Racial Tensions & Lack of Coordination...

[renayiiq]

Ok, so I've got this class, the step thing that I had in another thread.
Well, there are some problems. For one, there's a racial tension in the room. I'm the only white girl there. The black girls are Keba, Lakesha, Alyssa, Lacey, Brittany, Jasmine, Tyler, Tasha, and Lisa. The hispanic girls are Martha, Jessenia, and some other girl (that I don't know). I'm the only white chick. There's a huge racial tension about it. Lacey and one of the other girls (Morene, my source of info, doesn't know who she is) have been talking mad crap about me being white and stuff.
Besides being the only white chick, I have the worst coordination. I take such a long time to learn things. The other girls are always two steps ahead of me...pun totally not intended. I'm really slow. Keba says I concentrate too much, but when I don't concentrate at all, I'm still just as slow.
Is it just coincidence? Or does it really have something to do with my race? I mean, I've heard all of the white girl stuff. "White girls can't dance." Or step. Or rap. Yes, I know. But do you really think that it's true?
And another thing...besides being white, I'm completely different in other ways. I don't hang around with the same people that they do...I hang out with the "goths" and the "nerds." I dress like a "goth" or a "rocker" or whatever you want to call it, too. They're all pimped out. And they hang with..well, the other black people and hispanic people, the ones that aren't a part of my crowd.
I'm actually thinking of quitting because of all this.
Help? Insight, please? :(

[Panache]

Well I go to a school with a mainly black students. But unlike you they all think im the cool white guy. What you should do is introduce yourself to them and give them a chance to accept who you are. If they dont like you fine thats their problem. But remember were all black when the lights go out.

[haru sakurai]

treat this as a learning experience. you've got the rare oppurtunity to understand how people from a racial minority feel most of the time. it's a little uncomfortable when you're not around people who have the same culture and looks as you, isn't it? at least when you walk out of this class, you'll be able to put back on all the priveleges being white affords you.

as far as getting along with your classmates... just be yourself, and be polite and nice. it's much easier than putting on any sort of act, and people can sense when you're confident about yourself and in general, will respect that.

[renayiiq]

[quote name='haru sakurai']treat this as a learning experience. you've got the rare oppurtunity to understand how people from a racial minority feel most of the time. it's a little uncomfortable when you're not around people who have the same culture and looks as you, isn't it? at least when you walk out of this class, you'll be able to put back on all the priveleges being white affords you.[/quote]

Excuse me? You obviously have NEVER been to El Paso. There's less white people here than there are hispanics. The hispanics own the damn place. And they still claim that they are opressed.
Priveleges? PRIVELEGES? I'm going to play nice and not insult you, but, for the record, being white has absolutely no priveleges.
If someone says something racial to me, there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it. Because I'm white. If I had a good GPA -- no wait, make that an OUTSTANDING GPA -- and if I was one over the limit in white people allowed at a university or college, and that person that was a minority had a GPA way lower than mine, I still would not be accepted because I'm white. I cannot speak as freely as someone of minority can. Did you know that because I am white, if I applied for a job, and a person of racial minority applied for the same job, and we both had the same skills, they'd get the job because people feel sorry for them?
Don't act as if white people get everything. In reality, we don't. Don't even try to play the race card on me, saying that I have all this power because I'm white. That's pure ********.

[Retribution]

[QUOTE=renayiiq]I cannot speak as freely as someone of minority can. Did you know that because I am white, if I applied for a job, and a person of racial minority applied for the same job, and we both had the same skills, they'd get the job because people feel sorry for them?
Don't act as if white people get everything. In reality, we don't. Don't even try to play the race card on me, saying that I have all this power because I'm white. That's pure ********.[/QUOTE]
[size=1]This might be due to the two hundred plus years of racism, there is a sensitivity to political correctness in America. Only in the last forty years have minorities had even close to an equal opportunity in this country. This is why your employer is picking minorities over you.

And yes, you do have more power in the country, generally speaking. If you and a [i]black[/i] woman both ran for office, you'd probably get elected, statistically speaking. There's still racism in America.[/size]

[renayiiq]

Ok, that's it. Now I know to NEVER make a thread having anything to do with race. If I didn't risk getting banned, I would give a piece of my mind.

[Guest Mythology]

look i'm a black kid in high school and we have a majorty of all race and we've all learned well not all mainly girls that remain aginst it but any way not to get into a story i had a friend named rashe who was black but acted white even though we sometimes made fun of her we acepted who she was and the fact that she was cool in her own way (or probaly just me) any way there is nothing to worry abought and from the way you look guy's will alway's like you.

