• Classy@sh.itjust.works
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    6 days ago

    I’ve had good friends who were Europeans studying here, and they can definitely be very insensitive and racist. What makes the two flavors of racism different to me is American racism is typically very confrontational, tribalistic. White man calling a black man a slur, and there’s something cavalier about it, maybe even humorous on the part of the racist.

    Europeans have a much more “it is the way it is” attitude. I’ve heard friends talk very disparagingly about interracial couples, or blacks in general, and the attitude is less “hate for hate’s sake” but instead “it is the wrong way to be and my way is correct”. Fascinatingly, when you point out the bigotry, my friends have typically refused to accept their bias (at best), and will deny they’re racist.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      I’ve heard Europeans call Turks ‘filthy’ and ‘roaches’ and Africans ‘monkeys’. And don’t get me started on the things said about the Romani.

      I don’t think there’s a difference in how tribalistic or vicious it is.

    • AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works
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      5 days ago

      Making sure I’m reading this right…I know a guy who claims he isn’t sexist but that it is OK to pay women less because they aren’t as good at some things as men. So in his mind, it isn’t sexist to pay women less or even claim they should be paid less - even though it is.

      Is that similar to what you’re saying?

      • 404@lemmy.zip
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        5 days ago

        Did you type ‘females’ instead of ‘women’ for the sake of the argument or did you get caught up in it as well?

        • AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works
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          5 days ago

          Guess I got caught in it. Just looked it up and didn’t realize until now that female wasn’t an acceptable word to use. TIL. Thanks!

    • MBM@lemmings.world
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      5 days ago

      blacks

      While we’re on the topic, I think “black people” is the preferred term (in general it’s adjectives over nouns, like “gay people” vs “gays”)