A touchy question

roadkill_275 wrote:

I've seen all of the threads about your age, sex and even how you got your name and what kind of pets you own. Now for a question that might not be PC but it is one that has piqued my curiosity. What is your race?

NASCAR mainly, though I also like sprints and IRL. 

i am just a fat old white guy and will model anything (as long as i get the glue fumes)as long as i can get it real cheap

18 year old white kid. I guess I'm average height and weight. Don't drink, don't smoke (what, you say, a rowdy teen who DOESN'T break the rules? InconCIVable). I like to build a lot of American WWII stuff, but I'm gradually learning to enjoy german planes.

Flatlander wrote:

roadkill_275 wrote: I've seen all of the threads about your age, sex and even how you got your name and what kind of pets you own. Now for a question that might not be PC but it is one that has piqued my curiosity. What is your race? NASCAR mainly, though I also like sprints and IRL.

Daytona 500!!!!  an Ol' white Hippy who just does what feels right.

The reason I brought this up was I heard on the radio yesterday morning that the demographics of race dictate leisure time. I was wondering how that affected modeling, if at all. I can understand national pride affecting what we modeled, but does race come into play also? I know a black kid down the road from me who only models lowrider cars (funny, when I was growing up, the low rider was almost exclusively Mexican). His dad and I go fishing once or twice a week and will sometimes take him with us, and thats all the boy will talk about. The reason I called this a touchy question is because, for some reason, people are afraid to talk about ethnicity.

 

My race is the Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway!

Just an aging WASP who like to fly combat missions while making machine gun noises, and dignifies it by claiming he's a "scale modeler".

Me, I'm a refugee from the rat race…

One of my former sigfiles says it well: "Perfectly reasonable bear. Occasionally has sore hind foot. Do not annoy bear."

I think of myself as a three way cross between a wolf, an old bear, and a river otter. Humans—yuck!

But in reality:

Bill, I resemble that remark!

I too am a WASP, aging, overweight, smokes cigarettes, drinks coffee, takes meds, married with children...

I build 1/24 - 1/25th scale cars, mostly GM muscle cars but a few other's too. Also collecting kits of race related cars such as Le Mans, GT, a few NASCAR and some European sports cars, all past and present.

When I was a kid, I also built a few planes and boats/ships but not many. The scale didn't match so they didn't look good in the bookcase with my cars.

I don't think my race/nationality has much bearing on my modeling decissions. I think it was more the imprinting from my mother when I was little being interested in cars so much.

WHAT this forum is filled with Old White guys (Pause) I dont' think of myself as old.  I like to model US Vietnam era.  Don't have any kids or wife.  I do have two Cats and a cow.  I do go huntin' and fishin'.  I use tobacco (but I can quit anytime I want, I have done it may times). 

I can easily see how ethnicity leads to how one spends ones free time.  I have always been interested in how WWII German vehicles seems to be one of the most favored armor models.  I was thinking about this the other day.  Why?  And, I know it's a hobby and there doesn't need to be a reason, that's why it is a hobby.  My father's hobby is work.  He really enjoys going out and working his rear off.  I think at times he doesn't care about what is accomplished just that he works.  Needless to lay we have had some interesting projects over the years.  Right now we are getting back into farming.  I can't believe after all the years of hateing it as a child I am now getting into it with him.

What were we talking about?

Grizz

I'm white of French-Canadian ancestry so there's likely some Indian along the way, but not that I'd able to claim any real kinship to since it's too far back and too uncertain. I go around on interests. I have a good sized collection of Isreali, modern US and WWII German armor, built and waiting, a collection of modern Russian (USSR) jets, US Naval jets (mostly waiting) and racing sports cars, rally and road. In figures, my interests run from gladiators ("BIlly, do you like gladiator movies?"), Vikings, American Civil War, both sides, but Johnny Reb has more interesting clothes to paint, American West and Indians, lately, a number of woodland Indians. That last is the closest connection to any possible part of my ancestry.

