In Honor of Black History Month&

[LadySmith]

Actually, this is because Im bored and inquisitive.
Have any of you or any family members been targeted because of race?
A long time ago, a mob had come to lynch one of my uncles for winking at a White woman. The town doctor, a well-respected White man, tried to talk them out of it by reminding the mob how my uncle wasnt right in the head. When he was a kid, he fell underneath a mule-driven cart and survived somewhat changed. The mob started grumbling, undecided. My Great-grandmother whipped out a loaded double-barreled 12-gauge and convinced them to move on. I wish I knew what make/model, better yet, I wish I had it.
Have any of you ever experienced discrimination?
When I was first getting into construction, Id hang out with my tools ready and dressed to work at this big project going on a few blocks from where I lived. The project manager would come out, wave a couple of guys inside and completely ignore me. This went on for a couple of weeks until one day it was just me pacing in front of the Hiring sign. He came out, looked around, looked through me, turned and headed back to his office. I followed him. In his office I asked him if he had any openings. He said no. I told him I could do this and that, work with such and such tools, and asked if he was sure if they didnt have any openings. He said they didnt. I kept pestering him, saying Id do manual labor, do cleanup, I was a hard worker, just give me a chance. He raised his head, said, Reagans in the White House, so we dont have to hire n**ger bit**es like you.
Ouch.
I asked him if he knew anybody who would.
He smiled, came from behind his desk, clapped me on the back and put me to work for the next 3 years. Just his way of weeding out the thin-skinned I guess.
Now, as Im beginning to enjoy the cantankerousness of middle age, I find myself among what John Aquilino referred to as Gun owners&the new n**gers... of society.
What up, yall. 

[280plus]

Yea, people on the west coast weren't all that crazy about them Eyetalians, back in the 70's anyways. Having grown up around pretty much nothing but Eyetalians it took me a while to figure this out. I'd call it the beginning of my awakening.

[Perd Hapley]

What?!  Who let these two on our forum?     George W's in the White House, we don't have to stand for this!


White guy here.  When I was stationed at Fort Hood, it seemed like the Black guys got all the chicks.  I felt a little bit disadvantaged.  Does that count? 

[Manedwolf]

Have any of you ever experienced discrimination?

That'd be why I left S. Florida. I got tired of Miami drive-throughs where ordering in english got a "Que?"

The loudest members of the Cuban community that are hispanic also unfortunately tended to treat blacks like dirt...despite the fact that like 60% of Cuba itself is black. The families that were rich under Batista were not, and they're the ones making all the noise here now about Castro. The hardest-working people I ever met in Miami were Haitians, who were black, typically spoke a beautifully eloquent King's English, and worked two or three jobs rather than trying for any sort of welfare.

(UN-PC! UN-PC!) 

[Werewolf]

Want to know what discrimination/racism feels like and you're WHITE?

Come to Oklahoma City and go to any of the many grocery stores or restaurants where the owners are Korean and the Restaurant bill board and all the menus are written in Korean. You'll know what it is like to be openly despised in about 30 seconds. I like Korean food so I put up with it but...

Strangely enough it is only the Korean establishments where that happens and then only in the ones as described above. We have numerous Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai businesses here run by immigrants and they all learn English and welcome all to enjoy their products. I have never felt unwelcome in one of those businesses.

[client32]

Have any of you ever experienced discrimination?

I have, based on age.  I have been told by employers that my age was the drawback.  I have learned to ask if this is just age, or the experience that comes with age.  Most of the answers are just age.  Apparently there is a problem with young people working their tale off to succeed, you must be middle aged before you are allowed certain jobs.  I will gladly accept this type of discrimination over what I've seen and heard other people deal with as there is no open hostility, but I still wish it wouldn't happen.

Other than that, all I have is on line with Werewolf.  I've walked into a dining establishment being the only white individual, and only one of two that spoke english.  After we sat down and order the tension eased away.  I was an outsider to the norm there, they were primarily suspicious. 

[roo_ster]

Have any of you ever experienced discrimination?

