One Should not be Ashamed of their Ethnic group
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40193)
Canada
February 16, 2010 8:25am CST
Right now in America it is Black History month and those of African-American extraction in America can use such terms as Black Pride, say that Black is Beautiful, but if European Americans or rather White Americans say that they are proud that they are white, or form an organization such as White Pride, and that White is Beautiful, they are considered racists and bigots, and appear on those talk shows and get blasted by the host.
So should one be ashamed of their ethnic group if their heritage does not include Africa below the Sahara? No. Unless one belonged to a Neo Nazi organization or is a Nazi or believes that people of different ethic groups should be destroyed, one does not have to be ashamed of their background.
By the way, why are not black people ashamed of those in Africa who murdered a lot of people and those Kings in Africa who sold their own rivals into Slavery? Nothing is heard of that. And why is it that it is all right to eliminate white people by marriage to black people and then their children will no longer be white, but considered African Americans? Yet when a white person marries a black person, the child is not considered white? True the child is mixed race, but there are many African Americans who look as if they came from Southern Europe. People should only marry because they truly love each other and not to prove that they are not racists.
Why do they have such things as Black History Month, Why cannot a person take pride in his background regardless of what part of the ocean his or her ancestors came?
3 people like this
23 responses
@elmare0699 (163)
• South Africa
16 Feb 10
I may be called a racist, because I believe that we are all different. What I am not, is prejudice and I think this is where our biggest problem lies, because people can not distinguishes between race and prejudice. I believe we should respect each and every ethnic group, for our differences and uniqueness and that is what race means to me.
I have to say that I find it very irritating when people speak of political correctness, where you can't use certain words because it is offencive to certain "people" such as you pointed out with "White Pride", but funny enough other words that are truly offencive are acceptable, such as the Lords Name being used in vain, and these days even the norm.
And this is a global "phenomenon".
What is good for the goose should also be good for the gander, if a black person can say "Black Pride" then a white person should be able to say "White Pride" or if we want to go deeper into ethnicity, than the Jew should be able to say "Jew Pride" and nobody should take offence or even have the right to take offence.
We all have the right to be proud of who we are and our background because I can assure you if anybody takes a deeper look at what our ancestors had done in the past, all of us will find some dark hidden secrets and I mean all. Should we then been burden with their actions our whole lives or should we rather be judged for our own actions. I believe the latter to be a fair choice, so in my opinion, to heck with the past, its the present that counts and I am proud of who I am and so should you.
3 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Feb 10
I sure hate it when it is all right to take the Lord's Name in vain and people do it without thinking. We are supposed to object when someone uses it, but it is so common that we sort of feel that every sentence or two, we have to tell them "that is not right." It is so common. I think that we all should be proud of what we are and it is not just us white people who have evil people and dark secrets in their background. Yet we are told that "they drove the Indians from their land," and I suppose one hundred years from now, if the world was still around there would be "they massacred the Jews in Europe." It seems like a double standard and that is wrong.
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
16 Feb 10
Never will understand the history month thing about being Black month.
Oh well
I am proud of what and who I am.
Which is a mix of WHite and NAtive American!!!
Think we should have a GEronimo day or Setting Bull day or just a NAtive American month what ya think? Maybe a great Cheifs day!
And too I beleive they should just be plain Americans by now heck been over 200 years since the blacks sold their own people into slavery.
And over 100 years since they got set free to do what ever.
Yup they need to remeber that they got sold to men with ships by thier own!
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
2 May 10
Here we also have CInco De MAyo also some hawwaian festival and German festival we have alot of them here in Nevada but al of the nation dont do all of these.
I think the whole month of Feb. should not be African American month by now all should be just americans after 150 years after the war we should all just be Americans that are natural Americans and one that have been sowrn in as citizens also just Americans
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Mar 11
150 years is a long time. No one ethnic group should be given free education, allowed to have lower scores to get a good job, etc. You all down there are Americans. It does not matter where you or your ancestors came from. And if one ethnic group gets their accomplishments recognized and no others, it makes the other ones like that group a little less.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
6 Apr 10
I am proud of being German/Austrian/English/Welsh, but I think those who have a mixed ethnic heritage have a better time. Up here in Canada, we have multi-culturaism and when they say it, they do not mean those who came from Europe, but those who came from somewhere else. I think that is wrong. We all belong to the human race, and the human race consists of a variety of times, and when one considers one type is bad , and decides it is all right that they no longer existed, that is not right.
