Nonwhites Becoming More of a Majority
WASHINGTON — Whites are now in the minority in nearly 1 in 10 US counties.
And that increased diversity, fueled by immigration and higher birth rates among blacks and Hispanics, is straining race relations and sparking a backlash against immigrants in many communities.
“There’s some culture shock,” said Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington-based research agency. “But I think there is a momentum building, and it is going to continue.” 
As of 2006, non-Hispanic whites made up less than half the population in 303 of the nation’s 3,141 counties, according to figures the Census Bureau is releasing today. Non-Hispanic whites were a minority in 262 counties in 2000, up from 183 in 1990.
The Census Bureau’s report has population estimates by race and ethnicity for every county in the nation. They are the first such estimates since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, scattering hundreds of thousands of people.
The biggest changes were in Orleans Parish, La., home to New Orleans. The share of non-Hispanic whites in Orleans Parish grew from 27 percent in 2005 to 34 percent in 2006, while the share of blacks dropped from about 68 percent to 59 percent.
Many of the nation’s biggest counties have long had large minority populations. But that diversity is now spreading to the suburbs and beyond, causing resentment in some areas.
Many Latinos say they see it in the debate over illegal immigration.
In northern Virginia, Teresita Jacinto said she feels less welcome today than when she arrived 30 years ago, when she was one of few Hispanics in the area.
“Not only are we feeling less welcome, we are feeling threatened,” said Jacinto, a teacher in Woodbridge, Va., about 20 miles southwest of Washington.
Woodbridge is part of Prince William County, which recently passed a resolution seeking to deny public services to illegal immigrants. Similar measures have been approved or considered in dozens of communities across the nation. In all, state lawmakers have introduced more than 1,400 measures related to immigration this year, the National Conference of State Legislatures says.
Supporters say local laws are necessary because Congress has failed to crack down on the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. But many Hispanics legally in the country say they feel targeted, too.
“I think across the board all of us feel like we’re not welcome,” said Jacinto, who was born in the United States.
© 2007 The Associated Press.
What would Archie Bunker say?
Whites are now in the minority in nearly 1 in 10 US counties
sensational and moronic. ain’t it. What the article should have said instead is 9/10 counties have white majority.
Reminds me of B Shaw’s definition of statistics..lies,damn lies and absolute lies.
We need to quit separating ourselves by ethnicity/skin color/national origin. There are only two groups: the exploiters and the exploited.
We all know who the majority is in that pair.
ONE RACE - HUMAN
globalization
Vive la difference!
here is another headline
Whites minority in 1 in 10 US counties
Stephanie Condron and agencies
Thursday August 9, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
compare this to
Nonwhites Becoming More of a Majority
by Stephen Ohlemacher
The more we melt, the better we taste.
I’d like to agree with ARA Charleston, but there are a lot of poisonous ideas out there that mingle with and cloud that most just view of exploiter contra exploitee. Not only do we have our real historical legacies of “race” mis-relations, we also have abstractions and misrepresentations of them all over in the media, in academia, and as part of “general knowledge.” There’s also a lot of real modern injustices (the biggest: so many young dark-skinned American men in prison and not working and raising families). Poisonous ideas are a major root of this. Little kids have no thought of ethnicity until some stupid adult tells them about it …and then they start to wonder. It can start subtle, but if they’re confused or angry (and many of us are at some point in youth), they’ll explore and the idea will get deep into their heads and stay a lifetime.
I come from South Dakota and have to say the White-Native relationship there is like a Cold War. Two worlds in that state, prosperous White, poor Indian. Whites still have a lot of poison in their heads about Indians and much of it VERY subtle. I can only imagine the same from the Native perspective. In Rwanda, Tutsis and Hutus lived together for a long time before the genocide a decade ago, closer than Whites and Indians in SD. Under the proper conditions, if we can’t drain the poison, we can never rule out the same happening even in a place like South Dakota someday. All that’s needed is a little revolution or war. So tragic. It’s such a beautiful place with such beautiful people, and so much culture for a population of only 700,000! But the poison is entrenched very deep. Hard to imagine how to get it out.
It’s pretty clear that the white majority has allowed the rich minority to screw the country, the region, and maybe even the whole world. I hope that before it’s too late that the white majority is replaced with a group who is more in tune with the needs of real working people. Read Jack London’s “IRON HEEL”. It will give you an idea what we are in store for.
Hoa binh
Stilba–
I see your point, and I agree.
What I’ve often advocated is to stop labeling people by their “race.” Changing our language is one way to do this.
Instead of calling somebody a “black person” or a “white person,” call them a “person.” That way you remove the stereotypical characteristics that are slapped into the label given right before the word person. It’s to the point where “black” and “white” are nouns more than adjectives. If you are describing the person, say “s/he was a person with brown skin” or something like that.
