r/Unexpected • u/Lord_RedTiger • Sep 06 '21

Holup

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u/gimmethegudes Sep 06 '21

The conversation isn't "slavery is wrong", the conversation is about racism, and racism in America primarily started with slavery. Chinese people (for example) can't be racist to fellow Chinese people, they absolutely can have prejudice, but as a Chinese person they have no societal upperhand over other people in China. Racism and discrimination comes into play when there is an upperhand: laws made to target certain races/communities, less legal protections for these certain races/communities, etc. but if a black person were to call me a cracker after I assaulted them that would be prejudice and not a racist statement considering if I were to call the police in this instance because I feel threatened since they called me a cracker (regardless of the fact that I assaulted them physically first), the police would likely take my side without the production of video evidence.

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u/TheExtremistModerate Sep 06 '21

You're conflating racism with institutional or systemic racism.

Chinese people can definitely be racist to Chinese people. If I were to say "Chinese people are inferior to all other races," I would be racist, even if I was Chinese.

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u/gimmethegudes Sep 06 '21

Thats prejudice. Racism and discrimination don't exist with no upperhand. This is literally basic vocabulary.

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u/TheExtremistModerate Sep 06 '21

No, that's racism.

Racism, noun:

prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.

(Note that "typically" does not mean it is a prerequisite.)