It is also not right to have a Black History Month, and not have the other ethnic groups so honored. Surely is that not giving pride to one group above all others?
I think a Native American Month would be a good idea as well as an European American Month, a Far East Asian American Month,etc.
Sounds sensible to me or scrap the whole honoring the African Americans one month in a year. Why do they need that to show that the only way someone takes notice is if they have a big parade, have a president who is part black. etc.
And I thought I suffered from insecurity.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
16 Feb 10
I agree with you. However, my pride doesn't lie in how I look, it lies in who I am. So rather than being proud to be a certain colour, I'm proud to be of a certain background, thus explaining my screenname here on MyLot, and my avatar of my two flags. For me it's about culture, and not colour.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Feb 10
Yet there are those who feel that if we are white, no matter what your background, we should be ashamed. And yet those who are black or of a different color can claim black or yellow or red pride (although it is the first that get the most praise) that get the permission to say so without someone saying that they are racists. And it seems color matters to those who are politically correct. Sure we can say that we are proud of the mixture of our nationality - for me it is German Austrian English Welsh, but I cannot say I am proud of being white and I should do because no one will bump into me on a dark night because they can sure see my face and hands and that is a good advantage.)
@jezzmay (1845)
• United States
16 Feb 10
I believe a person should be proud of
their self no matter where they come
from. Every one was created by God.
They should not try to put their self
above another. We should help one
another and have respect for one
another.
Happy posting.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
19 Feb 10
I do wonder why one group can say that they are proud of their color and yet us white people cannot be proud of our lack of color. (We can stand the cold more and we can absorb Vitamin D easier - that seems a good plus.) But it seems that if someone says that they are proud of being black, then there is nothing that is rather shallow. They obviously cannot say that they worked hard, to get where they were if they were promoted based on their looks.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
16 Feb 10
suspenseful You are right, nobody should be ashamed of his or her Ethnic group, but in our history Black people have been so put down that is why a lot of attention has been focused on black people. We should all be proud of who we are, white Caucasian or any other race and yes we should be able to have White Pride, and say White is beautiful but yet the long ago past when us white people did atrocious things to the black race, this is hard for them to forget or even to pardon. Yes the black race also has done bad things. I would say lets all forget the atrocities our forebears may have done and just be proud of who we all are today.
my own forbears were Scots, Irish , and english and I am proud to be an American of mixed forbears.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Feb 10
I am Canadian and I am proud of all my ancestors who were all white, German, Austrian, English, and Welsh. There is no other mixture in me even I suspect that Welsh part of me was from Roman descendants who escaped the Anglo Saxons by fleeing over the mountains into Wales. And part of my English may have come from the Normans and the Danes. The trouble is that someone who is part white and has some either Chinese, Japanese, Native Indian, or whatever can say he or she is proud because that other mixture does not make them a bigotted racist, but for us pure white people it is not true.
We can say we are proud because of being part
English, Scottish, Welsh, German etc. but unlike the African Americans we cannot say that we are proud of being white and by the way were not the Jewish people almost brought to extinction by Hitler and his minions in Europe? I am not Jewish, but why is there not a Jewish History Month?
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
6 Apr 10
I think if you have no Negro, Oriental, or American Indian, you are considered pure white. So that means if all your ancestors came from Europe, and there is no mixture from other continents and no mixture of any black, far east Chinese, American Indian, Polynesian, Mongolian, even over here, you are pure white. Also if your ancestors were those in Europe who became Jewish, you are pure white. That also includes anyone from Italy right up to Lapland, etc.
They do have dna tests so the African Americans can find out what part of Africa their ancestors came from. I think it would be a good idea. then instead of saying that they are African Americans (what about Egypt?) they can say "I am Ghanian American, or whatever.:
@poingly (605)
• United States
17 Feb 10
See, and as a German, Austrian, English, and Welsh person, you can be proud of all those things. You have a lot of diversity there to be proud of. "Black" is not so clearly defined. Part of the reasoning behind black pride is that because of the slave trade, roots are not so clearly defined.
