[Galium]

Yes I was. As children we a taught many things by our parents. We watch what they do and say and mimic that behavior. No parent has to actually come out and tell a child to be prejudice.. Unfortunately, sometimes actions speak louder than words. (Forgive the cliché')
In my home neither I nor my siblings were allowed our own opinions. How do I know this. By being told that "I didn't know what I was talking about." Therefore my opinions where, for many years, my parents opinions. If I didn't know what I was talking about how could I have an opinion? The first person in our family to marry outside our faith was ridiculed in hushed tones.
My mom would wash my mouth out with soap if I ever swore. Yet, both my parents used racial epithets at dinner, while watching TV or just in conversation. My father swore on a regular basis.
It has been a struggle for me, over the years, not to repeat this irresponsible behavior. Unlearning something, that was drummed into me from childhood, is extremely difficult. Thankfully, I did see the light. I've made it a conscious effort not to repeat this behavior with my daughter.

[Chicon]

Hi Galium,

You've just summarized similar situations I've personally lived during my childhood. And today, I'm fighting to not reproduce the same pattern of prejudices for my son.
BTW, I could sort the values my parents tried to impart me through their prejudices. And I'm thankful to them as they thrived to keep me on the right way.

[linskyjack]

The fact that you have faced the facts and are trying to break the habit shows that you are way ahead of the curve.

[Mulderator]

I wasn't raised to be prejudiced by my parents--my father had a black partner in his plumbing business (not employee, partner) and this was in the 1970s. That being said, the use of racial slurs was very common where I grew up in in the neighborhood (South Jersey) so that behavior had to be "unlearned."

However, I have made this point before about how what people say can't be used as a guage of their racial beliefs. My father until the day he died called black people "coloreds" and used other similar "non-PC" terminology. He was not an educated man--he was not racist (he had a black business partner when virtually no white man did) but if he were alive today and posting in this forum, he'd be labeled a racist by the PC crowd I am sure.

As an aside, I will never forget the way my father's business partner cried like a baby at my mother's funeral. My father did not cry, but this guy did. He was a very unique--he was very well spoken (although not well educated) which was not the norm for a black man back then. Just a really nice man--he spent many nights having dinner at our house later at night after a long day's work, although I never once had dinner at his house, interestingly.

[carolm0108]

Originally Posted by Mulder

I wasn't raised to be prejudiced by my parents--my father had a black partner in his plumbing business (not employee, partner) and this was in the 1970s. That being said, the use of racial slurs was very common where I grew up in in the neighborhood (South Jersey) so that behavior had to be "unlearned."

However, I have made this point before about how what people say can't be used as a guage of their racial beliefs. My father until the day he died called black people "coloreds" and used other similar "non-PC" terminology. He was not an educated man--he was not racist (he had a black business partner when virtually no white man did) but if he were alive today and posting in this forum, he'd be labeled a racist by the PC crowd I am sure.

As an aside, I will never forget the way my father's business partner cried like a baby at my mother's funeral. My father did not cry, but this guy did. He was a very unique--he was very well spoken (although not well educated) which was not the norm for a black man back then. Just a really nice man--he spent many nights having dinner at our house later at night after a long day's work, although I never once had dinner at his house, interestingly.

Very well put. I was actually raised by Galium (my mom) and while her upbringing was riddled with caustic racial remarks, she raised me completely different. I am grateful that she stopped the cycle. That is how things need to be. Parents and family members need to raise their childen in knowledge and in tolerance. Not hatred and racism!

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by carolm0108

Very well put. I was actually raised by Galium (my mom) and while her upbringing was riddled with caustic racial remarks, she raised me completely different. I am grateful that she stopped the cycle. That is how things need to be. Parents and family members need to raise their childen in knowledge and in tolerance. Not hatred and racism!

Do you mind me asking how old you are? I'm just curious what time period you grew up in and your mother grew up in. I'll understand if you don't want to say--women never say how old they are!

[carolm0108]

Originally Posted by Mulder

Do you mind me asking how old you are? I'm just curious what time period you grew up in and your mother grew up in. I'll understand if you don't want to say--women never say how old they are!

I'm still young enough not to worry about how old I am 31 my mom is 25 years older

[Gabriel]

I feel it was my mom that actually had little or no prejudice in my immediate family. She had several co-workers of different races, and one woman was her best friend. None of my other family members criticized her that I know of. She was someone who did pretty much what she wanted anyway.
We have a rather matriarchal family, and woman don't get berated for their ideas or actions. That is mainly because they outnumber the men, and are the elders of the family too, I suppose.....point being, they have made many changes in the direction our family affairs go, including inter-racial marriages in the past and current generation.
In some ways, I think I was in an in between place to see this occur....like obseving an old and new mini-world emergence in my family circle, where the racial barrier was breeched in some aspects.

[katonca]

Prejudice is different than racist. I was raised in a prejudice home.

[carolm0108]

Originally Posted by katonca

Prejudice is different than racist. I was raised in a prejudice home.

In all honesty, that's just symantics. I mean one exists with and on the same line as the other. If you are prejudiced against one race it's the same thing as being racist. I don't have a dictionary in front of me but if I did I'd bet that they would be synonyms

[carolm0108]

Originally Posted by katonca

Prejudice is different than racist. I was raised in a prejudice home.

Main Entry: rac·ism
Pronunciation: 'rA-"si-z&m also -"shi-
Function: noun
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
- rac·ist /-sist also -shist/ noun or adjective
so there u have it

[katonca]

Originally Posted by carolm0108

In all honesty, that's just symantics. I mean one exists with and on the same line as the other. If you are prejudiced against one race it's the same thing as being racist. I don't have a dictionary in front of me but if I did I'd bet that they would be synonyms

I wasn't saying they were prejudice against a race of people. They were prejudice against air traffic controllers and street sweepers. The question was "raised to be prejudice". Racism is racism.

[carolm0108]

Originally Posted by katonca

I wasn't saying they were prejudice against a race of people. They were prejudice against air traffic controllers and street sweepers. Racism is racism.

I just feel that they are one and the same because what u are dicribing isn't really prejudice but hey potato patato (that doesn't really work unless you're saying it)

[bordercollie]

In answer to the original question No I wasn't brought up to be prejudiced, and I was always encouraged to have my own opinions (I often got into trouble from my parents for having them, but at least I was given the choice). I could speak to my parents about anything and they would always listen. I have tried to do the same with my own two sons. IMHO there is far too much prejudice and racism in the world today and for the life of me I can't understand why it should be. Each to his own is my motto

[Galium]

Mulder,
My parents were very well educated. I do know what you mean though.