Racists can be “not racist” though in a conversation. You can see that quite a bit here on STW. So maybe he is? Strange topic of conversation to start up with a relative stranger.

frankly you just won’t know for definite until he starts a sentence with “I’m not racist but…”

No you’ll know when he’s racist as he will say something like I dislike and devalue people based on their race but some of his best friends will be black.

I’m not racist but I have south african friends. Unfortunately they are white ones so do nothing for my racial credibility.
I happen to have the misfortune of being born in Blackburn and was discussing the large asian population with my south african friend who referring to a picture of an asian in the lancashire evening telegraph said ‘that’s not a blick, this is a blick’ and proceeded to show me a picture of an afro carribean male in his encyclopedia.

This thread seems to be: “A man said the word “Pakistanis” to me – does that mean he’s a racist?” Very odd.

The chef at work has started to make casually rascist remarks;

All chefs are either racists, perverts, or homophobic closeted homosexuals.

Am I being jobist?

batfink – Member
This thread seems to be: “A man said the word “Pakistanis” to me – does that mean he’s a racist?” Very odd.

I don’t think that’s the point though, if someone started a conversation with “oh your from israel, aren’t there lots of jews there?”

Even if you are just stating a fact seems unusual to immediately discuss the racial demographic of a place.

Tom_W1987 – Member

All chefs are either racists, perverts, or homophobic closeted homosexuals.

Am I being jobist?

I thought they were just all alcoholics. 😕

This thread seems to be: “A man said the word “Pakistanis” to me – does that mean he’s a racist?” Very odd.
I don’t think that’s the point though, if someone started a conversation with “oh your from israel, aren’t there lots of jews there?”

Context innit. Perhaps the next thing out of his mouth was going to be: “I’m working in an area with a large population of <insert name of minority here>, how do you handle the associated cultural differences in the classroom?”

Not having a go…. but (imo) this is what’s preventing a sensible debate about race/immigration etc – anyone dares bringing it up is automatically assumed to be a closet EDL fanatic.

Not having a go…. but (imo) this is what’s preventing a sensible debate about race/immigration etc – anyone dares bringing it up is automatically assumed to be a closet EDL fanatic.

Agree with this, seems you can’t even mention another country these days without been a racist

Even if you are just stating a fact seems unusual to immediately discuss the racial demographic of a place.

Not in the slightest. He maybe had some further questions that were relevant to his first comment.

But the OP didn’t answer and stopped any further conversation dead (which seems a more unusual thing to do IMO)

[edit] pretty much this …..

Context innit. Perhaps the next thing out of his mouth was going to be: “I’m working in an area with a large population of <insert name of minority here>, how do you handle the associated cultural differences in the classroom?”

Nothing said there was racist.
Personally! I see his comments as more a reflection on Blackburn, in that there is nothing else about the place that has made news in the past decade, so in doing a quick memory association, population mix is about the only thing that springs to mind.

If you had dark skin (and the same accent) would he have asked the same question?
Sounds like a prime example of casual racism IMHO but half of the intent/meaning is picked up by body language or the way he said it.

If you had dark skin (and the same accent) would he have asked the same question?

Who knows,

But he may have at least got an actual answer if he did.

Oh… I thought this thread was going to be about something else,, read it as the moment you release!!

Personally! I see his comments as more a reflection on Blackburn, in that there is nothing else about the place that has made news in the past decade,

You’re not a football fan then? If you mentioned Blackburn to me, then I’d think about the unfolding slow-motion car crash that is seeing the former Premiership winners being dragged down the leagues by a bunch of clueless half-wits. I’d have asked him about that.

In a similar vein, I was in Whitehaven a few years back. Which according to the last census is the whitest place in the country (non-white population – well under 1%). I was talking to an old woman who asked where I lived. When I told her, she said “Oh, there’s a lot of … * She used THE N WORD* … around there, isn’t there?

I was fairly shocked to say the least, but on looking at her, there was no malice or anything in her voice. She wasn’t being offensive, or come over all Nick Griffin. Clearly, to her living in her insular 100% white surroundings, that was just the terminology used

someone might be is possibly a racist.

Was chatting to nice gentleman the other day about work stuff (i’m a supply teacher and we were from the same agency). He noticed that I wasn’t from this area and tried to guess my place of origin. He was pretty close with St Helens: i’m from Blackburn. I’ve had some wild guesses from the kids I teach about where I’m from ranging from Ireland, Sweden and even Australia…anyway. As soon as I said I was from Blackburn, out of nowhere, he exclaimed

“there’s a very large population of Pakistanis there, isn’t there?”

