Do you have any black or ethnic friends?

[ringmastery]

90% of Brits don't.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,11374,1264179,00.html

[theivoryqueen]

1. the ones in Texas do.

can't swing a dead cat without hittin a latina!

[troublemaker]

2. Ahem... 90% of WHITE Brits

[BloodyWilliam]

3. Several, but I don't really care either way.

My roommate last year was black, many of my coworkers are Asian, I'm Jewish (screw y'all, that counts! ;))

I try not to notice it. I mean, there's a whole cultural thing we're dealing with, with perception of "different" people, but... I just try not to care.

[Sugarbleus]

4. Let me see, um........

I was married to a black man for 5 years. My oldest grandson is Mexican and my two youngest grandchildren are from the Native American Souix Nation. My current husband is Greek.

Does this count?

[Kanary]

10. Yasou!

And, opa!

:hi:

Kanary

[teach1st]

5. Do hippies count as ethnics? N/T

[seabeyond]

6. blacks and mexicans and kurdish

and found black blood two generations back in husband family, so .........two boys too, wink

and this only matters cause i am surprised by the number of 90% brits dont. i am thinking this cannot be correct. they are so diversified in england. i thought

[IranianDemocrat]

8. Nice mix.

.

[xocolatl]

7. Umm, does my mom count?

[kimchi]

9. Of course.

But only if you count my husband.

:evilgrin:

[Zan_of_Texas]

14. And we ain't all white at DU

I find the way the question was asked assumes that everybody on this board is white. That's a problem.

Why not ask people how multi-racial their everyday lives are?

If they are born in the US, do they have friends who weren't?

If they are Muslim, do they have friends who aren't?

If they speak English as their first language, do they have friends who have a different first language?

And, do they have family members who are different from themselves in some significant way? (Gay men and lesbians can probably ALL say yes to this one.)

[Terran]

44. Thank you, Zan

That was the first thing I thought, too, when I saw this thread. It should have been prefaced by "DU White People:". I do 'get' that it was supposed to be rhetorical question, but still.

Dirk

[AndyTiedye]

19. Happily Mixed for Over 31 Years and Counting....

[AspenRose]

61. Ditto

except I got 5 years on 'ya (36).

Doing my part to make the country 'Randi Rhodes mocha' B-)

[OneBlueSky]

11. haven't noticed . . .

oh, how I long for the day when that would be a common answer to that question . . .

[seabeyond]

16. personally i like the individual cultures and personality

i embrace the grace in all.........i do understand what you mean though. but goodness i could go each race and tell the special story of their culture.

[AbbeyRoad]

12. Well, I'm half Dominican...

and I'm my own best friend, so I'll say "Yeah." :)

[bo44]

13. I am usually the ethnic friend

The odd duck who has many friends.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

15. hey BO!

:hi:

and yeah I suppose I do but I largely refer to all my friends as *revelation* friends...so I don't think much about the black and ethnic stuff

[RandomKoolzip]

17. Mexicans, mainly.

I consider my co-workers friends who I see every day. Since I work in the food service industry, the only whites besides myself I work with are the servers, usually. And for the most part, they're stuck up and unattractively ambitious.

And really, so fucking what? Friends are people you get along with and share things in common with. Frankly, I don't share much in common with most WHITE people, let alone blacks, Pakistanis, Koreans, etc. Among whites, I'm a freak! Most white people don't share my taste in music, food (Mexican at every meal, preferably), movies, politics, what have you.

You don't have to go out of your way to make friends with members of other ethnic groups just because they're different, or out of some white male liberal guilt. The guys I work with are hilarious, and fun to be around. Regard everyone as an individual, not part of a group, and making friends is a lot easier.

Oh, and PS, I'm not entirely white in the first place; my mom was Peruvian.

[AngryAmish]

18. This thread has to potential for a lot of self congradulation

Folks are folks.

[ronabop]

29. I agree.

I'm really annoyed by folks who have "cultured" one black friend, one hispanic friend, one jewish friend, and one asian friend, just to seem credible.

Actually, I haven't met any people like that, but if I did, I would be fairly annoyed by them.

-Bop

[AngryAmish]

46. I know a few people like that

It makes my skin crawl.

[Comicstripper]

69. THANK YOU

Well said.
Yes, I have "ethnic" friends....so what? I've got white friends,too. If you claim to treat people as people, then why classify like that?
And "ethnic"... I don't like using words like "ethnic" and "diverse" and all sorts of watered--down phrases like that. How are we supposed to reach a point where race is not an issue if we can't even <i>choose words</i> without having to be delicate? If we can't hear the words "black", "minority", or "Asian" without recoiling, race will ALWAYS be lurking in the shadows of our thoughts and conversations.

[Cleita]

20. I do consider myself my friend.

Oh, yes I am married to an Irishman and I do have other friends of European ethnicity.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. Hey, I live in Brazil.