The loudest members of the Cuban community that are hispanic also unfortunately tended to treat blacks like dirt...despite the fact that like 60% of Cuba itself is black.

Well, the trend of despising black folks in Cuba has continued into its "workers' paradise" phase.  Ever see any black guys in Castro's inner circle in any of the released photos? 

Besides, a lot of those non-black Cubans do not think of themselves as Cuban, but as Spanish.

[Mabs2]

I was constantly harassed in school (especially high school) by members of the "opposite" race.
Being the minority in the area doesn't help.  I was often one of only two others in a class of 20 or more, and the only one of my color on my bus.

[crt360]

I have been targeted by Mexican door-dingers.  When I lived in San Antonio, pretty much everywhere I parked, Mexicans would park big, junky cars next to me and slam their doors into my car.  They did it even if I was sitting in my car.  On the other hand, there were plenty of Mexicans there who treated me with respect, including some scary looking gang members I encountered one night. 

I went to a high school where white students were the majority, but there was a large number of black and hispanic/latino kids.  There was very little racial tension.  If there was a minority that was treated like outcasts at my high school it was the white, long-haired rockers.  I played football and ran track with most of the black guys and a lot of the latinos, played guitar with the rockers, and partied with everyone else.  I think sports really played a big part in bringing the kids of different racial backgrounds together.

If I've been discriminated against because I was white, it was through the systematic admission of minority students of lesser academic qualification into law schools ahead of me.  Some people sued over it.  I let it slide.  I might have been discriminated against on other occasions, but nobody explained it to me - at least not in English.

Of the few potential racial discrimination cases I have had in the last ten or so years, I have taken none after discussing the situations with the alleged victims and finding out they were really fired not because of race, but because they were rude, arrogant and sometimes incompetent.

[Manedwolf]

Of the few potential racial discrimination cases I have had in the last ten or so years, I have taken none after discussing the situations with the alleged victims and finding out they were really fired not because of race, but because they were rude, arrogant and sometimes incompetent.

They ought to call that the Cynthia McKinney Syndrome.

"It's because I'm BLACK, right?"

"No, ma'am, it's because you're a crazed lunatic who struck a police officer. And race does not absolve you of the public duty to see a hairdresser."

[Lee]

"Have any of you or any family members been targeted because of race?"

Being white, and having worked in the hood at a gas station in my teens, in a mail room at a large banking operation in my thirties, and having graduated from a historically black college...YES.  In the mail room I was one of two white people among about 100 employees (the rest were AA).  I was reminded at least ten times a day that I was white and how bad white people were (mostly by my supervisor).  His supervisor, and her supervisor ( a VP) could of cared less.  At the University, several fellow students loudly and publicly said that they hated white people and asked the instructors why I was ALLOWED to attend the University. I paid far more than I would have at the State U.  Does that qualify? I fully understand that reverse racism is not considered racism at all...and that fact has changed my attitude toward racial relations considerably.  I'll leave it at that. 

[280plus]

Yes, I have encountered "There's no such thing as reverse discrimination." in my travels. I DO beg to differ.

[garyk/nm]

I'm a white guy in small-town New Mexico. Figure it out; it won't take long.

[Jamisjockey]

Yep.  My wife and I went into an Applebee's in Brownsville, TX.  Apparently not being Mexican means not getting served there.   Took 20 minutes to get drinks, and nobody bothered to take our food order after 45 minutes.  I flagged down a waitress, "Oh, that's not my table".  We left.
Black History month.... Why can't it be American History Month....
And what's with the African-American, Italian-American, Hispanic-American bullshit?  I contend if you were born here you're AMERICAN!

[mustanger98]

 =DNative-Confederate-American here. My decent includes Scots-Irish and Cherokee Indian. Actually, my Grandpa said we were here when the Indians got off the boat. Some ancestors and their relatives fought for the South. I brought that up on another board once and got a reply from a guy who claimed Native-American-Confederate-American. IOW, he was mostly American Indian with Confederate ancestors.