Is disapproval of ghetto culture the same thing as racism?

Question

I am an old southern white boy. (If you are already assuming that you can predict something about my attitudes based on that sentence, then that is an example of PREJUDICE: judging someone's character on the basis of stereotypes.)

I have friends and acquaintances who are members of different races and ethnic groups. But I have a strong dislike for ghetto culture. If you want to claim that ghetto culture does not exist, post your own question or myTake on that topic. For me, and for many, many people, it's real, it's counterproductive, it exalts ignorance, and it perpetuates itself. And I dislike anybody who embraces or tries to advance ghetto culture.

Ghetto culture does not belong exclusively to one race or ethnic group, just as Section 8 housing and housing projects are not occupier exclusively by one race or ethnic group. In fact, less than 50% of all households in federally subsidized housing are black.

It occurs to me that my rejection of ghetto culture might lead some people to assume that I am a racist (and that fuels their need to get their SJW fix.) What do you think? Is disapproval of ghetto culture the same thing as racism?

bannacookies · Accepted Answer

Yeah, people judge, but I don't care what people dress like. If you wear cowboy stuff they assume your racist and probably a Republican. If you dress like a hippie people assume you're uneducated, stinky, a vegan, who knows. If you wear lose fitting clothes they think you have body confidence issues & if you wear tight, you're a show off. So, when it comes to ghetto culture, I don't think bad about it. There was a time that I was uneasy about it until: I used to go to Bibble meetings a few years back when I was curious about "god", there was a guy, black, came in the church with ghetto clothes, and whatnot. Sat himself in the front row and people gave funny looks. To make a long story short, he never missed a meeting after that. He would be very engaged & involved, he was very respectful. And eventually people forgot about the clothing that he wore. He acted like everybody else minus the clothing. He was making changes in his life and was doing a lot better. I remember he mentioned one time that he was saving up money so he could buy a lot of "nice" clothes like what the other men wore. But really, the clothes didn't matter anymore because everybody learned the personality he had. Unfortunately that style and culture has a bad rap and I'm sure there's many good reasons someone would think that, but it's been handed down from generation to generation. Was it his fault that he dressed like that or his parents? Or his parents parents? That's something I do not know. One thing I do now is a year after him attending all those meetings he was shot in a drive-by when we was waking downtown. No good reason, police could never find out why. I really hope the shooter didn't do it just because they were judging him off of his clothes. Everyone lost a really good person at those meetings that day of the drive by. Do we dress as somebody would have thought would have a bad attitude oh, I never saw any hint of a bad attitude. I see why people would judge, but I think it's important to leave a little room open to give them a chance. Just a little, because I know some people may feel uneasy. Like I learned, not all of them are going to be your "typical".

LivingExample · Accepted Answer

When my son was young I did Not let him talk slang to me or sag his pants. I did Not buy him any clothes until he brought his pants to his waist. Today he has a six-figure salary. If disapproval of ghetto culture is racism then I am a golden brown skin racist!

Asianguy123 · Answer

I used to be like you. it's ghetto phobia. I hated them looking and acting different but now I feel like they are discriminated and represent that they are merely surviving. I mean they definitely outlawed. They sell a lot of drugs and break the law and steal things. so I won't recommend being with them but in American society, they take a part of being a isolated and being revelrous. I think that there always are bad people in every culture for example yakuza in Japan are gangsters and they are really bad. in my country there are gangs but they are wiped out by military tyrant in 80's. many men sent to a concentrated camp and they died there. It was really scary thing because innocent men also sent there by accidentally and they died because of trauma. it's sad Korean history. but thanks to the tyranny of South Korea, the country is gang free and that because a foundation of today's success. a lot of small businesses survived because there are no gangs bugging them. but I don't know.. how to deal with American gangs. bad is still bad but then again... drug dealers get the drug supplies from white people. I have heard that politicians are the ones who smuggle the drugs and they give the thugs to sell it on the street. so there are many corruptions and black markets that is being used by white people. I definitely think that black people are connected to bad white politicians and they created all the gangs and drug cartels in the south America. I don't know.. but I bet a lot of people know this already. I just lived there for 15 years of horror seeing this thief on the street of New York City for like 10 years. I was very scared of black people when I was there. I frowned every time I see people wearing jeans showing their underwear and walking strangely. I actually ended up living in Harlem thinking I would be accepted because I am not white. but I was wrong. they didn't include me and it become strange. I rented a room and the host grandma was doing some voodoo magic. and I felt suffocating. so I ran to downtown where Koreans live. Any way I won't recommend to live there. I see some white people move in and they will run away like I do.
I don't know if I should condemn their thuggery but definitely they have connection with evil white people who do shady business with them and they are somewhat proud of themselves being connected with white people? I think that's my suspicion

