Those Damn Canadians
So, just got back from Chicago. And had a good, although jam-packed time. One experience though is standing out above the rest- Those Damn Canadians.
On one night a friend came over with her boyfriendand and at one point he started to complain about "All the Canadians" that came to his work. When I looked confused, his girlfriend explained that this was what the guys at his restaurants called blacks. He continued with his story, and although it was fairly benign racism (complaining about how they wanted their food too fast at a wedding) it was boding badly. Wife attempted to save the guy through generalizing his comment ("Yes, all people can be obnoxious at their wedding") but he wasn't to be deterred. "Nope, I've had Jews, Christians, everybody. But the Canadians are the worst." We quickly changed the subject. This has left me with a few questions...
1. Why Canadians?
I find it very strange that they picked Canadians. It's as if PCness has managed to infiltrate 
today's racist. Which seems to be a (mildly) good thing. Or, perhaps, they just use it b/c no one would guess it and then they can use it in front of the very people they are insulting.
today's racist. Which seems to be a (mildly) good thing. Or, perhaps, they just use it b/c no one would guess it and then they can use it in front of the very people they are insulting.2. Are Chicagoans more racist than Portlanders?
I do find myself in these situations more when I go to Chicago. Is it the people I tend to see there versus the people I surround myself with now? Is it that it's easier to be non-racist in Portland where everyone's white? Or, is it that Portlanders are just as racist, but just not as vocal about what they're really thinking? Curious what the Chicago Bloggers think of this.
3. Did we respond as we should?
These are always tough uncomfortable situations. How do you go about showing these people that this is not acceptable? Will admonishing them do anything? In the past, I've felt that just full-on not laughing and not smiling can switch the discomfort back to them. Which is pre
tty much what we did, but this certainly did not get the message across to this guy (he was a little on the dumb side). Perhaps we should have just said something along the lines of, "Could you not talk like that in front of me." And I'd have no problem doing that to a coworker or friend, but someone you just met... I've played with the idea of just saying, "Actually, my brother-in-law is black," (he's not) and then just stopping and letting them feel like an idiot.
tty much what we did, but this certainly did not get the message across to this guy (he was a little on the dumb side). Perhaps we should have just said something along the lines of, "Could you not talk like that in front of me." And I'd have no problem doing that to a coworker or friend, but someone you just met... I've played with the idea of just saying, "Actually, my brother-in-law is black," (he's not) and then just stopping and letting them feel like an idiot.Labels: Life
posted by chuckdaddy2000 at 12:31 pm
14 Comments:
If this idiot finds himself making up a code word like Canadians, wouldn't you think that would tick him off that there's a reason you have to disguise something, like maybe because it's offensive. What a nimrod.
My ex-father-in-law used to tell me racist jokes all the time, and I swear he knew I didn't like it. When it's your father-in-law it's really tough to tell him, "Fuck you, you racist!!"
tip him off I meant, not tick. duh!!!
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This is one of the most ridiculous things I have heard in a while. What a moron! I hope your friend dumps his ass.
CDX,
I'm going to assume that "Portland where everyone's white" is just a big ol' slab of bait, and make no further comment.
You can hide out at our place for awhile if you are afraid of the lynch mob showing up at you house.
M5M
Maybe I should avoid race issues. Possibly too delicate a subject for the thrift of a blog. Just removed the lynch mob comment, even though I think it was just a joke...
M5M- everyone in Portland is not White, as you are definitely aware of at your place of work. But I still think of Portland as one of the whitest big cities in the USA. For example, at my work out of the 50 certified employees 49 are white and 1 is Japanese. Not exactly a lot of cross-cultural working relationships there
On the other hand at one point I think 20% of the staff was gay. So go figure, there is one oppressed class Portland is overepresented in.
And scene...
Good news and bad news:
The bad: I was the lynch mob poster. And it was indeed a joke.
The good: I write a convincing racist dipshit.
And given a few more minutes to think about it, it prolly didn't read even remotely funny to you CDX. Sorry dude, truly no harm intended.
For the record, and as someone who lived in the midwest most of his life, it's inaccurate to suggest that people in the MW say what people in Portland think. In my small Indiana hometown, lots of people hold onto many anachronistic ideas you see in movies. In fact, my friend Gabriel and I went to a football game while back in high school in a small Indiana town called Elwood - supposedly the former HQ for the Klan back in the early 1900s. We're walking into the game when some guy, who was thankfully located on the other side of the fence, screamed at Gabe (who is black) "hey boy! what are you doing here? don't you know where you are??" It was one of those creepy moments you never actually believe happen until it happens to you (or in this case, your friend).
