Hiro11

I'd agree with you: race is completely irrelevant to most political situations it's brought into and race is often used to mask the true root cause of many issues. For example, most issues that are blamed on the racism of Americans actually have far more to do with economic disparity than race, IMO.

But I'm a white guy and thus, clearly, I "don't get it".

...and there's the rub.

neil

I don't necessarily agree that it's not racist - my wife has had similar comments, i.e. that she's trying to be white. I'm sorry but can't people just be people; there shouldn't be a "white" way and a "black" way - just making a comment like that defines a difference between the races which just shouldn't be there.

I think race issues are injected into anything and everything because they are part of everything here. It seems that in this country your identity is either your race, or if you're white, it's what country your family came from - I have friends who are heavily involved in the local community of such-and-such country because their family came from there but have never even visited the place.

Leslie

It wasn't really racist - just stupid.

neil

Yes, stupid, but if not directly racist in and of itself anything that indicates that different races do things differently no matter how small keeps racism going.

anotherlimey

I agree with you, making race (in the "colour" sense) anything more than skin colour promotes racism.

ETA: My wife gets the same as your wife, her family always tells her how "white" she is.

twiggy1984

that figure needs to be adjusted for the relative population sizes of various minority:majority group relationships.

I think people often confuse "racialising" issues with "racism" - that is racism implies discrimination whereas, "racialising" is related to associating certain groups with say: behaviour, cultural differences etc...

you could always argue that they are one and the same thing, and I would agree that there is a fine line between the two but I do believe that there IS a distinction to be made.

crap. just re-read what I wrote... apologies I've been in "academia" for too long!!!!

Hiro11

Not sure why, but OK, 9% of the people in the UK are non-white. 33% of the people in the US are non-white. So, the adjusted rate is 1.91% in the US, vs 2% in the UK. The poster I was responding to stated that there are many more interracial marriages in the UK, even making this adjustment (which is certainly arguable) it's not true.

elfman

what I actually said was:

IMO racially mixed couples are much more common in Europe (including the UK) than in the USA

couples and marriages aren't necessarily the same thing

Hiro11

I challenge anyone to find interracial dating statistics.

YankeemovingAbroad

Bob

I must say that Mass has a bad reputation for being quite segregated.Not surprised you wouldn't see that much mix ethnic dating in your area.

Sally

Have you made up your mind where to move yet?

YankeemovingAbroad

I think race"ethnicity" is injected into suitations because many people from the majority ethnicity believe they deserve a type of entitlement regardless of what role "they them self" have played in contributing to a community or country.There is a belief they should deserve a type inherittance of power passing down from one generation to the next with no break in the chain of transferral. I don't think that belief or behavior is only found in America.

In any nation were there has been a majority ethinicity controling the reigns, with a changing demographic,you will find people complaining in the majority population that things are changing for the worst.You hear that often in the UK. That is how racism gains a strong foundation.The UK is a 92% caucasian majority population.Ask your self how much racial tension will there be once that majority has become 65% and the minorities are deciding local & national elections? Many people behave no better, and use a thought proccess little better than animals with a pack mentality.

"I don't like that ethnicity because they are all the same." "Or someone else might say women are allways thinking this or that,or Asians and Blacks can be counted on to think in that way."Its all rubbish! Everyone is an individual you can't fit a label on a whole segment of people.But a whole segment of people can be an agent for change bad or good when they are in the majority.If we want women to stop complaining about the behavior of men,then men need to stop mistreating women.If we want Blacks,Asians,hispanics to stop complaining about racism,then we as a society need to stop racial profiling against them,and stop hate crimes against them.

Basicly most people can be an agent of change if only they would consider what effect their actions have on the next person.It allways make me laugh when some obtus person says things like conditions are the same for "you" in England or America as it is for me.Sometime the deck is actually unfairly and even criminally stacked against you and its true that an exceptional person will work around and over come racism or bias,but also the truth is not everyone from all ethnicities are exceptional.If that were the case everyone would be rich,have "exceptional" parenting skills and have the best relationship with our wife/husband born out of patience understanding and the ability to consider the feelings of our partner before our own.

YankeemovingAbroad

Thats on hold for the moment.Still deciding,the UK or Paris france,Paris or Manchester,tough decision.Help!

anabella

Not Florida or California?

maore

I was born and bred in France and studied/worked in the UK (south yorkshire) , here is my impression of the two places :

+ Paris , lovely city and great quality of life (Good food , lovely women, cultural life ,reasonable price ,etc...) but the population have to really change their mentalities (Average parisian so arrogant they would love to always teach one thing or another to those stupid foreigners)- discrimination is a different ball game because you will not be treated as a coloured person but as a bl**d* yank and there is one thing French people hate more than bad cuisine is Americans , anti-americanism is very entrenched in all fibre of life (school , friends discussion , etc...) and all based on hear-say (i.e. the average french person never had a 30 min discussion with an american in their entire life ) . Oh finally if you like clubbing you might find yourself barred from a few night clubs just because you are a male of a certain colour -One thing which turn me mad about French in general is they are just too formalist : people have a way of doing thing and it has to be followed and lack some sort of flexibility.

+ Manchester , choose your footbal team (the first choice you will need to make before making a move to the UK) and stand to it through thick and thin and you should be alright .If you like a working class environment where people are themselves and do not have too many chip on their shoulders ,manchester is a great place to be. You will be welcomed everywhere as long as do not behave like a ruffian and you have enough dineros.Work/finance wise , the IT industry is booming and salaries are pretty low compared to London - discrimination ? the advantage with the british people is , they do not give a damn about where you are from or your skin tone because they can see the financial gain of employing you based on your experience and qualification. Social life ? your skin colour is the last thing people would worry about when they meet you.

What I found about big minuses in both place are :
In france , being barred from night-club for obscure reasons it can be extremely stressful
Manchester, getting used to the food