Interesting race topics . . .

[skidadl]

I've always been curious about culture and different things related to race. I know that white folks have weird personality ticks and such. Of course none of them are exclusive to one race or culture but somethings are more prevalent with certain races.

Curiosity is a powerful thing with me and I love understanding people and connecting with them. Like, if I feel comfortable with someone with a missing limb I'll ask them how it happened, how it feels and if I can look at it.

Or interracial marriages - that stuff fascinates me. Sometimes I like to see how a coupe interacts. It amazes me for some reason.

Basically I'm a creeper/people watcher.

So I've got some questions:

1. I've noticed that some black men won't look me in the eye when talking to me. Do they think that I'm judging them? Is it something I'm doing? Maybe they've experienced racism? Why?

I've for a ton of other things I'm curious about. This could go either way in this thread. Hopefully no sensitive wussies come up in here. I'm not scared to ask questions or be asked.


Go.

 

[L.T. Fan]

I've always been curious about culture and different things related to race. I know that white folks have weird personality ticks and such. Of course none of them are exclusive to one race or culture but somethings are more prevalent with certain races.

Curiosity is a powerful thing with me and I love understanding people and connecting with them. Like, if I feel comfortable with someone with a missing limb I'll ask them how it happened, how it feels and if I can look at it.

Or interracial marriages - that stuff fascinates me. Sometimes I like to see how a coupe interacts. It amazes me for some reason.

Basically I'm a creeper/people watcher.

So I've got some questions:

1. I've noticed that some black men won't look me in the eye when talking to me. Do they think that I'm judging them? Is it something I'm doing? Maybe they've experienced racism? Why?

I've for a ton of other things I'm curious about. This could go either way in this thread. Hopefully no sensitive wussies come up in here. I'm not scared to ask questions or be asked.


Go.

I am tempted to send you a referral.

 

[skidadl]

Ha! I'm sure nobody wants to touch this one because it's better to just think things and not talk about it.

 

[skidadl]

White people are the most uncomfortable with physical interaction. Mexicans love to kiss it on the face and have less space boundaries.

White people - uptight

 

[Cotton]

Oh, this will end well.

 

[skidadl]

Haha come on man! It's in the appropriate area of the board.

 

[Cotton]

White people are the most uncomfortable with physical interaction. Mexicans love to kiss it on the face and have less space boundaries.

White people - uptight

I can tell you, I actually more lean towards the Mexican culture. Maybe it's being around them a lot. Maybe it's because a big part of my family lived in Texas when it was still Mexico and that has somehow carried through the years.

 

[Cotton]

One generalization that can be confirmed is Irish loving potatoes. A huge part of my heritage was Irish, and I friggin love potatoes. Like really a whole lot.

 

[skidadl]

I had a friend down the street that was autistic - awesome kid. He spent a ton of time at our house because our kids thought he was cool. Instead of being uncomfortable I asked the parents how to handle him. They were happy that o cared so we talked about it a bunch. They are some of our best friends now. I wasn't afraid to ask so we became closer. Matter of fact, the dad worked for me as my lead guy for 3 years.

Isn't it better to just talk about stuff instead of being afraid?

 

[skidadl]

One generalization that can be confirmed is Irish loving potatoes. A huge part of my heritage was Irish, and I friggin love potatoes. Like really a whole lot.

If you grew up poor, in west Texas and white like me you were very familiar with potatoes, beans, cornbread and fried chicken.

 

[skidadl]

Am I racist because of this? lol

Oh lord help me.

 

[Cotton]

I had a friend down the street that was autistic - awesome kid. He spent a ton of time at our house because our kids thought he was cool. Instead of being uncomfortable I asked the parents how to handle him. They were happy that o cared so we talked about it a bunch. They are some of our best friends now. I wasn't afraid to ask so we became closer. Matter of fact, the dad worked for me as my lead guy for 3 years.

