What is worse?

[Squatchsker]

An ignorant person that only has stories and stereotypes to understand a culturally or ethnically different person?

Or

A culturally or ethnically different person not taking any time to teach the merits and intricacies of their life to an ignorant person?


Either way you have hurt and misunderstanding to a point of impasse, but who's responsability is it to learn vs. teach?


I have my own ideas, but I will wait to chime in later.

[bugeater61]

Are stereotypes the same as audiophiles?

[Red Crawdad]

My take: Ignorant people are ignorant for one of two reasons. 1) They are naive and haven't had a lot of interactions with other cultures/ethnicities. 2) They are purposely ignorant, and refuse to even attempt to understand anything outside of their of own views.

Group one learns with experience and becomes more open-minded with time. Group two just gets older, and more set in their own views.

To answer your question I think ignorance is always worse. You can try to explain/teach/show your cultural traditions, but some people don't want to hear it. For example, if you have Hispanic Heritage parades/celebrations that are meant to showcase Hispanic culture, how many times do you hear "why don't they just act American??" And then...how many of those people who said that have no problem going the Czech Days, or German festivals?

[RedPhoenix]

My take: Ignorant people are ignorant for one of two reasons. 1) They are naive and haven't had a lot of interactions with other cultures/ethnicities. 2) They are purposely ignorant, and refuse to even attempt to understand anything outside of their of own views.

Group one learns with experience and becomes more open-minded with time. Group two just gets older, and more set in their own views.

To answer your question I think ignorance is always worse. You can try to explain/teach/show your cultural traditions, but some people don't want to hear it. For example, if you have Hispanic Heritage parades/celebrations that are meant to showcase Hispanic culture, how many times do you hear "why don't they just act American??" And then...how many of those people who said that have no problem going the Czech Days, or German festivals?

Extremely well stated.

[huskernut]

My take: Ignorant people are ignorant for one of two reasons. 1) They are naive and haven't had a lot of interactions with other cultures/ethnicities. 2) They are purposely ignorant, and refuse to even attempt to understand anything outside of their of own views.

Group one learns with experience and becomes more open-minded with time. Group two just gets older, and more set in their own views.

To answer your question I think ignorance is always worse. You can try to explain/teach/show your cultural traditions, but some people don't want to hear it. For example, if you have Hispanic Heritage parades/celebrations that are meant to showcase Hispanic culture, how many times do you hear "why don't they just act American??" And then...how many of those people who said that have no problem going the Czech Days, or German festivals?

I agree with your distinction between the causes of ignorance.

[huskernut]

An ignorant person that only has stories and stereotypes to understand a culturally or ethnically different person?

Or

A culturally or ethnically different person not taking any time to teach the merits and intricacies of their life to an ignorant person?


Either way you have hurt and misunderstanding to a point of impasse, but who's responsability is it to learn vs. teach?


I have my own ideas, but I will wait to chime in later.

In my experience, people of the latter type sometimes become fatigued trying to share and explain, and sometimes think it is unlikely that even if they go to the trouble to share, the recipient won't respect it anyway, or at least won't get it. It is not uncommon for people like that to isolate themselves. Indeed, cultures that keep to themselves within a melting point seem to be doing that en masse.

I think that is a huge missed opportunity, but not everyone is cut out to be open all the time, sometimes by disposition, quite often by age. Outgoing young people often enthuistically seem like they want to explore "the other". It's very similar to travelling well, really.

I've found if you show a person of another culture both that you are open to a frank discussion of your own culture, and that you've made an effort to learn just a few more things than the average person about their culture, people often open up like a clam with a pearl. But it doesn't always happen.

[OldRedWood]

ie: the ignorant person with only stories and stereotypes: Most likely he was fed these misconceptions by parents or his own culture...thus the fault lies with whoever is the teacher. Religion and politics play an important role in giving society the adult with strong, negative opinions. Perceived notions of where one particular group sits on the totem pole of a pluralistic society will also play a part, because nobody wants to be on the bottom. And then we have folks like Al Sharpton...


When someone of a different culture, etc., is approached by someone with questions about their culture, they can accept this as an open handshake of friendship and can begin to open up and explain and a greater understanding by both parties can emerge. I have not found that unless the party of the first part displays interest, that the party of the second part will launch into some kind of cultural lecture. When the hearts are open, then communication can begin.

[One Man Jury]

But is ignorance worse than apathy?

I don't know.

And I don't care.

[One Man Jury]

I can't take credit for that last statement. I took it from Mohandas Gandhi.

[One Man Jury]

And it was Gandhi who said, "Let's all get behind this President O'bama... and push REEL hard."

[One Man Jury]

And it was Gandhi who said, "Let's all get behind this President O'bama... and push REEL hard."

I know he died a long time ago. It was a prophetic utterance.

[bugeater61]

Wasn't it Gandhi that also said "One mans stereotype is another mans marketing demographic."?

[Big Red Rick]

My take: Ignorant people are ignorant for one of two reasons. 1) They are naive and haven't had a lot of interactions with other cultures/ethnicities. 2) They are purposely ignorant, and refuse to even attempt to understand anything outside of their of own views.

Group one learns with experience and becomes more open-minded with time. Group two just gets older, and more set in their own views.

To answer your question I think ignorance is always worse. You can try to explain/teach/show your cultural traditions, but some people don't want to hear it. For example, if you have Hispanic Heritage parades/celebrations that are meant to showcase Hispanic culture, how many times do you hear "why don't they just act American??" And then...how many of those people who said that have no problem going the Czech Days, or German festivals?

Fair points. The only thing is, these Czechs and Germans integrated into America. The Hispanic culture seeks to change this into North Mexico. If there is any doubt of this, please let me take you on a tour of places like Del Rio, Laredo, or South Omaha. I'm not saying that these are good or bad. They are what they are, similar to Chinatowns and such. However, I do not recall the German subtitles on everything in a store/DMV etc...

[Big Red Rick]

And it was Gandhi who said, "Let's all get behind this President O'bama... and push REEL hard."

Yeah, I think he was referring to Seamus, not Barack.

[RedPhoenix]

And it was Gandhi who said, "Let's all get behind this President O'bama... and push REEL hard."

Ghandi loved fishing.

[Squatchsker]

I heard Ghandi was a cheeseburger lover.

[RedPhoenix]

I heard Ghandi was a cheeseburger lover.

Wrong. He hated cheese.

[Big Red Rick]

But he loved Knight Rider...

[Red Dead Redemption]

I heard Ghandi was a cheeseburger lover.

I heard Gandhi loved to dip his bald head in oil and rub it all over his mistress' body

[Big Red Rick]

I heard Gandhi loved to dip his bald head in oil and rub it all over his mistress' body

A fun-Hindu, or... Fondue???