I encourage everyone to try that out. It works, I promise.
I wouldn’t even call Latinos a “race”. They are a language group with European, African and/or American Indian ancestry.
Hey namvet67,
I’ve seen you mention Iron Heel in a few different posts. A couple days ago I took you up on the suggestion and began reading it for myself. So far I’m having trouble putting it down. Thanks for the suggestion.
militantliberal–
You’re right. That’s why I prefer the term “ethno-linguistic group” usually. It’s way more accurate. Plus, Latinos are TECHNICALLY speaking anybody who speaks a Latin-based language (the top five being Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Romanian).
It doesn’t even have anything to do with being “politically correct,” but more with being accurate and not associating stereotypes with a group of people.
Stilba,
I’m originally from North Dakota and I know exactly what you mean about Euro-American and Native relations (or lack thereof). But change IS possible; my dad went from talking about “Indians” to using “Native Americans” a few years ago, without any prompting from me, the token liberal in the family.
One idea that might help “drain the poison” is for whites and Natives to just get to know each other as people. I know that sounds impossible, there is so much segregation that mostly people from the two groups don’t meet each other socially. But probably upwards of 90% of Dakotans are churchgoers. What about a church-based movement to make “sister-community” relations with churches or communities on the rez? Churches that are mostly white congregations could help to meet the needs of communities on the rez in a respectful and dignified way, and social opportunities like mutual potlucks/potlatches, pen-pals and pulpit swaps could really ameliorate a lot of the distrust and prejudice on both sides.
The reason I think this could work is that I’ve seen it happen with GLBT folks. Since the early 1980s, the battle cry for GLBTs was to come out — the best political action you can take for yourself and your community is to tell those you know that you’re queer. 25 or so years later, it’s working; most of those who are homophobic are in their 50s and above. Young people, even those in extremely conservative communities, don’t give a wet slap about whether someone is gay or not, because all of them KNOW someone personally who is gay and it’s no big deal. Those who have gay friends are much more likely to speak out when they hear homophobic jokes or rhetoric, with an overall squelching effect on the public acceptance of such speech.
White people who get to know Natives in a “just-folks” context won’t stay racist for long. And while Natives have every reason not to trust white folks, prejudices cannot be overcome unless they are defeated from both sides, unless walls are replaced with bridges.
peace out
bdk
We are all Americans, and that is one majority.
Are we looking at another era of White Flight? Theyre moving into the suburbs now! OMG! Close the gates, lock up the SUV, and have your gun handy! Swarthy men are moving in!
I say, AWESOME! I welcome it. Believe it or not, some day whites will be a minority nationwide. And who cares. That is awesome. It can reflect diversity, cross cultural understanding, a more rich society, and way better food! I welcome it!
BDK is right. Bridges, not walls! Smash racism, embrace equality and diversity!
Hey BDK, it’s always good to come across another “token liberal” from the Dakotas, rare a breed as we are! Of course I’m a San Franciscan now, so my value has dropped considerably.
You have more optimism than I do as far as something like churches breaching community divisions. It’s an awesome idea and something that could bring real change, but honestly part of me is skeptical that today’s churchgoers (mainly older folks) would take on something with this shade of idealism. Maybe in a couple of decades when the younger and more enlightened are in command. If there’s potential for good in it, I hold my tongue as to my personal reservations toward churches in general.
The thing I’ve seen work best in a place like SD is when Whites and Indians establish a literal family connection. A beautiful baby (regardless of her “ethnicity”) coming into the family can sometimes open the eyes of even the most hardened old donkey. Of course this is a sloooooow process, and if we look at Rwanda we see that even it was not enough. But someday, when we’re all mixed-heritage as far as the concept of ethnicity goes, and “mutts” as far as that of “race,” there is reason to hope we can put all this silliness behind us.
BDK it is good to hear your words of wisdom. History proves “man is an opportunistic animal” and all the problems stem from the idea of someone trying to prove he is better than others.{nature of the human beast}IMO it is the economic standards which separate people not the religeon or colour. What is happening in the rez is utter poverty and lack of education and until we find a way to improve the economy in the rez nothing changes.
irs- Poverty and education issues are only part of the main problem. Man, even in my good life I’ve seen things that still make me cringe. To stay on this tangent of the Midwest and Native-White relations, when I was young, I worked in a grocery store in eastern SD as a stockboy. One day, we had a position open and a Native kid came in for it and handed his application to the boss. The boss smiled and took it, and as soon as the kid was out the door, boss-man dropped it straight into the garbage can in front of all of us stockboys, growling something nasty as he did so. At another job a year later I saw virtually the same thing happen, now with a female boss. You might think something like this is some wild stereotype of racism, but it’s not! Of course, being a kid myself, I didn’t have the courage to so much as peep about this at the time. I’ll tell you, I’m under 30 years old, so this wasn’t all that long ago. And those two bosses weren’t old either. Bad economics doesn’t help anything, but I think the poisonous tribalist idea of “race” trumps even that.
