Do we naturally gravitate towards people of our own race?

I read an article about this which stated that the majority of white Americans have hardly any non-white friends, if any at all. I realised that this applies to me (I can count how many non-white friends I've ever had on one hand) and a lot of the other white people I know, but also to other races as well. You often see black people hanging out with mostly other black people, and Asian people with other Asian people, etc. I know that I feel closer to my white friends than my non-white friends, and I'm not sure why this is. I'm most certainly not racist but it has been worrying me as of late, as I've moved into an apartment block at uni which seems to have mostly people of other ethnicities. I have noticed myself actually looking out for other white people to talk to and I feel really bad about it. For the record my entire family is white and the vast majority of people I've grown up around have been white.

I was wondering whether this is a common thing or whether it's just because I'm not used to being around lots of people of other ethnicities?

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

OP

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Reply 2

donutaud15

22

I think it depends on a lot of things such as family and environmental factors.

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Reply 3

Anonymous #1

OP

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Reply 4

TheElvenQueen

7

Original post by Anonymous

I read an article about this which stated that the majority of white Americans have hardly any non-white friends, if any at all. I realised that this applies to me (I can count how many non-white friends I've ever had on one hand) and a lot of the other white people I know, but also to other races as well. You often see black people hanging out with mostly other black people, and Asian people with other Asian people, etc. I know that I feel closer to my white friends than my non-white friends, and I'm not sure why this is. I'm most certainly not racist but it has been worrying me as of late, as I've moved into an apartment block at uni which seems to have mostly people of other ethnicities. I have noticed myself actually looking out for other white people to talk to and I feel really bad about it. For the record my entire family is white and the vast majority of people I've grown up around have been white.

I was wondering whether this is a common thing or whether it's just because I'm not used to being around lots of people of other ethnicities?

I don't think your racist its probably because you have been brought up in a white majority area so perhaps your unused to anything but that.
You see I'm the opposite I'm white but I'm more attracted to other ethnicities rather than my own both in friendships and romance.
I just get along very well with all races cause in London (where I grew up) there was a wide amount of races which was great :smile:

when I moved up north it was majority white and tbh it felt a little uncomfortable because some of the kids there were sooooo racist even talking about other races in classes like RE they said "****ing muslim" + out in public the horrors didn't stop there one girl said about a bodyguard "He was black I didn't trust him he looked scary" Tbh these comments (on many more races and religions) made me feel physically sick!
Tbh ethnic minorities tend to be nicer people because they have worked so hard to get here and are much calmer/understanding socially :smile:

Reply 5

dakanabelle

9

Like the previous poster said it's probably a lot to do with being brought up in a white majority area and therefore having a majority of white friends. I have black friends raised in white majority areas in Essex that mainly have white friends because of it. I guess another part of it is that you generally have a similar upbringing and worldly view as people of your own culture which are usually people of your own race. So you can relate to each other better and get along easier I guess.

I've also seen this happen with people raised in the same areas but from different races. So for example at my uni, most of the people from London (and the surrounding areas) tend to hang around with and get on better with other people from London regardless of race and the northerners tend to hang around the northerners etc etc. I guess that's due to growing up in similarish environments and experiencing similar things.

I don't think it's a racism thing at all. A lot of psychological studies show that we tend to make friends with and enter relationships with people that we have a lot in common with.

Do we naturally gravitate towards people of our own race?

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