Need I say more? I just learned my daughter is 1/16th Indian*. This place rocks!

* Native Brazilian?

[philosophie_en_rose]

22. Of course, I have "ethnic" friends.

Although I do have a lot of ethnic enemies. I call them my family.

:P

[Geo55]

23. Oh , Noooooo....

Anybody know where I can rent one ???

puleeezze.....good night

[Karenina]

24. Here ya go!

http://rent-a-negro.com ;-)

[ronabop]

28. Rent a negro? Come on!

http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/

-Bop

[Karenina]

33. Another classic!

:toast:

[CatWoman]

43. ROFL

I want you guys to rest assured that I come cheap :D

[sadiesworld]

45. Won't...you be... my friend?

Otherwise, I have to say "no". :cry:

(please)

[CatWoman]

63. awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, Sadie

of course.

and you don't even have to rent me :D

[sadiesworld]

67. Thanks!

:hug:

[sangh0]

73. Yeah, but the important question is

"...and easy??" :-)

[Geo55]

53. Ahhh....thanks , but

I was looking for more of a "rent-to-own" deal.....oh wait ,
they did sumthin' legal about that awhile ago.....Damn Liberals

[Piperay]

25. No...

I don't have any friends period. :shrug:

[Greedy Oil Puritan]

26. Yep...

My town's becoming multi-cultural enough that I'm starting to call it Little Montreal (Even though we're 45 minutes from Montreal Island and not even in Quebec) and I have a fair number of Chinese, Pakistani, and Black friends.

Given that I view the Chinese government with the same regard that I view the GOP and the Saud Family, politics doesn't come up too often.

[ronabop]

27. So most brits are still racists.

*shrug*

I don't have black or white or "ethnic" (WTF is that?) friends. I have friends.

-Bop

[muriel_volestrangler]

40. No; most Brits don't have close friends from other ethnic groups

that doesn't make them racist. This isn't that surprising; the last census showed 7.9% of the population from a non-white ethnic group, (and 45% of non-whites live in London - which has about one eighth of the population of the country). If you took 15 people at random from an area, quite often you would get 15 white people.

If you were asked, you would presumably be able to classify most of your friends as from one group or another, meaning that some are black, some white etc. I'd say you'd be very unusual if you're unable to classify any of your 10 to 20 closest friends in any ethnic group .

[jdonaldball]

59. Right. In Japan it's probably close to 100 percent

because there are almost no ethnic minorities in Japan.

[Champ]

30. My girlfriend and aunt

Do they count?

Though that is something I really don't think about.

[union_maid]

31. Everyone I know is "ethnic" in some way

Actually, in the course of my life, I've met fewer white, anglo-saxon protestants than almost any other ethnic group that's well represented in this country. I know more people from Bangladesh than from the heartland.

[laruemtt]

32. my husband!

marrying him 11 years ago was the best thing i've ever done. great relations with his family - wonderful people!

[cleofus1]

34. i only hang out with white people at work....

(just joking!)

polish the uzu and pass the fry bread!

[mrboba1]

35. Don't forget your Muslim friends. Or Hindu. Or Chinese Or ....

I just love that. Using the 'fact' that you have a friend that fits into some other group that you are not a part of - for what?

"Oh. I'm not racist. I have black friends."
"Oh, I'm not homophobic, I have gay friends."
Etc. etc.

That reaks of the air of superiority.
:puke:

[cleofus1]

36. i disagree...

it reeks of being friendly and open minded...so don't feel uncomfortable...reach out and be inclusive...that's not elitist...by definition it's eglitarian...(hey is that spelled correctly?)

[mrboba1]

50. I was referring more to when people say

"Oh, I have black friends," not referring to actually having friends who are black.
Saying that sounds like its some sort of accomplishment beyond just having a friend.

I have plenty of friends that do not match my skin color or nationality, etc., I just don't care.
I don't think it is some kind of big deal so as to go out and tout it as something special.

I agree to reach out and be inclusive, it's even my business to do so.

[Maestro]

37. Tons! -nt

[Bettie]

38. I have to admit...

In my current circle of friends I don't have any ethnic friends.

I live in rural Iowa. I don't come in contact with a very wide variety of people.

When I lived in Madison, WI, I was in college and had friends of many different ethnic groups.

When I lived in Illinois, I worked with a wide variety of people and had friends and acquaintances of many different groups.

Now, I think I know about nine people in the entire state. All of them are white, but then, Iowa is not exactly known as a hotbed of diversity!

I worry about my children, growing up in an area with so little diversity.

[Misunderestimator]

39. I grew up in a small town in Texas...

no diversity at all... and I turned out ok (however, my brothers are both homophobic, bigoted racists, go figure). As long as you pay attention to what your kids are saying and educate them against racism (because they will surely learn some of that at school), they should be ok.... and TRAVEL :)

[shanti]

41. most of my friends are black

and i'm white. i also have a b/w biracial son. my BIL is mexican, nephew is married to a korean woman and my future DIL is armenian. i live in california and couldn't imagine living in a lily white world.

think we mixed it up enough;-)?

