Originally Posted by lorend

I've actually found it to be the opposite.

The baby boomers (and their parents) and Gen Xers tend to be much more racist than Gen Y. And often make references to 'the old country'.

The people in the video: look like they're from Gen X more than Gen Y

OH yeah I've had that discussion in my Sociology tutorials as well, how European older Immigrants were racist and negative towards other cultures and what not. However its slightly different with the kids, they might be more culturally educated but they still have the pride and the xenophobia diffused into them from their parents, coupled with the cultural differences and the clash between cultures they do find it easier to hide behind the notion of their superiority as an answer to pressures of highschool. How do we solve it then? :S I think the parents do have a role to play as well, the kid who said the anti Jewish comment most probably had been brought up by parents who are critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Palestine(what was his background?) and that obviously leads the kid to absorb all that hate!

p.s: the Kids in the video, one was 19 and the other were like 21-23 so I guess they are our Generation? :S

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

OH yeah I've had that discussion in my Sociology tutorials as well, how European older Immigrants were racist and negative towards other cultures and what not. However its slightly different with the kids, they might be more culturally educated but they still have the pride and the xenophobia diffused into them from their parents, coupled with the cultural differences and the clash between cultures they do find it easier to hide behind the notion of their superiority as an answer to pressures of highschool. How do we solve it then? :S I think the parents do have a role to play as well, the kid who said the anti Jewish comment most probably had been brought up by parents who are critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Palestine(what was his background?) and that obviously leads the kid to absorb all that hate!

p.s: the Kids in the video, one was 19 and the other were like 21-23 so I guess they are our Generation? :S

I think the kid was Caucasian actually...which is really the mind blowing part. I don't think it had anything to do with the Palestinian and Israeli conflict though I could be wrong but I'm 90% the kid wasn't Palestinian

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

I do not think that there is much racism among South Asians in Canada because we're grouped into one big cluster but there is a lot of cultural intolerance between the different sects of people and that's intolerable because it leads to awful things.
.

Well the kids from what I've noticed seemed to be getting along fine, its mostly because of the similar culture. YET despite having said that there still is division between certain bodies Pakistanis get along better with the Northern and Punjabi Indians much more the the Southern Tamils. I still haven't seen the latter and the former as friends, the absence of similar culture and language between those two is probably a cause for the re-entry of old nationalistic hatred. Because I don't think the Southern Indians have alot in common at all with the Pakistanis.

Similarly, I don't think the shades of 1971 have escaped the Pakistani and Bangladeshi divide; the next generation might be better but atleast our generation still grew up with Parents who have a mistrust and hatred for both sides because of the way Bangladesh got independence.

Still I feel they are still better off then my friends back home in Karachi who still have a hatred of anything Indian blame being on the Cultural and constant Media propaganda from both sides(I found it shocking the way the Indian Media sensationalizes and covers anything between the two countries here, these news channels are banned in Pakistan but I've been able to watch them In Canadian Satellite systems)

And as for Cricket, there always has been and always will be a rivalry. Plus its not as bad as you think it is; we just talk banter alot, Indian fans who came to see the matches in Pakistan were very well received and treated.

Its actually much much worse in soccer(the whole hooliganism and rivalry between clubs from different cities and areas) where racism and cultural divides are the prime reason for deadly conflict between rival fans that has killed thousands over the years(In Europe mostly). Croats and Serbs going at Each other, the Southern Fascists and Northern Conservative cities going at each other in Italy, Cities like Liverpool and Manchester having an immense hatred for each other the list goes on

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

I think the kid was Caucasian actually...which is really the mind blowing part. I don't think it had anything to do with the Palestinian and Israeli conflict though I could be wrong but I'm 90% the kid wasn't Palestinian

Maybe he was German? Because even though it is not prevalent in the Media to shed alot of light on it and it is a fact confined to the history books with blame being placed directly on Germans: Christian Caucasians were actually anti-semitic for long periods of time, the persecution of Jews wasn't just a Nazi Pursuit. Jews were seen as the embodiment of evil and betrayal by the Victorian era White colonial empires and driven out of everywhere until they finally found settlement in Russia and modern day Israel in late 19th early 20th Century.
Maybe its their hold on the economic system and the media or that the focus of the world has shifted towards Arabs Vs Jews but there still might be a good deal of Anti Jewish sentiments in regular white folk

