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Casual Racists 119119 Responses
Last post: 7 months, 2 weeks ago | Thread started: Feb 28, 08, 4:54 a.m.
- Khurram
Long post...
funny experience.
I live in Millwall/Isle of Dogs. When i was growing up, near leeds, even up there, this place had a reputation for being National Front territory. Anyway, that were the 80s early 90's. Not the same now, now it's on the edge of Canary Wharf yuppie-dum.
However there's still enclaves, remnants of white working class culture. And there's this pub, the George, on the corner of my street. Flag of St George on the roof - alarm bells ring. I walked in there once when i first moved in, and promptly walked straight out the other door - with every white-man's eye following me. Unnerving experience, but if you're a shade of brown, you know whatsup when you get that "vibe".
So well anyway i got these flatmates who go there a lot. Hell of a lot. They know all the locals, all the locals know them. They hang out with them in and out of the pub. They told me few months ago, summat like "oh no, it's under new management now, it's not like it used to be, completely different people, a different family own it, it's so much more friendly". Well so they been dragging me in there, on occaision recently. I guess i only been there three or four times.
But for me, i felt the same vibe. I put this down to all being in my head. I know alot of "ethnic" people are accused of being overly sensitive to this shit, and i would never wanna be in THAT category. So i basically brushed it aside and be like "it's all in my head, your projecting your own insecurities and prejudices onto these people"
bla bla bla. Especially with my flatmates being so down with them.So last night i was there with my flatmates, we were sat down having beers, chatting away. And one of the guys, Lee, whose a good mate with my flatmates comes over and sits down. Here are a few choice things that were said between us:
Lee: Where you originally from?
Me: i'm "originally" a yorkshire lad
Lee: Nah fuck that, your parents.. where were they born?
Me: Pakistan
Lee: Nah, can't be. You dont seem it.
Me: Why not?
Lee: You seem too cool. Like the way you talk. I can talk to you normally. I can't talk with them. They're too different to me.
Me: You ever known any Pakistanis?
Lee: No, never... shagged a few! Hhahahahahah - only kidding only kidding. I'm sorry i'm sorry, i dont know any different. I'm just ignorant.
Me: That's ok. I wont hold it against you.
Lee: No, your cool. Your friends cool. Ok, and i'll be honest here - and no offence to your people, or your parents, but you know who i hate? All these fucking Pakistani kids, with their slick back hair, and their fucking clothes, and their chains, walking round like they own the place.
Me: Heh... You dont get Pakistani's round here. They're mainly Bengalis.
Lee: Aren't they the same? I'm sorry man! I'm just ignorant i dont really know.Then he shouts to the pub. "Hey everyone, this is my new Paki mate. He's my Paki mate he is! My Paki mate!" A look of incredulity on my face
Me: Dude, wtf, don't call me that.
Lee: Oh come on. We're mates. If you can't say that to your mates out of friendship, then what can you say to each other.
Me: "Mate", i've known you for half an hour. I haven't decided whether we're mates yet.Lee looks sad. He drops his head. So i put him in a head lock, and ruffle his hair really hard.
Me: Ah relaxe Lee! I'll be your friend!! It's cool bro! Fun and games! Fun and games!
I'm laughing like a maniac, while ruffling his hair in a head lock.
Lee: Awww, i'm so glad. You're my first Pakistani mate. You know, ever since you lot came over here and took over our country, basically, i'm starting to realise that we have to get used to it, and get to know you.
Me: Ha, ah lee, what a great day this is for my people.All this while my flatmates are looking at me dumbfounded, bright red embarassed, mouthing the words "I'm so sorry, i'm so sorry" etc. And then in the corner of my eye i saw the TV screen and there's a trailer for a BBC2 programme called "Has white Britain
become invisible?" and there's a picture of a white guys face which is coloured black by a marker pen. And i thought "wtf??? THis is waaay too much of a trip".Anyway when we got home my flatmates were like, "that was really good of you to take it in such good humour." Like wtf else was i supposed to do? "You know i'm glad Jim wasn't there, he basically says he hates black people." Lucky me!
And really, there was nothing about the actual situation that got to me, or even offended me to be honest. I DID find it humourous. The guy didn't mean any harm, IMO, he was just ignorant. You grow up in a monocultural environment where certain views are prevalent, it must be difficult for him to know how to act around someone like me. In his mind, i'm sure he was trying his best. And i've experienced FAR worse.
