[Magdalen] Racism, language, etc.

[M J [Mike] Logsdon]

The evolution of this thread has gotten me to thinking in detail about my upbringing, and it honestly leaves me wondering how I managed to be even the imperfect self I am today.

1)  Racial epithets were reserved solely for "non-whites".  The N-word for African-americans, the S-word for Mexicans (all Latin-americans actually), the F-word for Filipinos, the C-word for Chinese, the J-word for Japanese.  I believe that was it.  I put "non-whites" in quotes because obviously many in these categories can be white; the other "distinguishing marks" (facial features, surnames, etc) always overrulled.  But Italians, Polish, Jewish, etc, never had epithets, and ethnicity was only brought into discussions about them IF they were rich.  (To My World's credit, Jews were never singled out stereotypically, either in terms of money or place in religious society in relation to Christianity.)

2)  Whenever a family member, either nuclear or extended, had the misfortune to marry across the "epithet line" and an epithet was used, the rationale was always "But of course not [blank]."  The best example is my surviving brother, who probably still wishes that that "N" in the White House would be assassinated today, but if my late brother's African-american widow were to visit he'd treat her like finest person alive.

3)  I remember very clearly one day when Mom was driving me home from high school that the discussion turned to the possibility of my ultimately marrying a Mexican, and she expressed, with obvious regret, that "living in Salinas as we do, I have to accept that that could easily happen."  And that was back in the 80s when we were still far from the 75% Hispanic we are today.

4)  And I'm sure there's more I just can't remember right now.

I will always thank Anna for at least two things:  nearly completely squashing all racism in me (nearly, because only the rarest of us can be perfectly free of the old tapes sometimes kicking into play position), and teaching me how to tip.
_________________________________________
"O perplexed discomposition, O riddling
distemper, O miserable condition of man!"
- The Rev Mr John Donne
(in a not-so-chipper moment)