"Racists Believe they are Well Within the Norm"

[AspenRose]

23, where ya at? This study happened in Australia (published in April)


http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/racists-believe-they-are-well-within-the-norm-15234/

"Racists take comfort in an imagined consensus. That’s the implication of a new Australian study, which suggests a possible approach to breaking through bigoted beliefs.

The newly published research, which surveyed attitudes towards that nation’s Aboriginal population, found prejudiced people are far more likely than their non-prejudiced neighbors to believe their fellow Australians agree with their attitudes.

Furthermore, they tend to think the attitudes of their friends and colleagues toward the minority group is even more negative than their own — a false belief that allows them to view themselves as safely within the boundaries of community norms."

[Number23]

1. Aspen, you know that I love you like a play cousin

But this just breaks my heart. It confirms what I have already known for sometime and yet it somehow STILL breaks my heart.

I say this all of the time, Australia is full of some of the loveliest most laid back folks in the world. But they are in dire, DESPERATE need of some racial education. The attitude that only blue-eyed blondes represent true or "real" Australians is so prevalent it's ridiculous. I joke all of the time that Australian "diversity" means showing white people with dark hair. You should see the representation of Australians in the media, government, business etc. It's like America 100 years ago. And America still has a LONG damn way to go so you can just imagine how sadly behind the times it is here.

I can't walk more than five steps out of my house without seeing Afghan Aussies. Chinese Aussies. Aboriginal Aussies. Lebanese Aussies (TONS of Lebanese folks here) and growing numbers of Sundanese Aussies. And yet, I can count on one hand the number of people with melanin that are positively portrayed in Aussie media and culture.

Exhibit A: This girl was featured on the cover of Vogue Australia next to a caption that said "A new kind of beauty." She is an Aboriginal model. I saw that cover and it was all I could not to burst out laughing and crying simultaneously. This "kind of beauty" (Aboriginal beauty) has graced this planet for nearly a THOUSAND years. The fact that it is so overlooked, minimized and dismissed here is nothing short of shameful.

And it's just common for far too many (though certainly not all) Australians to look at the world this way. I have lost count of the number of white Australians who comment that "they were the only Australian looking people in a room" meaning that they were the only white person in a room. Or that someone was a "new Australian" meaning that they weren't white. Ironically, some of the folks they call "new Australians" are 3rd and 4th generation Aussie. But because they may have more melanin than folks are used to, they get the "new Australian" brand. It's amazing.

Australia is a lovely place to live, I am glad that my daughters have dual citizenship here. But I can't pretend that so much of what's in this article isn't true. Thanks for posting even though it's broken my heart! :cry: :cry: :pals:

[AspenRose]

2. We contemplated spending some time in Austria

until one of my husband's former co-workers (who is an American of Pakistani/Indian origin) strongly advised us against it. Her reason: Austrian prejudice against blacks.

This article also backs up what she's told us about her time living in Vienna. One story in particular stood out for me; she and several friends went out and the waitstaff totally ignored the black person in their group. TOTALLY. Didn't speak to them; no acknowledgement whatsoever. They didn't exist. :wtf:

:hug:

[FrenchieCat]

3. France ain't too much better.

My cousins who have lived there their whole lives
can testify to that!

[bliss_eternal]

4. wow...

:( ...that's so sad to hear.

[Brewman_Jax]

5. And they look different, too

The US isn't much different. "True" racists are the hood-wearing, cross-burning, goose-stepping, n-word calling, confederate flag-waving, pickup-truck-with-the-gunrack, pot-bellied, overall-wearing inbred yahoos that don't look like "regular" people. As long as they don't have any of the above "qualifications", then they aren't really racist.

[bliss_eternal]

6. sadly, very true...

:(...but from time to time, it's good to remember the reality.