I look forward to the day when whites are outnumbered and out powered. It might offer some real insight to cultures that have traditionaly survived through exploitation of those with color..
This is an unrepentant genocidal Aryan Slave Empire. Aryan tribal Supremacy has been bred to the bone since we left Central Asia with our ponies, flocks and herds, round mobil houses, gender slaves, human slaves, trade goods and weapons. Without Aryan Supremacy there is no United States of America, period.
The reason this and other similar articles are important is that they provide a fairly detailed snapshot of an ongoing historical process, much like the cancerous destruction of the biosphere by our economic system.
In 1968 Celt Aryans were 87% of the population. In 2000 we were 70%. According to US Census Bureau population projections, by 2050, White (Aryan) non-Hispanic will comprise 46-48%.
I will be long dead by then but my surviving cousins will be a numeric minority in the country we got thru genocide and built with the forced human labor of black people we drug here in chains.
Our transport was ‘inefficient’ so I believe only 1 in 3 or 4 actually survived our tender hospitality thru the middle passage, so they could live out their days in the hell world we created for them. Rape was only the smallest of our pleasure of them.
Tommy Jefferson was a slave holding child raper who sold his soul for a white breeding female and a dowry of 200 black humans in chains and with them a 14yo black girl and a life of Aristocratic wealth power and privilege over the ‘muck’ (us).
That said, I’m sure that the majority population, an ocean of humans the color of the earth will return the same exansive, Xrstian charity my ancestors and cousins have always shown to our subjugated populations by allowing a few ‘exemplars’ of our ‘race’, clean and articulate of course, to rise above their station.
Of course the ghettos where the white trash will be segregated will all be redlined. Won’t even be able to get car insurance - but the white trash ghetto will have the best drugs in town and a liquor store or gunshop on every corner. It’ll be nice. White people’ll like being a minority in America. Every white person can tell you, all those minorities get the best of everything hear. They’ll like being segrated. With a strong Black, Brown, & Yellow police presence to keep the whities in their place.
Containment and Suppression have been highly effective policies. When combined with selective enforcement of the Law, targeted incarceration, not to mention disproportionate sentencing by the Just-Us System - they are unstoppable.
Yes, at least 1/3 of the white trash population will be in the ‘criminal injustice’ system - just like we’ve done to the Black population. You’ll like it in prison, the transformative power of imposed terminal agony - only the strong survive.
Over all however, we’re already past the tipping point as a population group here and Aryan delusions to the contrary, melanin deficiency is not a dominant color.
Whitie is toast. Now all that the rest of the folks have to do is get shut of White Master and they can start building the kind of world anyone would want their great grandchild to live in…..and it ain’t this one.
Hey, wait a minute. I’m half white, does that make me a minority and a majority?
Hello-
I am a 65 year-old Anglo woman who had her first experience of being a minority person in a group of Latin@s. They, Christians all, did not pull any punches as they expressed the pain they feel on a daily basis as they encounter attitudes which are at best patronizing and at worst hostile. I was devastated as I recognized my own unconscious bigotry.
People in that group recommended to me, and I recommend to you who are are Anglos, a book with a title that begins _Disrupting White Supremacy_. (Sorry, I don’t know the rest of the title but you can find it on Amazon using just that part.) I had to pack this book before I finished reading it; I am on my way to spend a year working as an ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) intern among Anglos, Latin@s, and indigenous people in northern Minnesota. Yes, the Anglos are in the majority there, but there are *many* people there who live and work at the margins of society too.
It is my intent to accompany (walk alongside) the people I will meet there. They-especially the Latin@s and indigenous people-will teach me so much: I have much to unlearn. And I will finish reading that book!
Bendiciones y paz,
Vicar Martha
Now that I can collect some freebies because I am almost a minority there is a quest to eliminate eeo and other organizations.
So this is what it is really all about.
If someone has a white only college why would this be discrimination but not if they have a black only college?
Now I can be entitled to protection from hate crimes too. Lucky day-I suppose.
But I have noticed people who recieve entitlements are not very happy, instead seem angry? Why so? Must be lack of money or drugs to take partying 101 in the best universities.
