The politically incorrect USA

I thought that racism is something that is far behind US people at least due to the fact they are so mixed in races for so long, not to mention the enforcing laws & system that keeps telling them that "multi-races is the power of this great nation" (Obama had this in a speech few days ago).

I've come to realize that racism was invented here and is here to stay. We do have lots of jokes about black people in Romania (mostly about how extra-long their penises are :), still we don't have any significant black population at all, so it's like silly joking about something we heard about and really don't have any direct experience with.

Racism seems to be present in two forms: whites are racist against any other colors, and any-other-colors are racist to whites mostly by being more permissive to their own race (positive discrimination I think it's called). I'm sure there are more variants to these but I think these are the most widespread forms.

Lemme give you a recent, maybe not so obvious example: "The Voice", the TV show, has as judges three white guys and one black, CeeLo.
They are all turned around and a voice starts to sing; it happens to be a very appealing black lady. Only CeeLo is pushing the button during the song and rest of them are automatically turned toward her at the end of the song.
The moment the three white guys see it's a black, nice looking lady on stage, they all look smiling, insinuating and overexcited to CeeLo and one of them says (whilst the others nod heavily in approbation):
"CeeLo! You're exactly the one you should have turn!"

I find it deeply racist. I mean, they clearly indicated that a nice black woman belongs naturally only to a black man, and they were not referring to her voice. No one of the white males thought: "Wow, a sexy woman! Yami!" they just thought: "Wow, a sexy black woman! She's good for CeeLo!".

One more random example: there is a commercial to a drink that is giving you energy, SK energy. It implies that black dudes are involved in drug dealing activities. Also, the radio commercial for the same "drink" annoyed a few.

Now, one example from the other side of the racism:
I joked with JJ, (my American immersion specialist, her blog is here), greeting her once: "Wazzup my nigga'", in a try to sound like Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour movie.
She got dead serious and explained to me that I could get myself killed using this phrase in certain neighborhoods, not far away from here. I was aware of the implications because this is what that movie actually tries to make a point for, I just teased her to see if the movie is exaggerated because I couldn't believe it is so bad.
Her reaction and her confirmation that the black people indeed use this expression when talking to each other on a daily basis, but they don't accept it from any another race, confirmed that really there is another side of the racism.

Let's be frank: people are careful with other races "by design". In all our minds there is a flag that comes up if we're getting involved in any way with an individual of different race (some have a small on-top-of-ice-cream flag, some a big one on a pole; depends on lots of previous life conditions).
It's a matter of built-in protection to the unknown, a reticence we all have to the "new". We generally mask racism because, as humans, we can control ourselves and make us look like we don't mind. However in stressful or "fast reaction needed" situations the inner reality creeps out easily through the civilization mask.

A good counter-example to this though, is my 7 y.o. kid who was in the situation to talk about a movie. He was referring to the only one black guy in that movie scene but, instead of saying "that black guy" (that would have been completely acceptable in my view as being a quick and accurate pointer), he naturally described him as: "the guy with the blue shirt".

This could actually mean that we are born non-biased. Then, something happens on the way to adulthood that makes us particularly aware of races. Maybe we tag other races too easily, based on individual bad experiences.

Anyway, in the year 2012, in USA, the cradle of "anti-racism" and the inventors of "politically correctness", if an outsider like me can easily find public examples of racism, something went terribly wrong in here.

Trust and Fear

One characteristic that starts to reveal is the locals' lack of trust. I think the "system" gradually pushed them to think that no one should be trusted and they should be aware of everything.

Take as an example an excerpt from "California Driver's handbook" that notes: "If you must stop on a freeway, park completely off the pavement and stay in your vehicle with the doors locked until help arrives. Leave enough space for other vehicles to pass freely. Your vehicle should be visible at least 200 feet in each direction." (http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/parking.htm)

I think the main concern anywhere in the world is to keep that stranded driver away from being killed by another car, mainly due to the high speed on the freeway (a.k.a. motorway) and to keep the car out of traffic as much as possible; that's why they ask him to move the vehicle furthest possible from traffic and stay visible.