[Panache]

[QUOTE=renayiiq]Excuse me? You obviously have NEVER been to El Paso. There's less white people here than there are hispanics. The hispanics own the damn place. And they still claim that they are opressed.
Priveleges? PRIVELEGES? I'm going to play nice and not insult you, but, for the record, being white has absolutely no priveleges.
If someone says something racial to me, there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it. Because I'm white. If I had a good GPA -- no wait, make that an OUTSTANDING GPA -- and if I was one over the limit in white people allowed at a university or college, and that person that was a minority had a GPA way lower than mine, I still would not be accepted because I'm white. I cannot speak as freely as someone of minority can. Did you know that because I am white, if I applied for a job, and a person of racial minority applied for the same job, and we both had the same skills, they'd get the job because people feel sorry for them?
Don't act as if white people get everything. In reality, we don't. Don't even try to play the race card on me, saying that I have all this power because I'm white. That's pure ********.[/QUOTE]
Well what could the slaves do when their masters ripped there ******* eyes out beacause they read a ******* book. So what if there was a little racial profiling with white people. There was TORTURE of black, hispanics, and asians. So before you go and complain about some small problem of "profiling" think about the past sins our anscestors have commited. Has anyone paid these people for there troubles? No. They just sit there and deal with it. I may be the cool white kid but I have seen more horrifying things happen to minoritys than you can possibly understand.

[b][color=DarkGreen][size=1]Avenged666fold, I have warned you before about your use of bad language. Put a cap on it, NOW. Go outside, take a breather, kick a tree or something, calm down, THEN post, and maybe you can respond in a more considered manner.
[/size][/color][/b] [right][color=DarkGreen][size=1]-Raiyuu[/size][/color]
[/right]

[Kei]

[color=darkblue][size=1]Let's not go into all that type of stuff here. True, we can't ignore that these things happened, but focusing on them here will only turn into an arguing match that no one should have to deal with on an online message board of all places.

Anyway, the only thing that I can tell you would be to ignore them and do what you can. If you learn at a slower pace than the other girls, you just learn at a slower pace than the other girls. It's not that big of a refelction on you, except that you take a bit longer to learn certain things than others.[/color][/size]

[childofthemorgu]

I think it is getting a little stupid with the race card thing. It seems that race has so much to do with personality when it doesn't. It should not matter if you act a certian way whether you are white, black, asian, or whatever. Ussually who you are is based on your personal experience and who you hang with in your life. Just remember that.

Anyway in this case I think it is the fact you lack in coordination. If you are on this team and everyone is way faster then you then in reality you are slowing them down. If there was more then one then I can see staying and maybe even getting help but there is only you (it seems like). I suggest just working on it everyday and if you don't get better then quite. It saves you from dealing with the girls on the team and saves you humilation in the end. Your coordination is do to your personally and not to your race. Yes sometimes it seems that but it is not true.

[renayiiq]

[quote name='Avenged666fold']Well what could the slaves do when their masters ripped there ******* eyes out beacause they read a ******* book. So what if there was a little racial profiling with white people. There was TORTURE of black, hispanics, and asians. So before you go and complain about some small problem of "profiling" think about the past sins our anscestors have commited. Has anyone paid these people for there troubles? No. They just sit there and deal with it. I may be the cool white kid but I have seen more horrifying things happen to minoritys than you can possibly understand.[/quote]

You do know that this happened a long time ago, not now?
Profiling is just as bad as torture in my eyes. Actually, I'd rather be tortured than profiled. I really would.
Why pay someone for being helpless? People are suppose to pay their own way. Things aren't just given to you. Unless you're not white. Then the world is on a silver platter for you. They have racial scholarships...I don't see most of these kids working their ***** off to earn them, they just get them because they're not white.

