is it possible for me to become more racist and more tolerant simultaneously?

[MaC]

no sandcastle option, as this is a serious issue that's been bugging me. And it really is hard to explain, but let me anyways.

I feel like on one hand I'm becoming more tolerant of different people as I enjoy learning about their cultures, and background, and histories in my dorm.  I feel a sense of kinship-although not one of naturally belonging with people who are of a different race than I am.

However, I hate the language barriers.  And it seems every day I become more resentful of people just because they normally speak a different language.  I feel this way because where I grew up everybody knew and understood English quite well.  But now, I see groups of people who speak Spanish, or Arabic, or Japanese and I feel as if I'm left out (purposely or not), but still it's a separating thing that keeps me from wanting to talk to them.

Perhaps I'm committing a division fallacy in that I say I hate the language gap, and I feel that way (on some level) about the people as a whole.  I don't hate anyone, but I do feel really uncomfortable sometimes.

Any comments from people of any race/country/ideology would be helpful.

[John Dibble]

Well, I don't think hating the langauge barrier is racism - you aren't resenting these people because of the color of their skin. Rather, I think you're just somewhat jealous that they have an ability you don't have - that is a language you don't know but they do. Specifically you might feel uncomfortable because you don't know what they are talking about when they speak their langauge, and one of the most uncomfortable feelings a person can have is not understanding what is going on. People fear the unknown, and often they come to hate what they fear. My advice to you is to either try and put it out of your mind or learn one or two of the languages.

[MaC]

it's good advice Dibble.  Thing is I would want to learn a language, but I don't have that sort of time.  Although I guess I could manage it correctly, but even then.  If I learn Spanish, I still feel secluded from those that speak Greman or Arabic. 

[minionofmidas]

Da musst du durch, Junge. Immer merken - alles halb so schlimm, was die Leute reden. Ich kenn das Gefühl ganz gut. Man weiß halt erst mal nicht, was die Leute wollen, und befürchtet das Schlimmste.

[John Dibble]

it's good advice Dibble.  Thing is I would want to learn a language, but I don't have that sort of time.  Although I guess I could manage it correctly, but even then.  If I learn Spanish, I still feel secluded from those that speak Greman or Arabic. 

Well, since it's a college thing, you might take a langauge as an elective, or if you wanted you could get some sort of International Affairs major and take many languages. I'm in Japanese 2001 right now, and it's a rather good class, and I'm hoping to get a certificate(I'd minor in it, but since I co-op my schedule doesn't allow me to go to Japan for a semester ). As to which language you should pick, I'd say go with the one which most people speak - ie the group you feel most excluded from. Also, that would help you because you'd have people to practice with who can correct you.

[MaC]

Da musst du durch, Junge. Immer merken - alles halb so schlimm, was die Leute reden. Ich kenn das Gefühl ganz gut. Man weiß halt erst mal nicht, was die Leute wollen, und befürchtet das Schlimmste.

There you must through, boy.  Always notice - all half so badly, what the people speak.  I know the feeling very good.  One do not know simply first once, what the people want, and the worst fears. 

Ah, freetranlsator. com  Although it's probably not 100%, it's unfortunate that I can only use it when I'm on the net.

[Storebought]

You can just as well assume that those people intentionally speak their native language so that you cannot understand them.

I find that east Asians are the least likely to speak Japanese/Chinese/Korean among themselves for this pupose. It's quite the leap to switch between thinking and speaking in English from Cantonese/Wuhanese.

OTOH, Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis, and the French (back at LSU, not at my new school, of course) spoke Arabic, subcontinental dialects, and French just to be exclusionary bastards. You have every reason to resent them.

[angus]

I voted yes in answer to the question.  but I think it has little to do with what you're describing.  a black, yellow, brown, or red man may speak the same native language as you, English, and you are more obviously more comfortable with him than you are with a white man who speaks Ukranian, Italian, or Polish.

You are being intolerant, if that's the underlying question.  but that's okay, unless, of course, you are a democrat.  (notice I singled out "democrat" and not leftist in general, even socialists and german greens accept intolerance as a fact of life.  for whatever reason, only U.S. democrats seem to have huge ethical qualms with intolerance, which is rather ironic, since they're among the most intolerant members of our species.)  anyway, you are not racist by the measure you describe, but you are somewhat intolerant.  you need to learn to live with the fact that some people speak different languages than you, and that your country is a melting pot of many peoples from many cultures with many languages.  deal with it.

[Nation]

I understand what you're saying, Mac. I'll go into more detail later on.

[dazzleman]

I voted yes.  Human beings are complex, and our thoughts operate on several different levels at the same time.  It's highly possible to have contradictory thoughts and impulses about issues.  Just about everybody does.

[© tweed]

Absolutely.  I believe I am becoming more racist as time goes on, but I am tolerant of other races even if I don't like them.

[dazzleman]

Absolutely.  I believe I am becoming more racist as time goes on, but I am tolerant of other races even if I don't like them.

Interesting point about "tolerance."  I have always hated the concept, because it implies putting up with something you don't really like.  That's what happens when we constantly talk about how the races are different, but we have to tolerate each other.

I'd rather reduce the differences between the races, and emphasize common humanity rather than cultural separatism.  I think that would work a lot better than politically correct drivel about "tolerance" and "multiculturalism."

I think most people become more realistic about other races as they get older.  I wouldn't necessarily call it racist, per se, but it's hard to live in this society beyond a certain age without taking notice of the contours of the situation with respect to race.  It's very difficult then not to act the situation as it has been observed, and just about everybody does. 

Blacks have a more difficult time with the race issue than whites, because blacks who want to have a good quality of life are forced to move significantly outside the comfort zone that they may have into a potentially hostile society.  For whites, the impetus is the opposite -- retreating more deeply into their comfort zone generally promises a better quality of life than moving outside it.  Maybe that's why solving the race issue is so difficult -- whites really have little tangible to gain for making the attempt, and a lot to lose.  At the same time, social trends in the black community have largely mitigated any potential gains, and magnified risks and potential losses.  It just doesn't add up to a winning situation.