Is this racist?

[PoohnPglet]

I am not looking to offend anyone – I may not write this out as well as I am thinking it in my head, so please let me clarify any questions you may have before assuming anything, I really am just looking to see what other people think about this. And yes, I know this is a controversial subject, but I have been thinking about it a lot since Imus and now with Akon.

I know a guy that has a thing about what he calls, “ghetto people”. It is based on a certain look/style that is popular right now. You know the kind of stuff most rappers seem to be wearing these days. Anyway, he is very against anyone that looks like this - says they are all uneducated, ignorant gang members/crooks/criminals. That they are too ignorant or lazy to learn to speak English correctly or respect an education or a decent job - I mean he goes on and on and on…

There are a lot of people that see him as racist because the major portion of the group that belongs to this sub-culture are black. He defends himself by saying that he is equally against anyone like this whether they are white/Hispanic/Asian/whatever. That he has plenty of respect for those that are educated and (as he says) act right. (Someone got him to admit that by this he means act in the way that mainstream white people act.)

So, what do you think? Is it racist?

 

[PoohnPglet]

No one?

 

[lindalinda]

Anyway, he is very against anyone that looks like this - says they are all uneducated, ignorant gang members/crooks/criminals. That they are too ignorant or lazy to learn to speak English correctly or respect an education or a decent job - I mean he goes on and on and on…


So, what do you think? Is it racist?

I think based on this part of the statement....it sounds racist to me. I dont care for the "ghetto style" either.. but anytime you say all are uneducated or ignorant, youve put yourself in the racist category. JMO tho.

 

[Charade]

Racist or not, it's a huge problem IMO. Is there a reason for this sub-culture? I hate when I see young kids emulating these people.

 

[schmitty]

Not racist but stereotypical.

 

[Free4Life11]

I don't think it's racist....ghetto people drive a lot of people nuts, me included.

 

[Honu]

Racist or not, it's a huge problem IMO. Is there a reason for this sub-culture? I hate when I see young kids emulating these people.

It's a huge problem how?

 

[PoohnPglet]

I think based on this part of the statement....it sounds racist to me. I dont care for the "ghetto style" either.. but anytime you say all are uneducated or ignorant, youve put yourself in the racist category. JMO tho.

Yes - but he is just as vocal when it is a white person styling themselves as ghetto. He says it is about the attitude/behaviour not the skin color, so he can't be racist.

This is really causing a stir in the group of people that know him.


(OT - but are the DIS servers down or something? Geez! Took me forever just to open this reply!)

 

[bsmcneil]

i think a lot of folks on this board will say "no it's not racist".

i hate - absolutely without a doubt hate the word ghetto and its usage in mainstream American culture. part of it is that i'm a literalist and therefore almost everyone lives in a ghetto. ghetto basically means neighborhood. but what people tend to mean when they say ghetto is either Black/Urban/or Poor. euphemisms. i'd much rather someone be honest with what they mean than hide it (i hate political correctness, too).

i think anytime you expect people to act like mainstream white people and then deride those who don't - you're seeing something racist. but i also recognize that many people think, "well i'm not personally denying a black person a job or violently attacking them, so i can't be racist." racism has so many different levels.

 

[bsmcneil]

Yes - but he is just as vocal when it is a white person styling themselves as ghetto. He says it is about the attitude/behaviour not the skin color, so he can't be racist.

But didn't you say that he sees these actions as NOT acting white? That, to me, is an indication that it's about being or acting black or not-white, regardless of their actual skin tone.

 

[PoohnPglet]

i think a lot of folks on this board will say "no it's not racist".

i hate - absolutely without a doubt hate the word ghetto and its usage in mainstream American culture. part of it is that i'm a literalist and therefore almost everyone lives in a ghetto. ghetto basically means neighborhood. but what people tend to mean when they say ghetto is either Black/Urban/or Poor. euphemisms. i'd much rather someone be honest with what they mean than hide it (i hate political correctness, too).

i think anytime you expect people to act like mainstream white people and then deride those who don't - you're seeing something racist. but i also recognize that many people think, "well i'm not personally denying a black person a job or violently attacking them, so i can't be racist." racism has so many different levels.

Well, I would be happy to use a different word than ghetto, but I felt is was the best word to convey what I was talking about. If you have a better term. let me know.

 

[PoohnPglet]

But didn't you say that he sees these actions as NOT acting white? That, to me, is an indication that it's about being or acting black or not-white, regardless of their actual skin tone.

No he keeps using the phrase "acting right", it is not until he was pressed to define what that meant that he said it was like how most white people act.

 

[schmitty]

i hate - absolutely without a doubt hate the word ghetto and its usage in mainstream American culture. part of it is that i'm a literalist and therefore almost everyone lives in a ghetto. ghetto basically means neighborhood. but what people tend to mean when they say ghetto is either Black/Urban/or Poor. euphemisms. i'd much rather someone be honest with what they mean than hide it (i hate political correctness, too).

Ghettos where actually neighborhoods where jewish people were forced to live.