Who gets to decide what "pure white" is , by the way?
1 person likes this
@tdiamond33 (330)
• Canada
16 Feb 10
You do make a valid point. I wish we could live in a world where racism and discrimination did not exist. In the past I felt that all the ethnic groups were attacking each other on the basis of power and leadership of the lands we live in. Now today, Ethnic groups are a little more equalized, but there is still much work to be done in terms of working together as one race. THE HUMAN RACE. God created all of us who are living and breathing on this planet, but we as a people need to reunite and change the world. In order for that to happen we all have to do out part. World peace is the antidote.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Feb 10
We should not think that one ethnic group is better then others because of their color or lack thereof. Yet that happens. People get positions of power now because of their color and not because they are better. I do not believe that the only way to get around this is to marry people of other ethnic groups, but it seems that -if you are getting that route - that does no good because then it comes down to not that you marry someone of similar likes and of similar color even though one may be from different ethnic groups. But when they think that race and color is more important and black is beautiful you get the really blond girls marrying the dark black men and thinking that they are proving they are not racists.
Then they find they have nothing in common, no shared interests, no love of the same music, no coming from similar backgrounds. That is wrong. One should not have to destroy their cultural background to prove that they are non racists and one should be considered a racist if he hates and wants to beat up people of a different ethnic group no matter his increase in color or lack thereof.
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
17 Feb 10
I think all should be happy to be who they are and it's a blessing for everyone to have a good sense of their roots and heritage.. I also believe there are 'good' and 'bad'/obnoxious, etc in every group and history and bigotry and stereotyping of any group may not be the root of ALL evil and war, but quite a bit of it! Sometimes it seems like the human race is forever developing a new bigotry!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Mar 11
That is what I fear and I also fear that with blacks or rather African-Americans they can do what we are not allowed to do, i.e. be like that Pharisee who says "thank God I am not like every man," and then lists all the things he does that makes him feel good. It is as if they are given a free pass and that hurts. So I am not supposed to be proud that I am good at singing, that I can make up a recipe, etc. it really hurts.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
17 Feb 10
This has always been a pet hate of mine. Here in the UK we have the very same problem. If an ethnic group originating from another country celebrates religious or traditional events the media tend to praise the occasion as a great spectacle, whereas English celebrations such as St George's Day appear to be considered distasteful. In a local town the taxi drivers were forbidden by the council to fly the English flag on their cabs during the World Cup in case it offended Asian residents.
I am all in favour of people maintaining their customs and celebrating events relating to their original homeland, but I also refuse to be told not to be proud of being English and nobody will ever stop me flying my flag in my own country.
Political Correctness has become a total farce. I have never had any racist tendancies and do not need the authorities telling me how to behave. They should simply leave us alone and let us get on with living together
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Mar 11
I can see what you mean. Political correctness has caused a bit of problem over here in Canada. For instance, businesses are supposed to be diverse and hire someone who has not learned English properly and when they are telemarketers you get people call you who cannot understand that when you said no, you mean no. It is colour of skin, and a different look that matters more then the ability to do a job.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
16 Feb 10
I am proud of my roots. I am a native of my land, an unknown race that has not be placed in the world map. Even so we are no midget to other human race as we excel in many areas that other races excel like in professional fields, politics and you name it we are there. We are peace loving and God fearing people who doesn't believe in destruction of the human race.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
17 Feb 10
That is as it should be, but I am not of one of those rare races that only in one part of the world, I happen to be white. And right now, us white people if we say we are proud of being white are considered bigots and racists. Not only that, we are suspected of belonging to evil white supremacists groups who carry weapons and will beat up people of other ethnic groups, etc.
Here in Canada, there was this couple who had their children are because they were Nazis or in realiy Neo Nazis and did not want their children to marry out of their ethnic group, that is they did not want their children to marry non-whites. Now I am against Christians marrying non=Christians and believe people should marry for love and companionship and not to prove they are non racists. The social workers took away the children not because their parents were planning to go in and smash up synagogues or destroy valuable archives of other ethnic groups, but just because they were racists. Yet if a Black or maybe one of your ethnic group said that they did not want their children to marry out of their own ethnic group, their children would not be taken away.