You're not white. You're "other." You're the white person who bashes your own race. Anyone who bashes their own race, no matter what race they are, is "other."
Horrifying? I highly doubt your credibility. You're just another person who is bringing America's eventual downfall. There's no equality here anymore, and you know why? Because everyone's screaming, "Oh no! It's the 21st century, and the minorities can do anything that white people can do...but the "white man" is oppressing us! Our rights!" Yeah...what about my rights? I forgot! I'm a cracker and I'm self-absorbed in my own race, and I must embrace everyone else's culture except my own, and there's actual studies in universities, called studies of "whiteness," basically bashing my race, but I should be okay with that, because I'm currently oppressing people, because I'm white...even though I'm not a descendant of anyone who owned a slave in this country, because my family was too poor on one side, and the other side came over in the early 1900s, I'm to blame, because I'm white.
Yeah I see how it is, every time someone who's not white has something bad happen to them, it's a white person's fault. Police brutality, didn't get into college because they didn't work their *** off in high school to get that really nice scholarship, oh yeah, it's our fault. We're oppressing them. Stop playing the race card, America. Wake up.
Did you know that El Paso (where I live) actually has a majority of hispanics and a minority of whites, asians, and blacks? Did you know that they still give out minority scholarships to hispanics in this city, even though there are more hispanics than any other race in this city? You don't live here, so of course you wouldn't know.

[haru sakurai]

[QUOTE=renayiiq]Excuse me? You obviously have NEVER been to El Paso. There's less white people here than there are hispanics. The hispanics own the damn place. And they still claim that they are opressed.
[b]Priveleges? PRIVELEGES? I'm going to play nice and not insult you, but, for the record, being white has absolutely no priveleges.[/b]
If someone says something racial to me, there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it. Because I'm white. If I had a good GPA -- no wait, make that an OUTSTANDING GPA -- and if I was one over the limit in white people allowed at a university or college, and that person that was a minority had a GPA way lower than mine, I still would not be accepted because I'm white. [b]I cannot speak as freely as someone of minority can. Did you know that because I am white, if I applied for a job, and a person of racial minority applied for the same job, and we both had the same skills, they'd get the job because people feel sorry for them?[/b]
Don't act as if white people get everything. In reality, we don't. Don't even try to play the race card on me, saying that I have all this power because I'm white. That's pure ********.[/QUOTE]

the biggest white privelege of all is being able to claim to be ignorant of it, just as the biggest American privelege is to be ignorant of other countries. when you're on top, why give a damn about who's on the bottom as long as they keep you on top? why should you be aware of it? why not just put on that you're persecuted even though minorities are laughably misrepresented in the government, in the media, in the financial arena. did you ever wonder why there's a bigger amount of minorities is sports that become stars than say, movies or music? it's because you can't cheat as easily in sports. you're either talented or you're not. there's absolutely no logic for there not to be the same amount of representations of minorities in movies, music, politics or business, because it's the same amount of people, isn't it? do you think that there are somehow less people of minorities that have the ability and talent to be involved in acting, music, politics or business? no, they just have a hell of a lot more odds stacked against them to succeed. what other possible explanation is there for it? i mean, unless you're willing to say people of minorities are lazy or stupid. or maybe you do believe that, considering you only think some one of a different race could get the same job as you because some one 'felt sorry for them.'

you can't speak as freely? really? so when you complain about your situation, you're not just dismissed as 'playing the race card?'

i would ask you to seriously read up or watch some of Jane Elliot's (a white teacher, btw) Blue Eyes / Brown Eyes expiriments. if you'd like, i could also provide some links to a Havard study regarding applications to various colleges-- men with 'African sounding' names and no criminal record were far less likely to get accepted than people with 'white sounding' names with criminal records. they were also less likely to be hired by major companies.

then again, you could refuse to look at these studies, so i'm not feeling particularly moved to look them up for you. you seem to be pretty comfortably seated in your ignorance. as a white person, you have the choice not to face the reality of what hundreds of years of racism have done to this country. that's something that people of racial minorities don't get to do. as much as you decry it, it is the reality of millions of people in this country, and they don't get to look away.

laugh at me if you want. call it ******** if you want. you're only proving me further right, in the end, and that saddens me. i'd like to live in a world without racism, but just pretending it's not there won't make it disappear.

[renayiiq]

[QUOTE=haru sakurai]the biggest white privelege of all is being able to claim to be ignorant of it, just as the biggest American privelege is to be ignorant of other countries. when you're on top, why give a damn about who's on the bottom as long as they keep you on top? why should you be aware of it? why not just put on that you're persecuted even though minorities are laughably misrepresented in the government, in the media, in the financial arena. did you ever wonder why there's a bigger amount of minorities is sports that become stars than say, movies or music? it's because you can't cheat as easily in sports. you're either talented or you're not. there's absolutely no logic for there not to be the same amount of representations of minorities in movies, music, politics or business, because it's the same amount of people, isn't it? do you think that there are somehow less people of minorities that have the ability and talent to be involved in acting, music, politics or business? no, they just have a hell of a lot more odds stacked against them to succeed. what other possible explanation is there for it? i mean, unless you're willing to say people of minorities are lazy or stupid. or maybe you do believe that, considering you only think some one of a different race could get the same job as you because some one 'felt sorry for them.'

