Since a person is not born a racist, how do they become one?

Question

Since the best evidence that racism is a learned behavior, all you have to do is watch small children interact with each other. Not until they become older do they recognise differences in skin color. So how is racism overcome?

Answer 1

Racism is predominately began in the early ages of life, yes. (In some rare cases -- it can begin later. For instance, a POW from WWII may be racist against those of Japanese heritage because of his experiences during the war.)

One can overcome it by forcing themselves to see people of different colors as HUMANS... not sub-humans or barely equals. It also helps if the person has friend of a different race that they can speak to.

Remember that there are jerks and retards of EVERY COLOR -- and there are equal numbers of them, too. For every ghetto-*** punk that is black, there is a well-spoken and courteous African American.

And for every ignorant, red-neck 'cracka' -- there is an open-minded and considerate white person.

It will take time... but, if your motives are pure -- you can see people in a different light. I admire those who try to overcome the wrong lessons they learned as children. =)

Answer 2

Children are turned into racists by their parents and friends. My friend is a kindergarden teacher and one of her Asian students saw that a kid had taken something that didn't belong to them and scolded the other child saying, "don't steal - that's what Black people do!" This 5 year old must have heard that at home and now believes that it is true. It is so sad. I grew up in a racist home but I somehow realized all the racism I was being taught was b.s. and taught my little sister not to believe it either. People just need to question what they are told and use their natural intelligence to distinguish prejudice from fact.

Answer 3

There are subtle influences that do influence some people,
such as the media that rarely uplifts many cultures of
color.

Children from a very small age should be taught to love all peoples and to know that we are all one family in God's eyes.

Oftentimes children hear little comments made that seem harmless to an adult but in reality are shaping the childs thought processes in how to view the world.

Mothers are so important in a child's life.
Once a child goes to a public school, there will be a barrage of opinions from children that have not been taught how to respect all mankind.

That is why Mother's should take care of her children
and not leave it up to strangers.

Answer 4

Parents have a strong influence. If dad talks about the "nigras" all the time, if Mom runs down the "spick" maid. If people in the neighborhood bad-mouth the "micks" and the "eye-ties" and whomsoever, the child believes this to be normal behavior.

You fight racism by stopping it before it happens.

You fight racism by calling people out every time a slur or snide remark is make that is a blanket indictment for a race.

You fight racism by not letting it thrive.

Answer 5

You gain racism through experience. This is mainly through your family. If all your experiences involve hearing your father shout the N word, or something of that nature, then you will grow up to be racist. Racisim is erased through experience. Once you are around different kinds of people and you see how similar you are, that skin color, religion, gender, etc are NOT important, then you will overcome racism.

Answer 6

It can be prevented by mom & dad from birth forward - I never referred to other people as 'black' or 'Mexican' or whatever. Like...I never said, "What's that black kid's name?" I always used some other way to let them know who I meant when I could. "Who's that kid in the blue shirt?".

You also get other opportunities when your kids ask (and they will, at the WORST possible moment) - "Mommy! Why does that man have pink hands but his other skin is so dark?".

But best of all...they learn by watching how you treat other people - and they listen to you even when you think they're not. So a lot depends on the parents or whatever family they spend the most time with. Watch out for negative racist influence from other family members...daycare workers...teachers, even.

Answer 7

Racism begins at home. Whether your parents mean to or not, they send signals to you starting in infancy. Whether they clutch your hand when they see people of a different race and cross the street. Or, whether it's by the neighborhood in which they choose to live. There is a certain comfort level associated with the type of people we feel comfortable living around and we pass that down to our children.

Parents who are not racist raise children who are less racist. However, it is still difficult to expose your children to all types of race. Where we live, the largest minority is Hispanic. We are Jews. We have tried to raise our son to accept all races openly. Once, when he had an opportunity to mix with some black children, he didn't know what to call them. He said, "They had dark skin, like Sunjay's." Sunjay is an Indian boy in his class. I was proud that my son didn't notice that there was a difference in race. I felt that I was doing my job.

Answer 8

Actually, read 'Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?: A Parent's Guide to Raising Multiracial Children' by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. She provides studies that show just how our ego thought system of separation, identity, judgment, etc. are all present from birth. Kids, without any conditioning from their parents or society, will notice differences early on and look to create identities based on them. That said, a culture (family, society, etc.) that seeks to not add its own negative judgments but seeks to counter some of the separationist stuff that we all innately have will yield kids that are not racists.

Answer 9

Someone who believes their race or culture is superior to any other. Or, someone who makes rude remarks to another's race or insults them. Although, despite what most black people think, not all white people are racist. The majority aren't. To say all white people are racist is morally low and pathetic.

There's a difference between disliking a people and HATING them.Pre-judging someone and distrusting them or exercising caution towards them based on your experience with them and your disdain for their behaviours and actions isn't the least bit racist because that does not mean that you HATE them. Furthermore if people give you a reason to HATE them then maybe you are to blame?
A true racist is someone who hates an entire ethnic group of people such as all white or all black people and wants to take systematic action against them in the form of violence or suppression.

Answer 10

conditioning from parents, other people who promote racial stereotypes, and the media. To overcome it, we have to stop it in the conditioning stage and speak out for equality instead of letting kids watch shows with racist jokes or subtle racist comments. Same thing with homophobia and other "isms". I do my part by helping run tolerance programs. I think they can really make a difference if done right. Liebe und Frieden.