The difference in California's handbook is that the driver should stay in the car and the doors must be locked. If it is to be hit by another car, staying inside and locking your own car doors wouldn't help much so obviously the handbook is inducing you that there is a greater danger that lurks, a danger that might be caused by a fellow human. Nice.
(For comparison, in Romanian law they say you should place the car out of traffic as much as possible and get on the nearest grass/field/whatever, as far from the freeway traffic as possible. This way, if the car gets hit at least you're alive.)

Next example from the streets of Redwood Shores, a peaceful neighborhood with many acres meadows, wide streets, water channels and active bird life. Still,
to cast a shadow over this joyful life, there are these announcements panels on both of the two entry points in the neighborhood, that from time to time look like this:

Encouraging?

So, what's the idea? Who would benefit if nobody trusts no one and everyone is afraid of others? Sounds a bit like a "divide et impera" policy.

The result is that local people are more circumspect than any others I have seen until now.

For example, I have attended an open house day (for a house rental) and after discussing various aspects for 10 minutes with the realtor, he said to me: "I can see that you're sincere because you look into my eyes and don't blink when you talk to me".
"Jeez..." I thought. "What type of people is this guy getting in contact with if he's so well versed in this 2 cents psychology". Moreover, why being so cautious in a situation in which anyway the tenant is the one completely exposed and tied-up in contracts with all the possible clauses provisioned in, to have the landlord resting assured that nothing could go wrong with his money or house.

Other things happen when I tried to get "odd services" at some repair shops. For example I needed a metallic bed rail cut short, and thought I should try in an auto repair shop, knowing that they should have the tools for the job.
After I told the owner what I need he pointed me to a vice and got me a metal saw and let me do it completely myself. I was surprised but played along and did my job.
The funny part is that, in the end, I handed him 20$ "for a beer" and he was quite surprised himself saying something like: "If I knew you want to pay for it I'd do it for you". Is this lack of trust or what? What you expected man, only buggers asking for freebies enter your shop?

Lesson 2: "At the library"

My feeling is that the library is something that got in to the locals' lives pretty recently and they don't know what it implies.
Is not that a library is something new in US, more probable the people that form the my library's public are newcomers and where they came from, "the library" was only a pub's name.

Ok I am mean, but based on my experience with the Redwood Shores library, it seems that many don't know that a library should be a peaceful environment.


Whoever designed the floor plan is to be blamed first. The kids' reading rooms are placed in such a way that every kid must cross the entire main reading/computers area to reach there.
As there is no much fun for nannies/housewives/grannies in Redwood Shores, the library is a pilgrimage place and there is a constant traffic of toddlers, babies and kids going in/out their areas, and being obviously -- hello! they are kids! -- not quiet at all.

There is no sign on the wall about the mobile phone usage or keeping noises to minimum. Consequently, many readers speak freely between them, some answer the phone. To my complete dismay, even the curators are speaking full voice with the readers that ask for information, and the front-desk is really close to the main reading/computers area.
To top all of these, last time I was there one lady started a loud "Can you hear me Melissa??" phone conversation mistaking the place to an internet cafe. Luckily the phone coverage was poor and "Melissa" couldn't hear much, otherwise the high-heels-dressed but bare-feet-under-the-desk lady couldn't be bothered by some readers' angry staring.

Add to this that most moms/nannies/grannies do not want to stunt their kids' personalities and never "shush!" them. Sometimes they even escape in the main area, running, laughing and crying while their supervisors run and shout after them.
Funny enough, I have seen also grannies brought from their native country that do not master English at all and show no interest in library's content; they practically just accompany the kid to the "playground", dozing off in a corner for one hour or so whilst the kid is doing whatever he wants, then suddenly they reactivate, quickly collect the kid and head home for lunch.

Finally a bit about the library content. I am for freebies myself and really happy that they have a borrowable DVD section in the library.
Still, beats me how e.g. "Transformers" could be classified as "cultural" and included in library's stock. (Besides, it's surprising that the movie industry, well known for their strong hand and attention to their profits, has no problem in having all these movie available to the public for free.)

Anyway, I filled in a complaints/suggestions form about the noise level and sent it to the director few weeks ago;  no answer yet. Maybe I am just retrograde.