you can't speak as freely? really? so when you complain about your situation, you're not just dismissed as 'playing the race card?'

i would ask you to seriously read up or watch some of Jane Elliot's (a white teacher, btw) Blue Eyes / Brown Eyes expiriments. if you'd like, i could also provide some links to a Havard study regarding applications to various colleges-- men with 'African sounding' names and no criminal record were far less likely to get accepted than people with 'white sounding' names with criminal records. they were also less likely to be hired by major companies.

then again, you could refuse to look at these studies, so i'm not feeling particularly moved to look them up for you. you seem to be pretty comfortably seated in your ignorance. as a white person, you have the choice not to face the reality of what hundreds of years of racism have done to this country. that's something that people of racial minorities don't get to do. as much as you decry it, it is the reality of millions of people in this country, and they don't get to look away.

laugh at me if you want. call it ******** if you want. you're only proving me further right, in the end, and that saddens me. i'd like to live in a world without racism, but just pretending it's not there won't make it disappear.[/QUOTE]

Actually, you're the one pretending that there's no white racism. I'm not pretending, I'm seeing right through everyone. I have a very good ability with that. My intuition has never steered me wrong, and neither has my ability to see right through people. You see, I've experienced alot of things, I've watched my friends grow up (I'm the youngest of the group, and the most observant), I've seen things happen to my parents, I observe and experience.
I lived in Hawaii, too. You would not believe some of the things I went through when I was there, that I experienced, and the things that I observed. I was there for a year and a half, maybe two years. I experienced alot, I observed alot. I didn't want to go to school anymore because my teacher in 2nd grade was Asian and native Hawaiian, and there were two white kids in the class, me and Kirk. Well, she treated me the worst. I would come home and cry everyday. I had no friends, I was threatened because I was...I can't spell it, but it's some hawaiian racial slur for a white person.
I also experienced alot in Maryland. This girl didn't like me, and she always used to call me a cracker and a honkey. Well, one day, when the bus let us off at our bus stop, she started talking crap, and I told her to leave me alone. She started chasing after me. My dad was visiting me and mom, because he was still stationed in Hawaii, and he saw that, and he came and stopped her and told her to go on home unless she wanted him to go to her parents and tell them. Well, she started walking, and my grandmother saw the girl walking, and the girl just slapped herself really hard. Well, the police were called because she accused my dad of calling her a "stupid ni***r b****" and slapping her. Her friends eventually told the truth. Court case was dropped. My dad didn't do that, he was walking with me back to the house and asking me how the rest of my day had been.
I've had various other problems all of my life, since I can remember, even in preschool. I've observed my parents' problems...my friends' problems. You think you know, but you know nothing. You have just...no idea.

[Manic Webb]

My advice: watch the movie [i]Save the Last Dance[/i]. :p

Actually, I'm serious. When racial tensions abound, your best bet is to befriend someone who can vouch for you as a cool person. You have to prove to those girls that you belong there, and that you're more than just some white girl. Yes, you're white, and they're Black & Latina. So the F what? I know black people. I am one, in fact. Some people just like to make everything a racial issue, but if you can just move past that, things will get better.

I know something from experience: when your own fear of being an outcast affects your behavior, you will become an outcast. I'm going to go out on a limb, and guess that you let being the only white girl in the class get to you on the first day.

Also, let's get something clear. You have to let your Affirmative Action issues go. Some white people complain about AfirmAct all the time, because they're afraid they won't get a job or go to college because of it; some of us non-white folk worry about it being taken away because we're afraid we won't get a job or go to college because of it. It's a double-edged sword, and you're not going to win any arguments over it this decade. Also, unless you're trying to get into an Ivy League school, I wouldn't worry about it ruining your chances to get into college. By the way, there are scholarships you can get just for being a woman. Should I feel threatened? As for getting a job... you live in [b]El Paso![/b] You'd be a token white girl at any job you got. Chances are, anywhere you could get a job already has minority employees. Your chances of employment are at little risk because of you being white.

I don't know where you got the idea that everything is handed to us non-whites on a silver platter just because we're not white. You need to stop playing the victim, and realize that we have to work just as hard as you to achieve anything. You think everything was given to Condoleeza Rice on a platter just because she's black? That woman has a PhD, speaks four languages, and is a qualified college professor. You don't hand place a black woman as 4th in line to succeed the title of President for the sake of giving a black person a bone.