So this saying that one group is racist based on lack of color is wrong. If white pride is wrong then so is black pride, yellow pride, red pride, etc.
@pastorkayte (2255)
• United States
19 Feb 10
The reason why black pride is such a big thing in America is because the ancestors of American blacks were slaves who had no concept of pride or dignity. Now the children of former slaves are showing their children that even though they were once slaves, even that part of their history should be a moment of pride. Whites in the US also celebrate situations that pertain to thier own pride in their heritage. For the Irish we celebrate St Patricks day, for the Italians there are several holidays, for every nationality there is some sort of celebration where people focus in on their heritage.
The reason why a child of a mixed couple is considered black is something that white America made not black people. During a time when blacks were slaves, whites believed that if you had a drop of black blood you were black. Additionally it also depends on the coloring of the child. I dont know about Europeans as much as you may think but we here in the United States are proud of every one living here. My husband who is Italian and myself who is African American am proud of each others background and we spend a lot of time celebrating our pride in our individual heritage as well as each others. True love comes not in what others celebrate but in our ability to celebrate right along with them to show we care.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Mar 11
Oh so what Christ said in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican where the Pharisee says "Thank God I am not like other men, not even like this publican, I fast twice a day, I give alms to the poor," not apply to African-Americans?" And what about those non-blacks who were qualified more for a job and did not get it because a black person got in because back in 1860 his ancestor was a slave on a plantation? I am not Irish American but what about the Irish man whose ancestor was brought over as an indebtured servant? So why is it considered that being proud of being white and esp if you have a lot of German in you, make think that you are also a Neo Nazi or going to join the KKK, why it is all right for blacks to talk about black pride?
If I lived down there, and talked about white pride, the police would be on my back, looking for my KKK or White Supremist membership.
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
17 Feb 10
I think its kind of a waste to have pride in a skin color. Pride is meant for goals you or a loved one have accomplished. Any I see what you're saying but you have to think back to past history and things that are still going on to understand. Whites are all over the tv, all over fashion mags, have been seen as the it of beauty for a long time now. Not so much with black people who were always made to feel ugly. I think "black is beautiful" is for them to give each other confidence and support.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Mar 11
It should depend on merit, and it should not be that we white people be accused of racism if we say that we are proud of where we came from. After all white is not beautiful, but black is. Blacks can call whites racial names but it cannot be in reverse. WE never had a white history month. Saying one is beautiful because of their colour breeds superiority and that is wrong. It also makes them think that they do not have to follow the rules to get ahead.
@allknowing (136560)
• India
16 Feb 10
No one is ashamed of their ethnic group. It is others who made them feel lower and gave them a shoddy deal that they develped an inferiority complex. This is now history what with so many so called coloured having reached heights.
2 people like this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
16 Feb 10
I watch TV and in many of the Tv dramas, they make the African Americans or even the ones who are pure black Africans the bosses. I remember when many of the blacks were lazy primarily because they did not think they did not have a chance of advancement. I do hope that this does not happen, that white people, especially men will stop trying.
I also think you cannot change history and anyone should be proud of where they came from. I do not like the idea that if one says he is proud of being white, he is accused of being a racist. If one is proud of being black, can he be called a racist as well?
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Mar 11
That is what it should be. This giving one group a better benefit and saying they need a break when others do not base on their colour and ethnicity is not right.
@poingly (605)
• United States
17 Feb 10
This discussion has been on here before. As I stated last time, the whole "white pride" thing is a bad PR move, so a lot of people will claim "Irish pride," "Italian pride," "Englsh pride," or whatever. Words have bad PR and bad association sometimes. There's a reason Kentucky Fried Chicken now brands itself as KFC!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
23 Feb 10
Then it should also be a bad think for blacks or African Americans descended from the Negroes of South of the Sahara to talk about Black Pride. We can also mention the Black Panthers and NAACP that want to keep traditional values out of America and promote those of same gender loving types, etc. Not all white pride are Neo Nazis. Maybe we are glad that people have no trouble seeing us in a dark night and we will cause less accidents walking along a sidewalk at midnight.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Mar 11
Did I mention about suntan? And I am certainly not going to wear a burkha and keep myself covered during the summer so that I do not get a tan? That comes natural. And I certainly am not going to get plastic surgery for a fat lip or get my rear end enlarged to make myself look black.
