People Who Don't Know What Racism Is

[anriana]

I have a friend who lives in a bordertown. He is not Hispanic. He also doesn't speak Spanish. He applied for entry-level jobs that asked for Spanish-English bilingual applicants and was rejected. Now he rants non-stop about the horrible racism of the business owners who want employees who can communicate with more than 50% of the customer base, having to hear a language he doesn't speak, and having to deal with Mexicans everywhere he goes. He eventually got a job but he complained that it was racist that everyone else who interviewed for the job and everyone who interviewed him was Mexican. When I asked him how he knew they were Mexican and not, say, Hondurans, he said it's because they live in <bordertown.>


Things he has accused me of racism for:
Linking him this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fda4_wo6JI
Saying I hate when Southern people call at work.
Various stories about Southern people from work ("I don't want a black tech," "I sure is glad you speak 'Merican")
Saying I don't like Southern Baptists
Saying I don't like conservative xtians.
Talking about Southern culture and traditions with my traditional Southern family members. (things like "there are 3 drinks in the south: sweet tea, lemonade, and mint juleps, teeheehee.")
Wanting to move away from the South.
Wanting to move out of the country.
Wanting to practice medicine in another country
Not wanting to teach sex education to Southern Baptists.
Saying I have trouble talking with Cubanos.
Converting to an Eastern religion.
Choosing Obama over McCain.
Finding my partner's skintone attractive.
Having a German last name/ancestry and not wanting to learn German.
Not letting him "cow worshipper" as a synonym for Indian.
Not agreeing with him on illegal immigration/English only.
Liking Wanda Sykes.
Liking this site: http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/ (racist towards white people)
This is only a partial list.



Obviously I don't take anything he says about racism seriously, but I HATE discussing it with him and I hate that it crops up at the most asinine times.

[AdminAssistant]

Why do people hate talking on the phone to Southern people? I don't understand this. Yes, some have very thick accents. So do people from South Dakota, Philadelphia, NYC, and many other places around the world. I just don't understand that.

[anriana]

Why do people hate talking on the phone to Southern people? I don't understand this. Yes, some have very thick accents. So do people from South Dakota, Philadelphia, NYC, and many other places around the world. I just don't understand that.

I am very efficient on the phone. Southerners are not. They talk slowly, they talk about irrelevant crap that is usually racist/sexist/related to Christianity in some way, they have a lower rate of technical knowledge than other areas, they use gendered terms much more frequently than other regions, and they still whine about when we were down because of Katrina.


Also, I can't understand most people from LA and unlike other accents, I can't use a translator. The accents you mentioned change a sound or two or add some extra words - the LA dialect is practically another langague. I don't know if it's Creole people just dropping the French or what, but it sounds like their mouth is full of peanut butter. Open your mouth a crack, put your hand over your mouth, and talk without moving your lips or your tongue, and that's pretty much what it sounds like.


Do I dislike talking to every single Southern person ever? No, just like I don't like speaking to every single New Englander. But when I say "Ugg, I hate talking to Southerners!" it's understood that I'm referring to a particular type of Southerner, just like "Ugg, I hate talking to people from MA!" refers to a sarcastic, aggressive jerkface from Wustah.

[protege]

I'm also a cow-worshipper. That is, I like tasty steaks and hamburgers

Seriously though, this guy is an asshole. He's *exactly* why people make fun of the southern US. Things are changing, and he needs to get over it.

[AFPheonix]

Choosing Obama over McCain.

I don't get it.

[anriana]

I don't get it.

/deep breath
/enters CRAZYville

The only reason you're voting for Obama is because you hate white people! You can't possibly be stupid enough to agree with his policies - it's just because he's black and you want to be cool and multicultural and not vote for the white Christian man!

/leaves CRAZYville
/spits

[Nyoibo]

Yee-haw, hyuk?

[BlaqueKatt]

Liking Wanda Sykes.

OOOO and she's also a lesbian how horrid

[daleduke17]

/deep breath
/enters CRAZYville

The only reason you're voting for Obama is because you hate white people! You can't possibly be stupid enough to agree with his policies - it's just because he's black and you want to be cool and multicultural and not vote for the white Christian man!

/leaves CRAZYville
/spits

So why did you vote for Obama?

Saying I don't like conservative xtians.

You mean "conservative christian" right?

[anriana]

So why did you vote for Obama?

Wow, you just shocked me into a revelation! I'm an uber conservative person opposed to abortion, overtuning Don't Ask Don't Tell, medical marijuana, and all the other things Obama is in favor of. I was just afraid the voting machine would think me racist!

[Nyoibo]

xtian is also correct, albeit less formal.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

But when I say "Ugg, I hate talking to Southerners!" it's understood that I'm referring to a particular type of Southerner, just like "Ugg, I hate talking to people from MA!" refers to a sarcastic, aggressive jerkface from Wustah.

But clearly, if you are having this problem, it's not understood. It's coming across as a blanket statement. It might not be a racist blanket statement, but it is certainly being construed as a bigoted one.

[Arcade Man D]

Things he has accused me of racism for:
Linking him this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fda4_wo6JI
Liking this site: http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/ (racist towards white people)

Not entirely on topic, but those are both funny as heck.

[anriana]

But clearly, if you are having this problem, it's not understood. It's coming across as a blanket statement. It might not be a racist blanket statement, but it is certainly being construed as a bigoted one.

Let me rephrase - everyone I speak to understands it except for this one person who thinks "Southern" means "poor,white, conservative Christian."

[Flyndaran]

Let me rephrase - everyone I speak to understands it except for this one person who thinks "Southern" means "poor,white, conservative Christian."

Then he's just stupid. If I moved to the south, I would still be an uber liberal atheist. There's no magic involved in relocating.