The PokéCommunity Forums

The PokéCommunity Forums (https://www.pokecommunity.com/index.php)
-   Deep Discussion (https://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=39)
-   -   Debate Reverse Racism (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=365376)

Her March 16th, 2016 9:25 PM

Reverse Racism
 
Is reverse racism a valid concept? To be frank, is it real? Support, oppose or expand on the topic as you wish.

Nah March 17th, 2016 6:05 AM

It's real, but adding the word "reverse" to it is rather unnecessary. Racism is racism no matter which races are involved.

Jay March 17th, 2016 6:55 AM

I love reverse racism. Supporting all races of the World is a wonderful and just cause and I think everyone should be more open to helping and-...what was that? That's NOT what it means? Well then what does it mean?

...

So you're telling me that if I call my father "whitey" I'm being racist in reverse? Oh... that's really dumb.


On a more serious note, reverse racism exists yes, but unlike "regular"(?) racism nobody really seems to care about it... simply because it's aimed at the majority it really doesn't register on most peoples radars as a problem or anything close to that. Racism is of course a horrible stigma in society... it's a cruel and selfish act to pick on someone and discriminate against them because of their race.

But lets look at it as a metaphor. A bunch of bullies get together and start beating up this one kid. It's horrible, disgusting, how dare they do that? Now reverse this.

A bunch of innocent kids are walking by, when one child runs forward and attempts to beat them up. The one kid is pushed aside, the strength of the group easily subduing and stopping him with barely a sweat broken.

It's a simple concept. If a group attacks a smaller group then the smaller group will become enraged at the unfairness of it all. If a smaller group attacks a larger group the larger group is much more likely to brush it aside as nothing more than a passive annoyance. Reverse racism is often acclaimed to be justified as retribution for past acts of racism on minority groups. But that's just a braindead obsession and a return of hatred to hatred.

Throw fire on flames and all that.

So yes, it exists, I've seen it... I've heard it... I've not cared about it because I was a part of the larger group to begin with. It's stupid and in the end it's just as bad "regular" racism... mostly because that's just what it is by definition.

Long story short.

It's dumb... and like other forms of racism, if you partake in it then you should be removed so that the gene pool isn't further contaminated with your filthy ideals.

ShinyUmbreon189 March 17th, 2016 9:56 AM

Yes it exists, Nah took the words out of my mouth. Racism is racism. White, black, brown, yellow, red, it don't matter. There's good apples and there's bad apples. The problem with racism is the media tries to label whites as being the only race that's racist or tries to blame the whites for why a large percent of the black population lives in poverty when that's clearly not the case. You make your own decisions in life, do you not? Yes racism is a real thing and yes there are extremists but they come in all colors, not just white. I got black friends, my best friend is Puerto Rican, one of my really good friends is Mexican, I got an Irish friend, mixed friends, etc and they all feel the same. They don't discriminate against me and I don't discriminate against them. Why should we if we're all created equal? I get along with everybody until they prove me why I shouldn't, like racism. If you're racist in any way, I'm cutting you off. Period.

Lunaris Adamantine March 17th, 2016 9:59 AM

The term 'reverse racism' is just about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Saying "I was a victim of reverse racism!" sounds like a pretty racist term, really. You don't need a special term just cause a black guy hates white guys.

But yeah, racism exists against all types of people. It would be impossible to find a race that isn't hated by someone else for a nonsensical reason.

ShinyUmbreon189 March 17th, 2016 10:22 AM

I'd like to bring up another topic in regards to racism(this just came to my head when I was getting a glass of water).

What are your guy's thoughts on the n word? Not just the one whites use in a derogatory fashion but the one blacks use, call eachother, and even say in their rap music. Why is it racist for a white to say "nigga" around blacks but every other race is allowed to say it? Is it racist or disrespectful to say "nigga" around a black if it's in a friendly manner like, "whats up my nigga" (like blacks do) or is it racist? Why do blacks call eachother the n word knowing the fact it was used as a racist term and lastly; what are your thoughts on whites dropping that word around eachother on a regular basis, even online gaming?

Esper March 17th, 2016 10:47 AM

Personally, I like to separate the terms "racism" from "prejudice" or "bias" or "bigotry" or whatever.

The reason for this is, similar to what Deceptio mentioned in that example of kids and bullies, when you have groups with different levels of power in a society it matters when there is bigotry and prejudice from one group to another. An act of bias (verbal, physical, etc.) typically has more of an impact when directed at a group of people with less power, fewer resources and options.

