Does your race still sometimes conduct the stuff that interset you?

[Guest Alchemist]

Unfortunately race still play a role and what some people are into. Example , I like hacking, but thier are not that many black hackers in the world and people ask me why i do such white things like that.
I am sometimes guilty of letting my race get in the way of what I like. Because i like death metal like slipknot and soul fly but keep it on the down low. I need to cut back on it but sometimes others words can be very harsh.
You all have probaly gottin' it before "Why are you so white?" or "why do you try to act black?" I hate when people do that but I am guilty of it on the occasion. :(

[boxybrown305]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I am white, and i too am very much into harsher metal, and pretty much all kinds of rock. I think this is largely affected due to my race, although i'm not racist. I don't at all like rap, or much other things that are commonly associated with the "black" stereotype. The only thing i can think of is a friend i have who likes a lot of rap, and basketball. Me and my friends say he wants to be black, but that's more of a friendly tease than actually stereotyping him. I knew him before anyone else at my school though because he used to live in Milwaukee (one of the most segregated cities in the country), where my dad also lived at the time. In that case, i don't think it's all just race, but also where you grew up that will also effect what kinds of things you are into.

I wouldn't like labeling though. Like actually saying "your white/black" in a racist way just based on what you do or like.[/COLOR]

[drive_monster]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray]Yeah, any [I]good[/I] black person wouldn't be caught [B]dead[/B] on a site about [I]anime[/I] . :rolleyes:
Screw that.
Sometimes you've gotta be willing to go against the crowd for a while. Sure, you won't exactly be adored by the people that like stereotypes, but who cares what they think anyway? Trust me, it's worth the seeming "unpopularity" to be able to be yourself and do the things you like.[/COLOR]

[elfpirate]

[b]I don't let race get in the way of anything I do. I have, however, received plenty of crap from people about being the wrong race for a particular activity, etc...( always the extreme stereotype kind of activities, like listening to hip-hop although I'm not black).[/b]

[b]I get asked why I have kanji tattooed on me, why I wear hakama, and why I wear a medicine bag-- since I don't look very Asian or Native... [/b]

[b]But the truth is that I don't look entirely like any race. It's pretty easy to tell that I'm not entirely white, but it's an indistinct mix... so I don't have the trouble with being stuck with the behavioral schemas of a particular race.[/b]

[boxybrown305]

[COLOR=DarkRed]There's no real way to "be yourself" without somehow being stereotyped though. As unfortunate as it is, if you even sit down and think about what it is that you like, you'll just be ridiculed or judged for it.

Example: A white boy, after seriously thinking about it decides he likes rock music, anime, and RPG's. Despite the fact that it was his choice, he will be stereotyep as an "average white kid" or a nerd.
Likewise, if a black boy did the same and decided on rap, and basketball, he would be classified as an ordinary "black kid" or ghetto.

Inverse being that a white kid who likes rap is ridiculed for wanting to be black, or a black kid who likes rock and all the rest is "white on the inside" and somehow that makes him weaker. :animeangr [/COLOR]

[drive_monster]

[QUOTE=boxybrown305][COLOR=DarkRed]There's no real way to "be yourself" without somehow being stereotyped though. As unfortunate as it is, if you even sit down and think about what it is that you like, you'll just be ridiculed or judged for it.

Example: A white boy, after seriously thinking about it decides he likes rock music, anime, and RPG's. Despite the fact that it was his choice, he will be stereotyep as an "average white kid" or a nerd.
Likewise, if a black boy did the same and decided on rap, and basketball, he would be classified as an ordinary "black kid" or ghetto.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Yeah, it's the other people's choice as to whether or not to stereotype you, Unfortunately, it's not easy to change a great majority of people's bad habits...
There doesn't seem to be much else a single person can do besides eliminating racial or negative stereotypes he or she uses...[/COLOR]

[DeathBug]

Your race can only control and dictate your actions if you let it. And if you let it control and dictate your actions, you're admitting you have a preconcieved notion about what behavior is acceptable for your race.

That's no way to live. Be yourself.

[boxybrown305]

[QUOTE=DeathBug]Your race can only control and dictate your actions if you let it. And if you let it control and dictate your actions, you're admitting you have a preconcieved notion about what behavior is acceptable for your race.