Isn't it better to just talk about stuff instead of being afraid?

I hate when people get sensitive about my daughter. They flinch when they hear or say the word retarded. I'm like, dude, it's just a fucking word. I say retarded all the time. I had much rather people just open up and talk about things instead of dancing around it. But, our society has programmed us to be super-sensitive to anything that might even be remotely offensive.

 

[Cotton]

If you grew up poor, in west Texas and white like me you were very familiar with potatoes, beans, cornbread and fried chicken.

We still eat red beans and cornbread on Sunday. Like a lot. I still love it even though I have eaten it thousands of times in my life.

It just tastes better now that I want to eat it, instead of having no other choice.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

1. I've noticed that some black men won't look me in the eye when talking to me. Do they think that I'm judging them? Is it something I'm doing? Maybe they've experienced racism? Why?

You see that a lot with black athletes in interviews. I thought I read that in some cultures/areas that's considered rude. I always thought maybe it was sort of like how when you just meet a girl and stare in her eyes too long you look like a creeper.

So by not doing that they're actually trying to be respectful... If I got it right.

And on the personal space, it's well known that southern european cultures have smaller personal spaces than northern ones. I always assumed what you're talking about descended from that.

 

[skidadl]

You can be raised soley on near items:

Government cheese
Mac n cheese
Wieners
Summer sausage
Potatoes
Chicken
Beans
Cornbread

White trash rules the day

 

[townsend]

Whiteness is a weird and nebulous thing. We tend to use it as a catch all for upwardly mobile, assimilated types, of European ancestry. We really mean WASPs when we talk about white people on the whole.

I've had a few interesting conversations about white privilege with my more liberal friends, it's such a silly oversimplification. Most "white privileges" are also enjoyed by assimilated asians and other multi-generation Americans of varying ethnicity (although notably they usually have light skin).

Appalachian hill people don't have very much white privilege at all. Even though they have European roots, I would estimate that somebody coming from the hills would do no better in a job/housing search than someone coming from the inner city.

 

[Cotton]

You can be raised soley on near items:

Government cheese
Mac n cheese
Wieners
Summer sausage
Potatoes
Chicken
Beans
Cornbread

White trash rules the day

Summer Sausage... yet another food item that I still love to this day, even though it was the only thing we could afford in the way of "snacks". SS and crackers. Couldn't always afford cheese and my dad was too proud to get govt cheese.

 

[skidadl]

You see that a lot with black athletes in interviews. I thought I read that in some cultures/areas that's considered rude. I always thought maybe it was sort of like how when you just meet a girl and stare in her eyes too long you look like a creeper.

So by not doing that they're actually trying to be respectful... If I got it right.

And on the personal space, it's well known that southern european cultures have smaller personal spaces than northern ones. I always assumed what you're talking about descended from that.

Interesting.

I know that I've taught my sons how to talk to a man, how to shake a man or woman's hand, making eye contact, how to address different types of people and so on. That is very improtant to me. I noticed that black men generally don't follow this very much. I don't take it personally. I just assumed it was because of of different teaching.

 

[skidadl]

Summer Sausage... yet another food item that I still love to this day, even though it was the only thing we could afford in the way of "snacks". SS and crackers. Couldn't always afford cheese and my dad was too proud to get govt cheese.

Bro, SS and crackers are awesome

 

[skidadl]

Whiteness is a weird and nebulous thing. We tend to use it as a catch all for upwardly mobile, assimilated types, of European ancestry. We really mean WASPs when we talk about white people on the whole.

I've had a few interesting conversations about white privilege with my more liberal friends, it's such a silly oversimplification. Most "white privileges" are also enjoyed by assimilated asians and other multi-generation Americans of varying ethnicity (although notably they usually have light skin).

Appalachian hill people don't have very much white privilege at all. Even though they have European roots, I would estimate that somebody coming from the hills would do no better in a job/housing search than someone coming from the inner city.

Interesting