Yes. I am aware of the fact that i sound like a broken record...and one day you are going to hit me with something very hard...like a large book. and it will hurt. but Racism is something very dear to my heart, especially since...i was born with plenty of dominant melanin chromosomes. (YES! there are 10 chromosomes that are responsible for your skin colour! betcha didn't see that coming!)
So when you think of racism, you think of BCR movement and the nazis and such, right? (All you history nerds...). Now, you are all seriously smart people...smart enough to know all this, but does anyone else ever realise that discrimination against certain races and people was taking place WAY before the black civil rights movement and the apartheid and the nazis?
Oh yes. I'm talking stereotyping. I hate stereotypes to the core. let me explain.
Are all Indians curry-munchers? Are all muslims evil suicide bombers? Are all asians bad drivers? What if you had never met me before? Would it surprise you to know that i am all three? Does that really make me a curry-muncher who has a secret agenda as a suicide bomber with bad driving habits? (You cant even munch a curry...WTF....)
But that's not really the end of the story, is it? New Zealand gets its fair share of harsh racism too. Stereotyping is just the mere crust of the pie. Its one thing to say that NZ is awesome because we have so many different cultures...but of course there is more to it. Gangs are just as racist. The Bludz (is that spelt right?) bash the crips because they arent bludz and vice versa. Isn't that racism, too?
I guess im being hypocritical. I judge people too. Maybe not to the stereotyping and bashing extent...because the term curry-muncher is just pathetic. But yet, i judge people. And so does everyone else. It took me x amount of words to realise that there is no real point to my blog except that i was cheesed off with racist people and i wanted to write something semi-intelligent on the AC blog. So sue me.
I really really appreciate the fact that the people i hang out with (and school in general... with a couple of exceptions) are not racist. it would totally make me cry if they were.
~noodles
PS: sorry if i broke any of the "guidelines"!
5 comments:
currymuncher...i haven't heard that one before! Ah~ yes, i've experienced racism before. Ironically, i've gotten alot of Maori people call out to me "ching chong" and "go back home". And apparantly Maori people descended from asia. Dramatic irony huh? Stereotyping is a sad thing, you may not be able to stop yourself thinking them on first thoughts, but you can always push them aside afterwards and open your minds.
On another note of irony, my mum and dad are shitty drivers, they ran down a pole a few weeks ago. They also happen to be asian...
maori people did descend from asia. thats why i always justify my taking maori as me being ORIGINAL maori
muahaha
Wow Noodles, amazing post!
Yep, I think stereotyping is one of the most insidious forms of racism there is. I think people just sort of have to train themselves to start thinking a different way and start critically analising representations of race in the media and pop culture, which I think can be the worst perpetuators of these stereotypes.
Theres a quite good (if kinda obvious and not necessarily realistic) scene in the movie Crash where Sandra Bullock basically calls this guy whose changing her locks a gangbanger basically because he's Hispanic, and she says it so loud that he can hear her. Then we follow him home and find out he's an amazing kind and caring dad and basically everything she assumed about him was completely wrong.
I would really really reccommend the blog www.racialicious.com to anyone interested in reading about racism in pop culture. The editor Latoya Peterson is one of my favourite feminist/anti-racist bloggers and they have recaps of Heroes!
Haha and you broke no guidelines Noodles. Don't be scared of them!
Awesome post! ;)It is pretty horrific how stereotyping is so common in New Zealand. I've heard countless times people talking about how Asian people are bad drivers with conviction. Talking about it as an acknowledged fact rather than an endlessly repeated stereotype.
Crash is a pretty awesome movie. That woman is pretty cringe worthy, and I almost cried when that little Hispanic girl got shot.
Racialicious eh? Numnumnum
Lol just so you know: the bloods and the crips are both African American (origonally) but I truely understand your point. Racism is still common. And so is just about teasing anyone for any physical differances let alone the cultural.
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