That's no way to live. Be yourself.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=DarkRed]I totaly agree, you should allways be yourself. The only problem is what i said before, it doesn't matter what yourself is, people will still judge you on that. It isn't you that determines your stereotype it's others. That's why it can be so bad if used or meant the wrong way...[/COLOR]

[James]

[quote name='boxybrown305][COLOR=DarkRed']I totaly agree, you should allways be yourself. The only problem is what i said before, it doesn't matter what yourself is, people will still judge you on that. It isn't you that determines your stereotype it's others. That's why it can be so bad if used or meant the wrong way...[/COLOR][/quote]

[color=#B0251E]Well, I know this will sound cliche...but if people are judging you on some highly outmoded stereotype, you have to ask yourself how much their opinion matters.

I had a quote on myOtaku lately, by Dr. Seuss. It said "Those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter."

It's so simple but [i]so[/i] true. If someone doesn't like me for some reason (ie: if they've put me into some stereotype and aren't looking any further), then they aren't worth my time anyway. As far as I'm concerned, the people who do get to know me will be rewarded for making that effort (and vice versa).

The people who don't bother are people I shouldn't bother with myself, really.[/color]

[Retribution]

[SIZE=1]I'm black, but enjoy nearly nothing a "regular" black person enjoys. I don't like rap, don't play basketball or football, and I talk... properly? Sure, it sounds somewhat stereotypical that I say most African Americans play basketball/football, listen to rap/hip-hop, speak ebonics, or do average in school. But there is a great deal of truth in that.

Anyway, I like rock, play soccer, and watch anime. And like drive_monster said, no "self-respecting" black person would do those things. Heh. So no, I definitely have different interests than the rest of my race. I attribute it to my dad going to Princeton for his undergrad and Harvard for law school, and growing up in suburbia.[/SIZE]

[Sol-Blade]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Well I know, for a fact, that I always get asked the most idiotic questions about why I do some of the things I do, based purely off of race and culture. Ok, up front. I'm Hawaiian. Nothing special, but honest to god, there was this one man who, after finding out I was Hawaiian, asked me how well I was at making huts and hunting pigs. Just, wow. Even worse, was how flabbergasted he was when he found out I...wait for it...wait for it...lived in a 2 story house. *gasp*

I usually know when people are just being sarcastic, but just wow. This man was really clueless.

Ahem, anyways I think it's wrong to say that, certain careers go to certain races. Sure, they may be more of one race in a career than another, but that still doesn't mean that Blacks are automatically gonna be basketball players. Or Whites are gonna be come white collar office lackeys. Or that the Spainish are going to continue to deliever food for a living. No, just no no no. Anyone and everyone is free to do what they want, but the fact is that stereotyping is not gonna go away anytime soon, and has become all too common in the media today.[/COLOR]

[elfpirate]

[quote name='Sol-Blade][color=darkred'] Nothing special, but honest to god, there was this one man who, after finding out I was Hawaiian, asked me how well I was at making huts and hunting pigs. Just, wow. Even worse, was how flabbergasted he was when he found out I...wait for it...wait for it...lived in a 2 story house. *gasp*[/color][/quote]
[b]I'm not even Hawai'ian (as far as I know) and I get that kind of crap all the time just because I lived there. [/b]

[b]"Didja eat a lot of coconuts?" Grrr...[/b]

[Semjaza]

A lot of this really never has made sense to me. I don't want to claim to be one of those liars who says "I don't see color, I only see people!" (although I'm pretty near to that, I feel), but the idea of someone preferring one thing to another because of their race is just ludicrous. If anything, it's a question of what sort of area and influences you've had during your upbringing.

It reminds me of that movie with Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy, Trading Places (or something like that). The movie has a bit of a different spin on it than this, but it still applies well enough. A child brought up in the projects is more than likely going to be very different from one brought up in the suburbs, unless they feel some need to identify with the stereotypes of their race (or even another in some cases) for whatever reason.

I guess I do a lot of typical "white" things, but I do a lot of things that don't exactly fit in that grouping either. It's so generalizing that I don't even see a need or reason to define anything through it.