Okay, observation time. I've been around this hobby and its gatherings since the early 80's, mostly in New England which is reasonably ethnically and culturally diverse. In that time, I've come to know about 6 or 7 African Americans in the hobby and a few less Hispanics. Two of the black guys may be Hispanic based on their surname but baring any perceptible accent, I tend to think of these guys as black. There have been about the same number of women in that time who have been club members or regular contest attendees. On the other hand, in the 20+ years I've been involved in the organized end of this hobby, there have been hundreds of white guys of various cultural backgrounds, WASP, French Canadian, Greek, Irish, English, the whole panoply of Europe. There have been the occasional Asian-Americans and in the last couple years, a new guy burst on the scene in the figure arena in the eastern part of the state who is Middle Eastern, while one of the best scratchbuilders in the country, if not hte world, is a native of Lebanon.

In getting to know all these folks over the years, there really appears to be no clear ethnic/cultural/racial preference of subject.

I'm leaving out my experience at World Expo, since I'm guessing you're aiming the question more at the US audience.

And if we're going to choose a race with which to identify, I'll take Les 24 heures du Mans

I am a white-washed MIX asian from two different asian countries with a US citizenship (LOL), so that still makes me asian.  I build just about anything from any countries from any battlefields at any eras, as long as I deem them...cool... in my eyes and that they come in average to higher quality kits.  That ranges from accurate miniatures' B-25B to trumpeter's leopold to 1/16 T34s to Shinden and Chi-ha, just no ships, even though I am interested in them.  Aside from that I have a large selection of F-1 and MotoGP/GP500/regular production bikes together with more rally cars, mostly Tamiya made. 

The one modeling topic I can think of that I (or people in general )build due to minor influence from my race/an interest in asian culture, would be Gundams, but then that's because people around my age (22) in asian countries grew up with gundams as their tv programs.  I didn't get into it until I borrowed some VCDs from a Japanese friend of mine back in high school HERE and got hooked on those animes and mangas.  Then again kids here are starting to be more interested in animes and mangas as well, so it might not really be a racial thing.  (A simple example of the growth of interest can be shown clearly in Barnes n Nobles' comic book section.  It used to be just on one side of the isle consisting mainly star wars and other DC/marvel comics, say about 7 to 8 years ago.  Just last week I saw one full isle of Japanese mangas and only a small corner on the side still had some older domestic comics.) 

Being a US citizen aka American, when I look in the mirror, I see a middle aged white guy with black hair and dark brown eys,   However, to the US Government, I am a card carrying BIA numbered "Native American" of the Flathead reservation.  Yet, in realilty, I come from the Nez Pierce Tribe, which, because of  governent policy, we Indians have a really mixed up issue of who really is on what reservation that originated from what tribe.

Yet again, being an American, thanks to many free spirited great grandfathers who "Travelled" throughout North America, I also have a lot of French, German, Scotish, and a little of who knows else in my genetic makeup.

I always think they should add "Mutt" to the race boxes on forms that ask for race.  Then again, I have been tempted to write Mutt in the "Other" box.

Race, or ethinic upbringing, or what I think, demographics, does play into what we model to a certain extent.  However, to augment that statement, Me being raised in Montana, far from any ocean, my subject of interest since I was really young has always been sailing ships.

I do go through military aircraft phases, modern warship phases, and have gone through custom car phases, even a stint at painting lead figures stage, but in the end, I am always drawn back to sailing ships.

Maybe being a Mutt is why I like to model all kinds of subjects.

Scott

My parents are both Dutch Indonesian with Dutch fathers and Indonesian mothers. Strange mix you think? Not really, Holland once owned Indonesia (Dutch East Indies) and my parents met when Indonesia gained its independence and had to move to the Netherlands. All non-Indonesians or those of mixed blood had to leave or be "ethnically cleansed". They married in Holland and moved to the US (Vermont) in the 1962. I was born and raised as an American and have served in uniform for almost 23 years. With the exception of my immediate family, the rest of my relatives still live in Holland.

I build mainly modern US armor, stuff I've played with in real life. My main scale is 1/72 armor, but I also build 1/35 and 1/48 scale as well as a lot of sci-fi kits.

23 year old caucasian. Slavic of origin. Actually, I do tend to like Russian equipment more than anything else, in terms of 1/48 planes, and particularily 1/35 armour, but I love almost all genres, and one of my favourites is 1/35 US WWII dios. I don't think my ethnicity or background has anything to do with my modelling preferences. I'm neither overweight, nor a nerd, but I guess that last one's debatable

I don't think it's a touchy question as long as we can talk about it like adults.

