Racism

[torene03]

"Meet someone who just moved to town and ask them where they're from" isn't really what that poster was meaning.

They're referring to questioning where someone is from in order to fit them into a category (racial, socioeconomic, etc) and then using that information to stereotype or make judgements about the individual.

And, at least in the situations I have witnessed, the recipient does not start yelling at the person. They just feel uncomfortable.




Have you really never witnessed or experienced a minority being prodded repeatedly in a really awkward way for more information about their ethnicity? (The first half of that video is not an exaggeration at all. The second part was over the top and usually the recipient doesn't call them out on it.)

Here are a few different types of examples:

- I grew up in a relatively segregated area. It was common to overhear someone asking a person of color where they lived before deciding how to treat them. Ex. A black person may be received very differently whether they lived in the segregated town, whether they were an immigrant, or whether they lived in a "white" neighborhood. Similar scenario for Latinos (migrant workers and immigrants from different countries)

- My oldest daughter is white, but people find her ethnicity to be a bit ambiguous due to her name and a few physical features. She constantly receives the "Where are you from? (because I'm trying to figure out if you're white or not)" question. When she replies, "I was born in FL but grew up in NY" they will start in with the, "Well, where are your parents from?" Sometimes people will just flat out ask her what her ethnicity is and quite a few times have said "... because I know you're not white".

I get asked "what are you?" quite a bit, which is really worse off for the person who asked because I'm an amateur genealogist and I'll talk all day long about my genetic ethnicity and detail the lives of all my ancestors going about six generations back...

 

[ejgonz2]

It's perfectly acceptable to throw shade at caucasians from the south/midwest!! Change some of the nouns and locations of your post, and there would be a riot on our hands.
Do you even get how close minded your post reads?

We're just a bunch of country bumpkins compared to ya'll better folk...

"But people from more diverse areas are generally better at keeping their bigoted views to themselves."

That’s not the case at all. But racist views are more openly expressed in some parts of the country by some types of people.

I’ll be checking out of this discussion now. I only meant to try to explain what I thought the OPs wife was feeling because I can relate to those feelings.

FWIW I’m from a more rural area on the east coast.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

OP, I'm sorry this happened to you. Unfortunately, there are mean people in the world and you can't control where or when you might encounter them. Though not racial in nature, we had a terrible encounter with a group of people in line for SDD on our last trip. Their behavior was so egregious (busting through the FP+ line without having FP+ and repeatedly being asked to leave the line, smoking, yes smoking in line and then threatening to hit my DS10 and me with their scooters), the ride CM's put us back on SDD for a second ride to try to make us feel better. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would encounter adult bullies in Toy Story Land! If it's any consolation, HDDR is an event at which you are seated at your own table and there is entertainment pretty much from the moment you sit down. In other words, it's pretty loud. We've gone three times and have never had any interaction with any other guests at the show. There is really no need to. And even if someone said something at another table, I wouldn't have heard a word because it's pretty darn loud in there. Though I understand your concern and do not want to have a similar encounter, unfortunately, what happened in DS could happen anywhere. I would to and try to enjoy your time together as a family. HDDR and Ft. W are a lot of fun.

 

[NYCgrrl]

"Meet someone who just moved to town and ask them where they're from" isn't really what that poster was meaning.

They're referring to questioning where someone is from in order to fit them into a category (racial, socioeconomic, etc) and then using that information to stereotype or make judgements about the individual.

And, at least in the situations I have witnessed, the recipient does not start yelling at the person. They just feel uncomfortable.




Have you really never witnessed or experienced a minority being prodded repeatedly in a really awkward way for more information about their ethnicity? (The first half of that video is not an exaggeration at all. The second part was over the top and usually the recipient doesn't call them out on it.)

