Do you have friends of other races?
Posted by ledzepfan12 on Nov 27, 2008 · Member since Jan 2007 · 675 posts
I was reading an old copy of Glamour yesterday and it really made me think. It was a panel of women talking about their experiences with friendships, trying to fit iin and views about people of other races.
I do, but I wouldn't neccisarily call her a friend. We haven't spoken in months and only see each other when we bump in to each other in town. We used to be a lot closer, but its not like there are hard feelings or anything.
I don't think the color of the person should matter at all in finding friends, but I think its foolish of people to say "I'm color blind". Everyone sees color because everyone is a color.
So, what about you?
I also consider myself very lucky to have friends of many races. I have always thought I'd end up with a Hispanic guy-- ever since my Spanish teacher told me to get a boyfriend named Raoul or Ramon so I could practice rolling my Rrrrrr's whilst in the throes of passion. Hee!
Unfortunately, this city is extraordinarily racist and entertains a LOT of prejudices. I usually take notice of people's race just as a point of curiosity, although of course I don't subscribe to preconceptions.
I'm a Chippewa/Ojibway/Iroquoiis Native American. At Work & Church, I have friends who are from countries all over the globe. Their skin colors range from pale, never seen the light of day white to blacker than the Ace of Spades and everything in between. I've always thought of them as human beings.
I never really thought about it until you asked. I actually had to stop & think about it.
I think the answer kind of depends on where you live. In the small Colorado town where I live, for example, there are like NO African Americans. OK, maybe one. And I consider him a friend (although his 13 year old friends might not want me to!). Whenever I see African Americans here, I know they are on vacation! ;D
However, we do have a lot of diversity with Mexican Americans and Native Americans. But our town is just limited in general...beautiful, but limited. :)
I am enjoying raising my daughter to not put any stock in the color of people's skin, which I wish I would have been raised with. But, really what does it matter? We are all the same underneath!
I'm a Chippewa/Ojibway/Iroquoiis Native American. At Work & Church, I have friends who are from countries all over the globe. Their skin colors range from pale, never seen the light of day white to blacker than the Ace of Spades and everything in between. I've always thought of them as human beings.
I never really thought about it until you asked. I actually had to stop & think about it.
Hi there, hikerlady! I just saw Your profile the other day, and it's so cool that You're here posting on the boards. :)
I'm curious though, what part(s) of Iowa have You lived in, and particularly, where did You grow up?
....Like I mentioned in my first post, I grew up in a teeeeny tiny town in the south-central part of the state (about 30 miles SE of Des Moines) that was so far from diverse it wasn't even funny...for the longest time, my only exposure to other races, religions and cultures (black, Hispanic, Catholic, Jewish, for instance) was through TV and movies, and I barely had any real-life exposure to them until after I left Iowa. I lived in Dubuque and Cedar Falls for a few years, and frequently visited Des Moines and several other towns like my own....so, somewhat more diverse than my hometown, but not by a whole lot.
still, like I said, I'm lucky to have grown up in a pretty tolerant and accepting household. I know A LOT of my schoolmates who still seem to believe that their WASP-ness is inherently "above" the rest of the world. >:( ::)
Thanks for the input. I was just curious because in middle and high school all of the different ethnic groups would sit together at lunch. I know they would talk and mingle or whatever outside, but at lunch or at assemblies, they all sat in their self segregated areas. I was also thinking about the de-integration of schools going on in a lot of places and I wonder what kind of racial ideals they will grow up with if they don't have exposure to different groups of people. I'm afraid kids will be growing up to believe steriotypes as true, universal representation of all people without having real life friends of other ethinicities, cultures, etc.
Also, I think its important to be familiar with other cultures'/ ethnicities histrory and background and to understand why racial tensions still exist on all sides. I feel like people don't talk about it enough and want to just gloss over all the "bad stuff" and pretend it doesn't exist anymore.
Its funny that I live in a very mixed area, practically 50/50 black and white, some Asians, and a growing number of Latinos, and don't see a lot of people of different ethnicities out and about together, but there is a WHOLE LOT of interracial dating/ marriage/ parentage here. Seriously, everyday I see at least five mixed race couples. I think that's awesome.
Savannah and David (Nigerian) at homecoming last year.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/Family/NewtHomecoming2.jpg
Could they be ANY cuter??????!!! :)>>>
storm, your daughter is way cute (not in a lecherous way)
her ex is way cute, too (in a lecherous way if I was younger/he was older)
yes.
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