Is this racist?

[Chattyaholic]

Yes, I believe that would be racist.

I've learned you just cannot judge a person by how they look. How a person dresses, how many tatoos/piercings they have, that kind of stuff doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's their actions that concern me.

 

[Alesia]

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.

Umm...I think you mean speak proper English. I'm sorry. I wouldn't usually point that out, but I LOVE irony.

 

[Database]

It's a huge problem how?

Now you did it! You called Charade out!

Oi Ve. I'm getting some popcorn.

 

[Database]

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.

I agree with Fitswimmer? Dang! It's going to be a cold day in hades today.

 

[Database]

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

OMG! It IS going to a cold day in Hades! I'm so totally agreeing with Cool-beans.

 

[KariC]

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.

Thanks for that bit of common sense! So needed!

By the way, you changed your signature....almost didn't recognize your posts!

 

[disneyjunkie]

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."

Well, he'd hate for the OPs friend to see my son. My son dresses like every other teen I know and he loves rap music. He doesn't use correct English when he's hanging out with his friends.

He'd die before he'd wear an outfit from A&F. My sister and BIL said I might as well paint a bulls eye on his back. He wears Sean John, Akademiks, Roca Wear, Phat Farm... Yes, his pants MUST sag. He wears a belt, but you'll never see it. The only time he tucks his shirt in is for church and school. As soon as he steps out of the school building, the shirt comes out of the pants.

He (and many of his friends) took the SATs in the 7th grade for the John Hopkins Talented Youth Program. They all scored high enough to attend the Talented Youth Summer Programs.

My son is also an honor student. All of his teachers recommended him for AP classes. His AP interview was last week.

He's well mannered and respectful.

I hear teens and adult using poor English all the time. If I don't know them, I assume they know the difference and are just speaking a certain way because they are relaxing with friends. I choose to do this all the time depending on whom I'm around.

If I hear people using poor English at work or in a classroom, I just shake my head. That tells me that this person doesn't know when or how to use correct English. (Or they just don't care)

 

[JoyG]

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.

This may come as a bit of a shock to you, but people who speak that way are not choosing to be disrespectful or anti-establishment.

They are speaking the vernacular that they were raised in, that their peers and parents speak. The way to change that is to offer a quality education, and even then it's sometimes difficult to learn and practice all the correct grammar rules, especially if it's not reinforced or practiced in the community.

I teach third grade and during grammar, I can't fall back on "does that sound right to you?" Because many people don't know what the correct way is supposed to sound like.

 

[golfgal]

A racist comment would pertain more to the color of their skin vs their behavior/way they dress. These comments are examples of stereotyping--classifying ALL or most people that dress a certain way into a group-dressing ghetto means they are uneducated. It is equally as wrong as making racist comments.

 

[basas]

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

.

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.

He never mentioned a race. He has a problem with kids dressed as thugs and walking around like gang members from ‘the hood’. Quite frankly, I do too. And I don’t really care what the color of your skin is as you do it.

 

[Acklander]

I don't know if he's racist or not, but he's definitely discriminatory and shallow. IMHO anytime you "judge a book by it's cover" you just end up looking ignorant. If he's unable to look beyond someone's clothing he's probably going to miss out on knowing some wonderful people. What a shame for him.

 

[GeorgeG]

Describing cultural differences does not always have to be racist. Different cultures do exist all around us. While we may not understand certain cultures, racism involves a degree of hate or dislike.

I'm one of those who finds it disturbing that some cultures seem to be regressing and do so by design. I don't dislike them for it, but I don't understand it, either. Well, heck, I've never put much stock in political correctness, either.

 

[ducklite]

Not neccesarily racist, but certainly ignorant.

Unfortunately many people stereoype people who don't look and act like the characters on Friends or Seinfeld as "bad" people.

Anne

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

.




He never mentioned a race. He has a problem with kids dressed as thugs and walking around like gang members from ‘the hood’. Quite frankly, I do to. And I don’t really care about the color of your skin.

I agree with this. I think his statement was a little presumptuous but not racist - as anyone who dressed, spoke and acted that way, whether black, white, Asian or Hispanic would garner the same reaction from him. So, it is not racist.

The world around, people are judged on their appearance - I doubt anyone dressed in a bandana, pot leaf t shirt and grill in their mouth would be too successful in a job interview. I doubt any parent would buy those clothes with their ten year old happily.

The way we dress is often basis for how others judge us. I think he may be wrong in assuming that they are all uneducated and violent, because some of them dress that way to fit in, esp. if they live in a low income area and feel like dressing a different way would make them a "target". It's a shame, because the gang lifestyle that it is modeled after is not a glamorous one and really not a good one for kids to look up to. The kid behind that might be very intelligent and very sweet trying to *look* uneducated and violent to blend in. (which in an of itself is sad, that some kids feel like they can't be proud of their intelligence). With that said, that same kid would have to shed that way of speaking and dressing by college/job search time or he would not be able to use his intelligence to the best of his ability.

