Why is it considered racist for a white person to be proud?

Question

This is in response to a question asked a few days ago. And a further question/comment on a lot of the responses given.

Let me first of say that I believe that everyone has a right to have pride in their culture regardless of race or religion. I don't believe that anyone is better than anyone else due to race or creed.

Here's the question, with the same name that this one has so you can see where I'm coming from:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ao1dT3rWko9m2mSOM7eOCQFIzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20071205120806AA74K7Y

A lot of the answerers were saying that white people don't have a culture. They, obviously, were in the American mentality because they reffered to us "borrowing" (read: stolen) our culture from various other cultures from Europe and possibly other places.

Our, white Americans, ancestors were from Europe- obviously- but how can you say that we don't have a culture? How can you say we can't be proud of what we did throughout history?

Yes, the Caucasian race has done

horrible things such as slavery but slavery existed (and still exists in some areas) throughout the world. We have seen our errors and the majority of us have reformed, or should i say our parents and grandparents have.

I believe we do have a culture and we should be proud of it as Americans and white people. We have accomplished much and should only be ashamed of how it was *sometimes* accomplished not the end result.

Thanks Starky, you raise a valid point. That is true but don't you see a double standard in even that? We don't/can't celebrate our race only our ethnicity were it's deemed OK for anyone else to. We did a lot of good things too.

I can see why we don't have Irish month, Polish month and Italian month. Pretty soon all the months would have a Euro-ethnicity attached and it'd be a bit ridiculous. An easier way would be saying lets have an Ethnic Euro month which would lead to the racist card. That concept goes in other areas too...

Woot! I'm really glad for all the positive, real responses. I got serious responses and that's what I was looking for. I'm not a white supremacist and I abhore their views. I just don't think we should be ashamed of the color of our skin because of something none of us alive did.

Answer 1

You celebrate the ethnicity, not the colour.

If you're white, you have to be more specific about your "whiteness." That is, you have to celebrate your Irish ancestry, or Italian ancestry, or German ancestry....In other words, you have to be specifically ethnic about it.

If you celebrate just "whiteness," you're usually deemed a racist.

I'm not saying there's not some sort of double-standard involved, but that's the way society operates.


Personally, I find all such nationalist celebrations pretty ridiculous. People are people above all else. The rest is just an accident of birth.

Answer 2

Well first of all, I just want to say that I totally disagree with the statement that white people don't have a culture.
The white culture is traced back to Europe, and many of us are mixed. (The whole world is mixing!)
(Scottish, Norwegian, French, Greek, German... each is very different indeed! The skin color may be the same, but the ways of life were very different back in the day) and I guess Russians are considered white... aren't they? anyway...

AMERICANS, on the other hand, can be of any culture or background. After all, that is why America was founded! Freedom for ALL! Anyone can live here and in turn, be called American. Identifying someone as an American only says that a person is legally living in, or was born in America.
A white person does not have "American blood." A white person has the blood of his or her European ancestors.
Why don't people understand that???

But anyhoo, to answer your question lol....
During the civil war period, if a white person announced their pride, it was usually to antagonize an African American.
Whites were "the superior race" back then anyway, so the other purpose of the statement was to "put the African Americans in their place."
America has never forgotten this outrage. I'm sure this is why whites are considered racist when they say they are proud.

Maybe instead of saying "white pride" we should say "scottish pride," or "austrian pride??" (lol or in my case, "mutt pride.")
because for some reason, it sounds less offensive that way.
and then maybe blacks should say "Algerian pride" or "Tanzanian pride??" or just African pride if they don't know their country of origin.)
If we make more emphasis on where we come from, as opposed to our skin color, maybe we would all get along a little easier?

Very nice question! Got me pumped:] lol!

Answer 3

It seems touchy because of some of the things that the caucasian people have done in the past to those of non-caucasian descent. It's not to say that other races haven't done similar things, but you don't necessarily see in older times coloured people having white slaves or servants. It also doesn't help when groups like the KKK have made their mark in society as being a very pro-white group. In America, the white race has been prevalent for such a long time, that now minorities are showing the pride they have for their race to show that they are now equal.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage and your country, I just think that because of what has happened in the past, it seems a sensitive subject to be proudly caucasian.

Answer 4

reason why there is even black faculties is with the aid of fact as quickly as upon a time blacks weren't allowed into white universities despite in the event that they met the traditional of those faculties. As for having having your very own golf equipment, trip trips, and so on. You men do have that. Ever heard of the KKK? You ever heard of Columbus day? Come on now what different days blacks have as properly Martin Luther King Day? element is I even have no longer something against whites having their very own something considering the fact that different races do...what's powerful for the goose is powerful for the gander

Answer 5

I think there is 2 sides to being proud of who you are racially. No one ever said that you can be proud it is only when you get to the other side that it is considered racism. The other side being degrading, humiliating, and defaming attempts to berate another race as inferior. For example, the "Bell Curve"they gave to children to supposedly gauge their intellectual capacity. What it actually turned out to be was more propaganda to label other races as inferior.

As for white culture are you absolutely blind, what do you think we have been forced to learn about in secondary education. George Washington, Columbus, King George, etc. The history we have to take from the 1st to the 12 grade and in college are about white culture. Read a history book the only mention blacks get is as slaves, and Crispus Attucks at the Boston Tea Party.

