Joined: 24 Sep 2008 {Posts: 102 } Location: Santiago, DR
Posted: Wed 24 Sep 2008 18:27 Post subject: Radical thought - ignore racial classifications
Hey I'm a newbie here but thought I would like to postulate the effectiveness of just altogether ignoring racial classification in one's everyday lives? In other words, give no deference to supposed or real racial social characteristics and classifications and therefore choose friends and mates based on character alone.
Hey, if you think that this is such a radical idea - think again. I am "white" (as they say) person raised in Charleston SC by strict Catholic parents, went to private school and was rasied in a non "racial" aware setting as I believe is possible in the US.
In fact, we had "black" or otherwise different friends including my best friend, a central American Indian. It wasn't until I entered a public high school and then the Army that I first confronted racism but even then as odd as it seems I was the subject of racism by "blacks" who didn't want me as part as their "group". Unbeknownst to them my father and my faith had taught me not to look at them any differently. Furthermore, my first real confrontations with white racism were while I was in the Army and then afterwords while working in Fayetteville NC.
To continue, I eventually ended up marrying a "black" Dominican women and we live in the Dominican Republic with our three "mulato" daughters.
Needless to say, my daughters will be raised the way I was as well.
I'm sure some people will be offended by this lack of deference to my "racial" background (or any for that matter), but all I can say is I don't believe it has done me any harm - on the contrary, it has helped me to realize that the color of ones skin, and even "apparent culture" are really superficial qualities, ie we as a human race are a whole lot more similar that it may seem.
With respect to my daughters "black" heritage, rest be assured it won't be ignored but stressed positively given my belief that God has no racial preferences.
I'm on the fence as to whether to recommend my daughters working in the US or staying here in the DR when they are adults. There are certainly racial "issues" here in the DR, but they don't even compare to the mess there is in the States.
Anyway, this is my first post and I offer this as a message of hope, and I hope I haven't broken any of the rules in posting my opinions.
Welcome, Chip. Various opinions on racial categorization and racial identify are welcome here as long as they are expressed with adherance to our rules. One central tenet that I work hard to enforce in this forum is the respect for self-identity, the right for each one of us to self-identify as we please, and naysayers be damned (or just warned and suspended).
No rules were broken in your post, by the way. If so someone would have quickly let you know.
Posted: Tue 30 Sep 2008 17:58 Post subject: Re: Radical thought - ignore racial classifications
chip wrote:
Hey I'm a newbie here but thought I would like to postulate the effectiveness of just altogether ignoring racial classification in one's everyday lives? In other words, give no deference to supposed or real racial social characteristics and classifications and therefore choose friends and mates based on character alone.
Hey, if you think that this is such a radical idea - think again. I am "white" (as they say) person raised in Charleston SC by strict Catholic parents, went to private school and was rasied in a non "racial" aware setting as I believe is possible in the US.
In fact, we had "black" or otherwise different friends including my best friend, a central American Indian. It wasn't until I entered a public high school and then the Army that I first confronted racism but even then as odd as it seems I was the subject of racism by "blacks" who didn't want me as part as their "group". Unbeknownst to them my father and my faith had taught me not to look at them any differently. Furthermore, my first real confrontations with white racism were while I was in the Army and then afterwords while working in Fayetteville NC.
To continue, I eventually ended up marrying a "black" Dominican women and we live in the Dominican Republic with our three "mulato" daughters.
Needless to say, my daughters will be raised the way I was as well.
I'm sure some people will be offended by this lack of deference to my "racial" background (or any for that matter), but all I can say is I don't believe it has done me any harm - on the contrary, it has helped me to realize that the color of ones skin, and even "apparent culture" are really superficial qualities, ie we as a human race are a whole lot more similar that it may seem.
With respect to my daughters "black" heritage, rest be assured it won't be ignored but stressed positively given my belief that God has no racial preferences.
I'm on the fence as to whether to recommend my daughters working in the US or staying here in the DR when they are adults. There are certainly racial "issues" here in the DR, but they don't even compare to the mess there is in the States.
Anyway, this is my first post and I offer this as a message of hope, and I hope I haven't broken any of the rules in posting my opinions.
Take care
Hi Chip,
You might be interested in these articles by a Dominican-American, William Javier Nelson:
Interesting to read Chip’s first posting, because after reading his recent answer to me on 'Black Presidents,' I thought he sounded like those people in 'Beloved' who came to get Sethè after she cut slavery. He sounds so hateful!
Interesting to read Chip’s first posting, because after reading his recent answer to me on 'Black Presidents,' I thought he sounded like those people in 'Beloved' who came to get Sethè after she cut slavery. He sounds so hateful!
Codfried has now posted more than 100 messages. This means that he is no longer exempt from the last sentence of rule 1.2 ("Your every message should seek either to inform or to become informed."). As explained in the topic 1.2 You should inform or seek to become informed, "Once [members] have posted 100 messages, they will be required to follow the last sentence of rule 1.2 or face suspension."
The quoted message seeks neither to inform (about U.S. racialism) nor to become informed. It merely expresses personal emotion. This is a formal warning. The next message from Codfried that neither seeks to inform nor to become informed will trigger suspension of his posting privileges.
[A subsequent message by Chip suggested changing rules 1.1 and 1.3. It was split off to Proposed changes to rules 1.1 and 1.2 in the "Site Management" forum (the forum set up to discuss proposed rules changes).]
The splitting off of a rules-change suggestion by Chip does not mean that this thread's topic cannot be discussed. Everyone is free to advocate that people resist "racial" classifications, or alternatively to advocate that such classifications be embraced.
I happen to be among those who agree that the entire U.S. obsession with "racial" classification is a social pathology that should be ended.
But one problem I see is that refusal to self-classify is akin to passive civil disobedience. Such refusal may bring bureaucratic power crashing down on your head. You might not be allowed to register in a college. Your child might be kept out of school. You might not be allowed to vote. And, if your refusal is interpreted by a bureaucrat as fraudulently denying your true "race", you might be jailed for criminal fraud. In short, people who decide to engage in passive civil disobedience should do so with their eyes open to the possible consequences.
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