Why do people just outright DENY there is racism in this section?

My guess would be that it comes from frustration with accusations of racism. Hyperbole is all too common on-line, and it's probably easy to slide from claiming "I'm not racist," which is hopefully true or "race is not the issue, it only clouds the issue" which is certainly true, to "there is no racism being expressed here at all" which is certainly untrue. Someone posting in this section has almost certainly made some racist comment at some point, if only because there are so many people participating, and relatively little oversight or self-edditing.

So, I'd speculate (having not actually seen them) that the denials you're asking about were the result of frustration, hyperbole, and/or poor phrasing by folks quickly banging out an answer rather than carefully considering and proofreading it.

Of course, you could also argue that a hard-core racist would still deny his own racism, and broader racism in society. Thing is, so would a modestly optimistic non-racist - someone striving to be 'color blind' and with enough faith in human nature to assume the same of others. Just like a guilty criminal and an innocent man will both deny committing a crime - though, in the criminal justice system the presumption of innocence is required, while, when it comes to accusations of racism on line, there is not just a presumption of guilt, but no way to prove your innocence.

Obviously, it would be a more civil forum if most of us could assume that those expressing different opinions were neither racist nativists nor racist invaders. But then, if human nature permitted that, this section probably wouldn't even exist.

They deny that there is racism because they want to vent their frustrations. People know that they are accountable for what they say, and as a reflex will try to justify it.

Bottom line: regardless of the justification or the circumstances, you are still being racist if you say something racist.

But but but ....

Insult, insult, insult ...

"those people" "these people"

act kindly and miracles will happen. Live your faith, Christians.

If somebody acts in a racist way toward you, and you act in a racist manner in return, does that make the comment or behavior less racist?

Many of the questions asked about racism seem to imply that anyone against illegal immigration is racist. A lot of us disagree with that basic position, since we know we aren't racist. Those questions might be answered in a 'no we aren't racist, people are against illegal immigration because: ' manner because they (the questions) seem addressed to all in the category, and not against specific behaviors.

When questions carry an implication, sometimes that is what is answered.

Outright deny? Perhaps they're looking at the scale and, overall it looks unbalanced against legal citizens and Caucasians.

There is racism here. Mostly against any group that insists on REASON in how we treat ALL people, not just a single, rapidly populating group who seems adamant in its refusal to provide engineers, mathematicians, doctors, all the professions that competitive nations are pushing their people to become. Skills that make them competitive and secure their national future...and that cost dearly to train for.

Racism is an issue. But a much more hurtful issue is the perpetuation of ignorance that seems to be a staple of Latin America. Stop this perpetuation of ignorance. It guarantees their long-term demise!

If you teach them, love them! You said you're a teacher, right? What did the masters in early 20th centure China teach their students? To find the greatest enemy within themselves and root it out. The same needs to happen in this case.

If you fail to use your position as a teacher to help them help themselves and secure a decent future, YOU are to blame for what happens to those you could have helped. Live with it.

qwerty

Well, sadly, there are racists in every section, so denying their existence would be foolish.

But the truth of the matter is that most immigration issues are completely separated from the issue of race. I can promise you that MY concerns about immigration apply to immigrants of ALL races. To continue to imply or assume that anyone's immigration issues ARE based on their racism would be as foolish as those who assume that there is no racism here.

What racism are you talking about? Racism is as American as apple pie. You, me and everyone else isn't going to get rid of it. The hatred for people that are different from the WASP image just have to bare it. Whether you are black, brown, yellow, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Slavic, Southern European, Hispanic, Chinese, African you have felt the sting of American racism and that is just the way it is. What good would it do to not deny there is racism in this section. Fight it when you see it and go on from there.

I bleive that in this country especially it is in our lexicon to fear what appears different. It is still only in our very near past that we still had segregation in states...it is sad, I agree, but that noticing and then fearing the difference in others is still somewhat a part of this society and country. There are still many people alive who remember being put into internment camps strickly for being of a different race even though they were born in this country...and others who remember having to drink from a different water fountain just because they were of a different race. It is troubling to be sure, but sadly there are still remenents of those feelings around...I only hope that by the time our childrens children run this country those types of things will be long forgotten.

I don't deny there is racism in this section. So the proper question should be "Why do SOME people..." otherwise you are making assumptions that all people deny the racism.

The only people I hear bringing up race or national origin is Hispanics/Latinos. They are bringing up Mexico and Mexicans. The anti-illegal-alien crowd is saying across the board that:

ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS REGARDLESS OF NATION OF ORIGIN NEED TO BE DEPORTED IMMEDIATELY.

There is nothing racist about that statement.

Why don't you email the one's who are being racist and ask them why they're racist. Racism exist in one form or another in every country, every culture in the world. Maybe if we stopped beating ourselves up about it, we'd start to regain the understanding of just how tolerant of each other Americans really are.

I don't deny it. We all take some action, thought or word based on an "ist" cue. You are acting on you past experience and making ajudgement based on that probability. Think old people ar bad drivers - ageist. Think women are not as physically capable of beign in the infantry - sexist. Think that mexicans will work harder for less than whites - racist. Think that whites are to be blamed for slavery - racist. Not all white or their ancestors owned slaves - you are making a generalization of all whites becasue whites were the primary owners of slaves. And less that 15% of southerners owned slaves, a small portion of slave owners were black - want to trace them down and blame them too?

"isms" are a given - it is human nature. Age-ism, sex-ism, race-ism - it happens on obht sides fo the fence - old/young, male/female, black/white....