Studies prove 'polite' racism is pervasive

[KurtNYC]

While searching for housing in the predominantly white neighborhood of Palo Alto, California, in the mid-1990s, John Baugh made appointment after appointment over the phone only to be turned away at the landlord’s door. "I was told that there was nothing available," says the Stanford University professor of education and linguistics, who happens to be African American. It didn’t take long for him to realize that prospective owners were mistaking his phone voice for that of a white person and inviting him to view apartments. When he showed up for the appointments, he was repeatedly told that there had been some misunderstanding.

This personal affront piqued Baugh’s professional curiosity. While it’s established that landlords have long discriminated against prospective tenants on the basis of skin color, Baugh decided to test whether they did so on the basis of brief telephone conversations. Using three distinct dialects he learned while growing up in Los Angeles–African American Vernacular English, Chicano, English and Standard American English–he placed calls in response to ads for apartments in five Northern California neighborhoods. During those calls, he used various pseudonyms, such as Juan Ramirez for the Chicano English dialect. What emerged was clear proof of bias against the black and Chicano dialects in predominantly white locales. " research demonstrates that voice is a surrogate for race in many instances when people choose to discriminate over the telephone or use the telephone as the means of discrimination," he explains. Two University of Pennsylvania sociologists uncovered similar results in a separate study of rental housing discrimination.

http://www.arc.org/C_Lines/CLArchive/story6_3_03.html (see Linguistic Profiling, about halfway down)

I'm not sure that people who have not experienced racism on a daily basis can understand just how pervasive it is. It is as real as ever, even though racists have gotten adept at closeting their racism and are quick to deny it. My name (on resumes, applications, etc.) is often perceived to be an African American name and I have to deal with some of these people but not every day and not the way many others do.

I don't think anyone should doubt that racism is still quite widespread in America.

[greyfox]

1. Maybe....

but so few ACT on what they may "feel" so it is not the racism of my generation or that of my father and grandfather... trust that!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

3. they certainly do act on it

by denying jobs, sales, opportunities.

[ieoeja]

17. They still act on it, just not as badly.

I suspect lots of people don't even consciously act upon it. Something about a prospective candidate (for employment, tenant, etc) makes the interviewer feel "turned off". They can't see (or are afraid to look) that the turn off is skin color.

I get the same thing based on appearances. Though I have nothing to complain about since I have a choice in the manner. I could cut my hair and at least pretend I didn't think you were an idiot whose premature death would benefit the gene pool and help rush in a better era. I should have probably stopped that sentence several phrases earlier.

However, I run into an awful lot of overtly "racist and proud of it" types. And I keep encountering more and more of them. As a man who came of age in the 70s, it is extremely dispirting and completely baffling. I remember when my (now ex-)wife laughed down some old racist with the taunt, "Go ahead and hate us. Your kind will all grow old and die soon anyway."

It appears we laughed too soon.

[aden_nak]

2. I am somewhat familiar with it.

Because of my last name, I am sometimes mistaken for being hispanic (my grandfather is Spanish, and the name carried down the tree). If you meet me in person, you'd most likely assume that I am Italian (my prodominant heritage) or else indeterminant mediteranian. I find that I receive very different responses based on whether or not people meet me in person or just deal with me as a file/caller when they only read my name.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[aden_nak]

6. Well, I live in NJ. Most of the racism is directed at Middle Easterners.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Inexcusable!

Yes, murder is horrible. But, not getting to live the American dream because of the color of your skin is wrong! Racism is a disease and only education is the answer! Just because African-Americans aren't stung up, doesn't mean they should be happy!

[ChairOne]

14. Wow. It takes so little to please you....

... but that doesn't take away from the fact there there are a lot of us niggers, spics, kikes, and others, who want better...

"Some" Americans seem to take an almost childish delight in the "we're not as bad as they are" argument... Quite amazing...

[murielm99]

15. And if all the legal restrictions are removed,

what kind of racism will there be then?

If all white juries are allowed to exonerate race based criminals, if voter suppression, housing discrimination and employment discrimination are not kept illegal, what kind of racism will there be then?

You seem to think that nasty closeted racism is just fine. It does not kill the body, just the soul. It kills the soul and decency of those who practice it, and those who experience it.

Just what the fuck is your deal, being an apologist for this? It is okay to be a bigot as long as you are not caught? Yes, let's all raise our children to think this way!

[bobbyboucher]

21. What an enabler.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Solly Mack]

28. "one got drug to death" One? One what?

[prodigal_green]

5. Professor Baugh was on the PBS special

"Do You Speak American?" and he demonstrated exactly that scenario--calling real estate agents with different accents. And he wasn't doing a caricature of the accents, I thought they were quite subtle.

[KurtNYC]

8. I saw that too

That's what got me looking for this online.

[AngryAmish]

7. Racism is alive and well

First of all I'm a white guy and I know my experience is nothing like what racism is.

That said, I have to dress in suits for work and dress like a bum much of the rest of the time. People treat me so much better and much more respectfully when I dress in a suit.

Now compare my trivial example to the endemic racism in our society. Black folks (or any other disfavored minority) could put on the nicest suit possible and a substantial portion of the population would only see the color of their skin.

BTW, I do not think I am any sort of a victim in this deal.

[greyfox]

11. Unfortunately...

THAT will always be.

G'nite all.

[jmm]

9. Speaking of names

In Job Search, The White Name Helps

...
The professors sent about 5,000 resumes in response to want ads in The Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune. They found that the "white" applicants they created received one response - a call, letter or e-mail - for every 10 resumes mailed, while "black" applicants with equal credentials received one response for every 15 resumes sent.
...

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Of course it is widespread.

Sickens me when the good white Americans in this country say we have a chip on our shoulders when we call them on it.

