it's human nature to take comfort in the fact that some one else is different (and possibly inferior) to one's own self.
if you follow up any statement on race w/ "i'm not racist", then chances are youre a racist...
but buck up, lil' campers!!!
black, white, asian, native... WE'RE ALL RACIST!!!
or, more appropriatly, we ALL hold predjudices.
hippy=prejudice against bankers
bankers=prejudice against the cleaning crew
cleaning crew=prejudice against the new imigrants who haven't found jobs on cleaning crews yet

i mean, hell: the ARMY hates the NAVY hates the MARINES hates the AIR FORCE. they're all doing the same thing, more or less.
i just don't think human beings can resist competeing against others, and if we can make up some reason to make them "The Other", then it's easier to compete AGAINST them.