Here are a few different types of examples:

- I grew up in a relatively segregated area. It was common to overhear someone asking a person of color where they lived before deciding how to treat them. Ex. A black person may be received very differently whether they lived in the segregated town, whether they were an immigrant, or whether they lived in a "white" neighborhood. Similar scenario for Latinos (migrant workers and immigrants from different countries)

- My oldest daughter is white, but people find her ethnicity to be a bit ambiguous due to her name and a few physical features. She constantly receives the "Where are you from? (because I'm trying to figure out if you're white or not)" question. When she replies, "I was born in FL but grew up in NY" they will start in with the, "Well, where are your parents from?" Sometimes people will just flat out ask her what her ethnicity is and quite a few times have said "... because I know you're not white".

Great article in this week's NYTimes about Maya Rudolph and how she dealt with being biracial growing up. The hair anecdote made me laugh out loud:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/...on=click&module=Editors Picks&pgtype=Homepage

I emailed it to my sons so they could laugh too.

 

[ajwolfe]

Wow! I was just looking to kill some time and catch up on the Dis and I can say for the first time ever posting here I'm actually offended. As someone living in the Midwest states some of these comments are pretty disgusting. Racism exists everywhere not just in the central states so let's stop pretending that's the issue.

 

[Disneyswagger]

Thank you to everybody that chimed in. I obviously never meant to cause in fighting but I understand this is a touchy topic. I never meant to i sist that midwest or southern people are all racist, of course not. I have Family in Chicago, Missouri, Arkansas and California as well as here in Florida. I have been all over the world. I am not nieve to believe everyone in California is open minded and everyone in Arkansas is racist. I made the post simply because doubt began to creep into my mind after my wifes comment. As sad as it is, and the media surely blows it up, there are public incidents happening all of the time involving race, racists, paranoia, etc. We happend to have one bad experience in Disney Springs of all places, so I think that left a very bad impression on my wife, enough for her to question this hoop de do review show. I feel sad for her that she has feelings of being unwanted or us as a family sticking out. Im comfortable with it even if she isnt. As a white man I cannot speak for any black experience but I guess I can say from talking to several people in my wifes family that certain black people are taught, right or wrong, from a young age that many white people simply do not like them. As a white male growing up, that was not the case. As I tell them I was told to respect everyone and the N word was the worst thing that could have been said in my all white housejold growing up. Im not nieve to believe that every home was the same. But many black people, right or wrong, tend to associate disney with rich white people. The same type they were told not to trust their entire lives. Did the moons align and the one public comment we have got in 7 years happend to happen at disney springs? Probably. But to my wife it may have just reaffirmed the stereotypes she dealt with growing up. In any case, thanks everyone. But now im deciding to maybe cancel Hoop de do, only because we may want to do Toy Story early morning magic instead!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Thank you to everybody that chimed in. I obviously never meant to cause in fighting but I understand this is a touchy topic. I never meant to i sist that midwest or southern people are all racist, of course not. I have Family in Chicago, Missouri, Arkansas and California as well as here in Florida. I have been all over the world. I am not nieve to believe everyone in California is open minded and everyone in Arkansas is racist. I made the post simply because doubt began to creep into my mind after my wifes comment. As sad as it is, and the media surely blows it up, there are public incidents happening all of the time involving race, racists, paranoia, etc. We happend to have one bad experience in Disney Springs of all places, so I think that left a very bad impression on my wife, enough for her to question this hoop de do review show. I feel sad for her that she has feelings of being unwanted or us as a family sticking out. Im comfortable with it even if she isnt. As a white man I cannot speak for any black experience but I guess I can say from talking to several people in my wifes family that certain black people are taught, right or wrong, from a young age that many white people simply do not like them. As a white male growing up, that was not the case. As I tell them I was told to respect everyone and the N word was the worst thing that could have been said in my all white housejold growing up. Im not nieve to believe that every home was the same. But many black people, right or wrong, tend to associate disney with rich white people. The same type they were told not to trust their entire lives. Did the moons align and the one public comment we have got in 7 years happend to happen at disney springs? Probably. But to my wife it may have just reaffirmed the stereotypes she dealt with growing up. In any case, thanks everyone. But now im deciding to maybe cancel Hoop de do, only because we may want to do Toy Story early morning magic instead!

