And going back to your earlier post...this was an EVENT when I was a kid! And the whole "here she comes" spectacle at the end - winner crying, tiara askew, runner-up trying to look happy.
Now I don't even know what the point is of these things.
It is embarrassing and sad. I am a second generation American of Indian heritage, and I am still amazed by the number of people who ask me "where are you from" and are unsatisfied when I say Fort Worth. When they add "I mean where are you originally from" I tell them Chicago, where I was born. I've only had a few keep going after that, tripping over themselves to figure out how to ask me what is my heritage is or where my parents are from, or so on. Maybe it's not nice to mess with them, but their assumption that I am from somewhere else is also not nice. I also have had people compliment me on how well I speak English (the fact that I have no accent other than maybe a bit of a Texas twang doesn't seem to register with them).
There are a huge number of people in this country who don't think that they are racist, but still think that anyone not white or black must be from somewhere else or are somehow not "real" Americans. The election of Barack Obama seems to have really brought them out into the open. Then there are the idiots who call an Indian Hindu an Arab or Muslim. I guess bigotry is associated with low intelligence after all.
None of it changes the fact that I think these pageants are pretty stupid and demeaning to women in general.
Hah, that's so true. I watched my friend embarrassing himself on the plane home from Canada once talking to a girl, who later told me her parents had emigrated to Canada from South Korea before she was born.
It 's just a stupid question. These people wouldn't even have accents. Why not just ask them what their ethnic heritage is if they are curious about that? :fp: Mine's British.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Hah, that's so true. I watched my friend embarrassing himself on the plane home from Canada once talking to a girl, who later told me her parents had emigrated to Canada from South Korea before she was born.
"So, where are you from?"
"Canada"
"Yeah, but where are you from?"
"CANADA!!"
Yep, I've been on the receiving end of that more than once. The funniest was when I was in Australia as an exchange student as a teenager, and someone asked me "Do they teach English in India with an American accent?" I kid you not
Hah, that's so true. I watched my friend embarrassing himself on the plane home from Canada once talking to a girl, who later told me her parents had emigrated to Canada from South Korea before she was born.
"So, where are you from?"
"Canada"
"Yeah, but where are you from?"
"CANADA!!"
Yep, I've been on the receiving end of that more than once. The funniest was when I was in Australia as an exchange student as a teenager, and someone asked me "Do they teach English in India with an American accent?" I kid you not
Well maybe not the dumbest question. They do do that at "American Schools" in Thailand. A good friend of mine who was born in Fiji and grew up in Thailand (with an Indian Muslim heritage) was sent to "American School" by his diplomatic parents and he didn't have even a slight touch of an accent. He just sounded American even though he'd never set foot in North America.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Hah, that's so true. I watched my friend embarrassing himself on the plane home from Canada once talking to a girl, who later told me her parents had emigrated to Canada from South Korea before she was born.
"So, where are you from?"
"Canada"
"Yeah, but where are you from?"
"CANADA!!"
Yep, I've been on the receiving end of that more than once. The funniest was when I was in Australia as an exchange student as a teenager, and someone asked me "Do they teach English in India with an American accent?" I kid you not
Well maybe not the dumbest question. They do do that at "American Schools" in Thailand. A good friend of mine who was born in Fiji and grew up in Thailand (with an Indian Muslim heritage) was sent to "American School" by his diplomatic parents and he didn't have even a slight touch of an accent. He just sounded American even though he'd never set foot in North America.
It 's just a stupid question. These people wouldn't even have accents. Why not just ask them what their ethnic heritage is if they are curious about that? :fp: Mine's British.
Given the melting pot that America (and many places) are these days that can be a loooong answer!
Mine is relatively easy: 1/2 Italian, 1/4 Irish, 1/4 Puerto Rican.
My wife? Goog god, she has no idea of the amounts but the list is like 12 things. Kind of comical but I think it is cool. I only have one relative on the "grand" level who didn't get off a boat here, and that was my maternal grand-father whose parents came off a boat from Ireland. The other three 'grands' all came to America when they were kids.
I look white (like sunburn at the drop of a hat white) physically and here in the northeast it seems WASP-types like to rip on Puerto Ricans. I enjoy telling in-law family members (some for the 3rd or 4th time :fp: ) that I am PR so they can feel extremely uncomfortable after they had just made some bigoted joke about PRs in front of me.