Well, I didn’t know how to respond. he caught me off guard, I just nodded and switched off.

He then started asking me if the schools up there were quite mixed or if the cultural divide was well defined? I didn’t know how to respond to this question either so I told him I was actually from Darwen, went to school in Darwen and haven’t been living in Darwen for at least 8 years, hence my presence in North Wales.

How do you think I should have responded? Is he actually a racist or am I jumping to conclusions? I mean, who brings up the quantity of a particular nationality as an opening question about a town?

As someone who works in Blackburn (and has done for 4 years), I’m not surprised by his reaction.

White families are moving out (into the suburbs/surrounding villages), and Asian families are moving in. The more Asians that move in, the more “threatened” the white communities feel – so their moving out is accelerated (and so the cycle goes)
There is a deep cultural divide in this town, and in a time when factories/businesses are closing, it becomes more evident. It’s well known around here a handful of large-ish businesses will only employ white or Asian workers.

I often have lunch at a little cafe close to work, which is a popular place for workers in the area – before 2 or 3 of the factories shut down (making 200-300 people redundant in each). I asked a handful of acquaintances if they had any luck finding new jobs in their skillset – and the answer was a pretty universal “No” – why? “We’re white. Only places left round here are Asian, and nobody white works there. Even if you’re fortunate enough to get an interview [perhaps name on CV was censored?], you know within minutes of arriving being white you won’t get the job. In hard times, people look after their own first.” <– And this last bit is the crux of it.

I’m sure its the other way round too, which is half of the problem. The white/Asian communities are very closed in Blackburn.

Going back to the OP’s original question:

I mean, who brings up the quantity of a particular nationality as an opening question about a town?

Many people probably do – what’s the first thing you think about when you hear the name Bradford?

I’m sure its natural (not racist, as a result of social influence) to want to be with “your own skin colour”. Given the choice between two places to live/work (identical jobs, salary, etc) – one [same skin], one [different colour] – which would you pick? Nobody wants to be the black sheep.

This is the problem it’s such a sensitive subject that even broaching the discussing a person’s ethnic origin is questioned as racist. Did he have a white hood on and a crucifix on his law? As far as I’m concerned calling Pakistani people **** is not racist either. It’s like calling us brits, just a shortened term.

Btw I’m not racist I even have a coloured tv.

I’ll not be happy until I see you hugging your black dog!

This thread seems to be: “A man said the word “Pakistanis” to me – does that mean he’s a racist?”

Not at all, its more the fact that it was the subject matter rather than, as binners points out, talking about football though I suspect he wasn’t a footy hooligan.

Did he have a white hood on and a crucifix on his law? As far as I’m concerned calling Pakistani people **** is not racist either.

If you understood where the term ‘****’ comes from you would see that it is indeed offensive – It comes from that old sport of ****-bashing by these delightful people

If you had dark skin (and the same accent) would he have asked the same question?

Who knows,

But he may have at least got an actual answer if he did.[/quote]

this assumes I knew the answer to his question. I told him I didn’t know.

White families are moving out (into the suburbs/surrounding villages), and Asian families are moving in. The more Asians that move in, the more “threatened” the white communities feel – so their moving out is accelerated (and so the cycle goes)
There is a deep cultural divide in this town, and in a time when factories/businesses are closing, it becomes more evident. It’s well known around here a handful of large-ish businesses will only employ white or Asian workers.

xiphon – to be fair, you’ve just described Oldham, Rochdale, Burnley and a good few other places in Northern England. Ironic isn’t it, that as we celebrate the achievements of Nelson Mandela, we have in this country communities as effectively segregated, along racial lines, as Apartheid South Africa ever was.

Though – sssssssshhhhhhhh – nobody is allowed to talk about it. Or acknowledge the problem in any way. As this would puncture the ridiculous myth of a multicultural society that may exist in the the big cities, but sure the hell doesn’t in places like this. Well… until the next riots. Which shouldn’t be too far off now, anyway

this assumes I knew the answer to his question. I told him I didn’t know.

Firstly. I don’t believe you don’t know if there is a large Pakistani population in Blackburn or not.
You may not have lived nearby for a while, but it’s hardly new is it.

Secondly. You didn’t tell him you didn’t know….

…I just nodded and switched off.