As for me, born and raised on an Indian reservation in upstate NY, I'm 3/4 Akwesasne Mohawk, 1/4 French. My mother is half French, half Mohawk, my father is full-blooded Mohawk. I speak the language (less than 2500 of us do now), and of course, recognized by the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) as an official member of the tribal rolls. My family still lives on the reserve, and my grandmother and great-aunt are tribal elders (the Mohawk are a matriarchal society in times of peace). My father moved off the reservation, but lives only a few minutes' drive away.

I've moved to NJ in the early 90s, and joined NJIPMS. Those guys are some of the best friends I've ever had, and they run the full ethnic gamut, Irish, Polish, Israeli, Russian, Czech, African-American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and some are just plain old mutt Americans. Down to the last man, they're all great people who share a common hobby and interest.

I don't think that ethnicity plays as big a part in the hobby as we think. That being said, I think the hobby is passed down from one generation to another, so if your father was a model builder (or older brother, etc) chances are you probably picked up on the hobby too.

I do know for sure that there's absolutely NO DATA whatsoever on the cultural backgrounds of modelers, median incomes, ethnicity percentages, etc.

I've been dragged through this hobby for 30 years now, and I've never heard of any conflicts within the hobby due to race, ethnicity, etc... I've seen alot of conflicts over whether a paint color was correct, though!!

Jeff

I am a 63 year old WASP, just getting my hair and weight back.  I am of German decent with my for fathers settling in what is now North Carolina back around 1680.

I build jet fighter aircraft from the Korean war to present (having worked on jet fighters for 26 years in the USAF). 

On my fathers side of the family, someone has fought in every major war, from the French and Indian war to the last Iraq war.   I don't know if you can call us a dedicated bunch or someone that just likes to fight.  

berny13 wrote:

…my for fathers settling in what is now North Carolina back around 1680.

That's about when my ancestors (the European ones) came over from Ireland, Scotland, and England. They wound up in NC, too. Mine and yours probably knew each other!

I am of Scottish and Irish decent who's family "came over", well after WWI, settled in Canada working for the railroad then moved "over the bridge" to Detroit. Almost deported at the beginning of WWII for failure to register. But as Canada was an ally, and the job was critical to the economy they were allowed to stay after the paper work was completed.
I am retired from the US Coast Guard (aviation) with a full head of hair that is naturally frosted due to my wife and three sons.
I do not smoke, and see Bruce Willis when I look in the mirror. . .no one else does, but I figure that is their problem, or my bifocals need a new presciption.
I like to think of myself as a Bob Vilia or Norm Avram with tools and wood working, but reality tells me I'm more like Tim Taylor.
( when modeling I see myself as Shep Paine but that too is only fantasy), but I have a good time and after partaking in the hobby for over 40, yes Four Ohh, years I can proudly say I have a shelf half full.
I try not to take anything too seriously, except what my doctor tells me so I can live longer than my active duty time and collect as much money as I can from my retirement.

Don

Triarius wrote:

berny13 wrote: …my for fathers settling in what is now North Carolina back around 1680. That's about when my ancestors (the European ones) came over from Ireland, Scotland, and England. They wound up in NC, too. Mine and yours probably knew each other!

I can add mine to that as well. A group of my ancestors moved here in the time frame of 1670 - 1680 from Wales and settled in parts of Tennessee and North Carolina. I would have to dig out my notes though to pin down the area. Huh, wouldn't it be funny if we were related?

roadkill_275 wrote:

Triarius wrote:  berny13 wrote: …my for fathers settling in what is now North Carolina back around 1680. That's about when my ancestors (the European ones) came over from Ireland, Scotland, and England. They wound up in NC, too. Mine and yours probably knew each other! I can add mine to that as well. A group of my ancestors moved here in the time frame of 1670 - 1680 from Wales and settled in parts of Tennessee and North Carolina. I would have to dig out my notes though to pin down the area. Huh, wouldn't it be funny if we were related?

I could try to find out. Buried somewhere in the attic I have a geneology that goes back to the first colonists, and even to Europe for some of my ancestors. If you send me your last name and your mother's maiden name I can try to look it up, if you want.

As some financial institutions use your mother's maiden name as an identifier, I'd suggest snail mail as a safer alternative to e-mail, if you want me to try.

