I like how you threw me under the bus and called me racist for pointing out what kind of neighborhood you're staying in.)) Well, it's a fact that black neighborhoods have higher crime rates but so do the poor white neighborhoods. It's more of an income inequality issue rather than race.
Now, in terms of the "n-word" and it just being a mere political correctness. I don't think you understand where this political correctness is coming from. US has a long history of oppression of different minority groups and that history is very RECENT. There are still people alive right now who lived in a time when "nigger" was used in extremely derogatory way and the word was accompanied by very real and tangible discrimination. Enough time hasn't passed yet for the word to become disassociated with discrimination, especially considering that discrimination lives to this day. The fact that black people choose to call themselves that or something else is of no consequence. It is their culture but it's not ours. And yes, acknowledging that there is a difference in cultures is OK and can actually be helpful in distinguishing in what is insensitive/derogatory to the minority group in question. Also, there is a flip side to all of this and it's called "appropriation of black culture" and maybe you should look into that.
Acknowledging our differences in ok. Traveling to another country to look at people who live differently is ok. But bringing into another realm by fetishizing that culture the way Asian women are often fetishized by American culture for example, or the way black culture is appropriated by singers and entertainers to make themselves look more cool by cherry picking certain aspects of that culture is NOT OK. I understand what you and your friend mean by saying that you are just intrigued by black culture and nothing else but to me, the way you phrased it "передавай привет ниггерам" (or however your friend said it) smacked of insensitivity and bordered on that very same fetishization based entirely on stereotypes.
I don't think that you or your friend are actually racist. I reckon you are less racist than most Americans (you have no problems staying in black neighborhoods, you would probably have no problems dating a black girl etc). That doesn't change the fact that your language is insensitive and may lead to a shitload of misunderstanding. Which is basically the same conclusion you came to in this entry.
And that doesn't change the fact that Russians who travel to US for vacation can be insensitive and rude as fuck for no reason. I had friends visiting from Moscow who instagrammed a dude in front of the bull in the financial district and captioned the photo as "Look at what this Chinaman is doing!"
Well, it's not that I threw you under the bus and I'm definitely not calling you racist. However, I hope you can see some irony in this situation. If I didn't know you, there would be some slight possibility of calling you that. No offence meant on any level, and I hope you took none too.
I know about the n-word, and of q-word outside of / inbetween of gays. I just can't see it as non hypocrisy. Even considering history and recentness of the issue. You know, in my youth I spent quite a lot of time in Moscow gay community and their clubs, and they really called themselves "пидоры" and other derogatory words, and the funny it was! Sure, I wont use this word addressing a black person - I have my self preservation instinct. I wont even use it among some of my friends. But there are a lot of those who would understand I mean no disrespect using it. And, more importantly, it reflects not just any and all black people, but some specific culture. I see no other words which can do the same.
I can't say I fully understand meaning of "fetishizing" here. I wont try to dig my way into this culture just for the fun of it, nor would my friend. We're not that much interested in it anyway. But seeing how low their jeans can hang or how unusual (for us) their hairdo - is interesting. IF we see them pass by. You see, there are really those stereotypes. And you can't say they are based on nothing. As I said somewhere above, I won't be interested in just any black guy/girl (or would, but only if they have some special features, as well as I would be interested in any other human with special features). It's specific culture that can be interested. I like punks for example, and I would be interested in them in the exactly same way. Or hipsters, or Chinese wedding on a street with dragons, or buddhist monks, and so on and so on. So the main idea is: the n-word is a reference to some specific culture, and if I have a chance to witness it, I would be interested to do so. And inside of me I will still call them by n-word, as I will call punks punks or hipsters hipsters.
Since I'm cosmopolitan (or at least I think so), I'll have no problems staying in any neighborhood, as long as it's safe and comfort enough. I was happy to stay at Katya's in her Jewish neighborhood and witness some orthodox hebrews - they were kind of funny, as probably any hardcore orthodox society for me. I'm, by the way, jew myself by one quarter of my blood (on my father's side, tsch, no luck for me), so there is no discrimination in any way. I'm not so sure about dating a black person, though. They still seem too unusual for me. It affects my ability to see beauty. Same goes for any other very-different race. On the other hand, I believe there would be no trouble in befriending any of them.
Would you believe me if I tell you that even here Russians mostly insensitive and rude? And it shines a lot brighter when they are in their usual habitat. But, I can picture myself saying the same thing, actually. It doesn't seem rude to me. It's a question of upbringing and culture. We have no problems naming people by their race, and there is no detraction in it. Also Russians won't find anything wrong in being called so; I believe most of them would rather find a reason for pride in it, sometimes even arrogant one. Not me, though - I just don't care. It's even funny sometimes: for example I felt like space alien in Japan and it was extremely entertaining. "Worst" thing is, I can't see it as something bad. No, for me your discomfort in naming people by their race (without additional detraction in this) is a bad thing. It seems like a lack of freedom to name things as you want to. And this is a good example of culture difference, because I believe you don't see it this way, as we don't see this our freedom as something rude. So I won't say you're wrong, but I think you shouldn't judge us by your standards either. We don't mean bad, really.