[Manic Webb]

[quote name='Sol-Blade][COLOR=DarkRed']Well I know, for a fact, that I always get asked the most idiotic questions about why I do some of the things I do, based purely off of race and culture. Ok, up front. I'm Hawaiian. Nothing special, but honest to god, there was this one man who, after finding out I was Hawaiian, asked me how well I was at making huts and hunting pigs. Just, wow. Even worse, was how flabbergasted he was when he found out I...wait for it...wait for it...lived in a 2 story house. *gasp*[/COLOR][/quote]
I'm sorry, but I bursted into uncontrollable laughter after I read that. I mean honestly, who the heck thinks Hawaiian people live in huts and hunt pigs? Anyone who's seen [i]Hawaii 5-0[/i] or the special vacation episode of [i]The Brady Bunch[/i] is more likely to think all Hawaiians live in a big tourist-ridden city and surf all day.

Anyway...

I remember back when I was working for a market research company, and I had to call a woman to ask whether or not she used a free sample of pasta we gave her to cook at home. I called her home, and some guy answered the phone. I asked if I could speak to her, and told him it was because of a product she took home to test for us. He went to go get her, and this is how the conversation went in the background...
Guy: "Hey! It's for you!"
Girl: "Who is it?"
Guy: "I don't know. Some white guy."

I'm black. In fact, I'm a very dark man. I'm not Wesley Snipes, but I'm not exactly Mariah Carey either.

I shock a lot of people by how proper my speech is. Some people think I'm a lot older because of it, too. I also listen to a lot of music made in the 1970s, so I guess that doesn't help. I also listen to a little bit of rock, and have been known to sing along to a power ballad or two in my car. I'm slowly liking rap less and less these days. I wear glasses. I live in the suburbs. I suck at baseball, basketball, and football. Hell, one of my friends said I remind him of Carlton from [i]The Fresh Prince of Bel Air[/i]. You can quote me on this one: [b]I hate spinning rims.[/b]
I try not to let race get in the way of what I like and who I am. Sure, I might get a few blank stares when I have my car windows down and everyone can clearly hear I'm listening to an old song by Matchbox 20 (that college station I listen to needs a new song lineup, by the way), but that shouldn't bother me. I like what I like. It's who I am. Saying something like "you act white" doesn't bother me.

Then again, I'm guilty of some of the biggest stereotypes concerning black people. I love grape soda, although not as much as strawberry. I grew up drinking Kool-Aid. I eat a lot of chicken. I have a loud stereo system in my car. I also run on Colored Peoples Time?, the scientific anamoly that states that there is a 45 minute space-time gap between black people and all other peoples, causing for us to arrive late for everything. Ok, not really. I just felt the need to inject humor.

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Manic Webb] Hell, one of my friends said I remind him of Carlton from [i]The Fresh Prince of Bel Air[/i'].[/quote]

You're [B]much [/B]cooler than Carlton. People can quote me on [i]that[/i].

[elfpirate]

[quote name='Manic Webb']Then again, I'm guilty of some of the biggest stereotypes concerning black people. I love grape soda, although not as much as strawberry. I grew up drinking Kool-Aid. I eat a lot of chicken. I have a loud stereo system in my car. I also run on Colored Peoples Time?, the scientific anamoly that states that there is a 45 minute space-time gap between black people and all other peoples, causing for us to arrive late for everything. Ok, not really. I just felt the need to inject humor.[/quote]
[b]Lol- I guess I'm one o' those white (lookin) people that think they're black, then, cuz that sounds a lot like[i] me[/i]... :animesmil [/b]

[b]Around here (my family's home- not mine) the whole "Colored Peoples Time" has been mutated into "Indian Time"... for the same reason. I've been accused of running on both... :animeshy: (depending on whether I'm here on the rez or in the city...)[/b]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Do you really think that there is an issue with people avoiding what they genuinely like, in order to appear to be more like 'their' race? I really hope that this isn't what you are saying. Because if it is, I think you need to take a look around. And examine the term stereotype. It applies to a model of a person distinguished through certain attributes...in this case race. Just because many black people like rap [or are stereotyped as such] doesn't mean that they are restricted in any way from liking other music, or that other people are restricted from liking rap. Or does it?[/size]

[Godelsensei]

Alot of people seem to feel obligated to conform to stereotypes in order to show "pride" in their culture/race/whatever. They'll associate images they see on TV with their culture, and try and live up to them.
However, most people just make jokes about the stereotypes surrounding their race, or ignore them altogether.