[truthspeaker]

42. Um, we're ALL ethnic.

But I know what you meant.

In my case all my close friends are white of European origin. But I live in Minnesota, what do you expect?

[LeftishBrit]

47. Yes I do - but it does depend where you live in Britain

I think a lot of it depends on where you live. I live in a fairly multi-cultural part of Britain, and work in a very multi-cultural environment. And yes, quite a few of my friends are 'ethnic' and/or of different religions.

It does of course depend how you define 'ethnic' - perhaps you could say that I am ethnic, as both my parents are foreign-born; but as I'm white, it's not immediately visible.

[newyawker99]

54. Hi LeftishBrit!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[scarlet_owl]

48. My best friends are different species!

Does that count?

[LWolf]

49. Yes.

A better question would be: "Are your friends ethnically diverse?"

That works for all the people reading the thread, not just the caucasians.

[Turanga Leela]

51. I have more in common with my Black neighbors...

Than I do with most of my own relatives. Spend a lot more time with them, too.

My block is populated mainly by members of the same extended family. The family is pretty diverse itself...Black and Native American by ancestry, with several Puerto Rican and White in-laws and biracial kids. The family has been lovely to us, my neighbor had her daughter 2 weeks before I had mine, and now at six they are inseparable. They include us in family gatherings, barbecues, birthday parties. (Unfortunately, I get roped into those stupid Pampered Chef and Scrapbooking house parties too, but you take the bad with the good!)

But here's the thing. Over the past 7 years, our relationship with them has evolved from "our Black neighbors" to "Our neighbors" to "the Sandersons" to "Brenda is a little crazy, Bill keeps to himself...and did we remember to return the tree trimmer we borrowed?"

In other words, an honest relationship AS PEOPLE was only able to evolve once race was taken out of the equation. When I had to take my older daughter to the hospital at 1:30 am, I didn't call my "Black friends" in the middle of the night to watch the baby...I called my friends. And I think (I hope) that when Lorain (my daughter's friend's mom, and closest to my age) had a bad breakup and had to move out of her apartment RIGHT AWAY, she didn't ask her "White friend" to help her move...she asked ME.

I'm not quite sure what I'm trying to say... Except I wonder that if you categorize your "friends" in your head by color...maybe you're not quite real friends yet.

Just my opinion, though.

[mrboba1]

52. excellent statement Turanga!

and welcome to DU!!
:bounce:

[Karenina]

55. Great post TL!!!

and WELCOME to DU!!! :toast:

[Solly Mack]

65. You said it well!

:hi:

[Screaming Lord Byron]

56. Kinda difficult to live in a Canadian city and not to have any.

[GreenPartyVoter]

57. I think I live in the WASPiest state in the union, but I do know

some black folks at church. Not extremely close to them though as they are more conservative religiously than I am. Was friends with a very nice Kuwaiti woman last summer, but she moved back home. :(

[Solon]

58. Well...

All during Middle School I was part of a Trio of friends, there was me, the Mick in the group, then Marky, he was half white, half African American, then there was Walter, he was Philipino (This in a lily white city!). Unfortunetly, when we grew up, we moved apart, and moved to separate parts of the country. Oh well, also about four months ago I struck out in trying to ask a beautiful young woman out on a date (couldn't work up the courage). She was one quarter Japanese and three quarters African American, talk about beautiful and smart as hell (kicking myself, vigoriously). Does that count? ;)

[ContinentalOp]

60. What a load of crap...

"In Britain we still don't know each other. We are not like Americans who do know each other but have made an active choice to live in a segregated society."

What a joke. "Our British segragation is simply because we haven't been formally introduced to the millions of Indians, Jamaicans, Musilms, etc. that live among us." So segregation in America is an active choice but in Britain it's merely an innocent lack of a proper introduction? What a stupid article coming from the country that's home to the National Front.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

62. a rainbow of family and friends

[jeffrey_X]

64. My wife. ;-)

my mother-in-law, other relatives of her family and serveral friends.

In fact, I would rather hang out with african americans rather than white people. :evilgrin:

[LSdemocrat]

66. Does anyone not have ethnicity?

[sadiesworld]

68. Yes...

CatWoman!!

:7

[Forkboy]

70. I dont have any friends period

:D

[TWiley]

71. Yep, most religions too.

My friends include most cultures, and that includes homosexuals and lesbiens also. The least represented group is fundamentalist- christian-conservative. I rather think they are butt-oles.

I kaint hep it. It is the kinda sinner that I am

[Nikia]

72. I have always been friends with Mexicans

Even when living in areas without many Mexicans. This does not involve any conscious effort. It just happens.