Stranger things have happened, but it would be a funny circumstance if we were long lost cousins.

That branch of my family was the Burlesons. Heres an interesting item about them. When they moved to Tennessee, they were attacked by indians at a place called Lynch River. One of the people that was with them at this time was Daniel Boone, who is described as a friend of the family. He helped fight off the indians, but not before one of the Burleson men was killed and one of the Burleson women was scalped. I've really got to find my geneology stuff.

I am mainly Dutch/Irish and my first Dutch ancestor came to this country around 1650 sailing from Denmark if memory serves me.
Not sure why he was in Denmark though.

I'm about half cajun, my mother's family were exhiled to Canada in the 1600's, then exhiled from there to Louisiana I believe in the late 1700's to early 1800's.  My dad's family came to Massachusets in the late 1600's from England, eventually finding themselves in TX.  I model mostly WWII USN aircraft with the occasional 'off the wall' subject that might catch my fancy.  I think background and location vs. race makes up a lot of what we model, at least for me. 

My great uncle was a SBD rear gunner in WWII and when I got old enough to ask questions, we talked a lot about it.  Hence my thing for Naval aircraft (not to mention me spending 10 yrs in the Navy myself, and my dad who was a Marine then going on to the Navy until retirement, modeling the same genre things for me when I was young.)

 

I was born in NY (Long Island) but both my parents come from India. My interests lay mainly in Modern (mostly russian)/ WWII AFV's (any country in the war) and Modern/ (mainly russian) and WWII AC (any country) and any ships (mostly russian). However, my background does affect my modelling interests, because I always model Indian Air Force whenever I can.

MikeV wrote:

I am mainly Dutch/Irish and my first Dutch ancestor came to this country around 1650 sailing from Denmark is memory serves me. Not sure why he was in Denmark though.

My ancestors came over from Schoonhoven,Holland( near the city of Gouda) in 1644 & 1647 to the New York area. and branched out from there to the adjoining states. I can go back to 1605/10 on "Schoonover" and so far, back to  1480s on one of the inlaws.

Hippy-Ed wrote:

My ancestors came over from Schoonhoven,Holland( near the city of Gouda) in 1644 & 1647 to the New York area. and branched out from there to the adjoining states. I can go back to 1605/10 on "Schoonover" and so far, back to  1480s on one of the inlaws.

Ed - genealogy is a cool thing... my dad went back to about 1300 A.D. on my mon's side. (Where I found out every Broussard in the U.S. is at the least a cousin, a father and his 9 sons came over in the very early 1600's from a small village near modern day Normandy) and every Broussard in the US comes from them.  The semi annual Broussard family reunion in Broussard, LA (of course! we founded it) draws about 30,000 people from all over the world including France, Candada, Spain and England!!!!  All of them related... 

On his side of the family he has it back to about 364 A.D..   that is the cool part, to know the name of someone living that far back, what they did for a living, and best of all... they are part of you!!  I noticed a lot of them from 1200A.D. back to the start had some really cool titles... "Royal Inscriptor of the King's own words" etc... which in reality meant they were some insignificant village chieftan's secretary

Hippy-Ed wrote:

MikeV wrote: I am mainly Dutch/Irish and my first Dutch ancestor came to this country around 1650 sailing from Denmark is memory serves me. Not sure why he was in Denmark though. My ancestors came over from Schoonhoven,Holland( near the city of Gouda)

all i can say is that it was gouda of them to come here

DURR wrote:

Hippy-Ed wrote:  MikeV wrote: I am mainly Dutch/Irish and my first Dutch ancestor came to this country around 1650 sailing from Denmark is memory serves me. Not sure why he was in Denmark though. My ancestors came over from Schoonhoven,Holland( near the city of Gouda) all i can say is that it was gouda of them to come here

It was wasn't it?!  4 brothers came over (I don't recall the names) but, the original spelling of our last name is: Van Schoonhoven.

tho9900, Genealogy is an interesting subject. I've been doing mine for the past 9-10 yrs. now. It is fascinating to learn who our ancesors are & what they did,etc. My father's side has been pretty easy going but, my mother's side is the hard part. I can only go back to 1800 NY!! Her family originated on Fair Isle just north of Scotland. I heard we're possibly related to William the Bruce (?)