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Well the kids from what I've noticed seemed to be getting along fine, its mostly because of the similar culture. YET despite having said that there still is division between certain bodies Pakistanis get along better with the Northern and Punjabi Indians much more the the Southern Tamils. I still haven't seen the latter and the former as friends, the absence of similar culture and language between those two is probably a cause for the re-entry of old nationalistic hatred. Because I don't think the Southern Indians have alot in common at all with the Pakistanis.

Similarly, I don't think the shades of 1971 have escaped the Pakistani and Bangladeshi divide; the next generation might be better but atleast our generation still grew up with Parents who have a mistrust and hatred for both sides because of the way Bangladesh got independence.

Still I feel they are still better off then my friends back home in Karachi who still have a hatred of anything Indian blame being on the Cultural and constant Media propaganda from both sides(I found it shocking the way the Indian Media sensationalizes and covers anything between the two countries here, these news channels are banned in Pakistan but I've been able to watch them In Canadian Satellite systems)

And as for Cricket, there always has been and always will be a rivalry. Plus its not as bad as you think it is; we just talk banter alot, Indian fans who came to see the matches in Pakistan were very well received and treated.

Its actually much much worse in soccer(the whole hooliganism and rivalry between clubs from different cities and areas) where racism and cultural divides are the prime reason for deadly conflict between rival fans that has killed thousands over the years(In Europe mostly). Croats and Serbs going at Each other, the Southern Fascists and Northern Conservative cities going at each other in Italy, Cities like Liverpool and Manchester having an immense hatred for each other the list goes on

That was very interesting to read, I learned a lot.
But about cricket, I know that's not what's causing most of our problems.
I just mentioned it because it was the only thing that came to mind.
Sometimes even the rivalry gets too heated up and it reminds me that it's a shame and a downright waste of time that we spend so much time being divided.

If we focused on unifying each other, a lot of problems might be solved
Not all but we would definitely not have so many big conflicts that we do today.


Linking back to the OP and keeping my posts on topic, I think another huge divider of people is religion. The things that happen due to religion...they are disgusting. (they = the things, not the religions).

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

I think another huge divider of people is religion. The things that happen due to religion...they are disgusting.

I HATE when religious groups protest or get involved in politics. There is a strict separation of church and state for a reason.

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

p.s: the Kids in the video, one was 19 and the other were like 21-23 so I guess they are our Generation? :S

They're Gen Y like us, then. It's hard for me to tell when I can't get any sound and thus don't pay much attention.

Originally Posted by callender

I HATE when religious groups protest or get involved in politics. There is a strict separation of church and state for a reason.

Well lol that is ALWAYS something religious institutions(forget groups!) will do to consolidate their "power" and influence over society and to look to exploit conflicts using religious means! Sociology 101

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Well lol that is ALWAYS something religious institutions(forget groups!) will do to consolidate their "power" and influence over society and to look to exploit conflicts using religious means! Sociology 101

Okay... that didn't make any sense.

I'm just making a statement about religion and politics in relation to dividing people. I come from an uber conservative riding which is conservative for the wrong reasons, it's all bible thumpers who are more concerned with abolishing abortion and gay marriage instead of real political issues.

The church and any religious group (institutions are widespread, I'm taking about specific religious organizations such as NOW or Focus on the Family) should stay out of social issues and civil rights.

Originally Posted by callender

Okay... that didn't make any sense.

I'm just making a statement about religion and politics in relation to dividing people. I come from an uber conservative riding which is conservative for the wrong reasons, it's all bible thumpers who are more concerned with abolishing abortion and gay marriage instead of real political issues.

The church and any religious group (institutions are widespread, I'm taking about specific religious organizations such as NOW or Focus on the Family) should stay out of social issues and civil rights.

