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| Racism |
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Where I believe where racism begins is from the actions of a few people from a certin race. I live in a city in California where it is whites, black, and spanish people that live here. My neighborhood grocery store is a spanish one and I have to go a few more extra miles to get to VONS. When my dog, Angel, was a puppy there was this black family that moved down the street. The family had over 20 people living there. Thier kids would constently throwing stuff at our dogs. Agianst my will, my dog grew to hate black children. About a year ago there was this black guy that wanted to date me. He asked me how many blacks attended my church. My church is mixed race, but still majority white. Then I told him that I listen to country music. Instead of compromising, he wanted me to give-up the church that I love and the music that I love to basicly make him comfortable. Well that idea made me uncomfortable. Now I feel that if he wanted to date me, he could have compromised. Where my ill feelings towards spanish people begin is the fact that they will not speak my language in front of me. What also bothers me is because of so many hearing spanish people that can take a class in english, Deaf people do not get the interpreters they need in a store like Walmart. That really is UNFAIR. And that also is predjuice agianst the Deaf. Another thing is, when hearing spanish people speak spanish in front of me, I feel that they are talking about me. One time I seen this Deaf friend of mine in Walmart. He was at the costumer service counter and there was a whole line of spanish people in back of him. I walked up to him and spoke to him, but I did not use my voice. I gave them the same uncomfortable feeling that I get when they speak spanish in front of me. The point is of this blog is that racism is a evil deamon that comes from past experiences. |
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| To add a comment to "Racism" |
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| January 16, 2007 |
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| I saw the movie "Crash" a few weeks ago while on vacation. It is a very powerful movie dealing with racism, in particular how it occurs in the lives of a number of different characters (asian, black, hispanic, middle eastern and white) who end up interacting in various ways with each other in Los Angeles. For example, there are a couple of young black guys in it who talk about country music at one point, and some of the other characters have difficulty with each other due to language barriers. The reasons for the many characters' racism (many of which are based upon past experiences, like you talked about) as well as the ways in which their racism are expressed are quite complex in the film---complex enough that it is only by the end of the story that some of the people understand how deeply racism lies within themselves. If you haven't seen it, and if you don't too much mind watching certain disturbing types of scenes (it is rated R), then I would highly recommend it. |
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| January 16, 2007 |
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| "Crash" is a very powerful movie.. and it reminded me of the LA riots that occurred close to my home. I think it's very true that who we are, what we believe is very easily shaped by how we grew up and powerful experiences that we can let go of. It'd be great to be able to step outside of yourself to find the pure human connection with everyone, but I don't know if that's always possible.. just my thoughts. |
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| January 16, 2007 |
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| I had thought about blogging about the movie after I saw it, but other things came along and I never got around to it. Sometime soon I will post some more about it on my page. |
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| January 16, 2007 |
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| I agree that racism is an evil demon and that there is probably some degree of it in all of us. I think we just have to be completely vigilant in trying to eradicate it.
One thing you might consider is the fact that people in our country who speak Spanish are likely speaking it because it is their primary language and it comes easiest to them. If you were to visit a foreign country and speak to another English speaking person you would probably speak to them in English if you weren't completely comfortable or familiar with the language of the country you were in. I know many people who travel outside the US and actually expect everyone in that country to speak to them in English.
Thanks again for sharing your feelings.
I love the mychurch forum to exchange thoughts.
God bless,
Derek |
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| January 16, 2007 |
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| Crash was a powerful movie and an excellent social commentary on racism as it is today.
About the Spanish thing, did you know that the Jews looked at you and I the same way? Assuming that none of the previous posters (nor myself) are Jewish... They knew that God had promised Abraham that all the nations of the World would one day be blessed through him (Abraham) and told no one who wasn't Jewish.
It is important to remember that Jesus died for the sin debt owed by all peoples of the Earth. John 3:16 says, "that whosoever believeth" that means those mean black kids who threw the rocks at your dog and the Spanish people who speak their native tongue in front of you.
Also, what if God has been preparing you your whole life for such a time as this? What if your role is to tell these people that the way to Heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus? Nothing else will get them there. If they are Catholic, most Spanish speakers are, they do not believe in faith alone. The Catholic Church teaches faith, plus tradition, plus works...
Let me encourage you to do something I had to learn the hardway. Pray for those who persecute you, for those who despitefully use you... When I figured this out, God blessed me and opened my eyes to much of what I have shared with you here.
Grace and Peace from Christ our Lord,
Brother Chris |
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| January 16, 2007 |
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| I also wanted to add that I admire your willingness to talk here about some of your past experiences and how you feel about them. Doing so has opened up a nice conversation for many of us to consider and participate in. |
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| January 17, 2007 |
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| Well I been thinking about taking up spanish just to get a job.