“I look forward to the day when whites are outnumbered and out powered. It might offer some real insight to cultures that have traditionaly survived through exploitation of those with color..
luckylefty August 9th, 2007 8:46 pm
This is an unrepentant genocidal Aryan Slave Empire. Aryan tribal Supremacy has been bred to the bone since we left Central Asia with our ponies, flocks and herds, round mobil houses, gender slaves, human slaves, trade goods and weapons. Without Aryan Supremacy there is no United States of America, period.
The reason this and other similar articles are important is that they provide a fairly detailed snapshot of an ongoing historical process, much like the cancerous destruction of the biosphere by our economic system.
In 1968 Celt Aryans were 87% of the population. In 2000 we were 70%. According to US Census Bureau population projections, by 2050, White (Aryan) non-Hispanic will comprise 46-48%.
I will be long dead by then but my surviving cousins will be a numeric minority in the country we got thru genocide and built with the forced human labor of black people we drug here in chains.
Our transport was ‘inefficient’ so I believe only 1 in 3 or 4 actually survived our tender hospitality thru the middle passage, so they could live out their days in the hell world we created for them. Rape was only the smallest of our pleasure of them.
Tommy Jefferson was a slave holding child raper who sold his soul for a white breeding female and a dowry of 200 black humans in chains and with them a 14yo black girl and a life of Aristocratic wealth power and privilege over the ‘muck’ (us).
That said, I’m sure that the majority population, an ocean of humans the color of the earth will return the same exansive, Xrstian charity my ancestors and cousins have always shown to our subjugated populations by allowing a few ‘exemplars’ of our ‘race’, clean and articulate of course, to rise above their station.
Of course the ghettos where the white trash will be segregated will all be redlined. Won’t even be able to get car insurance - but the white trash ghetto will have the best drugs in town and a liquor store or gunshop on every corner. It’ll be nice. White people’ll like being a minority in America. Every white person can tell you, all those minorities get the best of everything hear. They’ll like being segrated. With a strong Black, Brown, & Yellow police presence to keep the whities in their place.
Containment and Suppression have been highly effective policies. When combined with selective enforcement of the Law, targeted incarceration, not to mention disproportionate sentencing by the Just-Us System - they are unstoppable.
Yes, at least 1/3 of the white trash population will be in the ‘criminal injustice’ system - just like we’ve done to the Black population. You’ll like it in prison, the transformative power of imposed terminal agony - only the strong survive.
Over all however, we’re already past the tipping point as a population group here and Aryan delusions to the contrary, melanin deficiency is not a dominant color.
Whitie is toast. Now all that the rest of the folks have to do is get shut of White Master and they can start building the kind of…”
This is exactly what I’m talking about. And people wonder why there is a perception that the left is anti-white.
One news story, and already the hate flows through. White people are “white trash” I’m reading. I’m reading that whites are some kind of monster that must be toppled by non-whites all of whom are of course righteous, fair, and decent. I can read the classism too. As if poor whites DESERVE their poverty. Don’t they already get that from conservatives.
The left will never gain a foothold and thusly bring about positive change in this country by bashing other disenfranchised people.
I also love this notion that non-whites are inherently progressive. As if racism, sexism, religious intolerance, homophobia, economic exploitation, war, violence, etc. exist in NO other populations. As if I as a white man am some sort of ogre, whether I realize it or not regardless of how I live my life.
I am white. I am not Aryan. My eyes are brown as is my hair. I have never gotten anywhere by stepping on others. I am not genocidal. I do not have a recessive gene. I was not created by some guy named Yakub to punish the world.
“It’s pretty clear that the white majority has allowed the rich minority to screw the country, the region, and maybe even the whole world. I hope that before it’s too late that the white majority is replaced with a group who is more in tune with the needs of real working people. Read Jack London’s “IRON HEEL”. It will give you an idea what we are in store for.”
Yeah sure, we allowed it. If that’s the case so did everyone else. But I guess that means we get to be screwed again as if we haven’t already.
I know I didnt allow it. I didn’t vote these people into office.
Yeah they’ll be more in tune with the needs of working people simply because they aren’t white. Sure. I’m white and a working person. So I must not be in tune either.
God what garbage I’ve been reading over the past few days. I thought the Right were the guys that slandered entire racial and ethnic groups and were all for ethnic cleansing. I feel like I’m on VDARE.
Let’s all keep perpetutating the lie that whites and everyone else are each other’s opposite number. Keep stoking those fires of racial bigotry. Then maybe we’ll have a war, and we’ll destroy one another.
When that happens, I’m checking out. I’ll let the racists of all colors send each other to hell. Then maybe rational people can inherit the country.
This my folks is why so many people of all colors are disengaged from politics. People on the Right hate you if you’re black. People on the left hate you if you’re white. Hell, people on either side hate you if you don’t toe their line.
Again, isn’t this all just another case of dividing the masses?
