Americans are split on "Reverse Racism". That still doesn't mean it exists.

[bravenak]

According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 49 percent of Americans believe discrimination against white people is as big of an issue today as discrimination against people of color. The same percentage of people (49 percent) disagreed. However, the even split disintegrates among racial groups. Only 29 percent of African Americans and 38 percent of Hispanics share this belief, compared with 57 percent of white people — and 66 percent of working-class white people specifically.

Reverse racism refers to the idea that dominant racial groups (typically white people) experience discrimination based on their race in the same way that people of color do.

The PRRI survey used "reverse racism" and "reverse discrimination" interchangeably. But that may be a fundamental part of misunderstanding the differences between the two.

Discrimination, like prejudice, is not the same as racism. Discrimination refers to the biases one exhibits against a racial group. Racism, by contrast, reinforces discriminatory attitudes with social, political, cultural, and economic institutions that have historically disenfranchised a group of people simply because of their racial identity. When reverse racism is treated as discrimination, as is the case for the PRRI study, racism is flattened into a set of attitudes without the power dynamics that give certain biases salience over others.

http://www.vox.com/2016/6/29/12045772/reverse-racism-affirmative-action

[ismnotwasm]

1. It can't exist.

The dictionary contortions people use to try and say it does are horrifying

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Reverse discrimination doesn't exist.

But reverse racism/reverse bigotry certainly can exist.

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. You have that a little backwards ...

while "reverse discrimination" and "reverse bigotry" don't exist ... there is either discrimination/bigotry or not; but, reverse racism can't exist.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. An oppressed minority can display bigotry towards the majority group.

And when deal with issues of race, that bigotry plays out as racism. It's seen as "reverse" because it runs counter to the typical majority against minority flow, but that doesn't deny that it can't occur.

But discrimination (i.e. setting up legal and quasi-legal barriers against a group) implies the party doing the discrimination holds all the cards against the party being discriminated against. So by nature, an oppressed minority group can't discriminate against the majority group in power, because the minority group doesn't have all the cards to use to discriminate.

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. True ...

An oppressed minority can display bigotry towards the majority group.

But that makes it bigotry, not reverse bigotry.

And when deal with issues of race, that bigotry plays out as racism.

Not true ... bigotry plays out as racism, if and only if, there is institutional and/or culture support of that bigotry; otherwise, it's still "just" bigotry.

But discrimination (i.e. setting up legal and quasi-legal barriers against a group) implies the party doing the discrimination holds all the cards against the party being discriminated against.

Nope ... your definition of discrimination contains the distinguishing element of the "isms", i.e., institutional/cultural power, whether we are talking racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, or heterosexism.

You just have it a little backwards per 21st century social scientists.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. Oh Damn ...

Now, we will be "treated" to post after post of Webster's to "prove" discrimination equals racism, ergo the subordinate sub-group CAN be racist, ergo, reverse discrimination is real.

[bravenak]

10. I know

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. But I do hope the DU in have been engaging in this thread, pauses to consider our exchange ...

it would serve as a sign for hope!

[bravenak]

12. Hell, I hope so too

Kinda sad how hard it is to get this point across to fellow dems. I thought it was only Republicans who fell for the reverse racism nonsense.

[1StrongBlackMan]

16. And then, only a small sub-set of republicans, even ...

the conservative ones.

[bravenak]

19. I find the 'horseshoe theory' to be quite sound.

[1StrongBlackMan]

22. Yep. And, consistently reinforced in the objection.

[bravenak]

24. Oh my, yes....

[Nye Bevan]

17. As a wise DUer once said, I prefer a nice thesaurus.

Main Entry: racism
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: prejudice against an ethnic group
Synonyms: apartheid, bias, bigotry, discrimination, illiberality, one-sidedness, partiality, racialism, sectarianism, segregation, unfairness

http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/racism

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. Both of which common from the same, non-academic place ...

popular culture.

[Major Nikon]

26. Any group can be racist and/or discriminatory to any other

There is no reverse. It's either discrimination on the basis of class or it's not. Civil Rights laws are quite clear on the subject and it just isn't that complicated.

[1StrongBlackMan]

28. See Post #9. Though I completely agree with this ...

There is no reverse. It's either discrimination on the basis of class or it's not. Civil Rights laws are quite clear on the subject

And especially, this:

and it just isn't that complicated.

It just takes a little openness to additional information.

[ismnotwasm]

7. But reverse racism

Doesn't exist. And yes, the distinction matters.

[HassleCat]

6. It can and does exist.

But it's so small as to be inconsequential.

There are black people who hold significant power, maybe even control, in important American institutions. Every once in a while, there is a case where it seems possible a black person used his or her to give something to a fellow black person and deny something to a white person, and the institution as a whole supported this. But these are isolated possibilities, tiny little slices of the huge pie, outliers. They really don't mean anything. So reverse racism exists only as a semantic possibility. It's certainly not a political or social problem that should worry us. It's more of a way for disgruntled white people to get excited and do some shouting.

[bravenak]

13. Yep

I'm watching the Trump rally right now and I'm sure his fans totally believe in reverse racism fully. They feel oppressed too!

[KMOD]

15. It be nice if someone asked them what exactly

they believe is oppressing them.

49%? That's just crazy.

[Skittles]

41. the word REVERSE is unnecessary

discrimination is discrimination - period

[guillaumeb]

14. Recommended. One viewpoint:

Some people simplify racism as one group not liking another, and think “racist” and “prejudiced” are interchangeable. But racism is a concept that operates on both an individual and institutional level.