Now, in terms of the "n-word" and it just being a mere political correctness. I don't think you understand where this political correctness is coming from. US has a long history of oppression of different minority groups and that history is very RECENT. There are still people alive right now who lived in a time when "nigger" was used in extremely derogatory way and the word was accompanied by very real and tangible discrimination. Enough time hasn't passed yet for the word to become disassociated with discrimination, especially considering that discrimination lives to this day. The fact that black people choose to call themselves that or something else is of no consequence. It is their culture but it's not ours. And yes, acknowledging that there is a difference in cultures is OK and can actually be helpful in distinguishing in what is insensitive/derogatory to the minority group in question. Also, there is a flip side to all of this and it's called "appropriation of black culture" and maybe you should look into that.
Acknowledging our differences in ok. Traveling to another country to look at people who live differently is ok. But bringing into another realm by fetishizing that culture the way Asian women are often fetishized by American culture for example, or the way black culture is appropriated by singers and entertainers to make themselves look more cool by cherry picking certain aspects of that culture is NOT OK. I understand what you and your friend mean by saying that you are just intrigued by black culture and nothing else but to me, the way you phrased it "передавай привет ниггерам" (or however your friend said it) smacked of insensitivity and bordered on that very same fetishization based entirely on stereotypes.
I don't think that you or your friend are actually racist. I reckon you are less racist than most Americans (you have no problems staying in black neighborhoods, you would probably have no problems dating a black girl etc). That doesn't change the fact that your language is insensitive and may lead to a shitload of misunderstanding. Which is basically the same conclusion you came to in this entry.
And that doesn't change the fact that Russians who travel to US for vacation can be insensitive and rude as fuck for no reason. I had friends visiting from Moscow who instagrammed a dude in front of the bull in the financial district and captioned the photo as "Look at what this Chinaman is doing!"
Chinaman? Really?? *shudders*
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I know about the n-word, and of q-word outside of / inbetween of gays. I just can't see it as non hypocrisy. Even considering history and recentness of the issue. You know, in my youth I spent quite a lot of time in Moscow gay community and their clubs, and they really called themselves "пидоры" and other derogatory words, and the funny it was!
Sure, I wont use this word addressing a black person - I have my self preservation instinct. I wont even use it among some of my friends. But there are a lot of those who would understand I mean no disrespect using it. And, more importantly, it reflects not just any and all black people, but some specific culture. I see no other words which can do the same.
I can't say I fully understand meaning of "fetishizing" here. I wont try to dig my way into this culture just for the fun of it, nor would my friend. We're not that much interested in it anyway. But seeing how low their jeans can hang or how unusual (for us) their hairdo - is interesting. IF we see them pass by.
You see, there are really those stereotypes. And you can't say they are based on nothing. As I said somewhere above, I won't be interested in just any black guy/girl (or would, but only if they have some special features, as well as I would be interested in any other human with special features). It's specific culture that can be interested. I like punks for example, and I would be interested in them in the exactly same way. Or hipsters, or Chinese wedding on a street with dragons, or buddhist monks, and so on and so on.
So the main idea is: the n-word is a reference to some specific culture, and if I have a chance to witness it, I would be interested to do so. And inside of me I will still call them by n-word, as I will call punks punks or hipsters hipsters.
Since I'm cosmopolitan (or at least I think so), I'll have no problems staying in any neighborhood, as long as it's safe and comfort enough. I was happy to stay at Katya's in her Jewish neighborhood and witness some orthodox hebrews - they were kind of funny, as probably any hardcore orthodox society for me. I'm, by the way, jew myself by one quarter of my blood (on my father's side, tsch, no luck for me), so there is no discrimination in any way.
I'm not so sure about dating a black person, though. They still seem too unusual for me. It affects my ability to see beauty. Same goes for any other very-different race. On the other hand, I believe there would be no trouble in befriending any of them.
Would you believe me if I tell you that even here Russians mostly insensitive and rude? And it shines a lot brighter when they are in their usual habitat.
But, I can picture myself saying the same thing, actually. It doesn't seem rude to me. It's a question of upbringing and culture. We have no problems naming people by their race, and there is no detraction in it. Also Russians won't find anything wrong in being called so; I believe most of them would rather find a reason for pride in it, sometimes even arrogant one. Not me, though - I just don't care. It's even funny sometimes: for example I felt like space alien in Japan and it was extremely entertaining.
"Worst" thing is, I can't see it as something bad. No, for me your discomfort in naming people by their race (without additional detraction in this) is a bad thing. It seems like a lack of freedom to name things as you want to. And this is a good example of culture difference, because I believe you don't see it this way, as we don't see this our freedom as something rude. So I won't say you're wrong, but I think you shouldn't judge us by your standards either. We don't mean bad, really.
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