Fear and hate. That’s all politics is anymore.
Maybe it’s just me, but there are times when I feel as a working-class white male that people on the right and left hate me equally and would take turns shooting me in the face.
I mean, I feel that I’m astute to realize that the right isn’t on my side. Rush Limbaugh doesn’t speak for me.
Newsflash. No positive social change will ever come out of subversion and alienation.
Sometimes I feel that the only reason some people glom onto particular political movements is because they hate a certain segment of the population.
You get the right-wingers who only vote like they do because they don’t like blacks, hispanics, immigrants, gays, women, working people, poor people etc.
Then you have some of the far lefties that hate whites, men, straights, religious people (especially Christians), rural folk, upper-middle class people etc.
Why does this nation have to be one where everyone is in different warring factions, all of them trying to screw one another?
If and when some sort of race war occurs, where do I go? I refuse to pledge allegiance to a color. But at the same time, I won’t lay down and die either. I’ll take a few devils of all colors with me, and yes anyone who advocates the oppression of any group to me is a devil. Then we’ll see if Lucifer cares what color you all are.
You know, I think the right is the one who should be alienating everyone. The left shouldn’t. The left if anything should give people solace, not make people uneasy.
If these forums are any indication, race relations in America are in the toilet. Working people of all colors should be working together to better the world for everyone, not plotting to usurp and harm the other.
saywhat,
hate to rain on your majority parade, but we are not “all Americans” who post here. And many of the articles on Common Dreams are from
the Guardian (U.K.) and other international papers.
bdk,
God bless you for having the wisdom and the vision. IMO What happened to the natives during your childhood can happen even if they are white. Just look at europe..the anglo-french-germans have looked down upon the slavs and Eastern europeans thru out history because of economics and the idea they are better than rest of the {lesser}whites. I can go on with examples of similar nature by the Japanese towards koreans, Koreans towards Phillippinos,etc. The Indian caste system is no different. The middle East is the same be it the arabs or Jews {european Jew better than Russian Jew, Shiites better than Sunnis or arabs better than coloured pakistanis}
The tribal instincts of human being are natural and the only way to beat them is education and economic improvement.{wisdom is a different issue} I am not saying this will solve the problem .My wishful thinking is the uplifted economy and education will lessen the chances of some one claiming to be superior or feel inferior.
Continue on your good path
Perhaps as the demographics change there will be more energy in the population…people of color seem more willing to fight (Civil Rights Movement - Farm Labor Movement) for their quality of life. I believe the silent majority of whites are entirely too comfortable and controlled.
Wow what news!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the equivalent of reporting the current weather. Anybody who wants to know can just look out the window.
Why should it become news??? Any way this land does not belong to the European Americans. It is only occupied by them just like what the US has done in Iraq.
My other concern is: why should colour be the identity of people? Why cannot all be called Americans? Or if someone is so particular about specific identity, why shouldn’t it be the origin of a person, like African American or European American or Asian American…?
My question is: Are there “white” people in the world? Keep white colour next to those who are called “whites”. Are the two colours same??? So there are no “white” people in the world.
Perhaps I jumped the gun here. I didn’t read all of the posts. We should be tearing down walls and building bridges, but everytime people do that, people start burning bridges and putting up walls again. That’s what frustrates me so. I don’t want native americans mistrusting whites or whites mistrusting native americans. I don’t want us to hate each other, even if the reasons are there to do so.
I don’t like seeing any group of people being run down, whites, blacks, native americans, anyone. The Left shouldn’t be running down whites, most of whom are getting exploited also, while the Right runs down blacks and other groups. That’s why I was angered at some of the posts here. We can’t win hearts and minds by alienating people and by being a little subversive clique.
The fight against racism is a populist effort imo. Whites will benefit from racism’s demise as much as anyone else. The same holds true with ending classism and sexism and all other isms and phobias.
MLK wouldn’t be celebrating the demise of any group including whites whom he fought for as vigorously as he did his fellow blacks. But alas, discussing class is akin to chatting about beastiality and incest. Thus to some, it appears that he just defeated racism or to some others, The White Man. Meanwhile, he was on his way towards defeating injustice of all kinds and was a champion of the Human Race not just certain segments of it. In other words, he wanted to enjoy the entire salad, not just the tomatoes and onions.
We also shouldn’t be giving credence to racist fears. I.E. White people are gonna get crushed by a united front of non-whites. If that does happen, and I don’t believe it will, I wouldn’t doubt that those left in American will start fighting each other. Hate can be like a runaway train. The absence of whites does not necessarily equate with Progress. No ethnic group is without it’s underbelly or despotism or oppression or genocide or anti-life ideals as irs went into. It is patently ridiculous and ill-informed (do some of you actually know any minorities?) to automatically suggest that non-whites will do right by everyone.