At its core, racism is a system in which a dominant race benefits off the oppression of others — whether they want to or not. We don’t live in a society where every racial group has equal power, status, and opportunity. Yes, white people all over the world and throughout history have experienced atrocities like slavery and persecution. But in the very specific context of American history, white people have not been enslaved, colonized, or forced to segregate on the scale that black people have. They do not face housing or job discrimination, police brutality, poverty, or incarceration at the level that black people do. This is not to say that they do not experience things like poverty and police brutality at all. But again, not on the same scale — not even close. That is the reality of racism.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reverse-racism-isnt-a-thing_us_55d60a91e4b07addcb45da97

My feeling is that prejudice is a personal attitude, but racism denotes a system based behavior. It can be codified, as in Jim Crow laws, or it can be informal.

[1StrongBlackMan]

20. Bingo!

My feeling is that prejudice is a personal attitude, but racism denotes a system based behavior. It can be codified, as in Jim Crow laws, or it can be informal.

As a Black man, my "prejudice" might hurt someone's feelings; but, will have little, if any, effect, beyond our person interaction, on that person's life/livelihood.

[guillaumeb]

34. Agreed.

And this attempt to excuse systematic racism by claiming that the dominant group is also subject to racism has no foundation.

[1StrongBlackMan]

35. Well, yes ... It has plenty of foundation ...

in the fragile feels of those looking to explain why they are not earning 6 figure salaries (grad degree in 18th Century Gaelic Romantic Poetry, not withstanding) while there are members of the subordinate group (with MBAs and law degrees) that are.

[guillaumeb]

47. Excellent point that might be misunderstood by some.

The sarcasm was put on a bit heavily.

And I have heard this argument before, but meant seriously.

Ps. Like the "subordinate group" phrase.

[bravenak]

23. I agree

[geek tragedy]

18. 66% of working class white people think they're the real victims of racism

and people wonder why Trump is winning that demographic.

[bravenak]

21. It's actually scary that they think that way

I see why he's winning them. He is them, just rich. I expect Trump to cry misandry soon since Edub and Hillary are tag teaming him.

[runaway hero]

40. But 60 percent of women don't like him

Someone is not telling the truth with these polls.

[JustAnotherGen]

27. I get caught up in the reverse

First - it just is something or its not.

Second - too many people deny racism exists and it's very often spouted by people that claim they are the victim of this reverse thing.

It is or it isn't.

[bravenak]

29. Me too.

They say racism is not a big deal but swear they are oppressed by this reverse racism thingy.

[malaise]

46. Very good point

Racism against African-Americans does not exist but there's racism against us. Hilarious

[Nye Bevan]

30. The most mind-boggling statistic in that OP

is that 29% of African Americans believe that discrimination against white people is as big of an issue as discrimination against black people. I would have expected that number to be more like 5% or even less.

[bravenak]

31. i just cannot see where they are coming from on that

[JustAnotherGen]

32. Maybe it treats ethnic background as a race?

I've seen people treat Eastern European immigrants just awful in my region.

[bravenak]

33. That makes more sense

But I don't think so. I think they see those people as a part of us 'minorities' that are ruining america for them. These seem like the ones who think affirmative action is racist against white people.

[mountain grammy]

36. I have relatives who believe with all their heart and soul

that white Christians are being discriminated against because of a ruling that "Jesus Saves" can't be plastered on a public bus stop bench. They're convinced their daughter didn't qualify for SNAP benefits because she's the "wrong color." They also reject the science of evolution and climate change. Oh yeah, and Obama's a Muslim.
We've decided to remain sane and skip the trip to visit family in Texas in an election year. Facts and reality mean nothing to these people, but they have a "Pray for America" sign at their front door. Jesus approved!

[DesMoinesDem]

37. Of course 'reverse racism' doesn't exist. It's called racism. Period.

And if you think minorities can't be racist you are an idiot. And probably a racist idiot.

[runaway hero]

38. It's just racism

Some people believe in what I can the normal theory, that is anyone can be racist


Some people believe in power theory racism, that is to say white people cannot be victims of racism because they have the power in society.

[malaise]

42. Racism has a very clear definition - there is nothing normal about your

belief that you can change the meaning of a well established Social-Science concept. A trained community came up with knowledge on that subject based on empirical evidence. If you presented your interpretation in an examination you would fail the course.

[runaway hero]

43. I was talking from a neutral perseoctive

I was just saying people have to different theories on how racism can be applied to white people in terms of them being victims, that's all.

[malaise]

45. There is no neutral perspective

Racism has one meaning. What is applied to white people is prejudice and discrimination NOT RACISM.
I am not saying racism cannot be applied to white people. If I have a restaurant with a sign 'no whites' - that is racism.
If I don't want my son to marry a white woman, that is prejudice or discrimination.

[malaise]

39. Those who don't get it

don't want to get it.

The fact that someone might only hang out with their own race or doesn't want her/his child to marry outside of their race will not deprive anyone of access to socio-economic, political institutions or employment in those institutions. Sure, there is prejudice and discrimination but neither is racism.

[beastie boy]

44. "Reverse racism" is such a convoluted phrase to begin with, I wonder how we can take it seriously at

all. It's like playing a Beatles record backwards and hearing "I buried Paul".

Curiously, the vast majority of "reverse discrimination" charges come from groups or individuals representing a racial majority who claim racial bias from groups or individuals representing a racial majority, even if some individuals involved are not white.

Non-minority institutions discriminating against non-minority individuals on the basis of their skin color. "I buried Paul" indeed.