What are some obvious racist and chauvinist things that are totally normalized?
Things that are so obvious and ingrained that no one even thinks about them.
Here’s a few:
All US americans can go to Mexico EASILY. You’re supposed to have a passport but you don’t even need one (for car/foot crossing). Versus, it’s really hard for Mexicans, who aren’t wealthy, to secure a VISA to enter the US. I’m sure there are corollaries in other geo-regions.
Another one is wealthy countries having access to vaccines far ahead of “poor” countries.
In US, we might pay lip service to equal child-hood education but most of the funding pulls from local taxes so some kids might receive ~$10000 in spending while another receives $2000. I’m not looking it up at the moment, but I’m SURE there are strong racial stratas.
This is pretty insignificant, but it fucking drives me nuts. Whenever a couple goes somewhere and takes the woman's car, the man drives. It's like some silly power dynamic that is built into all M/F relationships in the US.
Coming out has made me realize there are so many little weird rituals and dynamics in straight relationships that just go totally unnoticed. Queer relationships are such a breath of fresh air
My wife hates being a passenger and I basically only drive if she has a migraine or isn't present. I don't know why someone would have a hangup about it, it's nice.
It's the little things like this that make me so thankful I got the parents I have. They've always split driving 50/50, or at least close enough that it never crossed my mind growing up that driving was the man's duty or whatever weird power trip some guys make it.
Edit: also along the same lines, whenever you see a (outwardly hetero) couple on a tandem bike it's almost always the man out in front with the woman staring at his back
In my experience this is more on a case-by-case basis based on the couple in question. Some people just don't like to drive, and some other people really hate being a passenger while someone else is driving. Often it lines up that it can be win-win.
I’m so happy my girlfriend prefers to drive, being high in the passenger seat is so much better. If I could never be behind the wheel of a car again I’d die happy.
I ask my wife to drive, no matter the car, but she only does it on long road trips. However, on long trips she'll drive more than half just so I drive the bad parts like Chicago or Munising.