I mean, look at Barack Obama.
And someone will be in the majority. Who’s to say that that particular group isn’t going to look out for their own interests and urinate on everyone else?
What if there’s still evil? GASP!
“We need to quit separating ourselves by ethnicity/skin color/national origin. There are only two groups: the exploiters and the exploited.
We all know who the majority is in that pair.
ONE RACE - HUMAN”
Thank you ARA. Ska may not be my mug of hot cocoa, but I like the way you guys think.
“Why should it become news??? Any way this land does not belong to the European Americans. It is only occupied by them just like what the US has done in Iraq.”
We’re all merely occupying it aside from Native Americans. Should we all just leave? Sometimes I think we should.
“My other concern is: why should colour be the identity of people? Why cannot all be called Americans? Or if someone is so particular about specific identity, why shouldn’t it be the origin of a person, like African American or European American or Asian American…?”
I agree with you there deepa. Color is inaccurate. I don’t see my skin color being all that different from that of an Asian or Hispanic person.
“My question is: Are there “white” people in the world? Keep white colour next to those who are called “whites”. Are the two colours same??? So there are no “white” people in the world.”
You are correct about that as well. I’ve heard people refer to caucasians as “pink” also. Black people are actually brown for the mostn part. So called “brown” people more like tan or off-white. I dunno.
It all makes my bald beige head hurt sometimes.
Also, I’d like to apologize for lashing out earlier. I shouldn’t have even responded to such inflammatory remarks.
Btw, and maybe this shows how racial characteristics are becoming irrelevant in a sense. But I am “white” and at different times in my life have been mistaken for Asian (usually by black people for some reason) and Hispanic. While ethnically I am a Polish/Hungarian/Irish/German mix, I’ve been mistaken for being Greek and Italian.
I find it sad and a little funny that even in attempting to point out that we do not serve ourselves or our world by categorizing one another, some people do so by saying we’re not defined by our color, we are all Americans.
The fact is we are all humans. We all struggle over how much of Earth’s resources will be set aside for US. In so doing, we like to think of ourselves as different than others to justify our greed. We kill and oppress regularly in order to have more for ourselves. We justify that immoral greed by seperating into groups.
Unless you have learned that all people have a right to share the resources available on Earth, you too are a discriminating fool. Be it over race, or nationality, religion, or sexual preferance, income level, political persuasion or any other difference.
What we must focus on are the similarities we all share, and the needs we all have.
Sigh
2/3 of the world’s population was always non-white. Minority, majority was always a relative regional term. Now the scale begins to balance and the “majority” is afraid of loosing power in America. Could this be tied to Bush’s power grab and the attack on liberty?
Identity is a cultural and artificial construct. In South Africa, the majority of the white people, have African (black) blood flowing in their veins, but their crazy ideas of apartheid caused them to ‘identify’ more with their white side and oppress black people nonetheless. After a few generations of mixing, somebody who is 95% black or white cannot be distinguished from somebody who is 100% black or white. Also, another group of people of mixed blood in South Africa still have got a very distinct ‘cultural identity’ as Cape Coloureds. A lot of factors, like language, school, fathers or mothers play a role as well. Bob Marley was mixed blood, but because he grew up with his mother, he identified more with his ‘black’ side than his ‘white’ side.
I don’t know how this is in America, but I guess many so-called whites also have ‘red indian’ ancestors or black ancestors, but simply don’t identify with those groups any more.
I think identity plays a role to such an extent that the ‘historical baggage’ of that group forms part of the social consciousness.
I do think that people who identify with a group that has been on the receiving end of oppression, can incorporate this consciousness in their view of the world and it tends to become wiser and more holistic. In that sense, I think it is a good thing that non-whites are increasing in the U.S., namely this also means less potential supporters for the Republicans. On the other hand, a ‘victim mentality’ can also be dangerous and in situations like Israel-Palestine and Rwanda, it is completely unclear who are the victims and who are the perpetrators. These people have not yet succeeded in transforming their once-victimhood into wisdom in the social consciousness.
People that historically have never known any suffering or oppression, tend to become arrogant and out of touch with the rest of the world. I think the second world war had a ‘civilizing effect’ on the people of Europe, who have historically always been the most arrogant and oppressive. I just hope that America does not have to go down to this level.
Martha–
I wish there were more people like you in the world, who were willing to unlearn any bigotry they have. Lord knows I still have a long way to go.
Latino, are not native american. A little history checking will bear that out. They have native origins but not what you can consider native american. Inca, Mayan, Aztec and much of the free republic of Mexico is Spanish. That being said, if you go to Mexico as an American you cannot vote or participate in government and have no property rights. Most of the immigrants that come to the U.S. do so for money, not culture. Interesting, Mexican people live longer than Americans until they come to the U.S. where they lose that evolutionary advantage.
