Why are people racist?

Question

I just saw a question talking bad about black people. A guy who calls himself "taterhog mung-flower" answered talking bad about Mexicans. I'm a Mexican and I don't judge other country's people just by a few I might know.

Racist people are insecure, or maybe it's envy cause it is proven that Mexican people work harder than people in other countries, plus we are super creative, we do more with less resources. And a lot of women over the world come here for sex cause they say Mexican have more sexual power. These are facts that maybe people don't know. Mexico has more than 100 million inhabitants, and if you think all are the same, it would be as if I said all Americans are like those serial killers and rapists in the news. Not true right? Now, I'd like to take one of those who talk so bad about Mexicans and put him in our situation, or in the situation of those Mexicans who don't have money or a job, and see how that person would act. I don't think he or she would stand it.

Answer 1

Racism and bigotry are taught by parents and society. I thank God for my parents who taught us that we are all the same ... that skin color, language, etc. don't matter. We are all children of God. I gets my blood boiling when I see any group attacked just because they are Jews or Mexicans or African Americans or Chinese or Native Americans, etc. And, depending on the tone of the so-called question, I oftentimes report them to Yahoo. As the old saying goes ... Walk a mile in their shoes before you put them down. I try to answer such people in a loving manner. But it isn't always possible.

Answer 2

It's about time someone phrased this question properly. People have been waiting...
People are racist because of a deep-seated, hard-wired mental tenedency to care for self and family first and self and family are almost always people who "look like" the person doing the caring. To live in a community, we have to artificially extend the boundaries of who we trust and whose interests we will care for. As communities get bigger and more diverse, it gets to be more and more difficult to let people into one's circle of care. We can't care about everyone- it just takes too much energy. So we try to choose who we will help and support and be courteous to and who we will not. We make superficial snap judgments about people based on next to nothing- something as simple as not liking someone's looks.
The mystery is not why humans are bigoted. The question is how we ever manage NOT to be racists. There are good people and bad people everywhere you look. The mean ones make it more difficult to even see the nice ones, let alone be willing to trust them or speak to them. It's just a whole damned lot of work to have to get to know each and every person before making the easy decision that it is probably just another mean person, so if we can grasp at any ready-made excuse to write someone off, then we go for it. So-and-so is a this and whats-her-name is a that and who's-his-face is one of those, so I don't ever have to think of them as humans equal to my wonderful self. And what's so wonderful about me? Well, to begin with, I'm a such-and-such and such-and-suches are always good. Don't talk about my Mamma. Grandaddy was one, too...and on and on.
Except for one country in the whole damned world where your good neighbor, the person who might drag you out of a burning building someday, might just be someone who doesn't look all that much like you, but he or she is a person who looks enough like you on the inside that you can share some important views.
I'm sorry, what was the question?
Oh, yes. I remember. It's only highly evolved people like you and I who can ever manage to break away from being racists. Some people just don't have the brains, the heart, the courage. And then other people refuse to evolve because they think it's a sin. They SO missed the point...
Do what you can. Don't hate, refuse to argue. Never let your well of respect for others run dry. It is working very, very slowly. Many generations will go by and still the duller humans will always hate. Be glad for who you are.

Answer 3

You've got it in one. Racist people are insecure. They're afraid of, and dislike, a culture they can't understand. The old herd instinct: if it's different, kill it!

Answer 4

because they are ignorant. and because they have low self esteem and must really hate themselves. i just feel sorry for racist. they miss out on so much.

Answer 5

society, religion, culture and personal creeds

Answer 6

Because they hate themselves.