Tell if You Are a Racist

Could you be racist? Racism is when you draw conclusions about people based on racial stereotypes and believe that some races are better than others. Some racist people use hateful slurs or even act violently toward members of a race they don't like, but racism isn't always so easily perceptible. Even if you think you'd never hurt someone of a different race, deeply embedded racist beliefs can have a subconscious effect on the way you treat people. Bringing racism to light is an important way to put a stop to it.

Steps

Looking at Your Thought Process

1. See if you think some races are better or worse than others. The belief that some races are superior while others are inferior is the foundation of racism. If you believe deep down that the race you belong to (or one you don't belong to) has qualities that make it better than other races, that is racist thinking. Be honest with yourself about what you believe.
2. See if you think all members of a race have certain qualities. Do you stereotype people based on their race? For example, it's racist to believe that all members of a certain race are untrustworthy. It's equally racist to believe that all members of a certain race are smart. Applying any one stereotype to all members of a race is racist thinking.
   • Many people who practice this type of racism believe that it's harmless. For example, they might think assuming a person from a certain race is smarter than average is a compliment. However, since this assumption is based on a racial stereotype, it's not a compliment: it's racist.
   • In worst case scenarios, judging people based on stereotypes can be extremely dangerous. For example, innocent people are frequently targeted as criminals due to the color of their skin, even when they haven't committed any crime.
3. Pay attention to snap judgements you make when you meet someone. Let's say someone you've never met before is introduced to you at a work function. First impressions always come with a few snap judgments, but are yours generally racial in tone? Do you assume things about the person based on skin color? That's a racist tendency.
   • Racism isn't limited to judging based on skin color. If you make judgements based on someone's attire, accent, hairstyle, jewelry, or other aspects of their appearance related to their race, those judgements also fall into the racism category.
   • The judgements you make can be positive or negative, but in either case they are racist. Whether you assume the person is funny, sexual, scary, or any other quality, it's still making a judgement based on a stereotype.
4. Think about whether you tend to dismiss concerns about racism. When you hear someone else point something out as racist, are you able to understand their point? Or do you tend to think it isn't really racist? Racism is a major problem in just about every country in the world. If you never really notice it, it's not because racism isn't there; it's because you aren't clearly seeing it.
   • For example, if you have a colleague who feels she isn't up for a promotion due to her race, and you work for a company with a history of only promoting people of a certain race to senior management, chances are, your colleague has a point.
   • Racism can be difficult to spot, especially when you're new to its nuances. But when someone dismisses concerns about racism out of hand without trying to understand the concerns, usually means the person has racist tendencies.
5. Think about whether you usually notice racial injustice. In a perfect world, all races would have equal opportunities and enjoy equal wealth, but that is certainly not the case. Instead, certain races have historically taken more for themselves and left others with less. When you don't acknowledge racial injustice, you help perpetuate racism by ignoring the problem.
   • For example, if you believe that all races have equal access to education, and that races underrepresented in universities just aren't trying hard enough to succeed, take a deeper look at the root of the problem. The reason certain people are able to afford college and graduate with a degree is often because they have historically had more privilege than others.