In the early 70s I hung out with Native Americans, and some needed to make a statement about how whites had treated their people. They would tell you straight to your face how they felt and I would listen and agree with most of it. It usually came out in the middle of drinking and partying. I’ve had guys in my face trying to get me to start pushing, but it always ended up being friends.
By arriving at that understanding (that I saw the lies) about the two sides of history, I was accepted like a (white) brother and hung out with their families.
Native Americans would rather change the subject or say nothing than to lie in your face to please your white ego. It’s a politeness (and honesty) you see in First Peoples’ culture.
On the other hand, the Europeans fleeing religious persecution persecuted everyone with their imperialistic tumor of a government. We see now the Chinese, Africans and even the immigrants were nothing more than slaves. Indians were just squatters in the way.
Once we realize our past we can begin to understand what is happening in the present.
It’s not so much race, as it is demonizing people who are in the way of colonizing and enslaving people of the world. Race is a moot point because the goal is to use anything to divide people. You only need to be convinced to accept a lie about someone you hate.
There is a way to live with the earth, and a way not to live with the earth. Native Americans choose the way of earth.
They are the canary in the American mine.
What a joke! Whites are the minority only if you total up the “non-whites”.
Talk about racist! This rivals “the Bell curve” for audacity. So if a population is 40% white, 20% black, 20% Asian, and 20% Hispanic, the whites become a minority?
Talk about “fuzzy math.”
Humm…white people better start having more sex…lol
It is a human instinct to grow one’s extended family and community into a majority to dominate a geographical area and insure the food supply, while others not related are seen as competitors. That is why EDUCATION is so vital to human survival, otherwise Mankind may once again degenerate into tribal and racial chaos - and we know there are those who are trying to manipulate our instincts to build empires of hate and genocide.
In recent years America has embraced the concept that we are all members of one race, the human race - but too much of any good thing turns it bad, so part of that education must be family planning in accordance with the supply of food, shelter and clothing. Otherwise, the troubles of humanity will simply repeat themselves until we drive ourselves to extinction. The law of life on Earth is adapt or die.
“American has embraced the concept we are all one race, the human race.” How so? Please be specific.
Treefrog,
I said “in recent years” referring to the Civil Rights Movement that liberated African Americans from the worst aspects of racial segregation and discrimination. One of the requirements for human survival is genetic diversity. Thus, racism is completely mistaken.
Thank you entelechy for your response. Taking a closer look though I think you will find the civil rights movement freed people to be more like thier counterparts, not free. There is a difference.
Similar to the five civilized tribes in this nations history.
Treefrog,
Oh yes, I certainly agree. But the Civil Rights Movement was a step forward. The problem is this commercial society discourages people from thinking long term to sell them short term products that have long term consequences - a “crazy life”.
Stilba,
If you appreciate Jack London’s The Iron Heel, you might also find interesting and useful the diverse visions of the future found in these novels: Andre Vltchek’s Point of No Return, Ernest Callenbach’s Ecotopia, and Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower.
Caucasians have always been the minority.. in the rest of the world. Now global demographics are being reflected in the US and other formerly majority caucasian parts of the world (AU, UK/Europe, etc.)..
Really, the ‘majority’ are Chinese and Indians. They got the numbers. But seriously who cares. Are white people really still THAT afraid of ‘minorities’…?
Oh wait. Stupid question..
I think it’s funny.. if I say ‘boo’ to a white person will they flinch? That’s one to go try out in the real world.
Can’t wait.
Winnetou: “I don’t know how this is in America, but I guess many so-called whites also have ‘red indian’ ancestors or black ancestors, but simply don’t identify with those groups any more.”
P.S. My comments above about scaring white people was meant to be humorous and sarcastic.. some of my best friends are white.
That being said, yes, many American ‘caucasians’ have black and Indian blood in them. It’s just not obvious unless you know what to look for. I know black people who have blonde hair and blue eyes. So really.. WHO FRIGGIN CARES! It’s all about the genetic lottery.. some genes turn on and others turn off. NO one is ‘pure’ anything. It really doesn’t matter what percentage white/black/Indian/Asian you are.. why does it matter SO much.
There have been studies about this.. there is a documentary about British people undergoing genetic tests to find out where their DNA came from.. most had some varying degree of non-Anglo genes. Some were 10% African, with 50% Northern Euro, and 40% Middle Eastern.. or some other such combination. And many were shocked to find this out because of the ideas in their head about what it is to be ‘pure’ British. It’s really time to give up this idea of racial purity.. it’s a MYTH. It was never real.