Dud not know about Kentucky Fried Chicken. I do not mind about national pride, but what I do not like is a certain colour told that they are allowed to be proud. With nations, it is usually because of their accomplishments, not because of their looks.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
17 Feb 10
I am tempting to answer your question here. Lets be honest that Black people have suffered a lot of humiliation in the past, have suffered slavery, oppression. Now its the black people's chance to say we are eqaul to you. As a Caucasian I am not offended by Black people who say Black is Beautiful. Even White, Brown, Pink, Yellow or whatever is beautiful. I think that people should live in harmony despite their ethnic background without fear for bieng hated for their background
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Mar 11
Si why is it when a white person is proud of what he does, he is considered a racist and is not 150 years long enough to forget the past? They were not the only ones who had a bad time of it. What about the Jewish people who came to America after seeing their families die on the concentration camps? And if you go back in history, you see other peoples enslaved and treated badly, but they did not say they were owed recognition.
@coolcoder (2018)
• United States
17 Feb 10
I'm white, and in no way am I ashamed of my ethnic background. I will not apologize for being white, because I have nothing to apologize for.
By the way, why are not black people ashamed of those in Africa who murdered a lot of people and those Kings in Africa who sold their own rivals into Slavery?
Awesome point! No one hears about that these days; all they hear about is how the white man oppressed all of these other ethnic groups. In a great many cases, the oppressed people were oppressed by those of their own ethnicity. You can't shove all of the blame onto whites.
Anyhoo...yeah, I'm proud of my ethnicity. 
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
23 Feb 10
I used to read a lot of 18th and 19th century history and it told of how the Arabs brought slaves from the African chiefs or kings themselves. I do upset where it seems that they excuse the crimes of their own group, and yet us white people were so evil, etc.
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
17 Feb 10
Well, actually I saw many people seems to be ashamed to be who they are, and they are neglect their truly heritage root. I will not ashamed of who I am. I am who I am, and if people judge me, go right ahead, and do whatever they want, say whatever they want to say. All I can say is shame on them.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Mar 11
I get upset when my friends see a black baby and say that it is beautiful, but not the same when they see a white baby. It is as if they judge by colour and race and they should not. No one should be ashamed of their heritage and no one should say that those people of this other ethnic group were nicer, etc. then their own. I saw that a few times on Tv and I decided to not watch that show.
@assadi (91)
• India
17 Feb 10
You are right.racism is a bad thing.whether it is done by black people or white people.Man should live with whatever he got.He should think that it is a boon from god.whether man is white or black-regardless of it-all worships the same god.Then why fight.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Mar 11
That is for sure. People should be proud of how good they worked, etc. not because of their colour or race. Or how they look. It makes them conceited.
@anjohanna (156)
• Philippines
17 Feb 10
No one should be ashamed of your forefathers. Other people are just judgemental because they are different from the unusual human features they are used to. We were created in our unique ways. So instead of being ashamed, be proud of your real blood.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Mar 11
I take it this way. Not all our ancestors were rich, and some of our ancestors went through hard times. So why is one group given a pass to make them feel good, and by doing so, they become willing perpetual victims. No one gave our ancestors a free pass and said because of how they came to America or in my husbands families case, had to flee from the Tsar, or in my aunt's case, had to flee from the Nazis and lost the farm. So no one should be made to feel racist if they say white is beautiful.
@mariusherlea (1)
• Romania
17 Feb 10
I understand and we respect your point of view. In Europe was celebrated a day of our diversity for all races living in the mainland. Also were convicted of certain acts that humiliates the human condition without your mind races that took part of the implementation of these acts. So my point is: we can celebrate our differences from other races if we want this, but without challenge other races, but regardless of race must condemn acts reprehensible.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Mar 11
WE are all part of the human race and no one group should be made to feel superior or inferior to another on the basis of their colour or ancestry. If it was not right for the Germans under Hitler to be made to feel superior because of that idiotic ARyan doctrine, it is just as bad for blacks to feel superior and given a whole month of making one feel good.
