Mountain Bike "Racing"

[johnny]

Just for information's sake.

Nationality, eg Australian, American Iraqi, Chinese.
This is the country that you legaly belong to. You are an Australian national, you are an Australian citizen and you travel with an Australian passport.

Race, this is the catagory based on your geneological make up.
You can be African of race, but be an Australian citizen. You can be from Vietnam but be born in Australia and therefore and Australian citizen. Your race is what you look like, your nationality is what country you are a citizen of/legaly belong to.

Ethnicity, this is your culture.
You may live in China but you come from the far west and live more like an Arab. In otherwords, you eat Typically Middle Eastern food, not fried rice and you are a Muslim and you wear Turkic clothes. You are of Chinese nationality, you are of the Uighur race but you are Arabic/Turkic of ethnicity/culture.

I have a Chinese mate who's name is Abdul Hakim who has blonde hair and blue eyes.


Another thing that bothers me is race. How do you explain that? How can you say that some one is African? The Somali's are completely different to the Mozambique-is, who are different to the Kalahari, who are different to the Ugandans. They are not racially the same. Same as European, the Swedes are the opposite of the Greks, who are different from the Hungarians.

Some of the only ones I can say look extrememly similar are the Japanese, Han (Chinese). But they are close o the Thais, Koreans and even the Khazakis, Tibetans, some Russian races and so on. So how can you narrow somehting down to race when it is so ambiguous?

 

[xc_machine]

This will be interesting..

 

[tombre2]

other = Antarctica
you did know there are 7 continents?

 

[hayd]

other = Antarctica
you did know there are 7 continents?

I dont think we have to worry about Antarctica, right now, as it wouldn't be the most bike friendly environment.

One thing I have noticed in the Australian mtb (especially interschools) is the overall lack of multiculturalism present. I'm not sure why this is (but could speculate) but I think it does need to be addressed.

This intolerance of multicultralism was most evidently shown at interschools earlier in the year. We had just converted a new rider to the sport (he's Vietnamese) and the whole time we were down there he was subjected to funny looks and whispers just because the other riders weren’t use to seeing a non-caucasian rider. I personally dont think this is acceptable and it could be a reason for the lack of multiculturalism in the sport in this country.

EDIT: Just re-read what I wrote. I didn't mean to sound a bit angry. And the rider didn't even know it was happening to him (ie he's fine)

 

[Viv92]

What about the Eskimos? You racist bastard!

Actually, your the racist bastard. They dislike being called Eskimos, correct term in Inuit.

All in good humor, you're not really a racist bastard.

This is actually pretty interesting, I've always wondered about this. I don't personally know anyone who isn't white and Australian who rides.

 

[J-ack]

I've lived in Malaysia for 3 years, was born in Thailand, have lived in Australia for 8 years before that, and 2 years since that, my mum's a Kiwi, and I'm your typical-looking white boy. What am I?

 

[WolfCreekPsycho]

This is actually pretty interesting, I've always wondered about this. I don't personally know anyone who isn't white and Australian who rides.

I know plenty.. Do you personally know any white physicists ? white paramedics? young librarians ? Honest politicians ? Does that mean they dont exist here in Aus?

By "white" do you include Europeans ? English German Greek Italian French Croatian Russian Ukrainian? or is this poll purely based on skin colour ? As Johnny eluded to some of these nations are so diverse its impossible to say Khazaks, for example, are caucasian or non-caucasian.

Not having a shot at you, but the starter of this poll posted the same thing as the impetus for this poll.. no matter which way the question seems to be phrased, it still boils down to the one point.. white riders v non-white riders. If you want to based it on "race" I think you would find your view of Australian (white Anglo) would be out numbered by the majority of people here based on cultural background

Change the poll to where peoples heritage is, ie where your family stems from and you will have a radically different poll result. You would be either Australian (Aboriginal) or you would fall into the category of other.

 

[J-ack]

Unless I'm mistaken, this you chap seems to be of asian descent.

 

[xc_machine]

Unless I'm mistaken, this you chap seems to be of asian descent.

I don't get it. Is that you?

Becuse you look of asian heritage?

 

[tnankie]

I don't get it. Is that you?

Becuse you look of asian heritage?

i think he meant young

 

[takai]

Im of Asian descent.

 

[slip]

He has a point.

Unequal racial representation in certain sports is commonplace.

Seen many black swimmers?

Or male white sprinting olympic champions (not hurdlers)?

Everyone is so paranoid about racism, being PC nowdays, makes it so much worse. All so sensitive about it, afraid to just talk freely without any ill-meaning, therefore making a big deal about someones race/whatever topic it is - the opposite of what we want. For it to be a non-issue.

 

[J-ack]

I don't get it. Is that you?

Becuse you look of asian heritage?

Uhh, no, he looks asian-ish, and he's riding. It's a counter to the people who said Asian people don't ride.

 

[Zyphryss]

I've slightly edited my post, so it uses the word heritage, rather than "race".
With the word racist being so common nowadays, I used the word race without really thinking about it's meaning, and thanks to johnny I realised I should of used the word ethnicity, or heritage ... I'll do my research next time so I don't offend anyone, as much
Not that I plan to make a thread as radical as this again!
But from this "experiment" so far, I've learned that alot of people have wondered the same thing as I did, but never asked because of not wanting the tag of "racist".

 

[J-ack]

I put Europe, because I'm of Irish descent.

 

[Zyphryss]

Nice one, MBKR001

I'm just a little worried about someone putting other?

 

[J-ack]

Pacific Islander? or does that fit under Australia/Australasia.

 

[ovadahill]

......
So, what is your heritage?
This is just a poll to see which nationalities are interested in mountain biking!
....

.....who said Asian people don't ride.

millions of Asians ride - not all are 'interested' in mountain biking

Pacific Islander? or does that fit under Australia/Australasia.

That depends on if you want to follow the colonialistic view of the region. If you are from the Pacific then you will take pride in being a Melanesian, Polynesian, or Micronesian. I claim to be "other" because I have Filipino genes, born in Thailand, raised on the American television subculture, holding a Papua New Guinean passport with PNG language and culture in my soul. Mountain biking is a recreational and competitive sport - just like soccer (football). What races like football??

 

[toodles]

Actually, your the racist bastard. They dislike being called Eskimos, correct term in Inuit.

I know but I don't like the snow-eating bastards so I call em Eskimos just to watch them get angry.

Nah, one off the girls in my old chem lab was Inuit and filled me in on the whole "Eskimo" thing. It backfired because I ended up calling her either Eskimo, Igloo chick or Penguin-Eater for the whole year.

IMO, shunning any sort of categorisation of humans for fear of "stereotyping" them is unscientific and hinders development. Political correctness is downright retarded sometimes.

 

[Viv92]

Yeah good point?

Does that mean I can call you a Logan Bogan then?

I'm doing some very serious research into bogan subculture.

Seriously though, I find some people take their race or any other group they fit into waaayyyy too seriously. Personally, I don't give a toss.