[QUOTE]Originally posted by phyphorous2ki
[B]So my point is that there is a negative origin in where that term 'rice' comes from.

 

SilverFog,

You know that you aren't going to win this argument. The fact that you are even continuing the thread is just going to ensure that there are more threads like it. If some members of the board want to think that they are being oppressed/victimized/insulted, you will never convince them that they aren't.

It's too bad that this racial crap has to be dragged into an S2000 appreciation site. At least it stays in Off-Topic.

 

I agree with you, phyphorous2ki. The first time I heard these comments about "rice" cars, it obviously had a definite racial intonation. Oddly, I've been around these boards long enough now that I don't really notice the term anymore, but the reality is that it's got a racial base to it. On the other hand, I believe those who say they don't think about it being a racial thing, and I don't think they're necessarily racists for using the term.

Here's the crux though. If they happen to know that this term bothers someone because they regard it at a racial slur? Then they're just stubborn assholes if they persist in using it.

 

When you take a generalisation like that (however true it may be) and apply a term to it which has a negative connotation, that is racist!

The biggest problem with racism is it can be quite stealthy an insidious. A term or action is not racist or not dependant on how it is intended, it is racist or not dependant on how it is received. And one of the skills of communication is to assess your audience and work out how they will decode your message, then encode it appropriately to get the message across. This is very hard in an open forum like this, where your audience is faceless and many, so that's all the more reason for caution.

 

Someone on this board keeps repeating, "Whites control Hollywood and put down Asians" To me, this sounds just like what the KKK and neo-Nazis says about Jews ("Jews control Hollywood to put down the white race") and it deeply offends me. By your reasoning above, that person is a racist; do you agree?

And where are the limits? Apparently, truth is not a defense.

According to current minority studies curriculum in US universities, all whites are unavoidably racists, while no member of a minority group can be racist (racism requires power; whites have all power, minorities have zero power, therefore whites are racists). I find this to be offensive...does that mean that calling someone a racist means that you are a racist?

As you can see, Americans have refined racial politics far farther than you Aussies! We are exceptionally good at sowing hatred against each other.

 

I do.

Quote:

And where are the limits? Apparently, truth is not a defense.

I see this as being the issue: You have a person doing something you're not fond of. So you can say "that person is an ahole." That's fine. Then you find another person doing it. Well, that person is an ahole too, no problem. But when you notice they're both Korean, let's say, then people start saying "Koreans are aholes." Well, now you're the ahole. You may see 10% of a given population doing something, but you can't paint the other 90% in the same light. That's when you become a racist. Same goes for the guy saying "Whites control hollywood and put Asians down." He's fine if he says "This white guy puts Asians down," though how about leaving the white part out? He's the ahole if he's saying or implying "all whites".

BTW - I can totally see this guys point about Hollywood, though. Maybe Hollywood would be a more equitable place if, say, Sony owned a studio or something...
[/B][/QUOTE]

Quote:

According to current minority studies curriculum in US universities, all whites are unavoidably racists, while no member of a minority group can be racist (racism requires power; whites have all power, minorities have zero power, therefore whites are racists).

I've heard that argument before. It's assinine. I'd say anyone who makes it is an ahole!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tanqueray
[B]Someone on this board keeps repeating, "Whites control Hollywood and put down Asians"

 

Yes, I'm a proud American that happens to be Vietnamese, but unfortunately many still stereotype Americans as just white.

Here are some examples.
In town, there's a sign in front of a motel that says, "American Owned". What is that all about. Or sometimes in the news you would hear, "In the news today, a 20 year old Asian-american...." Now on the other spectrum, I would hear people proclaim themselves as Vietnamese-American or African-American or Italian-American(they are white if you ask me) I'm sorry but terms like that will draw more criss-crossed racial lines than the L.A. freeways.

Don't lose sleep over racism, people. It's been around for hundreds of years and will continue on for many generations. Just ignore and stay away from those bad apples and stick with the good ones.

Peace to all and let's focus on something we all Americans like, cars and women (men to Sondra).

 

Geez, it's amazing what this stupid poll has degenerated into. This is obviously a sensitive issue, and unwinnable, so I'll keep my couple of points brief:
- how do you exhibit racism towards an object, like a car? I thought racism was only directed towards people.
- yes, some people are called riceboys, etc., but this is a reflection of their tastes and actions, not their race.

I've never had the slightest inclination of using this term in a racist fashion, as I have friends of a variety of races and judge people by their personality and actions, not the color of their skin. Nevertheless, I'll refrain from using that term here out of respect for other members' perspective if they find it offensive.

 

I have been racing imports for a while now. And we (fellow import racers) talk about rice-burners. It is out of respect towards the excelent quality control and japanese engineering. I see it as a complement or even some jalousy from others.

I don't care if your purple, white, black or from mars. Hate based on racial difference is simple a sign of misunderstanding or stupidity. Ever wanted to make love to someone of a different race.... Are you not curious? Diversity can be a good thing. Keep that in mind.

Roelof.