LDS Prejudice in 2009

[Surfah]

Your experience has been quite different than mine.

Being a member of a so called “minority” group, I have always been of the mindset that I will not allow myself to take on the role of a victim and will not cry “racism” or “bigotry” if things don’t go my way. While I don’t doubt that calling someone a “wet back” may be insensitive, I liken it to me calling someone who wears a mullet and lives in a trailer park a “redneck”, it is insensitive, but not racist.

I applaud the Church’s GA addressing the perceived racism issues in that CA stake, however, he did not do the Spanish speaking members any favors by addressing them in Spanish. That further emphasized the fact they are different and in need of “coddling” and this opened up the door to the Spanish speaking members to assume the role of a victim and in need of some sort of compensation.

Sorry, this was in the San Luis Valley, CO. An area settled by Mormons which has probably 50% of the population as members of the Church.

The Hispanic Mormon community struggled quite a bit there. They had a pretty strong Spanish Ward/Branch at one point long before I arrived to reopen the work. But they disbanded the ward and tried to integrate everyone into the English speaking wards and it failed spectacularly with nearly everyone becoming inactive. I was brought into the area to help reassemble this branch if you will. The opposition to the reorganization of the branch by many English speaking members was staggering.

Growing up in southern California, using the word wetback would get your ass jumped in a hurry. I disagree that it's as insensitive as redneck. I think it's great that you can let it slide off your back (no pun intended) but I think you're in the minority (again no pun intended).

But I do understand where you come from. I'm hapa haole. I remember one guy on the mission verbally attacking us on the street saying the Church didn't allow people of color to be in it. I pulled out a picture of my family showing my very dark brown Hawaiian father and told him not only did they let him in, they let him be Bishop too. I am the fairest of my family though. The Lamanite curse is being lifted through my righteousness. And being of Chinese and Japanese descent I'll claim that too when it's convenient. I don't like the race card either, but I'll be the first to take advantage of it. That's why I checked Pacific Islander on my college apps.

[SoCalCoug]

You're an American living the American experience which is not the same as living the church experience. Racism is an aspect of American culture, not church culture.

Then you would agree that there is racism among American members of the church, right?

I would say that we should know better. Can't we hold LDS members to a higher standard than the local rednecks?

[tooblue]

Then you would agree that there is racism among American members of the church, right?

I would say that we should know better. Can't we hold LDS members to a higher standard than the local rednecks?

I would agree that there is racism among Americans. And I would say that Americans should know better. Furthermore, all Americans should play a role in changing prevailing attitudes and perhaps members of the church should take the lead. And, in my experience, church leadership centralized in the US regularly admonishes members across the world to take the lead and live to a higher standard.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

3) Many a time while living in Utah did I hear the same people say that they "weren't racist" while the term "Mexican"

I think there is plenty of racism in the church and in Utah. However I do wonder if calling someone a Mexican is racist. Clearly if they do not have Mexican heritage it is. But I was once chastised for being racist for calling someone I knew to be from Mexico a Mexican.

Is the term Mexican racist?

Edit: I guess this is what I get for responding to a post instead of reading the entire thread. I will wear this as a scarlet letter.

[TripletDaddy]

I guess this begs the question....what is the preferred term for someone that is from Mexico? Apparently it is no longer "Mexican."

ps if it pisses them off, I will still call them Mexicans, though. Just like I like driving them nuts by saying that I am from "Los Estados Unidos."

[SoCalCoug]

I remember somebody telling me (it could have even been on one of the message boards) that they were in Boston, and talking about their Korean friends. One of these Boston intellectual types kept interrupting and saying that the proper way to refer to them is "Asian". This person's response was that they're actually from Korea.

As I think about it, that could have been from CG.

[RobinFinderson]

I remember somebody telling me (it could have even been on one of the message boards) that they were in Boston, and talking about their Korean friends. One of these Boston intellectual types kept interrupting and saying that the proper way to refer to them is "Asian". This person's response was that they're actually from Korea.

As I think about it, that could have been from CG.

Man, if I were the person to say that to you I would feel obliged to erase all of my posts.

[Surfah]

My last name is Chinese. My ancestors on my Dad's side go back to China. I also have Japanese as my great-great grandparents left Japan to work the cane fields in Hawaii. My family uses Oriental frequently to describe Asians. It's not pejorative to us. We use ornamental for that. And usually it's preceded by "learn how to drive you damn ornamental."

[RockyBalboa]

My last name is Swedish and I'm 25% Swedish.

It's amazing how much bigotry there is towards the 35+ LDS Single Swedish crowd.

[myboynoah]

My last name is Chinese. My ancestors on my Dad's side go back to China. I also have Japanese as my great-great grandparents left Japan to work the cane fields in Hawaii. My family uses Oriental frequently to describe Asians. It's not pejorative to us. We use ornamental for that. And usually it's preceded by "learn how to drive you damn ornamental."

Wild. If I saw you, I'd expect you to speak Mexican.

[SoCalCoug]

I guess this begs the question....what is the preferred term for someone that is from Mexico? Apparently it is no longer "Mexican."

La Raza.

[SoCalCoug]

Man, if I were the person to say that to you I would feel obliged to erase all of my posts.

Was that you?

[il Padrino Ute]

My last name is Swedish and I'm 25% Swedish.

It's amazing how much bigotry there is towards the 35+ LDS Single Swedish crowd.

Swedish? You don't have blond hair.

[wuapinmon]

Because blacks couldn't hold the priesthood; that is racist?

BTW.....the entire south is still racist. Mormon, Catholic, Evangelicals, etc. It's not a religious thing.

The most racist people I know are from Utah.

[RobinFinderson]

Was that you?

No. But I did erase all of my posts one day. I'm just making a joke.