SO...
Growing up into middle school and sometime around there, my dad was (and still is) a very racist man. My mom too, kind of. They would both crack jokes about people being Chinese and imitating their voices, sounds and accents. My dad would tell us a lot that people who are African American are thugs, gangsters and "gang-bangers". They kill, steal and rob, and mug people. That's how it's always been with my dad.
Today, I was looking up apartments and places to live during my first year of college, and I found this one apartment place that's near the Capitol of my state, and I told my mom that I was pretty excited about this place, and she just came back with "Well, that's a black neighborhood..."
Really Mom?
I can't believe the amount of racism in between my parents. I feel so bad because now I'm afraid of people who are African American and of Spanish decent (like Mexico and so forth, but Spain was always proven "okay"). Oh yeah, my dad also told us that everything from Mexico was poisonous, and that Mexicans would basically kill you if they could. I think that's what he said anyway. So one year on Holloween, (spelling) I got Mexican candy, and my dad and another guy both told me to burn it in the fire pit, so I did...
I feel terrible about all this. I'm also kind of upset with my mom for saying that... I know she's concerned about me living in a safe place and neighborhood, but should I live by my standards or hers?
Am I a racist person, or have I just been scarred by all the things my parents have told and showed me as a kid?
Thanks... I also mean no offense to this post whatsoever... I'm a pretty nice person... :'( That is why I feel so bad... I'd be friends with everyone if not for all this crap...