Coulis · Answer

I didn't vote. It can be racist but there are things with in ghetto culture that are negative and are not helping people. The racist part about it is the idea that ghetto culture is exclusively black. There are so many ghetto white people ghetto Spanish people ghetto everybody. I think it's racist to use it as a dog whistle term to talk about black people from the hood. I have a problem when it is exclusively linked to diasporic African peoples.

On the flip side, I think it is highly unfair to view quote on quote ghetto culture as an aberration from the norm when the history of African descendants in North America was one of segregation and exclusion. How do you expect people who were forced to not be part of a society to conform to what the superior white hegemony considers normal?

West African people have a culture there are parts of that still exist within black American culture. Treating this legitimate cultural difference amongst African descendants as an aberration from the white-defined "normal" as opposed to distinct separate culture is unfair and used to continue the marginalization of people.

Also what I dislike is that when white people do some depraved messed up eating their mother's intestines type stuff... nobody calls that ghetto. But black people decide they want to talk a certain way and they can't get a job nowhere. They want to wear a hairstyle that strays to far from eurocentric acceptability it's ghetto.

Now, when it comes to the violence the fatherless breeding like rabbits that happens among some black people within impoverished neighborhoods, a black people are not happy with this. But the generalization and the dog whistle terms really do piss me off.

I will say that it can go both ways like for example when some drunken man drove into a bunch of people at Mardi Gras they put pickup truck in quotes. This was dog whistling because now we all know with some white trash dude who did it. And that's who it was.

So that's how I feel about it. ✌🏾

Effably · Answer

Did not think I'd see you post this.
I do not feel it is in any way racist although I would have appreciated it if you did not covertly request an echo-chamber.

To me disliking any culture is fine. Cultures are not perfect but constantly changing and as such should be subject to some scrutiny. After all we are the driving force behind their evolution. How can it be steered towards people's benefit if the same people can not express their thoughts on the matter?

Slightly unrelated but relevant to me, while my experience is only anecdotal I did mentor a few kids from "ghetto areas" and the first hurdle to get past was always their perception of their own role in society. The ideas of self ingrained by the dominant culture surrounding their childhood. To me it was an extra obstacle that had to be knocked down before we could begin to progress and absolutely a detriment to the kids in question. Very rewarding to overcome and makes for great stories, but having to overcome it to start with seems a bad setup.

meetkitty123 · Answer

All races have their own "ghetto" culture. Ghetto culture is a matter of behavior not race so I don't see how it can be considered "racist" by not liking a certain behavior. Not racist but discriminative if we go around thinking that an individual is unclassy or lacks intelligence because of their appearance.
Anyhow not all people who portray ghetto culture are bad. Some just like the appearance. Some are just ignorant (not knowing or not having experience) of other ways. Then there are those who are just plan out dumb and ill mannered. But lets be honest there have been plenty of preppy people who are dumb and ill mannered too (I'm sure we all have come across a few)
I have had all sorts of friends "Ghetto" to "Preppy". Its just a matter of dressing style cooking, a way one talks, act etc... But in the end all that matters is whats in their hearts. Ghetto isn't necessarily bad just as Preppy isn't always good. Good and bad can be found amongst both styles. We shouldn't be so quick to judge someone based on their outter appearance. I have had amazing friends from both sides preppy and ghetto. These friends of mine who are considered ghetto would in a blink of an eye give me the shirt off their backs, offer to share a meal with me or give me their only buck if I desperately needed it just as my preppy friends would do... And hey thats what makes them great friends... They have kind loving compassionate hearts!
Lets not judge!