I'm sorry that your wife had has that happen to her in her past. I don't think anyone wants her to experience another experience like she did at Disney Springs.

As for cancelling for TSL EMM that sounds exciting. There is this thread for some more information or for questions you may have https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...sion-now-bookable-for-sept-dec-dates.3701980/

Either way have fun on your trip!

 

[hiroMYhero]

Did the moons align and the one public comment we have got in 7 years happend to happen at disney springs?

I do hope you experience a wonderful trip and that TSL EMM is still available for you.

Please know that there has been an increase in racist remarks and racialized statements in the parks in the past year. Guests have been emboldened and have directed racist comments and slurs at ethnic American CMs to the point that Disney has directed CMs to walk offstage if guests verbally harass them. Even Doc McStuffins has had slurs directed at her. There has also been an increase in the number of guests that have been removed from the parks due to racist behavior.

@Shanti - My CM DD is a 4th generation American of Japanese and Okinawan descent. When she is out as an Entertainment Coordinator, guests will walk up and ask her where she ‘is from.’ When she responds, “California,” they again ask where she is “from.” Even ‘4th Generation Californian’ isn’t the response they want nor expect based on her facial features and stature.

In restaurants when guests are describing DD to the servers, they have pulled back the corners of their eyes or have described her as “the Chinese one.” Guests pretend they can’t understand her directives because of her ‘heavy accent.’ Accent? She speaks English perfectly because her mother is a Speech Pathologist.

It would be wonderful if the parks were free of racism but that really isn’t the case. @Disneyswagger , if your family experiences any negative and racist behavior from other guests or CMs, please report them to Management. Managers in all parks are taking quick action because they are quite aware of the increase in these incidents.

 

[danikoski]

I do hope you experience a wonderful trip and that TSL EMM is still available for you.

Please know that there has been an increase in racist remarks and racialized statements in the parks in the past year. Guests have been emboldened and have directed racist comments and slurs at ethnic American CMs to the point that Disney has directed CMs to walk offstage if guests verbally harass them. Even Doc McStuffins has had slurs directed at her. There has also been an increase in the number of guests that have been removed from the parks due to racist behavior.

@Shanti - My CM DD is a 4th generation American of Japanese and Okinawan descent. When she is out as an Entertainment Coordinator, guests will walk up and ask her where she ‘is from.’ When she responds, “California,” they again ask where she is “from.” Even ‘4th Generation Californian’ isn’t the response they want nor expect based on her facial features and stature.

In restaurants when guests are describing DD to the servers, they have pulled back the corners of their eyes or have described her as “the Chinese one.” Guests pretend they can’t understand her directives because of her ‘heavy accent.’ Accent? She speaks English perfectly because her mother is a Speech Pathologist.

It would be wonderful if the parks were free of racism but that really isn’t the case. @Disneyswagger , if your family experiences any negative and racist behavior from other guests or CMs, please report them to Management. Managers in all parks are taking quick action because they are quite aware of the increase in these incidents.

Wow...kind of disheartening.
One of the first times I remember noticing racism was traveling with my best friend when I was like 12. She came on a family vacation with us and we stopped at a rest area. Her and I just ran in and it was noticeable people were staring at her. One woman grabbed her child. Because apparently my friend, who just happens to have been adopted from South Korea, was going to get them. I asked my mom about it because I didn't really understand. After that, my mom went with us where ever we went.

However, now, I notice race. I wish I could go back to be that 12 year old. Just yesterday I was driving and came across a basketball game in the street. Kids with backpacks on playing ball while waiting for the bus. I had to correct myself because when I realized they were black teenagers, I felt myself get uptight. I had to ask myself, would I feel that uptightness if they were white. No. So I kept driving. The ball ended up bouncing in front of me and I stopped, smiled and waved for them to get the ball, and when the kid looked at me, I saw fear in his eyes. He was afraid of me, of what I'd do. The whole incident reminded me of the state of our country, and it hurt my heart.