"I'm not racist, but..."

[baratron]

Unsettling encounter with a student. He turned up wanting to have a lesson on a topic that only appears on the IB syllabus - it's not part of A-level. So it's not something I already had a set of notes or questions prepared for. Managed to find some questions in one of my books, but my printer/scanner/photocopier doesn't photocopy books very well.

Comments

[xiphias]

I feel as though I should bring up what he said in anger and point out it was inappropriate. But then again, I do know he was angry, and a lot of people - particularly young people - say stupid things when they're angry.

Why should that be any mitigating factor? Do you think that the only racists are people who go around badmouthing people of other ethnicities when they're happy?

Racism comes out when people are angry.

He said "I'm not racist, but I hate these grasping Asian businessmen."

My response should have been "If you're not racist, why did you need to specifiy an ethnicity?"No, your response should have been, "Wrong: You ARE racist. What you just said is purely, totally, and completely racist, and nothing else. Had you said, 'I hate grasping businessmen,' or, 'I hate THAT businessmen,' that wouldn't have been racist, but to say, 'I hate those grasping Asian businessmen' is 100% textbook example smack dab in the bulls-eye racist. Nothing more, nothing less -- pure racism, and if you don't want to be a racist, you'd

[jinian]

That response would be rather fulfilling, but righteous indignation isn't always the best way to get people to understand anything beyond "that person is freaking out." I think H-L's response would do that a bit better.

[baratron]

Do you think that the only racists are people who go around badmouthing people of other ethnicities when they're happy?

Do you think I've never encountered racism directed at myself or my family members before? Mixed race has only been a recognised ethnic origin in the UK since 2001 (link to a newspaper article from today). Nowadays in London, I see lots of children that have differently coloured skin from the parent or grandparent they're with, but when I was a kid in smalltown suburban Surrey, I was the only one.

I loved the house I lived in when I was a teenager, but the neighbours on one side were racist. My dad was a "wog" and my mum was a "white wog" or a "wog lover". Those were the politest terms. It got worse - bleach poured on plants, noxious substances splashed over the fence when she knew there was someone on the other side, nails in car tyres. Nowadays, in multicultural London, after Stephen Lawrence, if something like that happened, I'd go to the police right away - but 15 years ago in suburban Surrey, it wasn't really

[johnckirk]

Yeah, I'd basically agree with that. I remember a conversation with my mother when I was a kid, where she was teaching me about "those evil immigrants who come over here and steal all our jobs" (paraphrased from memory). I then said "But what about Hasan?" He was a Cypriot Turk that I went to school with, and one of my few friends, so I think that put her in a slightly awkward situation of not wanting to criticise him; she basically said "Well, he's alright, but it's the rest of them who are a problem".

That's stuck in my mind, because I think that exceptions are the best way to oppose any generalisation/stereotype. In this case, if he didn't realise that baratron is Asian, then simply pointing that fact out (calmly) may be enough to make him reconsider his views.

[baratron]

The problem is, there are a lot of people who are happy to turn around and say "I didn't mean you, I meant those other blacks / Asians / Jews / Irish / Eastern Europeans / gays / lesbians / disabled people / fat people ..." - and mean it! They're honestly happy to hold in their heads an opinion that All People in Category X are Evil (Except The Ones I Know). ailbhe has experience of this from the Irish point of view, many of the rest of us from the queerfolk point of view. ("You're ok, it's those other gays who are perverts.")

What this shows is that most people are much less logical than they think they are, and that this applies double when it comes to prejudice.

[barakta]

It's the posh version of my cousins "Paki shop" or "Darkie" *cringe*.

I think the "I'm half Asian myself you know" response might have shocked him and made him apologise if not rethink his statement. However in your situation it is difficult enough with a 'one-off' student who you don't have the time to get to know.

If he was otherwise an okay student I'd accept further work from him, and be prepared for racist comments which you can point out are racist and not terribly acceptable. I don't consider this 'money grabbing' in any way, it is making a living. I am sure ALL tutors/teachers have had to teach students with unthought or worse unpleasant views/attitude/behaviour.

[hiddenpaw]

I can fully understand the moral problems of running a business and doing business with moraly objectionable people. Now I'm back out in Kedington I fill in at my mum and dad's newsagents on a regular basis (As opposed to paying rent on my flat which is above the shop). This means we sell newspapers and unfortunatly some of our customers belive every word they read. They make comments about the front pages and I really want to say to them "Don't you realise that what you are reading is blatently wrong and in many cases totaly untrue." but I can't say that because I'm the one selling the paper and it's not my business to ruin. It's not helped by the fact our two biggest sellers on Sundays are the Mail and The News of the World.
These days I actualy feel worse some days about selling Papers than I do about selling tobacco.

I will admit We would never charge for a photo copy if we got it wrong.

[keldaryth]