The extent to which one allows their life to be governed by stereotypes and their race is directly related to the ignorance of the community they live in, their family, and they themselves.

I'm white, and I am proud of my [i]cultural[/i] background: I like to relate all those crazy Greek trajedies to modern media and can go on for great lengths of time, when it comes to explaining every plot-advancement in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" However, I have my own individual hobbies, that have nothing to do with my appearance, citizenship, or race: the other day, a classmate of mine actually asked if I was part Japanese. (I don't know how to interpret that one, actually, aside from its being damn funny.)

[TheBlackSkater]

ya same here. i skateboard and im sponsered. im black big deal. they proboly do that cuz im the better skater. :animeangr

[Gravy Train]

Yeah, I know what you mean about unintentionally conforming to stereotypes. I was born with Aryan ancestory so I feel compelled to rid the world of the inferior races. Oh don't worry, I don't discriminate, all races are equally inferior to the Master Race.
(Haha, just kidding. Or not. Maybe?)

Or as we say in the Master dialect...
Ja weiß ich, was Sie über das unbeabsichtigt Anpassen Sterotypien meinen. Ich war mit arischem ancestory geboren, so fühle ich mich dazu gezwungen, die Welt von den untergeordneten Rassen zu befreien. Sorgen Sie sich oh nicht, ich unterscheide nicht, alle Rassen sind der Master-Rasse ebenso untergeordnet.
(Witz auf ihnen. Ich mache nicht Spass.)

[Guest Alchemist]

[QUOTE=Gravy Train]Yeah, I know what you mean about unintentionally conforming to stereotypes. I was born with Aryan ancestory so I feel compelled to rid the world of the inferior races. Oh don't worry, I don't discriminate, all races are equally inferior to the Master Race.
(Haha, just kidding. Or not. Maybe?)[/QUOTE]

Hmmm. a mass genocide of th human race excluding all Otakus, sounds good I am in. ;)

[Gravy Train]

Yeah...sure, excluding otakus.
That's not really up to me but I'll let you know that the hippies are going first.

[Pumpkin]

I can't really say I've had much problem about stereotyping when it comes to race since where I live, all there is are mexicans and white people. Most of the black people over here act white anyway, and no one really says anything. I think its extremely stupid though if you take what people say to heart, as long as you like who you are and don't listen to them does it really even matter? You should never change yourself for anyone else, cause it doesn't last and you don't get true friendships that way. Anyways, back on topic, I have been joked with though by my non-white friends that say "Oh god your so white!" when I say something that sounds cheesy or a word that I'm using. It doesn't bother me because I know they are joking, and I listen to rap/hiphop,dance, etc. I guess someone could say I'm trying to be "Black" but those are just things that interest me now at the moment. You can't let things like this get to you otherwise it becomes a bigger deal then it really is.

[Panda]

My favorite stereotype of Asians has to be that we all know some form of martial arts. This stereotype did come in handy since my brother and I never got picked on in school since everyone just assumed we had been trained in some sort of secret martial arts method. :rolleyes:

We did eventual start practicing Tae Kwon Do since we figured everyone already assumed that we knew some form of martial arts we should know at least one. We are Japanese but practiced a Korean martial art. As far as the general populace is concerned it's all the same. Asian + Martial Arts = Someone You Don't Mess With.

The only other thing I have done that was influenced by my heritage has been learning traditional fan dances. After all, everyone knows all Japanese girls wear kimonos and carry fans!

[center][IMG]http://www.televar.com/~jkb/fandance.jpg[/IMG]
Geisha in training.[/center]

As an adult I don't think I have done anything influenced by my race. I am definitely not the "submissive Japanese wife". I am very vocal and I married a man with German heritage. Now if we ever have a daughter I am sure I would teach her a few fan dances. I am sure that would definitely qualify as race influencing interests.