Example: I get turned down for a job because the person interviewing me is biased against me (or rather, my "kind", whatever it might be). Using my own country as an example: If I'm a white person and my interviewer is black I can probably find another job where the interviewer won't have a bias toward white people (since I'm more likely to find a white interviewer). Reverse it, where the interviewer is white and has a bias toward black people, and I would have a harder time finding an interviewer at another job who isn't biased against me.

All I did in my example was switch the races of the two people, but the real world effects are going to be different. If I set my example in, I dunno, South Africa where white people are a minority things would probably play out differently. But if you're part of a disenfranchised group your bias toward a group who has more power isn't going to affect that group much because they can afford to ignore you.

So, yes, it's true that anyone can have a prejudice against anyone else, or any other group, but that doesn't make them equal. The term "reverse racism" tries to say that "racism" (meaning, often, white people's bias toward non-white people) is just as bad as a non-white person having a bias toward a black person. It's a false equivalence.

Kanzler March 17th, 2016 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyUmbreon189 (Post 9168065)
I'd like to bring up another topic in regards to racism(this just came to my head when I was getting a glass of water).

What are your guy's thoughts on the n word? Not just the one whites use in a derogatory fashion but the one blacks use, call eachother, and even say in their rap music. Why is it racist for a white to say "nigga" around blacks but every other race is allowed to say it? Is it racist or disrespectful to say "nigga" around a black if it's in a friendly manner like, "whats up my nigga" (like blacks do) or is it racist? Why do blacks call eachother the n word knowing the fact it was used as a racist term and lastly; what are your thoughts on whites dropping that word around eachother on a regular basis, even online gaming?

I don't think there are any racist connotations when black people use it. A white person could conceivably say nigga without intending to conjure up any of those connotations, but if you do that amongst strangers and in public, people are going to be very suspicious of you. You might purport not to be racist and all, and sure enough I don't think simply saying "nigga" gets you there. But then you get into the whole micro-aggression thing where you use certain turns of phrases that sound racially uncomfortable. I think what people mean when they find it racist when you say nigga conversationally isn't that they're branding you as an out-and-proud racist, but that you might have some deep-seated racial bias that you're not taking seriously and trying to sweep under the rug.

I don't think it's a white issue that gamers call each other nigga in online gaming. I think it has to do with the anonymity, the cheekiness, and the subversive humour that you find in online gaming culture. I don't think it's a big deal because it should be common sense that what you do in a game you don't take back to regular day life, but I do see an issue where some eight year old kid thinks it's okay to go to school and drop the n-word everywhere and feels he's entitled to do that because nobody's stopping him on an online game.

I think if racial relations improve, then over time people calling each other nigga would become accepted. It's already lost a lot of its racial connotation within the black community, and as more and more people catch on, then it might be the case that the mainstream opinion will change and the word will become acceptable. Black culture is popular, and we see that people of all races want to use that word in the more comfortable context, so it's my opinion that the trend is towards further acceptance of the word. Maybe in 10-20 years time. Depends on how the politics of the next decade plays out.

Bay March 17th, 2016 4:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyUmbreon189 (Post 9168065)
I'd like to bring up another topic in regards to racism(this just came to my head when I was getting a glass of water).

What are your guy's thoughts on the n word? Not just the one whites use in a derogatory fashion but the one blacks use, call eachother, and even say in their rap music. Why is it racist for a white to say "nigga" around blacks but every other race is allowed to say it? Is it racist or disrespectful to say "nigga" around a black if it's in a friendly manner like, "whats up my nigga" (like blacks do) or is it racist? Why do blacks call eachother the n word knowing the fact it was used as a racist term and lastly; what are your thoughts on whites dropping that word around eachother on a regular basis, even online gaming?

Kanzler brought up some good points (especially the part if a white person were to say it in a friendly manner), but I want to add another reason blacks calling each other the n word is they're owning a term similar to how the lqbt+ community owning the word "queer". While it's probably not as serious as before, even as an Asian, I'm still uncomfortable saying that to another black person even if we know each other really, really well.

gimmepie March 17th, 2016 9:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nah (Post 9167803)
It's real, but adding the word "reverse" to it is rather unnecessary. Racism is racism no matter which races are involved.

I have nothing else to add, but someone please give this man a medal. It's stupid to live in a society where race determines anything and we as a society need to change this.

Lunaris Adamantine March 17th, 2016 10:40 PM

I work with about 16 or so black guys. The word 'Nigguh' is thrown around constantly. I don't say it often, usually only when I'm making racist jokes. (Before anyone bashes me for it, the black guys love my racist jokes. They know I'm not actually racist.)

It seems I get called a nigguh more often than any one of them. I couldn't be more accepted by them if I were Haitian as well.

