IS THIS RACIST?
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Well I wouldn't consider it racist if what you say were true - that Asians are thin because of their genes.
But they're not. I live in Japan, and women around me are generally rather thin (although the young generation is visibly chubbier).
One thing I can definitely tell you is that they eat very little to maintain that weight - they have a varied, rather clean, low calories diet, despite appearances.
So by your logic: untrue generalization is racist, but your massive sweeping generalization is not racist because you consider it to be true....I assume by 'they' you mean ALL people that live in Asia?
To be fair, she did clarify that she was speaking about her friends' diets, and prior to that I assumed she was speaking of the Japanese diet due to her mentioning living in Japan.
When I lived in Korea, the younger generation (in my town, to add clarity) was littered with overweight kids, which made me sad. I was in a small, secluded town, too, not even in the city where there is much easier access to "western" food...0 -
Science is not racism....
What science?
And "scientism" has been at the very core of some of last centuries' worst racism. Making sweeping generalizations about diet or weight for an entire sub population?
You want science?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21908945Abstract
Many predictive equations for basal metabolic rate (BMR) based on anthropometric measurements, age, and sex have been developed, mainly for healthy Caucasians. However, it has been reported that many of these equations, used widely, overestimate BMR not only for Asians, but also for Caucasians. The present study examined the accuracy of several predictive equations for BMR in Japanese subjects. In 365 healthy Japanese male and female subjects, aged 18 to 79 y, BMR was measured in the post-absorptive state using a mask and Douglas bag. Six predictive equations were examined. Total error was used as an index of the accuracy of each equation's prediction. Predicted BMR values by Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (Japan-DRI), Adjusted Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (Adjusted-DRI), and Ganpule equations were not significantly different from the measured BMR in either sex. On the other hand, Harris-Benedict, Schofield, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization/United Nations University equations were significantly higher than the measured BMR in both sexes. The prediction error by Japan-DRI, Adjusted-DRI, and Harris-Benedict equations was significantly correlated with body weight in both sexes. Total error using the Ganpule equation was low in both males and females (125 and 99 kcal/d, respectively). In addition, total error using the Adjusted-DRI equation was low in females (95 kcal/d). Thus, the Ganpule equation was the most accurate in predicting BMR in our healthy Japanese subjects, because the difference between the predicted and measured BMR was relatively small, and body weight had no effect on the prediction error.
Japanese have, according to this study, a lower statistical BMR per age, weight, sex as Caucasians. Now how does "science" impact the OP statement?
You can find the same conclusions for Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean subject studies - with many specific equations developed. Usually these studies are flawed in that they do not evaluate two populations so it is impossible to see if the differences are actual or instrumentation error. Totally worthless but they are there.
Maybe. Just maybe - what people eat at home isn't the smorgasbord of food that people have at restaurants.0 -
Racist, no.
Stereotypical, yes!0 -
Well I wouldn't consider it racist if what you say were true - that Asians are thin because of their genes.
But they're not. I live in Japan, and women around me are generally rather thin (although the young generation is visibly chubbier).
One thing I can definitely tell you is that they eat very little to maintain that weight - they have a varied, rather clean, low calories diet, despite appearances.
So by your logic: untrue generalization is racist, but your massive sweeping generalization is not racist because you consider it to be true....I assume by 'they' you mean ALL people that live in Asia?
No, by "they" I mean the women I come in contact with. I was under the same impression that Japanese people must have something "special", different genes or different bodies than the rest of us. I don't believe that anymore because when I started eating like them, my (caucasian) body ended up at a similar weight to theirs.0 -
Maybe. Just maybe - what people eat at home isn't the smorgasbord of food that people have at restaurants.
You haven't eaten at my parents'. /o\0 -
You're not racist but they are idiots.
My sister goes red when she drinks alcoholic drinks. So, does that make me racist?
Also, you get fat and skinny orientals just as you get the likes of Mike Chang.
It doesn't make you racist, and I don't think it makes her Asian either. Lol0 -
From the Oxford Dictionary:
" noun
[mass noun]
the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races: theories of racism
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior:a programme to combat racism"
So, no, this is not racist and the word racist is over- and usually incorrectly used.0 -
Well I wouldn't consider it racist if what you say were true - that Asians are thin because of their genes.
But they're not. I live in Japan, and women around me are generally rather thin (although the young generation is visibly chubbier).
One thing I can definitely tell you is that they eat very little to maintain that weight - they have a varied, rather clean, low calories diet, despite appearances.
So by your logic: untrue generalization is racist, but your massive sweeping generalization is not racist because you consider it to be true....I assume by 'they' you mean ALL people that live in Asia?
To be fair, she did clarify that she was speaking about her friends' diets, and prior to that I assumed she was speaking of the Japanese diet due to her mentioning living in Japan.
When I lived in Korea, the younger generation (in my town, to add clarity) was littered with overweight kids, which made me sad. I was in a small, secluded town, too, not even in the city where there is much easier access to "western" food...
I have the same experience with seeing a lot of obese children in my (small, secluded) Japanese town. I also noticed that McDonald and KFC customers tend to be of a rather young age - it's the place where high-school kids meet and do their homework. Of course, correlation is not causation, but...
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I guess the point is not whether what I was saying was true - it was more a casual, 'hmm, maybe it's something to do with this' kind of statement, not 'its definitely because...etc'. I know people don't like generalisations, but when it's not a negative generalisation, I find it hard to see why people get offended.
