Which One of These Statements is Racist?

[truthatallcost]

Please explain your answers.

 

[wellwisher]

In a rational and sane world all the statements would be racist. But to democrats, only whites will be called racists for practicing diversity. The Democrats live in world of dual standards. They change their dual standards, over time, to get votes.

 

[Brochacholomigo]

People tend to feel more comfortable talking with strangers that resemble the kinds of people that one grew up around. I was born and raised in southeast Georgia, so I tend to be more automatically receptive to whites and Mexicans than I am a black guy. That all becomes irrelevant once I know someone at least on a first name basis.

 

[Brochacholomigo]

An additional note: this familiarity bias extends to clothing and mannerisms as well. I regularly find myself relating more with people whose accent or attire is like my own than people who don't share those similarities.

Again, this becomes irrelevant if I'm actually familiar with the person.

 

[rocket88]

Are we talking about dating preferences, or in general dealing with people things?

 

[pinqy]

I'm interpreting "I prefer" as "I feel more comfortable around." In that sense, then, those statements are slightly xenophobic at most. But racist? They don't advocate superiority, or disparate treatment, and so not racist.

 

[DaveFagan]

People become habituated by their environment. If they grow up with one group, they are confortable in that culture. Not racism.
/

 

[holbritter]

I took "prefer" to mean "like", so I voted all of the above.

 

[OlNate]

No preference, cool people are cool people, assholes are assholes...both come in all ages, shapes, colors, and sizes.

That said...on their own these statements are not racist. It's the stuff that comes after, and how people translate this opinion into action and attitudes of superiority / inferiority that dictate whether one is racist or not.

 

[countryboy]

Please explain your answers.

Dude, seriously? :roll:

 

[Zyphlin]

I voted for all and none of the above, because there's simply not enough context to make a definitive statement of the racist nature of any of htem.

 

[notquiteright]

I voted silly troll poll...

 

[shagg]

None. Race should be treated the same as height or hair or eye color. No one cares If I prefer blond over blue, who cares if I prefer a certain race or ethnicity?

 

[Fletch]

Please explain your answers.

I think I prefer people who are most like me in certain ways. For example, if I were put in a room with a bunch of white teens and three or four 50 year old black men, I would gravitate toward the black men simply because I, as a 50 year old white man, would have more in common with them than the teens. Our skin color would have nothing to do with it. Preferences have a lot to do with exposure. Am I more comfortable around people of my own race? Sure. But I am also more comfortable around men than women; blue collar than white collar; middle aged than youth; right than left, straight than gay, etc. In short, I tend to prefer people like me and who share my values, language and culture. That's not racist, or sexist or in any way phobic. Its natural.

 

[Redress]

Please explain your answers.

Definition of racism I use: the belief that one race is superior or inferior compared to other races.

None of the statements fit that definition, so none would qualify as racist to me.

 

[Redress]

In a rational and sane world all the statements would be racist. But to democrats, only whites will be called racists for practicing diversity. The Democrats live in world of dual standards. They change their dual standards, over time, to get votes.

I am a democrat. I do not think only whites can be racist. Do try and fail less.

 

[roughdraft274]

Definition of racism I use: the belief that one race is superior or inferior compared to other races.

None of the statements fit that definition, so none would qualify as racist to me.

Agreed. More context needed.

If all of these statements were "I'm white and prefer to hire white people" then I'd say that's troublesome. If it was because they thought other races were inferior then it would definitely be racist regardless of color. However if it's "I'm white and prefer white people" as in they feel more comfortable around white people then I don't see how that's racist unless the prefer white people because other races are inferior.

 

[Redress]

Agreed. More context needed.

If all of these statements were "I'm white and prefer to hire white people" then I'd say that's troublesome. If it was because they thought other races were inferior then it would definitely be racist regardless of color. However if it's "I'm white and prefer white people" as in they feel more comfortable around white people then I don't see how that's racist unless the prefer white people because other races are inferior.

It might be troublesome, but by the definition I use for racism, it would not be racist. A statement like "I prefer to hire X people because they are smarter, or better workers", that would be racist. Simply preferring another race is not, it is racial.

And it is also important to note that "racist" is not always bad. The statement "I think Asian women are more attractive than those of other races" is racist, but totally harmless. There is a reason why I think spending a whole lot of time worrying about whether something is racist or not is silly. That time would be better spent worry about whether something is right or wrong, irregardless of what labels fit or do not fit.