Yesterday, after I had written that blog, I went to Walmart and seen more of my Deaf friends. Of coarse I talked to them and used my A language (language from birth). I just still think that it is sad that they don't have an interpreter on hand at that store for the Deaf. And when I apply for a job, Sign language is never meantioned as a forgin langauge even though it is. I examined my self for years on why I have diffaculty finding a job. I am bilingual, but I speak ASL (Amerian Sign Language). Now I am starting to think I should be trilingual. |
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| April 04, 2008 |
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Have you ever put the fact that you speak American Sign Language down when filling out a job application. Most colleges today will accept that as a foreign language credit. Have you tried putting in an application at that Walmart and let them know you speak sign langauge?
The difference between your Deaf friends and the Spanish speaking people behind them in line is that the clerk can communicate with them by writing. It isn´t as easy to communicate with someone who does not understand English very well. It takes a long time to become fluent in a foreign language.
If you have never tried to become fluent enough in another language (that you have not known from birth) then you can´t understand how difficult it is. Don´t feel like they are talking about you. Believe me, from experience I can tell you that they are just talking to each other in the easiest way. Think of it this way, if you knew sign language and your Deaf friend could also read, wouldn´t you still use the sign language to talk to them because it would just be easier? |
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| April 07, 2008 |
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I do put that down, but I still get over looked. And Sign Language takes less time then writing things down. To write things down they got to take a minute to find the notepad, get a pen, then write. To sign you just have to pick-up your hand and talk.
For spanish, this is just the way I feel, if they can here, and they want to live in the US, they can learn english and no excuses, but I feel I am going to have to learn spanish, which the interpreters are $.10 a dozen, so I can tell them to stop talking about me (lol) in spanish. Yes I am all for the president putting into law, learn learn english or be deported. They can hear, they can learn.
To me they are both beautiful languages, but I have issues with going to the $.99 Store and trieing to get help, this happened last Christmas, and the employee not understanding a word I am saying and she was the cashier. Then my friend says, at her McDonalds, the cashiers barely speak english and they are screwing-up orders from english speaking costumers. Also I love the neighborhood Spanish store, but I perfer not to ask for help when finding stuff, unless I get real lost, that is because I ask in english, then they speak to another employee in spanish, I perfer english if it is refering to me.
So I still stick by my guns, if they have no hearing disablity they can learn english like it seems like I am being forced into spanish. (Even getting people to sign pations for the Nov elections, I have to learn something in spanish.)
(I am sorry if a sound a little too offeneded. My mother got on her high-horse about homos working at McDonalds. And I got on thier defense there is nothing according to the law we can do about it and it is unfair to punish a buisness for avoiding a law-suit. In truth I am not for homos, I am agianst punishing stores for obeying the laws of this land.) |
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| April 07, 2008 |
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I understand, Sarah, about asking for help in a store and having the Spanish-speaking person not be able to help because they don't know your language. I live in a multi-cultural area also. And I had to learn some Spanish just to be able to translate English into Spanish for packaging designs, because the US laws include that all packaging needs to be bi-lingual. But if a Spanish-speaking person wants a job where they may work or give service to English-speaking people, they should be bi-lingual also. After all, I didn't move to Mexico and expect the Mexican's to change their laws to accommodate my native tongue. Nor did I move to Canada (which is closer to me) and expect the Canadians (who speak French) to change their laws to accommodate my native tongue. I live in the United States where English IS the native tongue. We also have a high number of Romanians, Koreans, and Iranians. And I don't expect everyone else to learn Cherokee because I'm Native American. When I go to other countries, I learn their language so I may talk to them. Likewise, when others come to our country, they should learn our language. |
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| April 08, 2008 |
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| Right now, the only job I have is getting people to sign patitions. The spanish people, the illegals, always pass me by, then there is some that often tell me they cannot speak english. The truth is that I really do not know if they are illegal. I remember 20/20 saying one time that they get citizenship in almost an illegal way, not requiring to speak english, and showed that most of them cannot speak American.
My B.F's mother is from Indienesia. About 20 years ago she became an American Citizen. She worked her butt-off to become that. She took classes in english and speaks it perfectly. She has no pitty for immigrants that will not learn english. Also her Childern do not speak Indensia. They grew-up in England and in the US. Her husband is Duth-American and he doesn't speak her native language either. She is really a great woman and I admire her.
Another friend of mine is from France. She is a beautiful woman. She did teach her son french, but her grand-kids do not speak french. I think she moved to America when her son was little.
What I can say about both these women is they have not lost thier culture through giving-up thier rights to speak thier language in public. They kept it thought the art-work that is in thier house.
Of coarse what I love about my B.F's mother is according to her, me and her daughter are not womanly enough. And where she is from, they believe a woman should act like a woman. |
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