My example was in direct response to this: ....which to me sounded like an indictment of daily life that is happening TODAY, as in all us rednecks are too busy buying new Rebel flags for our pickups to do any toleratin' and book-learnin,' yee-haw. It touched a nerve and I should have just pointed that out rather than getting pissed off. You make a good and fair point. My only intention was to show that it happens everywhere. All the same, I should have used a better/recent example. So, kudos to you.
Racism can be found everywhere, it's true. But there remains a special breed in many pockets of the south. I have traveled extensively by car through many northern and southern states, particularly over the last five years, and the racism that can be found (not is always found and no one is saying otherwise) in the south is of its own special brand still today. Even in Houston, I was recently accosted by a drunk who have told me that us white people need to stick together. When I told him I disagreed with him and tried to walk away, he called me a race traitor and tried to fight me. This guy wasn't a skinhead or a young punk. He was a regular guy who probably works in an office, had a few too many, and his true feelings came out. It's everywhere, it's true, but it's especially in the south. Still.
I don't disagree. It's downright shameful. And I've had similar conversation....but mine was at a pub in London, another place renowned for tolerance re: high immigration rates. On another trip to England, I was staying in a old manor house in the English countryside that had been converted into a bed and breakfast. They were flying a Confederate flag. When I inquired as to why, they said they had a family staying from Georgia, and they flew it for them because they 'liked to fly flags for their international guests,' and they had an extensive collection of national flags for this purpose. Blew my mind.
I stayed in a motel in Alabama about a year ago. I'd checked in at night and in the morning I saw a Confederate flag flying outside the hotel along with the American one. I asked the all black staff if they were bothered by it and they said, "Yes, but that's just the way things are here. It's never been any different." You would never find that in the north. Racists there have at least learned that public expression of racism is socially unacceptable.
Sad stuff, man. I signed up for your newsletter, btw. My gf does the theater thing so maybe we'll get to check out one of your shows next time she's down here.
Of the countries I have been to (around 20 or so), France is by far the most, followed distantly by Spain. The least besides the US was China, no foreign country has been as welcoming as China in my experience.
I apologize ATW. I let my anger get the best of me. From what I've seen, Americans are tolerant and intolerant. Some focus on the differences, and others accept everyone as brothers and sisters of God.
No worries. Appreciate it. I did provoke you a bit, too. Just please know that I do not hate Muslims, really. I do question and criticize some things, but that doesn't mean I hate the people.
segregated as compared to what? Houston? Really? Every large city has neighborhoods that are populated by certain ethnic groups. That doesn't make it "very segregated." The fact that people freely come and go between them in fact indicates the opposite. My building has 25 floors, it has black, white, hispanic, east/south asian, jewish, muslim, whatever - I don't really know what I can do to be less segregated from them. Of course you're not going to find hedge fund managers hanging out in bars with homeless people - but that's not race, it's a class based thing.
Sure I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and all the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.
hmm... it's hard to say because if you stay in hotels and are on business people are generally very glad to see you whether you're black, white or purple as long as you have the green but the US, UAE and Hong Kong are all not xenophobic Japan, Spain and Israel were really bad. it's called you've never been out of Texas lol. seriously though I'm the most pro-US guy possible but when you go to other countries you see **** every day that we could do better on
Its xenophobia when you feel that based on that belief you are then fearful of others coming to your country and / or treat them with less dignity than you would those of your own country.
The only trouble I had in Israel was with airport security, and that was only a half hour or so of inconvenience. I didn't get a vibe from any of the people that I was unwelcome.
Haha. It was a quote from Eastbound and Down -- I expected better from you guys. SJC, I got your back in Germany debates. Great people and even better women!
Can't the same be said of most larger countries, US included? Usually only the capital, commercial centers or tourist sites will have foreigners. Can't blame some Asian farmers in the middle of nowhere for staring or being suspicious if they've never seen a black dude in person before and the only reference materials have they to work with are popcorn Hollywood movies. Good post, unfortunately not many people realize this considering this thread itself is full of people listing stereotypes and misunderstanding xenophobia.
Do you feel like the rest of Europe still holds a grudge against germany for what they did during WW2? I am not challenging you or anything, I am just curious cuz I have never been outside the USA
