small childs face in that position and tell me that isn't just as nasty and racist and undeserved. Its the subtle - Oh I;m only having a luiagh and you;re all too PC kind of racism that is the hardest to deal with because a surprising nuber of other wise sensible people are blind to it.

It makes me laugh that people think saying you prefer your non-white children to watch some programmes which represent them more closely is reverse racism. You have no idea.

sorry I misunderstood your comment about your hairdresser /neighbours sails.

I didn't quote or mis quote anyone Kew. I remember that thread and the op only let her dc watch tv programmes that had black people in it, along side white people as well. She restricted her dc tv viewing from programmes that just contained white people.