The same as if someone might say, 'many European women have fair skin'. Whether its true or not is not what's relevant - it's just not offensive either way. Sorry if I'm not making sense, having trouble choosing the right words!0 -
In my opinion, no it was not racist. But I do have a complaint about how the word 'Asian' is used in western countries especially in the US. By Asian they usually mean people of a mongoloid origin like chinese, japanese, south east asia.. but Asia is a vast continent so people from middle east and south asia are also asians.. like saudis, indians, bengalis, sri lankans.. and they many of them do not have a small frame and urban parts of these countries are battling with obesity as much as any other part of the world.. on the other hand Japan has lowest obesity rate mainly due to their diet and culture..0
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I had a conversation about Asian food earlier in a weight loss chat room.
A woman made an observation that many Asian women seem to stay very slim even on a high carb, often greasy diet.
I suggested that genetically, many Asians are naturally smaller framed, and that maybe they are better at metabolising the diet because through time they have become accustomed to it. This already had several people in the chat crying 'racist'.
Trying to explain myself, I was hoping to point out that different populations genuinely do process food differently depending on their genetic make-up. For example, that many people of Asian descent have trouble metabolising alcohol. My boyfriend for example is Korean and gets what he calls, 'the Asian glow' - he just can't break down the enzymes fast enough and it leaves him totally drunk and red faced after a single drink. That REALLY got people riled up - I don't know how many people called me a racist *****.
I guess I was surprised because nothing I said was derogatory, or suggested Asian people are less because they are different, and I certainly didn't mean to cause trouble. The truth of the matter is that even though we are all equal, the truth is we ARE different - it's not a bad thing, but it seems making that observation has people upset. The reaction surprised me. I'm genuinely sorry if anyone does find this rude or ignorant, and I guess that's why I'm posting - was I racist?
They sound as if they are all up their own arses to be honest.
If they think what you said was racist (and for the life of me I cannot see where the hell they are talking about as your comment being racist), I would hate to see how they fare in the real world, out there where there really IS some nasty stuff said and done!!!
They all need to grow up and get a life and if you want my view, stay out of that chatroom, it sounds as if they are living on planet Zog!0 -
I guess the point is not whether what I was saying was true - it was more a casual, 'hmm, maybe it's something to do with this' kind of statement, not 'its definitely because...etc'. I know people don't like generalisations, but when it's not a negative generalisation, I find it hard to see why people get offended.
The same as if someone might say, 'many European women have fair skin'. Whether its true or not is not what's relevant - it's just not offensive either way. Sorry if I'm not making sense, having trouble choosing the right words!
I feel you - I'm known to have made a lot of blunders when comparing "my people" to "Asian people" (yes, yes that's bound to end badly!). It wasn't out of malice, and I don't think it was racist - but it often ends in a stereotypical assessment and gross generalization. That offends people, no matter what. And yes, saying Europeans are fair skinned WILL ruffle some feathers, for the same reason!:) One thing I learned is to always and "qualifiers" like "most, some, might" etc., to avoid getting my head bitten off!0 -
You were not being racist. I think what people were picking up, and confusing for racism was your generalisations. But since the generalisations weren't of a negative stereotype, and in context to an observation. I can't see how they were offensive. I think in general there is a lot of ignorance abound these days regarding issues of race, that any comment can and will be used against you. This doesn't help race relations. I have white colleagues who deliberately Feign faux outrage when observations of race are discussed, no matter the context. This does more harm than good. I believe it stems from resentment and ignorance. How many times have you heard "we'll if 'they' can say it/make jokes about race, then why can't we?". My answer is that you can, but context is key.0
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Does the word 'idiotist' exist?0
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You were not being racist. I think what people were picking up, and confusing for racism was your generalisations. But since the generalisations weren't of a negative stereotype, and in context to an observation. I can't see how they were offensive. I think in general there is a lot of ignorance abound these days regarding issues of race, that any comment can and will be used against you. This doesn't help race relations. I have white colleagues who deliberately Feign faux outrage when observations of race are discussed, no matter the context. This does more harm than good. I believe it stems from resentment and ignorance. How many times have you heard "we'll if 'they' can say it/make jokes about race, then why can't we?". My answer is that you can, but context is key.
Well one way in which I could see why this comment could be seen as "negative" is that Asian women can feel under a lot of pressure from people who have such beliefs, who tell them "they're naturally skinny", when in fact they have to struggle maintaining their weights as well. It creates false expectations that can affect their self-esteem, or at least frustrate them.0 -
You're not racist but they are idiots.
My sister goes red when she drinks alcoholic drinks. So, does that make me racist?
Also, you get fat and skinny orientals just as you get the likes of Mike Chang.
It doesn't make you racist, and I don't think it makes her Asian either. Lol
:laugh: I wasn't actually thinking of it from a logic perspective: "if you go red in the face from booze, does that make you asian?"
She IS Chinese. I was playing on the idea that because I (Chinese) state that a Chinese person goes red when they drink alcoholic drinks, then I must clearly be a racist, too!0 -
Racist, no.
Stereotypical, yes!
Nailed it!0 -
Seems to me that people try and play the racism card way too much:noway:
People are afraid to say anything nowadays.0 -
You're not racist but they are idiots.
My sister goes red when she drinks alcoholic drinks. So, does that make me racist?
Also, you get fat and skinny orientals just as you get the likes of Mike Chang.
It doesn't make you racist, and I don't think it makes her Asian either. Lol
:laugh: I wasn't actually thinking of it from a logic perspective: "if you go red in the face from booze, does that make you asian?"
She IS Chinese. I was playing on the idea that because I (Chinese) state that a Chinese person goes red when they drink alcoholic drinks, then I must clearly be a racist, too!
"You don't look Chinese" :laugh:0 -
NO!!!!0
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