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Note - I'm not too experienced at the nuances of framing questions in this area and many terms carry heavy meaning, some of which I might be less aware of. I hope nothing in this question presumes anything inappropriately, but if I've worded the question poorly or used a term where a better term exists, please correct me.

In Europe, North America, and some regions with strong historical benefits inherited by descendants from these regions, racism debate often gets framed in terms of white benefit/privilege, and this is often described as due to the overwhelming one-sided benefits gained by that ethnic group specifically (and to an extent those able to pass).

This view has become so pivotal in the West it's easy to forget or marginalise other ethnic divides, privileges and racism issues, or subsume all of them in the assumption of white privilege. (By that, I don't mean to argue "other X's exist" or anything that marginalises any issue). That might not be the position held, but is at times a position as stated.

For example, it's possible to state that all racism is white racism, which was on today's radio (a BBC Radio 4 interview). To be fair, I think this may have been meant in a wider sense, that it all stems from white colonialism, or white privilege, or is "white-like" or a similar sense. But this tends to underline the point that racism (in the West) is often seen as primarily white (or white-colonial) racism, and less so in other contexts (which thereby get excluded from debate or become marginalised/secondary/less visible if included).

Which brings me to my question. In Japan, foreigners from other Asian countries such as Koreans were historically disparaged - they were targets of racism. In Rwanda one tribal ethnicity engaged in genocide against another not many years ago, surely influenced by its colonial history but occurring between perceived "more-favoured"/"less favoured" peoples, in which white ethnic persons were largely neither attackers nor targets. Ditto recent events affecting the Rohingya people - the country was once under British rule but that doesn't seem to have been widely cited as the underlying reason for this year's ethnic conflict. I'm not so historically aware, but I believe that other divides that appear to be racism or ethnicity-related may have predated colonial history and/or resumed after it ended, perhaps fuelled by it. Thus in India, it was not (as far as I know) the case that one religion out of Islam and Hinduism was favoured and one became suppressed colonially, yet directly after colonialism ended, mass migrations and massacres occurred between these great peoples. In fact I would be amazed, human nature being what it is, if there was not racism within and between many groups of people in the long term, even in the absence of white ethnic impact and white ethnic colonialism.

So, when a person who holds that all racism is white racism (in whatever sense they mean it) contemplates other racism around the world of these kinds, what framework do they use to interpret what they see, in situations where it isn't self-evident that it is a result of white ethnicity or white colonial impact, or where it appears that the divide predated/survived these?

(Put another way, if 'all racism is white racism' is a framework that is used by some people, what does that expression mean to them, when other racism is contemplated?)

In answering, there are possibly two distinct groups to consider - those persons who consider racism and live in Europe and North America, but also those who live in regions where white-related racism may not be seen as "the big racial division", and who may have entirely different frameworks (which are less visible in Europe and North America) for their understandings.

Again, sorry if I mis-worded anything above, and I hope it's possible to understand my actual question if I have asked it poorly.

Wes Sayeed
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Stilez
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    Not entirely clear what you are asking. Do you want to know what the 'only white people can be racist' crowd use as a coping mechanism to explain obvious racism in other cultures(the answer would be doublethink)? Are you just asking if that non-white racism is called something else? Or whether there is as extensive a victim culture/mindset in country Y between an oppressed minority and the not oppressed majority? – Jack Of All Trades 234 Dec 26 '17 at 13:33
  • I don’t think anyone believes the only racism is white racism. The argument you hear is typically a way to combat the “reverse racism” type of argument you often hear in the West. In other words, “there’s only white racism” isn’t a literal belief, but just a counterpoint argument in certain contexts when debating issues such as white privilege. –  Dec 26 '17 at 14:58
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    @blip: do you have any evidence that shows those people who claim that only white people can be racist etc pp don't actually believe that, but only say so for propaganda reasons? – janh Dec 26 '17 at 16:11
  • @J.O.A.T - I'm not assuming its a "coping mechanism" or a "victim culture". I'm assuming its used by people who genuinely don't endorse any racism, and that their sense of what the phrase means, and how its applied, is one that I'm ignorant about, rather than assuming they must be XYZ. – Stilez Dec 26 '17 at 16:20
  • @blip, like janh says, I'd rather hear (ideally) from people who use the phrase or know for real, rather than put anyone else's guesses and assumptions into any mouths. As the expression is used, presumably those who use it can speak about its meaning..... – Stilez Dec 26 '17 at 16:22
  • @janh nope, but I'd ask the same in reverse...what evidence is there that these people sincerely believe that? Alas, this question is all predicated on specific examples, of which none were provided. As such, I don't think it's answerable in that regard. –  Dec 26 '17 at 16:38
  • @Stilez fair enough, but then the answer would just purely opinion based, as you're asking for personal opinions from said people. There's be no 'right' answer. –  Dec 26 '17 at 16:39
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    @Stilez No arguments there. It's just not a good question for StackExchange. It's a great question for a conversation/forum...but not a Q/A site. –  Dec 26 '17 at 16:44
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    @blip - I'm asking what framework certain people use, in a wider context, and how the expression they use fits into that. Surely the right people to ask are those holding that view, who can explain what framework they hold on wider racism issues and how that expression fits into it for them? Also it would be a fairly nasty thing, to claim (from outside) that none of these people can really mean what they say, which I really doubt, or substitute a guess of mine for the real meaning it holds. So I want to listen and know how that framework fits for them, in a wider context. – Stilez Dec 26 '17 at 16:48
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    @blip: they say they sincerely believe it. True, you can never prove that somebody is speaking the truth, but we shouldn't just jump to "they don't really believe that" just because the belief might sound irrational to us. – janh Dec 26 '17 at 16:49
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    @Stilez again, I'm not arguing your POV. I'm saying it's not a good fit for this site. There is no 'right' answer as it's just going to be the personal opinion of each person that has that viewpoint. –  Dec 26 '17 at 16:54
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    @janh again, we can't argue any of this properly without context. We'd need a specific example...none of which were provided in the question. –  Dec 26 '17 at 16:55
  • I don't want to argue the accuracy of the claim at all, I just don't agree with the idea that those who claim it don't "really" mean it. They say it, they repeat it when asked, and the act accordingly. I've yet to see evidence that suggests that what they say and what they believe isn't aligned. – janh Dec 26 '17 at 16:59
  • @janh who is "they". Do you have a specific person/quote/citation? –  Dec 26 '17 at 18:03
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    The people, you believe don't really "mean" it. Use your favorite search engine, search for you cannot be racist towards white and enjoy. – janh Dec 26 '17 at 18:06
  • The quote wasn't about racism "towards" white ethnicity or that one "can't" be racist towards these people. It was very specific and I think it meant something completely different. The exact words were that "all racism is white racism". That might well be something different, to the speaker. But we won't know if people keep imposing their own meanings. – Stilez Dec 26 '17 at 21:29
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    Your question is way too long. Go straight to the point. Don't bring some possible elements of answer in it, or do it shortly (yes, there are different frameworks for racism or ethnic tensions in Japan, India, Rwanda, but also in the Middle east, China, Vietnam, Africa, South America, ...). I think it could be reopened if it were narrowed down. A "racism tourist guide per country" would surely be interresting, but (sadly) way too long. The only place where I heard it didn't exist, and even there I am not sure, was the Reunion island (île de la Réunion). Which is not even a full country. – user5751924 Jan 09 '18 at 18:17

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