 

[JMD]

A racist comment would pertain more to the color of their skin vs their behavior/way they dress. These comments are examples of stereotyping--classifying ALL or most people that dress a certain way into a group-dressing ghetto means they are uneducated. It is equally as wrong as making racist comments.

I agree, he is stereotyping a group of people, but nothing he said is racist.

 

[Rajah]

Agreed. Discriminatory, yes. Racist, no.

 

[Freyja]

Not neccesarily racist but certainly very prejudice.

 

[Amlee]

I can kind of see where the OP's person is coming from. I had this conversation yesterday. I was told I was also being racist. 7 years ago I bought my house, the neighborhood was built in the 40s and many of the people who built the houses still lived in them. So just in the last 7 years have new people started moving in (myself included). My uncle owned about 10 houses and an apartment complex down the street from me. When he died my aunt sold everything. Most of it went to one man, known as the local ghetto king. Since then the neightborhood has went to pot.

Now most of those that have moved in are hispanic, white trash, and blacks. I have beer bottles tossed in my yard, loud music at all times of the day. The side of the roads are covered in trash, beer bottles, and other stuff. The police are taking daily calls to the same homes and same apartments. Just this weekend some fool set the dumpster on fire at the apartment.

These people have no pride in their house, yard or themself. They have no respect toward others at all.

I love my house and really thought I would be here forever. But the thought of selling and moving is growing in me. I can no longer sit on my front porch and enjoy the day.

It's not racist, but the truth as those are the type people who have moved in.

*********************

As for the clothing, Oprah had her greatest inventions show the other day. One of the inventions submited was a pants cuff for baggie pants. The guy pulled his pants down way low and his idea was a cuff that fit in his shoes. It held up the bottom of his pants so they didn't drag. I was yelling at the tv, it's already invented! It's called a BELT!!

 

[Robinrs]

Well, he'd hate for the OPs friend to see my son. My son dresses like every other teen I know and he loves rap music. He doesn't use correct English when he's hanging out with his friends.

He'd die before he'd wear an outfit from A&F. My sister and BIL said I might as well paint a bulls eye on his back. He wears Sean John, Akademiks, Roca Wear, Phat Farm... Yes, his pants MUST sag. He wears a belt, but you'll never see it. The only time he tucks his shirt in is for church and school. As soon as he steps out of the school building, the shirt comes out of the pants.

He (and many of his friends) took the SATs in the 7th grade for the John Hopkins Talented Youth Program. They all scored high enough to attend the Talented Youth Summer Programs.

My son is also an honor student. All of his teachers recommended him for AP classes. His AP interview was last week.

He's well mannered and respectful.

I hear teens and adult using poor English all the time. If I don't know them, I assume they know the difference and are just speaking a certain way because they are relaxing with friends. I choose to do this all the time depending on whom I'm around.

If I hear people using poor English at work or in a classroom, I just shake my head. That tells me that this person doesn't know when or how to use correct English. (Or they just don't care)

Your son sounds like a wonderful guy... but if what he says is correct then MY SON should have the target on his back!

My son is a STRICT individualist. He's 14 and he wears Polo shirts, sweater vests and khakis literally everyday. And would rather DIE than let them sag. It's just the way he is.

On the other hand his friend Derek wears a doo rag, bops and sags all of his pants. He looks the stereotypical "ghetto" type but HE is an honor student in a private school and both boys live in an upscale neighborhood in Atlanta. They are both expressing who they are.

My son's MOM is a fanatic about proper English. I speak it and so does he. I don't expect EVERYONE to speak like us and that's fine. "Ghetto" is a subculture... like "redneck" and "trailer trash". Both may be a "style", also.

I have always believed in being an individual. Sure, everyone may be doing it but do we all have to? We all must realize what attitude and reaction it will get from society, also. Is it necessary to allow people to decide something BEFORE they know who you are? Or should you go with the crowd and perpetuate the stereotype?

I don't follow the crowd, I make my OWN crowd and they have to follow me.

 

[Cee]

Several years ago when the Playstation 3 first came out you just couldn't get
them ANYWHERE. My son really wanted one so every day I'd go to the local
Toys R US and see if they had any only to be turned away each day. One day
I went and the manager said, the truck is just pulling up now, if you're willing
to wait we can see how many are on the truck and you might get lucky. So
I waited with a group of guys who looked dangerous IMO. Well we waited,
and we waited and talked and laughed and by the time the truck was unloaded,
we all had a Playstation 3 to take home. We were so excited we were "high-
fiving" each other and I even got a hug from a few of them. By the time we
were all walking to our cars we were calling each other by name. This is a
middle-aged woman and a bunch of young men who looked like typical "Gang
Bangers". I assure you, I've never met sweeter, more respectful young men
in my life. It changed me and I'll never forget it.