purplepoppy · Answer

People often accuse me of being racist but it's not true, I don't disappove or hate all black people or see all whites as superior. However there is a certain type of person that I despise, call them ghetto, council estate trash, chavs or whatever you want I just don't like them.
But here's my big gripe, I criticise some whites with that lifestyle and no one blinks, I do the same with blacks and suddenly i'm racist and should respect their unique culture. I say bollocks, black or white round them up and push them off a cliff.
In life if you don't want to be treat like a dog then you don't bark or shit on the carpet.

pjf1958 · Answer

Racism, cultural prejudice, economic prejudice, etc., all forms of intolerance, based on irrational stereotypes are all forms of prejudice. Unfortunately, it's human nature to label, and categorize, entire groups of humanity. We learn about the world around us through science, and other logical avenues that allow us to obtain knowledge by correctly interpreting the facts. Yet, we're incapable of applying those same tools when trying to understand our own countryman. They say that knowledge is king. Now that we have access to the internet, we no longer have an excuse for intolerance thats based on ignorance, and fear.

Floppy2112 · Answer

I learned something about where the whole, wearing pants below your butt and showing your crack came from. It came from prison culture. Apparently, the lower you wear your pants, the more available you are for anal sex. To each their own, but I certainly never understood the whole, 'pants below the butt' idea. And I would never dress in a manner indicating I am down for anal with another dude.
But hey, if you are a dude who is DTF with other dudes and you want to advertise, far be it from me to stop you.

Daniela1982 · Answer

They don't just have to be in a ghetto.  Come on! Pull dem pants up! Mammy don't raise no fool!

Ecologygirl76 · Answer

I'm not going to beat around the bush. Ghetto culture is mostly black and cholos. People know this, and that's why they're so quick to claim you're being racist. But it's not racist because you're criticizing the culture, not the people themselves. You can be white and run with those people (albeit you'll get a lot of flack for being different). It's a culture and a state of mind and it actually, at least a few years back anyway, perpetuated the belief that "acting white" is the antithesis of being cool and accepted. Thus, people who subscribe to this culture are racist themselves just by with whom they've chosen to associate.

I_want_a_moustache · Answer

I'm not a fan of rap songs, gang banging or anything like that. But I don't think that makes me racist since I’ll give anyone a chance and they helping them even if I disapprove of some of their actions. There are a few groups/cultures in the US that I hate for the most part; Jehovah's Witnesses, Proud boys, Antifa, The KKK (surprisingly they haven't completely disappeared), BLM (only when they tear up stuff), The EPA (sometimes), Southern culture (sometimes), People who advocate for natural remedies (sometimes, but I hate when they try to advise people who are chronically or terminally Ill ), The military (they protect us but let's be honest if things really went south unless you have connections with the military you're on your own), and Nestlé. But still I'd give everyone from these groups a chance.

legalboxers · Answer

The "Ghetto" culture you speak of.. also pictured here: This is also your "jewish ghetto" in NYC In every state.. every city.. every town.. you will find "Ghetto" Culture..