What bugs me tho, is that MY friends, are friends with these people. I don't know how
they think they can square that. I don't really have any resentment against them, because they can't possibly know how it feels in my shoes. A bunch of white kids, they can walk into a pub like that, and instantly make friends with them all, and have drinks bought for them, and be taken out to clubs and get taxis paid for. And there's no way for them to pick up on the fact that the vibe i'm getting is totally different to what they're getting from them. Still tho - are you MY mates? You hanging around with this bunch of toothless cockneys? Hmmm. mmmm.hmmm..mmm??? A bit of solidarity.. Or maybe last night will have revealed their gross naivety to them. One of my flatmates is an American from fucking North Dakota, so i guess he wasn't to know.. Another's only 22 fresh out of college... I guess they're just naive.So now i'm thinking back to it, i'm feeling a little uncomfortable. So cheer me up white people! Cos once again i'm feelin alienated from y'all.
- Feb 28, 08, 4:54 a.m. – Permalink
- neue75_bold
You're alright with me...
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 4:57 a.m. – Permalink
- maximillion_
its yr height i dont like......and yes im a heightist
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:02 a.m. – Permalink
- vespa
"Ha, ah lee, what a great day this is for my people." brilliant!
pretty fucking depressing kuz. people who are friends with dicks like that must be a bit slow, at first they can be forgiven for lack of awareness but if they carry on going there / hanging out with nobs they are actually supporting it by not speaking out against it. have you seen "This is England"?
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:04 a.m. – Permalink
- Spookytim
Didn't mean any harm?
That bloke was living breathing harm Khurram. It doesn't have to be overt intolerance.
Racism will proably never go away. I see it in the attitudes of a lot of people who would fall over in surprise at the suggestion they might be racist. Also, I see a lot of non white people slipping into auto-behaviour when talking with white people which i find hard to define here.
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:08 a.m. – Permalink
- creative-
I have a mate who has an uncle that heralds from the Westcountry and has quite old fashioned values on this subject. Anyway, him, his Taiwanese girlfriend and half-cast (hate that term, but I'll go with it) I popped in to visit on the way back from dropping some stuff off in a van. He goes to the door and rings the bell. His uncle apperas, obviously pleased to see him. He points to the van and waves us out. The look on his Uncle's face as he saw us get out of the van was priceless. It was a look of 'what the hell is my nephew doing smuggling a van load of immigrants into the country?'. When his uncle asked how he knew me he was astonished to find out we'd known each other for 13 years and virtually been neighbours in the small town he grew up in for most of that time.
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:17 a.m. – Permalink
- kelpie
its a funny old country we live in eh? I'd never consider myself to have any racist inclinations (except against rumanians, fucking gypsies), and have lived in some of the most heavily asian-settled areas of a city which has a huge asian population, but still after all these years, you are probably my only brown friend (and we've only met once).
I find this a bit bizarre, and wrong to be honest.
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:18 a.m. – Permalink
- vespa
everywhere is racist, sometimes it's best just to laugh at the idiots and hang out with non-racists.
but when i talk to (older, non white) members of my own family i just have to smile and change the subject if they start coming out with racist stuff cos i can't bear it and you can't change their mind with reasoning so there's no point getting into an argument.
but if a friend of a friend tells a racist joke at the pub i'm not afraid to be the killjoy who says "i don't find racist jokes funny." these people have to be told publically that it's not socially acceptable. they might just think again before telling the joke next time.
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:19 a.m. – Permalink
- monoboy
I'm half Scottish, 5' 6" with ginger hair. I'm sure they'd rip the pish out of me as well. Not just a race thing. People pick on differences, part of the pack mentally. Difficult not to take personally though.
And besides, I fookin' hate all them Landaan wide boy shandy drinking southern pooofter tool bags.
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:22 a.m. – Permalink
- Khurram
It's not big deal to me. What went down didn't even offend me. It honestly amused me.
Couple of birthdays ago i walked into a pub with moth down his road, got the same hostile reception. But only then my mates weren't best mates with the said racialists.
It's that disconnect from last night, was kinda alienating.
- Dog-earFeb 28, 08, 5:22 a.m. – Permalink