[KurtNYC]

18. There are a lot of people who just don't get it

You will hear people say 'oh so-and-so is playing the race card.' In other words someone said 'look, here is some racism' and rather than argue whether and to what degree that claim is accurate they seem to dismiss it with that little phrase. The phrase is actually more like a card than those who call racism racism. Somehow the phrase 'playing the race card' has become a Get Out of Racism Free card.

[bobbyboucher]

22. Kind of like "conspiracy theory" or "tin-foil hat",

they got plenty of phrases that allow them to continue to wallow in their arrogance and ignorance.

[BlueEyedSon]

13. Sounds like the commercial on Sirius/AAR

Where all the ethnic names/accents are turned down by a realtor. Then an upper-crusty white voice "Graham Wellington" calls.....

[sonicx]

16. Ads like this use to run on Air America Radio...

They were unintentionally funny (cuz the voices were exaggerated), but you got the point.

[BrotherBuzz]

19. Blatant Racial Discrimination

Blatant Racial Discrimination


When the first grade class came in from recess, The teacher asked, "Alice Smith, what did you do at recess?"

Alice said, "I played in the sand box."

The teacher said, "That's good. Go to the blackboard, and if you can write 'sand' correctly, I'll give you a fresh-baked cookie."

Alice did, and got a cookie.

The teacher asked Billy what he did at recess. Billy Johnson said, "I played with Alice in the sand box."

The teacher said, "Good. If you write 'box' correctly on the blackboard, I'll give you a fresh-baked cookie."

Billy did, and got a cookie, too.

The teacher then asked Little Tyrone Kabali what he did at recess. Tyrone said, "I tried to play with Alice and Billy, but they threw rocks at me."

The teacher said, "They threw rocks at you? That sounds like blatant racial discrimination! If you can go the blackboard and write 'blatant racial discrimination' I'll give you a fresh-baked cookie."

.....

Sorry guys, but I heard it on the radio this morning and felt this might be an appropriate thread to share it.

[SoCalDem]

20. Discrimination will ALWAYS be with us. and it always HAS been with us.

Everyone identifies with a "group". It can be religious,educational-level,race,sex...anything. There is also "overlap" between groups. The REASON we have laws, is so that no ONE group can dominate and denigrate any other group without paying a penalty.

What we often have is a "group" attaining a level of status that "allows" them to do just that, and the added "benefit"...the "law" looks the other way, or sometimes even justifies their abhorrent actions.

It took over ONE HUNDRED years for the blatant racism/segregation to "end" in the south...AFTER the laws were in place..

Discrimination is something we all practice, whether we admit it or not. When you choose the blue shirt, instead of the yellow, you ARE discriminating.. In fact there used to be an ad campaign, years ago, that appealed to the "person with discriminating taste". It implied that only an "upper-crusty" person would have tastes discriminating enough to appreciate the quality of their product.

Here's a quick test to see if YOU discriminate, personally...

1. When you just want to chat on the phone, do you call a friend of a different race??

2. When you invite dinner guests, for a spur of the moment get together, how many people from a different race are included?

3. Are friends of YOUR ethnic group comfortable telling jokes about a different group TO you? (Are you silent? Do you join in? Do you tell them where to get off?)

4. Are you "more comfortable" with a doctor of your own race,sex,nationality?

5. Do you ever find yourself identifying an ethnic group as "those people", "them","the....(fill in the blank)...s"

6. Your teenaged child chooses someone from a different race, culture, status...You are shocked? surprised? disappointed? scared?

7. You "notice" when a person of a differnt race moves into your neighborhood.

8. An empty seat next to a person of a different race is closer to you, yet you choose an empty seat further away.

9. You go out of your way to NOT have a confrontation with someone of a different race, even if they "deserve" to be confronted.

10. You utter the words...."Some of my best friends are...."...

The point is.. we ALL have built in "radar" for anything that is not OUR norm, and we must be always aware that we are subconsiously judging...as we are being judged.

We just have to try our very best to put ourselves into the shoes of the "other", because to SOMEONE..we ARE "the other"..

[Behind the Aegis]

23. some good points

You made good points about discrimination and prejudice. However, the real problem is when those practices become policy, and that is bigotry. You are right, we will always have prejudices, but I think we can eliminate bigotry and discrimination with education. Attitudes can and do change, it just takes time.

[SoCalDem]

24. Education IS the key, and that's why it scares me.

The current "push" is to ignore the issues by NOT talking about them. The "rules" that are in place now in most schools just put a thin veneer over the issues and "hope they go away".

and it's really what's behind the whole voucher issue too. Privatization of schools by means of voucher acceptance is the way to "re" segregate, because once enough public schools get closed due to lack of funds, the private schools will be the "only game in town" for some communities, and by then it will be too late.

They can, and DO eliminate a lot of "unwanted" students. They can do it by keeping the size of the school small, or just raising the prices to a level that "only the ones they want" can afford....voucher or NO voucher.

[Behind the Aegis]

26. Again...good points!

I am in the education field, and it scares me at the lack of understanding of basic things, history included. People do not want to discuss "bad" things, but if you do not, then they never really go away. I really like what you said about vouchers too, and completely agree. It nothing more than a "clever" way to 're' segregate, but people don't want to discuss that because it might make them seem insensitive or, racist. If the shoe fits....

Thanks for the good posts!

[AngryOldDem]

25. One African-American's experience

This was related to me.

This guy was mowing his front yard one day when a white guy pulled up (older) and asked how much he charged to do lawn work. Apparently, the white guy thought there was no way an African-American could own the house.

The guy politely set him straight by saying that it was his house, but that he knew of some kids who did yard work -- would he like their phone numbers? The white guy, embarrassed, apologized profusely. Apologies were accepted, with the man going away with a good lesson learned.

EDIT: Fix spelling