We are not all racists... we are all bigoted, there is a difference. I am bigoted towards racists as are many people. I find people that reject my Asian wife or African American grandchildren because of their skin color ignorant since something so small as a few gene differences triggers an emotional response in them. I think less of them... that is bigotry... and I am okay with that.

I was attracted to my wife because of her family values, intelligence and energy. My son felt the same way towards his wife from Africa. Family is an important value with us. My friends come from all racial backgrounds, religious backgrounds, and even political affiliations... most are men and women, some are gay, and one is transgender... doesn't matter... as long as they can accept people for who they are... if they can't then I feel they are less because of that... again I am bigoted towards people that are intolerant (and yet being so at some point makes me intolerant). Sadly, I find this attribute of intolerance more true of progressive liberals than others... but not all progressive liberals... the ones that are tolerant I call friends.

I have a Cuban Hispanic friend who told me he would be devastated if his daughter married a non Hispanic. It was fine if they were an African Hispanic, Asian Hispanic, white Hispanic... but they had to be Hispanic and ideally Cuban. I said why? He said, he simply loved his Hispanic culture and traditions and wanted his grandchildren to grow up enjoying the same culture and traditions... skin color did not matter... but he was clearly a bigot. Nice guy, so forgivable... I hope his daughter marries an Hispanic or he will be devastated... but he will survive...

Humans are social creatures and naturally tribal. I am a bit alarmed about the increasingly popular trends on college campuses for African Americans to choose to live in segregated dorms and have segregated graduations. I get nervous about "shallow" tribal affiliations based on superficial genetic differences. Next thing we will have special graduations for Redheads and people with green eyes.

The predominant "tribe" I want everyone in this country to affiliate with is American... I want people to favor their fellow American regardless of skin color, religion, etc. over others. I don't hate those other people, in fact, I have many non American cousins... but my "extended" tribe is comprised of people who identify as Americans first.

You are correct people can teach their children racism but people can also change. My mom grew up in Germany under Hitler. She was born in 1922 and was subjected to his teachings on keeping the races "pure" and the superiority of Germans specifically and white people generally. But by the time I met my wife, my mom had changed so much, that she told me if I did not marry her I was an idiot... that my wife was "a gem".

So things are not as "generationally sticky" as you think... My mom "switched" tribes somewhere between arriving in America and prior to me meeting my wife. She also advised my sister to date a "nice" black man she new from college... As humans we continue to evolve, we are not prisoners of our genealogical history, we are adults capable of thinking for ourselves...