Race Change

I have no problem with it. In all honesty I'm the one of the only white people in my neighborhood, I had major problems with that in school. in fact two girls decided in fourth grade they didn't want a white girl in their class anymore and they told the principal I that i had threatened to bring a knife to kill all the mexicans, since over 80% of the school was mexican it wasn't taken lightly at all. and I had ever said anything.

So I can understand perfectly rasicm and because of it wishing you weren't your race. For awhile I really wanted to be asian since there was quite a large asian population at my school because I was tired of being one of the only white girls and recieving hell for it.

I'm perfectly fine with it. People can express themselves in any way they want.

However, I thing a lot of this is rooted in racism. I know a general rule can't speak for every situation, but I think people would embrace their race more if it weren't for racism and the whole idea that looking one way is better than looking another.

I also think people would embrace their race more if it weren't for the fear of being called racist. I definately know a person who wouldn't like it/call me racist if I said I'm proud to be white/love being white, but would then turn around and say I love to be black/am proud to be black.

I have never understood why people are "proud" to be any race. I'm fine with my race, but I'm not proud. It just kind of is what it is.

edit-double post

It freaks me out when white people try to do the emigration to "black". Guess that is a bit more "cultural emigration" than trying to change the way your body look. (Actually, it pisses me off a bit, especially when rich kids who hasn't seen a hard day in their life talk about hardship and "brothers".)
Also, there's a lot of middle east guys here who tries act latino when out on clubs, they might know a few words in spanish and thats it.

When it comes to your point Yes;indeed;true,
its not as much "proud to be white" as it is "proud to be Swede" for me. Well, actually, more "proud to be scandinavian". Its the culture, not the looks. And in the rate we accept fugetives here,(one of our northern cities have accepted more Iraq refugees than the whole of USA has) the typical Swede will be far from blonde and blue eyed in a couple of generations and it will be all about the culture.
(I don't see that as a bad thing, its just looks.)

Way1203:

I didn't think this belonged in the racism topic but if it does, you're welcome to shut it down.

Nowadays, people are having surgeries and using skin products so that they can look like a different race. People are changing thier noses, eye shapes, and style so they can seem more "white" Taking extra measures to make their skin is lighter so as to avoid stereotypes and race issues.

Is race change okay? Is it shallow?

honestly i think that in some cases, the way you come into this world is how you should leave it (nothing to do with religion by the way) race, is a color, a pigment of the skin, so i dont see why anyone would want to change theirs.

Bleeding Dry:

It makes me sad that people aren't happy enough with themselves that they have to change race.

Yes, this is what I wanted to say.

And I think in some ways it's a product of society and media suggesting over the years that only white = beautiful.
Of course a lot of progression has been made in terms of diversification of models to reflect multi-cultural society, but even now airbrushing is often used to lighten the skin of a model, or to make them appear more Caucasian. A couple of weeks ago there was a controversy where Loreal were accused of lightening Beyonce's skin and dying her hair strawberry blond + straightening in order to allegedly make her appear ‘whiter’.
Also, I remember last month seeing a foundation advert on TV (I've forgotten which brand it was) and in the advert it showed 3 girls supposedly representing light, medium and dark skin. All 3 girls were white Caucasian and there was only a slight difference in skin colour between them.
People shouldn't be ashamed of the way they look and their roots, they should embrace the fact that there is beauty in every race, any skin/eye/hair colour.

Lake Bodom:

And I think in some ways it's a product of society and media suggesting over the years that only white = beautiful.

Peopel seem to be making the assumption that only dark people want to change to white.

I've read about white people in countries like india ect, that want to become darker.

It depends on what the majority of people in your country are, after all , a white person is probably going to succumb to the same amount of critisism a dark person unfortunatly faces here.

personally i could never do something like that, i could never get any form of plastic surgery cause this is how god made me you know?
and i wouldnt feel like myself if i did do it.
but hey if thats what you wanna do and it makes you feel better with yourself go right ahead!
but I know that i could never do it.

To Zanarkand:

Peopel seem to be making the assumption that only dark people want to change to white.

I've read about white people in countries like india ect, that want to become darker.

It depends on what the majority of people in your country are, after all , a white person is probably going to succumb to the same amount of critisism a dark person unfortunatly faces here.

I didn't make that assumption, I just stated the examples that I had heard of. The point that it depends on the majority race in the country is true though.
It's undeniable that people of other ethnic backgrounds historically have faced more pressure to act/look 'white', such as some Native Americans being forced to adapt to the mainstream US culture, and also the Aborigines in Australia.
Since racism has lessened over the years, people are more willing to accept other cultures but unfortunately a minority of people still hold the ideology that the White/Aryan race is the "supreme race". You only need to look at a racist website such as Stormfront to see Neo-Nazis branding anyone who isn't white "subhuman". I've never seen websites or organisations from other ethnic groups that are dedicated in preaching that white people are "ugly, subhuman and lower-races".