 

[poohandwendy]

Interestingly, when I was growing up, the area we knew as 'ghetto' was primarily white (actually, the vast majority were white). The minorities (african american, hispanic, asian, etc) I was exposed to were all affluent and educated. I remember, years ago, reading an opinion piece about the Cosby show and how it didn't reflect 'real' African Americans and I had to laugh because it really DID reflect some of the black families I knew.

I really don't see 'ghetto' as a race issue as much as an attitude or lifestyle.

 

[darlak]

I work in the area of child welfare. Let me tell you a little about two families I work with; the first family has lived in the same public housing project for 4 generations and not one of the females in this family has ever married or had a job; the second family can't get a telephone right now because they're waiting on the new baby to be born so they can put the phone in the baby's name. They've already had a phone installed and then turned off for nonpayment in the mom's name and all 6 of her previous children's names. Both of these families are white. My personal problem is with people who feel a sense of entitlement from the government and society at large. I know for a fact though, that at least in my area, these people come in all colors. White, black, hispanic...undereducated and lazy people come in all colors. So do hard-working, well-educated, honest, law-abiding citizens, both white and blue collar. I also don't believe that it's about poverty. There are many poor families raising good kids. There are also many middle class and above families raising disrespectful and delinquint kids. I know that the "experts" say poverty is a major factor, but as someone who works directly with these families, I just don't see it.

 

[shortbun]

The kids I drive to school come from the ghetto and are "ghetto" but are some of the nicest kids I've come across in years. I work with a lot of adults who wear "ghetto" like a badge and they are great people. It's considered good to be "ghetto" in some circles or age groups. It's a feeling, an attitude, a look, perserverance, determination, strength. I have no problem with "ghetto" but I think I've seen a deeper meaning to the word than a lot of people. It's not just an outfit or costume, it's a philosophy and for many the way to succeed. "Ghetto" does not need to mean "bad."

 

[Cool-Beans]

I can't say what is in someone else's heart. And I've heard of all this, but have paid little attention.

For me, myself, I think those people look like morons. Two of my three boys want to dress like that and it drives me up the wall. Walking around with pants hanging down the butt.

I do realize that my parents weren't too thrilled about neon pink, orange, green, etc. Nor were they thrilled when I had a wee bit of my head shaved (over one ear, it was so cool.) I also added a hint of blue to my hair once, which my mother forced me to dye out. She did take pictures to embarrass me for life, though.

What can I say? Blue, green, or pink highlights are oh so cool when you are 16.

So, I do try to not over-react to the ridiculous, moronic clothes my boys want to wear. And I try to let DD wear semi-stylish clothes. But she wants to wear clothes that lots of her friends wear, and I think many of her friends look like little hookers...so there are issues there, too.

Adults who dress like that, I'm afraid I can't excuse. I mean, kids are supposed to be dumb and wear "cool" stuff. Adults ought to be past the "I want to look cool" phase, IMO. I don't know WHAT those people are thinking. Even the kids realize that adults look stupid like that (if only they realized that THEY look stupid like that.) Unless the adults are entertainers, like rappers. If I could make a million dollars wearing pants that were falling off my butt, I'd wear them, too. I'm sure Bon Jovi didn't have his hair sticking up straight when he went out in the 80s and I doubt these rappers dress like that when they're just going to Taco Bell or something.

Long story short, I don't think it makes you a racist to think the clothes these kids are wearing makes them look like morons.

But it does, according to my kids, make you old. "Not geiser old, like Grandpa, but you're old and you don't know what cool isn't and don't tell me, I'm a teenager and I know what is cool." It makes you lame and living in 1985. This from boys who want to walk around with bits of hair growing on their faces, like they're turning into werewolves. 'Cause that's cool. Whatever.

There is some kind of thing my kids call ghetto-fabulous. But they pronounce it ja-hetto fabulous. My brother understands what the hell they are talking about and has fun with them. (Uncle Cool. So very much cooler than lame mom and dad. Takes them to White Stripes concerts, knows the cool lingo, laughs about how dumb mom is.) I have no idea what they are talking about. I'm ignoring the hip lingo. It will just change again and I'm tired of trying to keep up.

 

[JadenLayne]

I could care less how someone dresses. If they want to look a specific way, then fine as long as they aren't showing me parts of them that no one needs to see (pants hanging to their ankles, or girls with the thong up their back....so tacky!)

Anyway I do get the "act right" part though. I can't stand for people to be disrespectful and not talk proper English. I don't mean people who don't have English as a first language but people who were born and raised here in America but yet choose to speak a certain way. For example,

Where you be?

What? Do you mean where am I? I don't BE anywhere. I AM right here.

Things like that drive me crazy!

To answer the OP's question, yes I do think it's racist because you can't catagorize anyone as ignorant just by the way they dress or because they belong to a certain race or style. Every single steriotype imaginable is full of all different kinds of people......some good, some bad.

 

[hentob]

Anyway I do get the "act right" part though. I can't stand for people to be disrespectful and not talk proper English. I don't mean people who don't have English as a first language but people who were born and raised here in America but yet choose to speak a certain way.

True Dat

 

[Fitswimmer]

Since when is being educated, speaking your native language properly and being gainfully employed "acting like a white person"? That to me is more racist than "ghetto people". If his attitude is that education, proper language usage and holding down a job are specific traits to white folks, then he is being racist in that way.