But I digress...

Stop helping these girls make you feel racially uncomfortable. I know girls can find some obscure reasons for senselessly hating each other, but don't let race be one of them.

[ShatteredPelvis]

[QUOTE]I lived in Hawaii, too. You would not believe some of the things I went through when I was there, that I experienced, and the things that I observed. I was there for a year and a half, maybe two years. I experienced alot, I observed alot. I didn't want to go to school anymore because my teacher in 2nd grade was Asian and native Hawaiian, and there were two white kids in the class, me and Kirk. Well, she treated me the worst. I would come home and cry everyday. I had no friends, I was threatened because I was...I can't spell it, but it's some hawaiian racial slur for a white person.
I also experienced alot in Maryland. This girl didn't like me, and she always used to call me a cracker and a honkey. Well, one day, when the bus let us off at our bus stop, she started talking crap, and I told her to leave me alone. She started chasing after me. My dad was visiting me and mom, because he was still stationed in Hawaii, and he saw that, and he came and stopped her and told her to go on home unless she wanted him to go to her parents and tell them. Well, she started walking, and my grandmother saw the girl walking, and the girl just slapped herself really hard. Well, the police were called because she accused my dad of calling her a "stupid ni***r b****" and slapping her. Her friends eventually told the truth. Court case was dropped. My dad didn't do that, he was walking with me back to the house and asking me how the rest of my day had been.
I've had various other problems all of my life, since I can remember, even in preschool. I've observed my parents' problems...my friends' problems. You think you know, but you know nothing. You have just...no idea.[/quote]

Hi, 'sup.

Those things are pretty rough. Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic. That's really sucky, and I'm sorry you were subjected to those happenings. It really does feel awful.

I, like you, grew up in a place where white people were in the minority. I, like you, was teased for being white, had my hair pulled, was called cracker and honkey, bullied for being white, etc etc. Now I can look back at it and shake my head because their insults were really stupid. They accused me of drinking bleach to get my white skin and blonde hair (???). Kinda funny now that I'm older and out of that situation.

I don't live in the States. I live in Canada, and I grew up on a Native reservation where we were one of five white families there. My parents were teachers and they were teaching at the reservation/village highschool.

It hurt. The racism hurt, especially when they later claimed that only white people could be racist. Of course, that's complete crap--it doesn't matter what race you are, if you judge another person based on their descent, you're a retard. Period.

I can tell you're super angry aboutit, and you have a right to be. You were treated unfaily. Still, I haven't let my experiences make me bitter about people who aren't white (the kids that teased me had their own problems) and I certainly don't let it blind me to the fact that since white people are the majority on this continent and it's only been roughly 50 years since non-white people achieved on-paper quality with us honkies that things still haven't evened up.

Think of it like this: there's a soccer game and one side gets an advantage. They get more players and get to switch in and out players whenever they want, and nothing they do will be considered a foul. So, naturally, they start wiping the floor with the opposing team. Now the opposing team figures out that this isn't a very good way to play, so they complain and make motions for change and eventually the other side says "Well, yeah. We've been rough. Let's make the rules equal."

The score is still 50 - 5.

"Whites" still have an advantage in this society over non-white people, and numerous studies have confirmed it. If that upsets you (as it naturally would upset any fair minded person) then there's no need to go on the defensive. No one's accusing YOU of making the original rules of the game so lopsided towards the one team. All they're asking is for your co-operation in making things more even.

The fact that some people were jerks to you really doesn't change that fact. Whites have an advantage and have for a long time on this continent. So get over it. Just because some kids treated you harshly doesn't change that fact. Take it from someone who knows what you've experienced, but hasn't let it make her into a bitter person.

[Your Mother]

[quote name='renayiiq']I'm not pretending, I'm seeing right through everyone. I have a very good ability with that. My intuition has never steered me wrong, and neither has my ability to see right through people. [/quote]

[SIZE=1]Aren't [I]you[/I] the girl who was bi***ing about her broken messed up, totally F**ked up relationships a month or so ago? Insight? Yeah right. Just keep on crying, because no one is going to hand you a tissue.[/SIZE]

[Stuart]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]Okay, That's it. This thread has gotten a little too hot, and it's not going over very well. renayiiq, if you're going to discuss a topic, please keep it civil. You have a nack for pushing your beilefs onto others too much, and don't always show respect the opinions of other members. I'd strongly consider staying clear of any threads that may lead you into an outburst.[/FONT]