Racial makeup of the city is irrelevant. PDX is not even in the same ballpark as the midwest.
And given a few more minutes to think about it, it prolly didn't read even remotely funny to you CDX. Sorry dude, truly no harm intended.
For the record, and as someone who lived in the midwest most of his life, it's inaccurate to suggest that people in the MW say what people in Portland think. In my small Indiana hometown, lots of people hold onto many anachronistic ideas you see in movies. In fact, my friend Gabriel and I went to a football game while back in high school in a small Indiana town called Elwood - supposedly the former HQ for the Klan back in the early 1900s. We're walking into the game when some guy, who was thankfully located on the other side of the fence, screamed at Gabe (who is black) "hey boy! what are you doing here? don't you know where you are??" It was one of those creepy moments you never actually believe happen until it happens to you (or in this case, your friend).
Racial makeup of the city is irrelevant. PDX is not even in the same ballpark as the midwest.
Hipster-
Mr first thought was that it was some creepy racist, and on a second read I was pretty sure it was a joke (I mean, who dislikes actual Canadians?) But by then I just decided to delete it anyway just in case.
Yah, and I'm pretty sure I agree with you on the Midwest being more racist. But a question, do you think rural Midwest is any more racist than rural Oregon (You and EMHO might need to fuse experiences on this)?
Regarding racism in rural Oregon...that's a toughie because I only remember seeing ONE black dude growing up. He was the star of the high school football team and very well liked. I think he was also seen as some sorta novelty, just like the Japanese exchange student, Kei. I know that sounds horrible, but it felt like that. However who knows what transpired when he entered the local Wal-Mart. I do remember seeing/hearing a lot more prejudice against those dern Californians.
Also a rural Oregonian, here, and also from a town with a single African-American kid.... I'd say that my corner of the state had a mix of people who were racists, people who were viscerally appalled by racism, people in between, and people with a complex mix of the two within themselves. Nothing too surprising there, I suppose.
I've been kind of curious about the perceptions of an African-American co-worker. Born in Portland, she draws a big, big distinction between Western and Eastern Oregon, regarding the latter with no small degree of fear and loathing. I don't know if that comes from personal experiences of racism over the mountains, or if it has to do with the routine preconceptions all of us Coast-and-Valley Oregonians have about our dryland brethren. And I don't know her well enough to ask. Pity.
M5M
Oh, and I lived for eight years in the Midwest.... I'd say that my corner of the region (Kansas) ALSO had a mix of people who were racists, people who were viscerally appalled by racism, people in between, and people with a complex mix of the two within themselves. So kind of a tie sorta deal.
chuckdaddy, i think you do need to identify which parts of the midwest and portland you are comparing. i think hicks are racist wherever you go...be it grant's pass and medford or areas of chicago, of course, i live in chicago, in an area full of liberal upper-middle class parents who would no sooner rant about a racist group than they would litter or buy their child food with transfats. in other neighborhoods it wold be more likely to hear ignorant talk about different groups. tangent....Interestingly enough, as a sociology student at the u of oregon in the early 90s we repeatedly watched this one movie that described portland as one of the least racially integrated cities in the country. (they kept comparing it to boston.) Now I know things have changed and portland is more diverse than it was 10 years ago but visiting there I still am always astonished by how you go into a bar or a restaurant and practically every person there is white. this really shouldn't be connected to the question of whether people are racist because it suggests that people would be racist if there were just more minorities to rail against, and I don't think that's the case. conclusion: people in portland do tend to be well-educated, open minded, considerate and probably not very racist, but portland has like 1 million (mostly white)people. people in chicago and chicago suburbs (4 million?) are sometimes racist, sometimes enlightened. when you come home you hang out with your friends from high school (all-white chicago suburb) and might get skewed observations. you should perhaps compare portland to another really small not very diverse city and chicago to a comparable city. like, are chicagoans more racist than people in houston? (NO!) seattle (yes!) portland vs milwaukee? (Ok portland wins again.) finally, i have never heard the term "canadian" used to malign certain groups, unless it is in fact actual canadians. a lot of people here in the midwest found "the rant" to be the source of great hilarity. other than that i guess you always hope with a blog to get people thinking so I would like to say you succeeded. now how about more chicagoans responding? (no offense but things were different everywhere 10-15 years ago so observations don't really hold much weight if they happened when you were in high school or grade school.)
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