In America the large percentage of us are mutts. We would be better off if we just learned to accept 'American' as a term to mean that you are a citizen of America.
And if aliens from outer space attack, we'll all be from planet Earth.
If they don't attack, we'll still be from planet Earth.
I like that.
(Still hoping they dont attack! If so Randy Quaid is not able to save us like he did in the movie...I think he is still hiding in Canada.)
Then there are the idiots who call an Indian Hindu an Arab or Muslim. I guess bigotry is associated with low intelligence after all.
what sort of bothered me about the indian people who were offended, saying "I'm not ARAB!" I'm Indian!", should have probably inserted "not that it matters what ethnicity I am". By saying ONLY that, they are almost legitimizing a complaint that it would be ok to be upset if she were to be Arabic.
maybe I'm digging a bit much into it, but it sort of rubbed me the wrong way.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
In America the large percentage of us are mutts. We would be better off if we just learned to accept 'American' as a term to mean that you are a citizen of America.
same in Canada. and that's exactly it. when I hear racists say "go back to where you came from!", I tell them the Native Americans that live here could tell them/us the same damn thing.
we're all from Earth.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
And if aliens from outer space attack, we'll all be from planet Earth.
If they don't attack, we'll still be from planet Earth.
that's exactly how I identify myself. Human/Earthling.
Most people do find their cultural heritage important though.... It has meaning to people. I don't think the solution is to ignore people's differences and pretend we're all the same. The solution is to take pride in what makes us different or allows us to related to an ethnic/cultural history shared with others, and for all of us to embrace the differences between those groups.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
And if aliens from outer space attack, we'll all be from planet Earth.
If they don't attack, we'll still be from planet Earth.
that's exactly how I identify myself. Human/Earthling.
This makes perfect sense and in the bigger picture... it is most accurate. But I do not begrudge those that seek to preserve their ethnicity/culture in some capacity. I'm okay with First Nations people doing things that promote their heritage just as I am okay with the local Italians running cultural events in their hall.
Being proud of one's ethnicity is fine- condemning another for theirs is the problem.
In America the large percentage of us are mutts. We would be better off if we just learned to accept 'American' as a term to mean that you are a citizen of America.
same in Canada. and that's exactly it. when I hear racists say "go back to where you came from!", I tell them the Native Americans that live here could tell them/us the same damn thing.
we're all from Earth.
And yeah, we're all human, so we all have differences between cultures (some profound), but have a lot in common as well. Yay.
(I'll also add that just because something is a part of a culture it doesn't mean it's good.... just in case anyone was misreading what I said as suggesting that we should accept differences or things within our own cultures no matter what they are.... sometimes certain cultural practices or values are shit and we shouldn't embrace them at all.... not meaning that we reject the people. Just the specific shitty thing).
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
And if aliens from outer space attack, we'll all be from planet Earth.
If they don't attack, we'll still be from planet Earth.
that's exactly how I identify myself. Human/Earthling.
Most people do find their cultural heritage important though.... It has meaning to people. I don't think the solution is to ignore people's differences and pretend we're all the same. The solution is to take pride in what makes us different or allows us to related to an ethnic/cultural history shared with others, and for all of us to embrace the differences between those groups.
I agree. we're not all the same, but I was just saying that I'm proud to be a Canadian in that so many different cultures make up being a Canadian, so to me, that's the same as just identifying as a human. that's all.
Gimli 1993
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
that's exactly how I identify myself. Human/Earthling.
Most people do find their cultural heritage important though.... It has meaning to people. I don't think the solution is to ignore people's differences and pretend we're all the same. The solution is to take pride in what makes us different or allows us to related to an ethnic/cultural history shared with others, and for all of us to embrace the differences between those groups.
I agree. we're not all the same, but I was just saying that I'm proud to be a Canadian in that so many different cultures make up being a Canadian, so to me, that's the same as just identifying as a human. that's all.
Fair enough - we can all identify as anything we want! I personally strongly identify as Canadian (that I'm also human is something I guess I just take for granted).
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I think she's very pretty, even though its been taken down one of the early tweets called her a sand-nword. :nono:
Peace
*We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
Then there are the idiots who call an Indian Hindu an Arab or Muslim. I guess bigotry is associated with low intelligence after all.
what sort of bothered me about the indian people who were offended, saying "I'm not ARAB!" I'm Indian!", should have probably inserted "not that it matters what ethnicity I am". By saying ONLY that, they are almost legitimizing a complaint that it would be ok to be upset if she were to be Arabic.
maybe I'm digging a bit much into it, but it sort of rubbed me the wrong way.