Киттйлинк · Answer

People sontnhh vi lose to be born a certain race while people CERTAINLY choose to be ghetto. Being born in a Poor city/neighborhood, does not mean you have to be ghetto.
the reason that neighborhood is ghetto is because the people that live there CHOsE to make it a ghetto. All these kids tagging on walls:private and public property.. trashing down everything

all that makes a place what it is. A house does not have to be ginormous to be glamours, clean or amazing.. it just doesn’t.
disliking people who trash things and don’t care for the aspect of things has nothing to do with being a racist... idiotic to even ever compare the two. Smh 🤦🏼‍♀️

ZackBan · Answer

It's definitely not racist and ghetto culture is the very cause of all the woes of black people mainly and minorities in general.
People always complain about "racial profiling" when police are twice as careful with a black man in saggy pants compared to white man in a university sweater but the fact is humans have eyes and ears and brains and when they know that one of thesr guys represents a violent culture of crime known for peddling drugs, prostitution, racketeering, and usually walk around with guns they are gonna feel more threatened and treat the situation differently. Compared to the college guy who the police know wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight, that kid will get the slap on the wrist treatment.

DollAlone · Answer

I freinds of all races and none of them sag their pants or wear all one color or bandanas or behave like thugs. I totally think the gangbangin, hood rat, saggin pants bullshit looks ridiculous and so does the way they behave usually but I've seen that style on every race of people even whites which looks even more stupid

J2ohhhhh · Answer

China has the highest PISA results. You pick a random Chinese kid and will smash the average American kid in maths, science and readings. Cus thair education limits people to performance rather than taking risks and be innovative and to be fair average Chinese family spends 10 times more of their incomes on their children's education, however because of that you don't really hear about people from China winning nobel prices. Getto culture is the price of having a culture that lets people to be brilliant. Freedom always results inequality. So answering your question if you'd prefer a culture that lifts up everyone on the cost of the few talented ones like in China, no your disapproval is not racist. I mean even if you just think that you could have the brilliant people without ghetto culture it isn't racist, just delusional.

Novacane · Answer

I would say yeah in the grand scheme of things. Let's be honest when we think of ghetto who are the people that we think of first. Most of the people who live in the ghetto or rougher areas in the states tend to be people of color, especially in bigger cities, and sadly a lot of those people are stuck there therefore it won't be changing soon. So it's like targeting them but indirectly.

thotmas97 · Answer

Of course not. But it is used to justify racism. I can’t tell you how many older white people I've met who have told me about the black people they want to kill or be killed for doing relatively innocuous things like wearing jewelry or listening to rap. Cultural signifiers, but have nothing to do with actual violence or drug peddling.

A great example of this is Michael Dunn, who infamously shot and killed multiple black teens for listening to rap. He kept insisting both in interrogation and in court that the boys he shot were “thugs” despite none of them ever having been arrested. His wife however knew about his history of violence and his racist ramblings and testified against him despite the fact that she didn’t have to. The irony is that prison basically turned the man into a white supremacist, and he’s written enough letters about wanting to rid the country of black people that it’s basically a racist manifesto.

BazookaTrouper · Answer

What would you call black people who don't approve of ghetto culture? Would what you'd call them violate TOS?

Ghetto culture didn't start getting out of control until somewhere in the mid to late 20'th century. If you look back, black culture used to be really good before gang and slum influences corrupted it to something it isn't.

This makes me think of the one scene from "The Manchurian Candidate" where the black soldier woke up from a nightmare where he remembers being interrogated by Warsaw Pact forces. No slum or "ghetto" influences to be found.

Tunasub · Answer

Not at all..

I don't like it my self and I'm a 50 yr old black man.

You wear clothes the way they were made to wear just as I do.

It just doesn't look presentable to wear clothes hanging off you or pants down damn near to the ground shoes untied.

Because you disagree with how the younger and even not so young black people wear and even young and not so young caucasian people wear doesn't not constitute racism.

You just know that clothes were not meant to be worn that way.

hellionthesagereborn · Answer

By definition it is not. In order for it to be racism, it has to be race related, and more specifically bound to that persons race (specifically from a biological perspective i. e. innate). Culture by definition is not race related and not innate ergo criticising culture is not criticising a race.

Is disapproval of ghetto culture the same thing as racism?

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