4 ms·

>"where are you from" Based on the fact that you took some (minor) offense to the followup questions, I'm assuming you're middle-class or higher? I've spent a

>"where are you from" Based on the fact that you took some (minor) offense to the followup questions, I'm assuming you're middle-class or higher? I've spent a decent chunk of my adult life living in working class, high-immigrant areas (Noble Park and Sunshine, to any other Melbournians - both actually really nice places). What struck me as interesting is that in these environments, probing about one's ethnicity is nothing more than smalltalk. Everybody has one; they're curious about yours and will ask directly. In more upper-middle-class environments, though, it can be really taken the other way as ethnicity is something semi-taboo that needs to be treated far more carefully.

andrewf 5y ago
I moved from Australia to the US and I agree. It was small talk as a kid in Australia (where 30% of residents are born overseas), and it's a no-no in the US. Possibly I was offending some folks in Australia.. in 2022, as a white man without Mediterranean roots, I'd probably not say your username out loud in either country :)
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  >in 2022, as a white man without Mediterranean roots, I'd probably not say your username out loud in either country :) If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to print you off a W-word pass. :P
TheOtherHobbes 5y ago
It's a fairly common observation that there's more middle class racism than working class racism. Working class racism certainly exists and can be very nasty, but it's not endemic and casual in the way it can be among the middle classes. One possible explanation is that the working classes know they're at the bottom of the heap, while the middle classes are much more finely tuned to differentiation markers of all kinds. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/07/white-working-class-bigotry-midde-income-earners-prejudice https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/07/white-...

andrewf 5y ago

I moved from Australia to the US and I agree. It was small talk as a kid in Australia (where 30% of residents are born overseas), and it's a no-no in the US. Possibly I was offending some folks in Australia.. in 2022, as a white man without Mediterranean roots, I'd probably not say your username out loud in either country :)

AussieWog93 5y ago
>in 2022, as a white man without Mediterranean roots, I'd probably not say your username out loud in either country :) If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to print you off a W-word pass. :P

TheOtherHobbes 5y ago

It's a fairly common observation that there's more middle class racism than working class racism. Working class racism certainly exists and can be very nasty, but it's not endemic and casual in the way it can be among the middle classes. One possible explanation is that the working classes know they're at the bottom of the heap, while the middle classes are much more finely tuned to differentiation markers of all kinds. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/07/white-working-class-bigotry-midde-income-earners-prejudice https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/07/white-...