I completely agree. It's so easy to stand behind a cause and use "reasoning" that is centuries old. I'm all for faith and divinity, but there seriously has to be a strict distinction between religion and social/political issues. The lines that divide real issues from trivial ones are often marred by personal agendas and "traditionalist" views that only serve to hinder society from progressing and improving.

Originally Posted by myoozik

The lines that divide real issues from trivial ones are often marred by personal agendas and "traditionalist" views that only serve to hinder society from progressing and improving.

Exactly. Well said!

Originally Posted by callender

Okay... that didn't make any sense.

I'm just making a statement about religion and politics in relation to dividing people. I come from an uber conservative riding which is conservative for the wrong reasons, it's all bible thumpers who are more concerned with abolishing abortion and gay marriage instead of real political issues.

The church and any religious group (institutions are widespread, I'm taking about specific religious organizations such as NOW or Focus on the Family) should stay out of social issues and civil rights.

Oh I meant that in a different way, I thought you were referring to Protestants Vs Catholics, Jews Vs Muslims and Sunnis Vs Shias within Muslims. But even the Social aspect is once again pre-meditated, they can draw upon and misinterpret for all of us(atleast the Islamic extremists do) the teachings in the the verses and create moral panics and continuous media coverage. I mean religion and its stance on abortion and gay marriage does create controversy and hereby coverage for the religious organization(aka bible thumpers) simply because these issues are the defining questions of modern day society(the social aspect of it) and when people have no answers they often look for the religious body for guidance. It serves the purpose of the religious bible thumpers if they divert everyones focus on the social controversial issues like abortion and gay marriage because that is something they can have a stance on, they know they cannot solve hunger, poverty, racism, Environment and world conflict or provide solution for it. You must have noticed how the media focuses on a candidates stance on abortion and gay marriage far to very much: it is the influence of religion.

It all does come down to as I mentioned earlier gaining additional coverage and influence for issues they have a definitive stance and answer for(the social and civil rights). Therefore as Myoozik said alot of it has to do with personal agendas and regaining hold over society by appealing to and maintaining traditionalist conservatism and the people unopen to new ideas and change

wow that video actually disgusts me. it's terrible that people have to live with this day in and day out.

it's not even just places further up north, i live in brantford, just 20 mins away from hamilton and there's racism everywhere. as a child i had to deal with such issues. i even had children 10 yrs younger than me mocking me simply because i was asian. really though, i believe it's the person, even if they had influence from their parents, it's up to the person to be who they are and what their opinions are about other races.

there'll always be racism, as sad as it sounds, people are just too ...i can't even think of a word for it.

Originally Posted by TTHX

wow that video actually disgusts me. it's terrible that people have to live with this day in and day out.

it's not even just places further up north, i live in brantford, just 20 mins away from hamilton and there's racism everywhere. as a child i had to deal with such issues. i even had children 10 yrs younger than me mocking me simply because i was asian. really though, i believe it's the person, even if they had influence from their parents, it's up to the person to be who they are and what their opinions are about other races.

there'll always be racism, as sad as it sounds, people are just too ...i can't even think of a word for it.

I actually believe that a big part of who a person is comes from the people around them, especially when they are really young such as a baby or child. The seed is planted and it grows. In the beginning it's easier to take the seed out, change who the person in, but as time goes on the seed turns into a plant and it can be very difficult to uproot it. The time the seed turns into a plant can be as early as 13 years old.

Originally Posted by jhan523

I actually believe that a big part of who a person is comes from the people around them, especially when they are really young such as a baby or child. The seed is planted and it grows. In the beginning it's easier to take the seed out, change who the person in, but as time goes on the seed turns into a plant and it can be very difficult to uproot it. The time the seed turns into a plant can be as early as 13 years old.

Exactly! the influence of the Pillars of Society(Family, School, Media, Peer Group, norms and values of society) defines the social behavior of a person; most people aren't evil and racist the pillars have a big influence in making them so(though the psychologists would highly disagree!) . And lol @how much of Sociology do I shamelessly plug in