^^

I just visited the website you were talking about because I had never heard of it and my morbid curiosity got the best of me. Talk about disgusting! I completely agree with you. It's not hard to see why things like race change exist when racism is still so prominent.

i don't really care much about race change, just make sure YOU ADMIT IT.

it's stupid when it's clear you've gone for surgery to make yourself more 'white' or something, then insist on the fact that you were born with mixed blood or something. it's just plain dumb.

but again. why do people actually want to change their race? partly because of the racism and 'white-superiority' idea some of us still have? maybe some of them think they look nicer with 'white' characteristics.

so if it's actually due to racism, maybe we should be able to change that. of course there are still idiots out there, but maybe generations down the road, this may be able to change.

To Zanarkand:

Lake Bodom:

And I think in some ways it's a product of society and media suggesting over the years that only white = beautiful.

Peopel seem to be making the assumption that only dark people want to change to white.

When white people tan & use fake tan, isn't that them wanting to be darker? So it's not always darker wanting to be whiter, it can work both ways.

^^ My mind never connected fake tanner with subject at all, but now that you bring it up it makes so much sense.

two guys; one cup.:

When white people tan & use fake tan, isn't that them wanting to be darker? So it's not always darker wanting to be whiter, it can work both ways.

I was gonna say that exact same thing. I've never understood this fascination in Caucasian culture with tanning, whether it is brought about my sunbathing topless, or using solariums, or just slapping on some reeking lotion to make your skin dark.
I love my milk-white skin, I'd never do anything to change it - especially not damage it by exposing it to the sun!!

Yes;Indeed;True:

However, I thing a lot of this is rooted in racism... I think people would embrace their race more if it weren't for racism and the whole idea that looking one way is better than looking another.
I also think people would embrace their race more if it weren't for the fear of being called racist.

I don't think it's necessarily racism at hand. A lot of angst about certain racial traits comes from people who are, in fact, the same ethnicity. I'm speaking specifically about African-Americans and Indians (not American Indians, the Asian ones).
In Indian culture, blue eyes are considered much more beautiful or desirable, especially in women, than the typical dark eyes. You'll find a lot of women of Indian descent, especially in places like Britain, where a lot of Indian girls come from relatively well-off or middle class families (and therefore have the disposable income not common in their native country), wear blue contact lenses because it's considered more attractive, or exotic.
In Asian culture, blond hair and white skin are prized attributes. To that effect, a lot of Asian women bleach their hair in order to be considered more beautiful. I have met several Asian men who were obsessed with my blonde hair and big blue eyes - they want to take photos to show their families, they can't stop touching blonde hair, that kind of thing. It's a novelty to them, they can't get enough.

And African-Americans often subject each other to ridicule if they're 'too' dark, 'too' light, 'nappy-headed', etc. I've seen a lot of African-American women on talk shows and the like, announcing to the world that they want to marry white men or at least father children with white men, rather than men of their own race, so that their children will have 'good hair' and avoid ridicule from other kids if they have 'nappy' hair.
On some TV shows (yes, I watch a lot of Maury) you see a lot of people doing things like denying their children, because they're 'too dark' or 'not dark enough'. At least with Caucasians, white is white is white, there are no questions when it comes to that sort of thing (of course, hair and eye colour etc comes into the equation, but we're talking solely about skin colour).

So yeah, what I'm saying is that attempting to 'fix' your physical attributes that are due to your race, is not necessarily because you were ridiculed or ostracised by people of other races - a lot of the time, it's people of your own race who declare that 'nappy hair' or dark eyes or whatever are unsatisfactory.

Mindfuck:

two guys; one cup.:

When white people tan & use fake tan, isn't that them wanting to be darker? So it's not always darker wanting to be whiter, it can work both ways.

I can only speak for myself, however when I say this - when I'm tanning out in the sun in summer, I'm not thinking to myself "Oooh yeah. I hope I get a good tan so I can look like someone of a different race..."

Well no, but it ties into the whole concept behind 'race change'. I think it has a lot to do with specific cultures' ideal of beauty or desirability, and in a way, being made to feel ashamed if you don't like up to that image.
To that effect, Caucasians seem to have this obsession with tanned skin, thinking it's more attractive than pale skin, just like some cultures promote certain coloured eyes, or hair, or whatever.
I don't think people who change their appearance are necessarily trying to look like someone of a different race, they're just trying to live up to society's idea of what is considered beautiful.

Whoops.

Cigarettes And Suicide:

I have met several Asian men who were obsessed with my blonde hair and big blue eyes - they want to take photos to show their families, they can't stop touching blonde hair, that kind of thing. It's a novelty to them, they can't get enough.

the asian men sounds like pervs. i've never met any like that, considering that i live in asia. must the fact that i have black hair lol.