 

[Cardinal]

It might be troublesome, but by the definition I use for racism, it would not be racist. A statement like "I prefer to hire X people because they are smarter, or better workers", that would be racist. Simply preferring another race is not, it is racial.

And it is also important to note that "racist" is not always bad. The statement "I think Asian women are more attractive than those of other races" is racist, but totally harmless. There is a reason why I think spending a whole lot of time worrying about whether something is racist or not is silly. That time would be better spent worry about whether something is right or wrong, irregardless of what labels fit or do not fit.

That's an important point that gets lost in these discussions: many forms behavior are technically racist, but not all demonstrations of racism are equally toxic.

For that reason, I would argue that preferring another race is actually racist, but whether that demonstration of racism is toxic depends on the thing being talked about.

 

[celticwar17]

May surprise some people... but I think these statements are actually slightly racist, or at least prejudice...which people use as if it's the same word. I am also making the assumption this is not in reference to romantic partners... because in human relationships, physical appearance is at least a minor factor in determining a mate.

In any case not relating to romantic relationships...It depends on what you mean by "prefer" Do you prefer the culture of people who are from Asia? Or would you also prefer an adopted asian friend from France? Culture, I can understand... because friendships are often reliant on common like's and dislikes and those from the same culture would more often have similar likes and dislikes. But if you prefer a friend or group simply because of their race, then I believe it borders in prejudice territory. So if you are black, and you simply hang out with the black guy from Iceland, because he's black and you two look alike... I find that to be prejudice. May be natural and unintentional, but it's something we all should work against as individuals and go outside our comfort zones.

I think, it would be more appropriate to say I'm hispanic, and I prefer people who share hispanic culture.... I'm black, and I prefer people who share Black American Culture... I'm Asian, and I prefer people who share asian culture. But even then... if you are asian... why do you have anything in common with a Chinese person and you are Japanese? You wouldn't.... It would be more like, I am Japanese and I prefer people who share Japanese culture.

 

[Redress]

That's an important point that gets lost in these discussions: many forms behavior are technically racist, but not all demonstrations of racism are equally toxic.

For that reason, I would argue that preferring another race is actually racist, but whether that demonstration of racism is toxic depends on the thing being talked about.

One of my longstanding arguments is that we get so caught up in assigning labels, we miss the big picture, and by assigning labels, we tend to make false assumptions. If something can have the racist label attached to it, then people tend to shortcut and think that every characteristic of the label fits. To use a slightly different example of this lazy thinking: Nazis are considered alt-right, therefore alt-right are nazis, therefore alt-right are fascists who want to kill Jews. I can promise you that most alt-right people are neither nazis, nor antisemitic.

 

[Cardinal]

One of my longstanding arguments is that we get so caught up in assigning labels, we miss the big picture, and by assigning labels, we tend to make false assumptions. If something can have the racist label attached to it, then people tend to shortcut and think that every characteristic of the label fits. To use a slightly different example of this lazy thinking: Nazis are considered alt-right, therefore alt-right are nazis, therefore alt-right are fascists who want to kill Jews. I can promise you that most alt-right people are neither nazis, nor antisemitic.

Context, intent and historical background are all key. N***** is super bad, cracker is notably less so. Both are racist, yet one is toxic because of the historical and contextual background.

As for alt-right....meh. I don't have a concrete understanding of what it means and I stay clear of it in discussion. To the best of my knowledge, alt-right is nothing more than people who've thrown their support behind Trump specifically because they live vicariously through his trolling of liberals. Otherwise, it's a fuzzy, nebulous label I have no intention of using seriously.

 

[Sweden]

Definition of racism I use: the belief that one race is superior or inferior compared to other races.

None of the statements fit that definition, so none would qualify as racist to me.

None are 'races' - not blacks, whites, Hispanics or Asians. There are no 'races'. When will the American race (oops!) move out of the 19th century and abandon this misconceived load of Victorian nonsense?

 

[The Resister]

Please explain your answers.

I'm attracted to white women most of the time. I grew up listening to country music, voting for Republicans, and eating a cuisine that is more culturally "white" than say Mexican food, soul food, Chinese food, etc. I still eat some of the other cuisines (especially if Taco Bell can be called Mexican food.)

No offense to others, it's just my preferences sometimes put me in the company of more whites than other races... If I were into 'rasslin, racing and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, I'd be a redneck. But I don't drink and I fall asleep while trying to watch racing.

 

[Daisy]

I'm white and I prefer decent, honest, hard-working people...skin color is irrelevant...