Kanzler March 17th, 2016 10:59 PM

I'm going to be the contrarian here and say that, yeah, reverse racism is a valid concept. A lot of people conceptualize racism as a kind of discrimination through which a dominant race oppresses a marginalized race. Reverse racism would then be the case where racially-based discrimination occurs in the opposite direction, in favour of the marginalized race and against the dominant race. In this context of dominant-marginalized groups, the idea of reverse racism makes sense. We can argue whether or not it exists, or whether it's substantive, but when racism is understood in this way, then there exists the conceptual space for reverse racism. Keep in mind validity =/= truth, but I'd say it's pretty valid.

Keiran March 18th, 2016 5:21 AM

When you hear someone (who is educated on the topic) say "reverse-racism doesn't exist", they're talking about racism using a socioeconomic viewpoint. They're not saying PoC can't be mean to white people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyUmbreon189 (Post 9168037)
tries to blame the whites for why a large percent of the black population lives in poverty when that's clearly not the case.

Considering white Europeans stole Africans from their countries, enslaved them for centuries and upon granting them freedom made it nearly impossible for them to own land, vote, or acquire education - and still makes it difficult to this very day - I'm going to say you aren't entirely correct about that statement being wrong. This example has more to do with how racism affects entire races on a socioeconomic level, rather than what most people see racism as (prejudice against another race). Like I said, when people (who are educated on the topic) say that reverse-racism doesn't exist, they're saying it's literally impossible due to socioeconomic status. They're not talking about being prejudice.

Also, when you finished your sentence with "when that's clearly not the case" you are implying that the vast majority of a race are impoverished for obvious reasons. I'd like to hear what they are?

ShinyUmbreon189 March 18th, 2016 9:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keiran (Post 9169037)
Also, when you finished your sentence with "when that's clearly not the case" you are implying that the vast majority of a race are impoverished for obvious reasons. I'd like to hear what they are?

I came from what you can call the "streets" which would be considered poverty level living and I lived in a black dominant neighborhood. With that being said, it's hard to get yourself out of the hood because lack of opportunity but there is opportunity, they still make their own decisions that results their outcome in life. From where I'm from a lot got a free ride to better themselves (community college ) but they'd rather hustle on campus rather than attend their classes and actually try. then when they fail out they blame the white man for their "struggle" when they simply blew off the thing that would better their lives. They say their poor yet they're wearing designer clothing (true religion, polo, gotti, Jordan etc), I'm sorry but if you're wearing designer clothing you aren't poor. You aren't poor if you can afford a $300 pair of jeans, $250 pair of shoes, $1000 coat, etc. You especially aren't poor if you can afford designer clothing and be living off welfare and food stamps. They say their poor but they're making more than most of us on this forum. Some rack in bands a week easily depending on what they push on the block (which the white man did give them but they don't have to sell it). You make your own decisions in life.

Keiran March 18th, 2016 9:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinyUmbreon189 (Post 9169250)
I came from what you can call the "streets" which would be considered poverty level living and I lived in a black dominant neighborhood. With that being said, it's hard to get yourself out of the hood because lack of opportunity but there is opportunity, they still make their own decisions that results their outcome in life. From where I'm from a lot got a free ride to better themselves (community college ) but they'd rather hustle on campus rather than attend their classes and actually try. then when they fail out they blame the white man for their "struggle" when they simply blew off the thing that would better their lives. They say their poor yet they're wearing designer clothing (true religion, polo, gotti, Jordan etc), I'm sorry but if you're wearing designer clothing you aren't poor. You aren't poor if you can afford a $300 pair of jeans, $250 pair of shoes, $1000 coat, etc. You especially aren't poor if you can afford designer clothing and be living off welfare and food stamps. They say their poor but they're making more than most of us on this forum. Some rack in bands a week easily depending on what they push on the block (which the white man did give them but they don't have to sell it). You make your own decisions in life.

And this is all behaviour that you feel the majority of black people exhibit?

ShinyUmbreon189 March 18th, 2016 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keiran (Post 9169272)
And this is all behaviour that you feel the majority of black people exhibit?

In general, no. In the streets, yes, sorta. In the streets you got piss poor blacks (black community streets) where they're homeless asking for money and you got the trappers claiming their poor when their actually quite wealthy considering they wear designer clothing, and you got the ones trying to get out that doesn't want to get involved with that lifestyle and that actually strive to succeed in life. But a larger percentage are hustlers claiming their poor when they're not.

I actually had a conversation with one of my black friends awhile back and he's from the streets more so than I am. We were talking about how some would rather buy designer clothing and shit they don't need than to buy stuff their child needs. We know niggas that literally let their kids starve because they'd rather buy something that benefits them more. They put themselves before their child. Not all, but some.