Looking at Your Treatment of Others

1. See if a person's race changes the way you talk to them. Do you treat all people the same way, or does something about your demeanor change when you're talking to a person of a different race? If you stiffen up or treat people of different races unkindly, that's racist.
   • Notice whether you feel less comfortable talking with people of other races.
   • See if you easily make friends with people of different races. If everyone you hang out with tends to be the same race, that might be a sign of a problem.
2. See if you talk about people of other races differently when they aren't there. Maybe you're nice to people's faces, but do you speak kindly about them behind their backs? If you feel comfortable using slurs or perpetuating stereotypes when you're among people of your own race, even if you'd never do it in front of the person you're talking about, it's still racist.
   • And in fact, even if you do these things in front of the person you're talking about, and the person says their fine with it, that's not OK. Maybe the person really doesn't care, but you're still demonstrating racist behavior.
3. See if a person's race affects decisions you make about them. This goes back to determining whether you treat people of different races differently or if you practice the same behavior with everyone. If you decide not to hire someone, not to be someone's partner, not to smile at someone, and so on based on the person's race, that's racist behavior.
   • Another classic example is crossing the street when you see someone of a different race approaching you.
   • Even if your reaction is to crack extra jokes or act more outgoing than usual, if you're doing it because you assume something about the person based on race, you're treating that person differently.
4. Identify times you've acted racist toward someone. If you're new to understanding the nuances of racism you might not even realize that you've said or done something racist, even around people you consider friends. Remember that any time you make a judgement about someone's abilities, preferences or any other qualities based on stereotypes about their race, that's racist thinking. Saying these judgements out loud has the potential to be very hurtful to someone and perpetuate stereotypes that hurt everyone. Here are some types of comments and questions to avoid:
   • Making race-based assumptions about a person's food preferences, music preferences, or any other preferences
   • Asking someone questions about their race, as though they're a spokesperson for everyone else
   • Asking someone for advice on how to date a member of their race
   • Asking uninvited questions about a person's race or where a person came from
   • Making any type of comment or gesture that could make the person feel different or put on the spot because of their race (touching someone's hair, etc.)

Changing Your Views

1. Notice stereotypes when you encounter them. Once you know what to look for, you'll be overwhelmed by the racial stereotypes pushed by people you know, the news, politicians, movies, books, and everywhere else you look. Racial stereotypes are embedded in our culture, and bringing them to light is one way you can change your views and help stop racism.
   • If you're new to understanding racist stereotypes, a good way to educate yourself is to watch old movies. Take a look at classic westerns, for example. What racist stereotypes are perpetuated by the roles played by white people versus Native Americans? Stereotypes today aren't always as blatant, but they're certainly there.
2. Question your snap judgements. If you realize you've just made a judgement about someone based on race, take a moment to understand what just happened. Make a conscious effort to see past the stereotypes you've internalized to the real person standing before you.
   • No one's personality, history, desires, or potential is limited to the stereotypes you know about that person's race. Don't let racism taint the way you think about a person.
3. Start noticing racial injustice. Once you're aware it exists, you'll see it all around you: at school, at work, in your neighborhood, and in the way institutions are run. For example, if you go to a private school and 90 percent of those who attend are white, question why more people of color don't attend school there. What inequalities have led to this issue at your school?
   • Or think about those elected to serve in your local government. Is each race in your area well represented? What factors might lead to members of a certain race having a lower chance of getting elected?
4. Take people seriously when they call something racist. Maybe it is racism, maybe it isn't, but don't make a habit of dismissing people when they feel they've been a victim of racism, or when they point out something they believe is racist. Examine the situation and do what you can to help. Even if you can't see how something is racist right away, give the person the benefit of the doubt.
5. Keep educating yourself. Learning how to banish racism from your life is a work in progress. Everyone in our society has learned the stereotypes about race, both their own and others. Racism isn't going to just vanish, but by pointing out injustice when we see it instead of turning our heads, we can do our part to put a stop to it.

Tips

• Don't be afraid to call others on their attitudes and assumptions. Likewise, be able, willing, and appreciative to listen when someone calls you out on similar things.
• Remember that when viewing the bigger picture, there's only one real race - the human race.
• Don't treat people as tokens. Doing so is patronizing and rude.
• Try spending time learning about cultures of other races to be more developed and open to other ways and styles.

Warnings

• Be aware of your own upbringing, background, and social status in life so as to avoid applying expectations to others. Everyone deserves equal treatment, regardless of their race or social status!

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Talk About Race
• Stop Being Racist
• Deal With Racism
• Overcome Racism
• Prove Racial Discrimination in the United States
• Deal With Racist Parents
• Deal With Someone Who Calls You a Racial Name

What links here

• Act Like a Japanese Girl
• Stop Being Racist
• Talk About Race