A touchy question

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

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.

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

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.) 

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

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 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.

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!

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".

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!

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.

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.

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

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.