Answer 6

I don't have a superiority complex. I'm proud that I have German heritage, and I'm proud also of my Scottish heritage. I've often wondered the same thing. I personally did not enslave anyone, I personally did not kick any Native American off of their land. I refuse to blame myself for that, and furthermore refuse to feel guilt for it. I am proud of where I came from, and I don't think that makes me a racist at all.

I see racism and prejudice against white people on here sometimes, and it boggles my mind, because why would anyone want to perpetuate that? If it hurts to be judged by your color, why judge someone else?

"What do white people have to be proud of?"

That kind of stuff is ignorant. We have a lot to be proud of, just like you do.

Answer 7

You should be proud of who you are period! I'm Black and Puerto Rican and I love my culture no matter what, but most of all I love myself. When the KKK say that they are just uplifting white people that is bulls*t unlike a lot of other culture pride groups in history the KKK actually killed and terrorized people. They sell drugs to other white people now destroying their own community. Plus, when they all get together all they talk about is the supposed inferiority of other races. If you believe in something you should never protest it through violent word or actions or it loses it's purpose. Pay attention to what people say before you get into their corner. Be proud of you! Your race is a grouping that you allow to define you for purpose of social perception. But what is the security in being defined. Step out of the box that you are taught to live by. Breathe and except yourself for all that you are. Let go of others perceptions and self define for a change before it corrodes your life.

Answer 8

I have to disagree with you somewhat. There is no "white" culture. There is an american culture which does have western european roots. However it is a very unique culture that is noted for its emphasis on individuality, independence, self- reliance, creativity and ingenuity. It is also marked decidely by the american subcultures which are also unique to this country, including (but not limited to), cajun culture, african american, amish, etc. Those sub-cultures, among others, gave us jazz, blues, rock and roll, zydeco, bluegrass, country music, the mormon religion, suburbs, rap, rythym and blues, the cajun language, Broadway musicals (the list goes on), all which originated in the United States. So, to be proud to be american is justifiable if any of the above are things you cherish. Usage of the term "white culture" or "white pride" is common among racial superiorty groups such as neo-nazis and the KKK, as some have stated here. These groups, however, often have little or no allegiance to the United States or its principals, but, rather, have an allegiance to a mythical "white race" which is superior to all others. They generally support a movement to eradicate all other "races" from the country and create a white homeland. They also generally support Hitler and nazi principals despite the fact that the nazis were our arch enemies during WWII.
As to why it is okay to have "black pride" or "brown pride" mexican-americans, native americans and african-americans are disenfranchised minority cultures who have been historically oppressed by the majority and continue to be discriminated against. If you do not believe that racism is alive and well and works to keep certain cultural groups from attaining the same socio-economic status of others in this country, just look at the ridiculous discrepencies in our education system: Minority or generally lower economic areas have crummy schools with substandard and often non-existent supplies, like books (the fact that funding is largely based on property taxes and targeted districting helps explain this discrepancy), or how about the hurricane Katrina fiasco? We looked like a third world nation during that event with no resources to rescue our huddled masses but, we did have the resources and I bet they would have been used quickly if the hurricane had struck more wealthy and/or white areas. When a minority culture is oppressed, pride movements are often necessary to reverse the messages of inferiority the minorities are fed, to help them fight for rights due them and to help the larger culture understand and de-mystify them. Black pride helped the civil rights movement enormously, helping to end segeration and anti-miscegentation laws in this country. Therefore, even if there is such a thing as "white culture", a pride movement would be unnecessary and perhaps even necessarily racist as it would be the equivalent of demonstrating what is already regrettably a part of the the consciousness of this nation, that "whites" are superior.
Additionally, blacks in the U.S., unlike whites, belong to a specific cultural group, as do chicanos and native americans. We say "blacks" but it is actually not a racial difference we speak of but an ETHNIC one. For example, African-american culture is largely defined by different foodways, child rearing patterns, speech patterns, even a different system of social organization, in that the African-american sub-culture is more matrilineal than the larger american culture. (Disclaimer: This does not mean that all american blacks belong to this subculture and there are variations). Thus, blacks, unlike American "whites", have a culture of which they can be proud if they desire.
That is not to say, of course, that all white americans do not have cultural roots of which they can be proud, other than just American. As stated by someone here, the Irish are a cultural group as are Italians, Amish, German, etc. Essentially, culture is usually defined by specific patterns of behavior usually including a unique and separate language. Thus, for instance, Deaf people in America have their own very special culture. "Whites" do not.
Finally, I would like to address the term "race" we have all been throwing about. It can be said that in reality, there are no clearly separate races on earth today. We have all been mixing for about 30,000 years or more such that we all have a bit of the person beside us on the bus. In fact, two black people in different parts of Africa are likely genetically more related to a caucasian person or an asian, etc, than they are to one another, so varied are the people of the continent. Thus, race should really not enter into the conversation when discussing "pride". Just another reason why one should not be proud to be simply "white".

Answer 9

It is Marxist brainwashing in the media and schools.This YA area is not really for any other group than Blacks.That's why you'll seldom get honest answers like the one above mine.

Answer 10

i always thought pride would be associated with accomplishment. my daughter is white and it's none of her doing. i would think she would be PLEASED to be white, and perhaps proud to be an accomplished dancer or whatever her accomplishment maybe. i always thought national pride was funny. it's not like you did anything,right?

with that said, it should be the same all around. i'm pleased that my grandmother was japanese. i'm very proud that she lived a long, clean and virtuous life. i'm not proud that she was japanese. i didn't make her that way. it just sounds funny. so proud mexican and proud irish and proud hungarian still strike me as odd.



oh...r h has out typed me