Living with Racism
Like many of you, I am saddened and angered by the racism and violence that has been going on recently. But they really have been part of reality all my long life. Being white has given me advantages that I didn't even recognize when I was young, because white was "normal." That some ancestors on my father's side had been slaveholders never meant anything to me because it was so many years before.
Now I live in a town in New Mexico where about half the population is Mexican-American. My husband and I bought a house in the part of town that was historically for "them" partly because the yards are larger and we do gardening. Also, when we went to look at the house, a Mexican-American man who lives next door was very welcoming. I asked him if we would encounter any unfriendliness for living in this neighborhood, and he said indeed not. He was right and he has turned out to be one of our closest friends. Interestingly we are called "whites" rather than "Anglos" as I was used to when I lived in Mexico.
Here at WA, one thing I treasure is that the people come from many countries and races. I find it comforting in this time especially, to have friends here of all backgrounds.
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There is only ONE race. The Human Race!
This thing they call "racism" is to divide us!
Shame on parents that raise their children to hate someone just because they're of another color or nationality.
My grandfather was very prejudice against anyone that wasn't his nationality. My mom had to give him a reality smack because he slammed Italians, and I'm part Italian. He kept his mouth shut after that.
My mom didn't raise me that way, which is kind of odd since her mom and dad were prejudice.
Some people are so stupid and just plain blinded by their upbringing, and the media fuels that fire. It makes for great ratings!
There are organizations, in the US, that are funded by the rich to bus people around to the cities to cause the mayhem were seeing.
There's an agenda taking place right before our eyes.
It's called "Order out of Chaos". Research it.
May you all be safe in these turbulent times!
Peace,
Josette
Great post!
Yes, racism is really the worm in the beautiful, so juicy fruit that is our planet. Stupidity makes people who are a bit limited believe that color makes us superior or inferior. It is the saddest way of thinking, but it is a mentality that will unfortunately be very difficult to eradicate from our beautiful planet. And it's not just the USA that suffers from this, the whole world is sick of this absurd mentality.
Fortunately at WA kindness and respect for others goes above all that.
Ingrid
I like to think that I have the ability to 'understand' most things that I come across in life. That said, maybe to varying degrees based on my own limited intellect in some areas.
I can honestly say that I do not understand racism, in any of its many faces and have no time, whatsoever, for those that display a tendency towards it.
It is truly sad when the color of your skin or your cultural preferences of food and clothing and habits are not being respected. I am so sad and concern for what is going on in the states right now. I am South African and have seen how racism can really hinder the growth of a nation.
I lived in sunny California for quite a while but even there, I was treated like a foreigner because I sound different. All my friends in Cali ended up being foreigners because we all accepted each other for just who we were, no matter what language you speak or food you eat.
I now live in Australian and it is such a cultural diverse country but I feel much more comfortable in my skin here. We all have a desire to feel accepted and that we belong. WA creates a platform where people from different backgrounds, cultures, languages all belong and are accepted. And that is how you build a community, by including everyone.
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I had to come back.
My mother was born and raised in apartheid South Africa. She faced racism all her life until she got married and they decided to move to Lesotho to run away from the then hostile society.
Guess what!
In Lesotho my mother was often labeled and judged for being a Xhosa because her accent was unmistakably South African! Are you kidding me!!!
That pains me so much, and I could never have any prejudice against anyone because I know how painful it is.