::Leader Board:: Ahnko Honu Takes The Lead Chapter 22!

PereBourik said:

I grew up in a polyglot neighborhood. We had Russians, Mexicans, Turks, and more. It was never strange to hear them speak among family in the mother tongue. If ya got it flaunt it, sez I.

In my family we spoke pig Latin.

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mailman said:

I grew up amongst only white people, WASPs, mostly. There was a large Italian contingent, but we seldom heard their native language. There were black folks living in the city proper, but we seldom went there. Ours was a very homogenous suburban community....

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PereBourik said:

My mother was very welcoming to others. She saved her harshest criticism for white people who didn't "measure up".

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mailman said:

My parents were products of their time, and were decidedly racially predjudiced. As I grew up, that became one of several wedges that split us apart. I am a child of the 60's, and although I had had minimal exposure to other races and cultures, I was all about peace and love, and fully behind the civil rights movement. My parents and I would never see eye to eye on that one....

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mailman said:

I was at a gathering last Sunday, and noticed something a little odd. The host is Chinese, and was very gracious and welcoming. Everyone there spoke English, and yet the host at one point spoke to her adult daughter in Chinese, in front of all the other people.

I couldn't help but feel that her motive was to keep from being understood by everyone else, and that perhaps she was talking about one or more of us to her daughter. Why else would she have switched languages?

She seems to be a lovely lady, and it struck me a little strange. How do you feel about bilingual people using another language in front of people who don't understand it?

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mailman said:

My parents were products of their time, and were decidedly racially predjudiced. As I grew up, that became one of several wedges that split us apart. I am a child of the 60's, and although I had had minimal exposure to other races and cultures, I was all about peace and love, and fully behind the civil rights movement. My parents and I would never see eye to eye on that one....

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salukulady said:

Of course he couldn't. He's never attempted to educate himself. People like that think all asians have slanted eyes and yellow skin. They are clueless.

If I can't tell physically but hear a last name I can usually narrow it down. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Thai, I can usually tell. But Cambodian, Laotian and Taiwanese are tougher. Also in Southern California and especially right here in Westminster and Garden Grove we have huge areas where lots of Asian cultures have settled and are now blended. So names and even facile characteristics are mixed. And that's just fine with me.

I'm 90 percent Irish with Swedish, German, Native American, and a French last name; I would never expect anyone to nail down my background.

Maybe someday when we're all blended people will stop being assholes.

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gyosh said:

No posts since class started?

Guess I'll go back to working.

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glass said:

I went with plumber and he said that the leak was not from the bathroom. So theres that might just be a loose piece of flashing giving the leak. Also the sewer he will send me estimate later today best case and worse case scenario. So things are a little better.

Then the owner showed up. He thought it was 10 not 11 so he came in and the realtor showed him the problem and he said its not where the tub drains. The plumber checked and sure enough it drains into another wall. So we figured it was the flashing from the sunporch had a small area where leak is and a little caulk will fix that. So better news after further investigation.

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Pueo said:

Yes, Einstein had a way with words, especially relating to religion and science.

I believe that his views were likely similar to mine. Religion and science are not opponents. The bible is from a time of lesser understanding of the physical world. Explaining the wonder of His creations scientifically does not make them any less amazing. We probably also feel that he was a little more "hands off" than the bible says. You know, not like God said poof! humans! rather He just started this whole ball rolling - "let there be light" could just as easily pertain to the Big Bang - humans may never understand - but that's OK. That what faith is for, right?

Now if we could just get everyone to stop all the fighting and name calling, it would be excellent.

Oh and coincidence? Like how the apparent size of the moon from Earth and the sun from Earth is exactly the same? Yeah. Weird. Way too close to be random.

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Chopped Liver said:

Ooo, yes! Let's do! In the Bible, dogs return to their vomit, but Jesus is called the Lion of Judah.

Cats rule! Dogs drool!

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glass said:

I dont think he recognized me but he may look me up now on FB and see we have mutual friend.

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gyosh said:

So here's a thing.

I figure Silicon Valley, LA, NY and maybe Boston are the most diverse areas in the country and should therefore be less racist for lack of a better term. Tonight I stopped at a BBQ joint to pick up some dinner. After I got my food I poked my head in the bar to see the score of the football game.

"You Asians sure love our American BBQ. Those Japanese fellas across the street are here almost every day." (There's a new poke shop across the street). I don't know what it is, the way he said "our" or just the sheer number of racial comments I've heard directed at me in the last year, More than my entire life added together, but I couldn't just walk away.

I'm pretty sure I'm American. And if you're measuring by how long your family has been here I'm probably more "American" than you. Now if you're measuring being "American" because you're white, you got me there, but that also means your impossibly ignorant too. And just an FYI, by ignorant I'm politely saying stupid.

"That's not what I meant."

"You Asians sure love OUR American BBQ." Who do you mean by "our"? Your using "our" is saying that I'm not the same as you which means you think that I'm not American. It may not be what you meant to say, but your meaning is loud and clear and so is your ignorance.

When I left the bartender chased after me to apologize. I was still pissed and said his silence during that whole thing perpetuates and emboldens people like his regular. It makes them feel they're right and justifies their ignorant comments.

I'm getting more and more angry when instances like this happens because it's happening noticeably more often. I can't imagine what it's like to live somewhere other than the Bay Area. I can't even fathom what it must be like to be black.

So disappointed in us, and scared of the world that awaits my son.

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bbycrts said:

This makes me so sad - and so glad you spoke up.

I think our current government has really empowered people to speak their hateful, racist minds these days. The country has become coarser and meaner in the last year.

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gyosh said:

Trying to not be angry but It's so frustrating.

I think that's why I feel so at home in Hawaii. Most everyone looks like me. It also makes me sad because growing up in my tight knit neighborhood we were all just friends. No colors or races, just good friends.

Actually it might be because of the diversity that racism is more prevalent. "White" is no longer the majority in this area and that scares and sometimes angers people.

At least this space feels safe and accepting. We're all just uke peeps and PoHos here.

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salukulady said:

Of course he couldn't. He's never attempted to educate himself. People like that think all asians have slanted eyes and yellow skin. They are clueless.

If I can't tell physically but hear a last name I can usually narrow it down. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Thai, I can usually tell. But Cambodian, Laotian and Taiwanese are tougher. Also in Southern California and especially right here in Westminster and Garden Grove we have huge areas where lots of Asian cultures have settled and are now blended. So names and even facile characteristics are mixed. And that's just fine with me.

I'm 90 percent Irish with Swedish, German, Native American, and a French last name; I would never expect anyone to nail down my background.

Maybe someday when we're all blended people will stop being assholes.

Click to expand...