Personally, I'm just pointing out the ignorance. But a lot of Indian Hindus probably do have some issues with being called Muslim because of their own dislike (they are also victims or Islamic terrorists) and their desire not to be targeted by anti-Islamic violence perpetrated by some idiots here.
Comments
And going back to your earlier post...this was an EVENT when I was a kid! And the whole "here she comes" spectacle at the end - winner crying, tiara askew, runner-up trying to look happy.
Now I don't even know what the point is of these things.
There are a huge number of people in this country who don't think that they are racist, but still think that anyone not white or black must be from somewhere else or are somehow not "real" Americans. The election of Barack Obama seems to have really brought them out into the open. Then there are the idiots who call an Indian Hindu an Arab or Muslim. I guess bigotry is associated with low intelligence after all.
None of it changes the fact that I think these pageants are pretty stupid and demeaning to women in general.
"So, where are you from?"
"Canada"
"Yeah, but where are you from?"
"CANADA!!"
Yep, I've been on the receiving end of that more than once. The funniest was when I was in Australia as an exchange student as a teenager, and someone asked me "Do they teach English in India with an American accent?" I kid you not
Now that is interesting!
Given the melting pot that America (and many places) are these days that can be a loooong answer!
Mine is relatively easy: 1/2 Italian, 1/4 Irish, 1/4 Puerto Rican.
My wife? Goog god, she has no idea of the amounts but the list is like 12 things. Kind of comical but I think it is cool. I only have one relative on the "grand" level who didn't get off a boat here, and that was my maternal grand-father whose parents came off a boat from Ireland. The other three 'grands' all came to America when they were kids.
I look white (like sunburn at the drop of a hat white) physically and here in the northeast it seems WASP-types like to rip on Puerto Ricans. I enjoy telling in-law family members (some for the 3rd or 4th time :fp: ) that I am PR so they can feel extremely uncomfortable after they had just made some bigoted joke about PRs in front of me.
In America the large percentage of us are mutts. We would be better off if we just learned to accept 'American' as a term to mean that you are a citizen of America.
If they don't attack, we'll still be from planet Earth.
I like that.
(Still hoping they dont attack! If so Randy Quaid is not able to save us like he did in the movie...I think he is still hiding in Canada.)
that's exactly how I identify myself. Human/Earthling.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
what sort of bothered me about the indian people who were offended, saying "I'm not ARAB!" I'm Indian!", should have probably inserted "not that it matters what ethnicity I am". By saying ONLY that, they are almost legitimizing a complaint that it would be ok to be upset if she were to be Arabic.
maybe I'm digging a bit much into it, but it sort of rubbed me the wrong way.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
same in Canada. and that's exactly it. when I hear racists say "go back to where you came from!", I tell them the Native Americans that live here could tell them/us the same damn thing.
we're all from Earth.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
This makes perfect sense and in the bigger picture... it is most accurate. But I do not begrudge those that seek to preserve their ethnicity/culture in some capacity. I'm okay with First Nations people doing things that promote their heritage just as I am okay with the local Italians running cultural events in their hall.
Being proud of one's ethnicity is fine- condemning another for theirs is the problem.
(I'll also add that just because something is a part of a culture it doesn't mean it's good.... just in case anyone was misreading what I said as suggesting that we should accept differences or things within our own cultures no matter what they are.... sometimes certain cultural practices or values are shit and we shouldn't embrace them at all.... not meaning that we reject the people. Just the specific shitty thing).
I agree. we're not all the same, but I was just saying that I'm proud to be a Canadian in that so many different cultures make up being a Canadian, so to me, that's the same as just identifying as a human. that's all.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
The poison from the poison stream caught up to you ELEVEN years ago and you floated out of here. Sept. 14, 08
I think she's very pretty, even though its been taken down one of the early tweets called her a sand-nword. :nono:
Peace
*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti
*The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)
That(pretty), and she's studying to be a Doctor. I guess these same idiots won't want her to treat them if they need medical help?
Personally, I'm just pointing out the ignorance. But a lot of Indian Hindus probably do have some issues with being called Muslim because of their own dislike (they are also victims or Islamic terrorists) and their desire not to be targeted by anti-Islamic violence perpetrated by some idiots here.