Somewhere_ March 18th, 2016 12:03 PM

I do not know how prevalent "reverse racism" is, but its most certainly 1) possible 2) real. The reverse part should be removed because racism is racism.

Kanzler March 18th, 2016 12:07 PM

I don't see the logic behind referring to the idea of reverse racism as just racism, and not reverse racism. What's so bad about acknowledging that reverse racism is just a type of racism? We don't say let's not call black people "black people" because people are people.

Actually I take that back, I think some people feel strongly about that last point.

Nah March 18th, 2016 12:41 PM

The "reverse" part doesn't make sense to me really. What's "reverse" about it?

Nah March 18th, 2016 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyMustang (Post 9169453)
What part doesn't? I only had to read the title to know what the thread was about.

Typically when people say "reverse racism" they mean that a black person is being racist towards white people, and as if the only other way is white people being racist towards black people. But racism isn't a binary thing like that. Racism is simply just discrimination towards people based on their race, nothing more. Reverse means opposite, and like Deceptio sorta pointed out, reverse racism doesn't literally mean the opposite of racism. So the way the general populace uses the term reverse racism really is just racism, it's not really even a type of racism or anything.

I suppose I'm just arguing semantics really.

Her March 18th, 2016 1:00 PM

I only used the word "reverse" in the topic because it is a concept occasionally floated around in discussions of white people & racism. I hold no particular feelings about it.

Nah March 18th, 2016 1:14 PM

I should say that I wasn't actually confused by the thread title (I knew exactly what the topic was about when I clicked on it), or that it shouldn't have been titled that, I'm just expanding on my first post basically.

SingSongBirdy March 19th, 2016 12:41 AM

Reverse Racism exists but not the term. Its just racism to be honest, yep including white. Hate is hate is the same no matter how you paint it.

Sopheria March 19th, 2016 6:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyMustang (Post 9168835)
I agree with Kanzler. This could easily happen in a neighbourhood where black people are the majority, and there's that lone little white boy that everybody messes with. Sounds silly but yes, it happens.

It doesn't sound silly at all, and yea, it happens all the time, I've seen it countless times -_-

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanzler (Post 9169392)
I don't see the logic behind referring to the idea of reverse racism as just racism, and not reverse racism. What's so bad about acknowledging that reverse racism is just a type of racism? We don't say let's not call black people "black people" because people are people.

The Mirriam-Webster definition of racism:

"the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

"prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."

There's nothing in the definition of the word that would make "reverse" an applicable adjective. It doesn't specify racism as being directed in any particular direction, so adding "reverse" doesn't make sense and is an invalid use of the English language at best, and semantically harmful at worst because it redefines the word racism (sans qualifiers) to strictly mean white-on-black racism and consequently sneaks in the implication that somehow white-on-black racism is "worse" or "different" than any other kind of racism, and it's not. Viewing races as somehow being "different kinds of people" and treating them differently as a result is the actual problem with racism, not the particulars of the races involved.

Kanzler March 19th, 2016 7:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sopheria (Post 9170385)
The Mirriam-Webster definition of racism:

"the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

"prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."

There's nothing in the definition of the word that would make "reverse" an applicable adjective. It doesn't specify racism as being directed in any particular direction, so adding "reverse" doesn't make sense and is an invalid use of the English language at best, and semantically harmful at worst because it redefines the word racism (sans qualifiers) to strictly mean white-on-black racism and consequently sneaks in the implication that somehow white-on-black racism is "worse" or "different" than any other kind of racism, and it's not. Viewing races as somehow being "different kinds of people" and treating them differently as a result is the actual problem with racism, not the particulars of the races involved.

Yeah, there's no sense of direction in the dictionary, everyday definition. But there are people who assert that racism involves the interaction between a dominant and marginalized race, and I acknowledge that most people wouldn't think of racism in this way. Under this conception of racism, "reverse racism" would make sense.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:51 AM.


Like our Facebook Page Follow us on Twitter © 2002 - 2018 The PokéCommunity™, pokecommunity.com.
Pokémon characters and images belong to The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo. This website is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK, The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International. We just love Pokémon.
All forum styles, their images (unless noted otherwise) and site designs are © 2002 - 2016 The PokéCommunity / PokéCommunity.com.
PokéCommunity™ is a trademark of The PokéCommunity. All rights reserved. Sponsor advertisements do not imply our endorsement of that product or service. User generated content remains the property of its creator.

Acknowledgements
Use of PokéCommunity Assets
vB Optimise by DragonByte Technologies Ltd © 2023.