I wish I could remember the name of the film.. if anyone finds it online please link it here. T
“White” is too broad of a category I think. It seems like “white” was just a way for the Anglo-Saxon elite to Angloize newer, non-Anglo-Saxon immigrants to the US (i.e. Irish, Italians, Germans, French, etc). It is a shame that these later immigrants gave up their original languages.
I wish everyone wouldn’t get their panties in a bunch about how we are “grouping” people into races. What the hell did you expect? Homo Sapiens are primates. They are territorial, political and yes they do draw distinctions. We got that from other primates. Chimpanzees don’t run around saying, “We are the Chimpanzee race, love your fellow Chimpanzee”. They draw territorial boundaries and other distinctions as well. If a Chimpanzee in the Gombe Forest strays into another Chimpanzee territory, they won’t say, “Wat up my fellow Chimp”. They will go to blows. There is no such thing as “The Human Race”. Humans are a species not a race. All race does is describe the different hues that humans possess. Humans are just technologically advanced apes. Nothing more.
iwarrior, I agree with most of your statements, you can’t change how people think of themselves. People must be made to co-exist through law enforcement at many levels including criminal, employment, civil rights among others. People create and perpetuate distinctions amongst themselves because they like it. People have a need to think of themselves as special. Some ways ethnic groups achieve this is through shared culture, history, skin colour, religion, etc.. The people whom you quoted exalting in the possible future of white minorityness were obviously hate filled morons, but what do you expect. You were right when you stated that you see similar stupidity on the right wing web sites.
Personally the color of a man’s skin is not as important to me as is what is in his head. Too many people today have been brought up on a corporately mass marketed culture of sex, drugs and gang violence. If a person has good moral values, is intelligent and values books and learning, and is not radical or reactionary, then I’ve not got any problems with living and working next to them. But when sex, drugs or gangs are involved, I want neither myself nor my children exposed to it. I don’t care if they are white, black, yellow, brown or whatever.
But I must try to protect my children from immoral influences on a daily basis. It emanates from everything today from movies, T.V., video games, music, computer, etc., and I’m sick of it. I think that the perception of people on the right is that it comes from minority groups. When changing channels on TV, there is the inevitable scantilly clad asses bopping up and down or the base vulgarity that passes for humour on BET, then here comes the spanish channel with scantilly clad latin chicks with big tits dancing around. The vast majority of bratz dolls look like minority girls, and most parents already know that they are dressed as trollops. Music videos feature rappers who demean and insult wowen by depicting them as sex objects and calling them hos (whores) and bitches. One can see where they get this impression.
Now we know that all this and more is exploited and encouraged by the media for profit, but when in g-d’s name will the people in those communities stand up and tell their young people that this is inappropriate. When this happens and media company’s see that there is no more demand for it, it will stop. Our youth, of all ethnic groups, are being corrupted by this shit. It has no redeeming value but is the lowest common denominator. Many right wing as well as moderates are concerned about it, and so it seems, some are happy to use it as a weapon against them. But who are they really hurting.
So, this report comes out, that in 10% of the nation’s counties, whites are now the minority. My people have always been the minority in this country no matter what county they lived in, white, black, whatever. So I say big shit about that. What I want, is a neighborhood where my children can keep their youthful innocence as long as they can. Where sex, drugs and gangs are not an issue for me to worry about.
here are the facts. What are these authors smoking to make this a sensational news
White persons, 2005 (a) 237,854,954
Black persons, 2005 (a) 37,909,341
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, 2005 (a) 2,863,001
Asian persons, 2005 (a) 12,687,472
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 2005 (a) 516,612
Persons reporting two or more races, 2005 4,579,024
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, 2005 (b) 42,687,224
White persons not Hispanic, 2005 198,366,437
White persons, percent, 2005 (a) 80.2%
Black persons, percent, 2005 (a) 12.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2005 (a) 1.0%
Asian persons, percent, 2005 (a) 4.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2005 (a) 0.2%
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2005 1.5%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2005 (b) 14.4%
White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2005 66.9%
If the nations could agree to reduce the human population through peaceful family planning programs there would be plenty of space and resources for everyone and no excuse for racial conflict. That way we could stop growing the economy before the Earth is destroyed. Otherwise, we commit ecocide and self-extinction. We cannot have our planet and eat it too.
“People create and perpetuate distinctions amongst themselves because they like it.”
That is considered to be biodiversity and is how the world survives. Monocultures are rarely found in nature. The way you have moral children is live a moral life and that includes how you treat other members of society, even ones you don’t like.
And without knowing you, I imagine your life is just as immoral as the next. Please don’t bring your god into this, because going to church on Sunday does not make you a moral person.