In real life, through history, people have been severely discriminated against and forced into slavery by other races. Racism is an undercurrent and problem in every society. However, in while in Morrowind there was Racism in the form of slavery, in Oblivion, there is non at all.

I mean, in real life, human beings have been discriminated against based on skin pigment and slight facial features differences. In TES, there are beastmen, cat people, lizard people, etc. In Oblivion, there seems to be no discrimination whatsoever against Argonians or Khajits. It doesn't seem to be very realistic or make much sense. You'd think imperials and such would be freaked out and disgusted by being around such creatures, like, for example, humans in the Warhammer 40k universe are disgusted by aliens, and shoot them on sight, instead of attempting to co-exist with them.

What do you think?

I can see the nords hating the altmer and bosmer, due to believing Shor is evil incarnate. Maybe the Nibenese for being slippy, chatty weaklings. Bretons for being haughty half elves, maybe.

Bretons are also haughty half-nords. So... yeah.

The Nords have traditionally had the most problems with Morrowind out of any other nation...but Morrowind went through a few changes between Oblivion and Skyrim. No spoilers but read The Infernal City. The only thing I'll say is that this caused a change between the attitudes of Dunmer and some tribes of Nords and that the racial hatred may not be as strong as it once was. I'm not sure who their big racial enemy is now. They've in the past varied between warring with Orcs and allying with them. Same with Redguards. The Nordic culture is quite old and established. They mostly have friendly relations with their neighbors, including the Bretons, whom they share cultural and blood heritage with.

While I would like more racism, your assessment that there is none in Oblivion is wrong, I even made a community quest for Oblivion where the subject was to kill 5 racists. You need to get to Leyawiin some more.

Racial tension is present in Bruma, as well. The religious and cultural differences of Imperials and Nords clash there.

Yeah half of Leyawiin hates the beast races.

in a game universe such as TES, there is, and needs to be racism. having all the races get along fine and dandy is just stupid and far too PC for my liking

well if you were born in ES world you would not "freak out" when you see an Argonian, why! because you would be used to hearing about them, reading about them, or even seeing them since childhood, so you will not freak out, you might just be a raciest in that setting

In our world we are one race yet we work really hard on finding slight differences so that we can set our selves apart, its [censored] of course but people in power NEED us to be apart so that each can have a piece of the pie sort of to himself.

don't be sad though nothing lasts forever.

anyway yes ES should be a place where racism abound

It's quite the contrary. If the society consists of mixed ethnicities, it is less likely that they could form a common identity and successfully rise against the people in power. Unless if you haven't realized, the western countries are trying really hard to keep the borders wide open and mix everyone.

Leyawiin was too over-done. Racists don't scream out in the streets, "I HATE FURRY PEOPLE AND SCALY PEOPLE!" They'll like them less, like Dunmer in Morrowind.

Why do Khajiit lick their butts? To get the taste of Khajiit cooking out of their mouths...

Seti...That was mean and heartless... If you have nothing nice to say about khajiits, don't say anything at all...

Besides, they're the best bakers in the world. I had a cake from Elsweyr and I felt great afterwards. Everyone was moving so slow compared to me. (Moonsugar joke)

I think that Khajiits are supposed to be ancient Egyptians like Imperials are Romans, at least it would be cool.

Although Oblivon may be somewhat devoid of racism - except in Leyawiin - Tamriel as a whole is not. For example, the Dunmer of Morrowind enslaved Argonians and Khajit right up until it was outlawed by King Helseth.

Racisim is there in Oblivon, but Bethesda don't need to go out of their way to show it to the masses.

The other half are beast races But yes, despite always playing with khajiits there really isn't much racism about. The worst comments seem to come from other khajiits

I think its not present in game just for ease of gameplay, so its easier to play any race and any quest.
In lore, however, racism is very present, take Leyawiin for example, although in game racism was prominent, Marius Caro was tolerable of races and kept the peace, but when Alessia came along she has been trying to take the beast races out of the city. Taditionally, the Colovians hate the Nibenese, and don't like interacting with one another. Other cases are present too, so racism is very prominent in Tamriel.

The Nords are pretty traditionalist and I'm hoping they present some degree of hostility towards their smarmy little Imperial cousins and the elves. I don't think anyone will be as extremely prejudiced as the Dunmer were but I certainly want the atmosphere to feel more...uneasy. I want to walk into a tavern as an Argonian and notice a group of cutthroat Redguards eyeing my strangely, or perhaps the Nord bartender isn't going to make a lot of conversation with me.

I don't want people randomly blurting out "UGH IT'S YOU GO AWAY YOU NON-ELF" but I'd certainly love some of Morrowind's more imposing greetings back.

Well, StoneFrog, I'd say the altmer of Summerset are pretty close to the dunmer when it comes to inter-racial hostility.

I think it will be like in Morrowind, I.E. some xenophobia and racism but nothing that serious.

well I speak from personal experience which I'm still experiencing now

in my country Lebanon, we have 18 sects and 3 major religious groups, in essence we are one people, but the religious/political/sect/party leaders need us to perpetuate this "separatist" mentality so that we won't throw them in the bin and get people that actually have a clue in their place.

Its the same everywhere, I'm not talking about diversity which is good in its neutral form, I'm talking about how leaders in general try to reinforce the things that make people different and try to give these differences a demonic quality or a bad quality and this keeps them in power.

lets face it if people pick only the educated rational leaders we would have very few leaders indeed and this makes clergy/small time bosses and politicians shiver in their boots.

It's true, alright. My mom (Maronite/Lebanese) relates her ethnicity as being closer to French than fellow Lebanese people of a different religion she really doesn't seem to be fond of. Such little differences mean the world to some people, eh?

Slavery isn't serious?

yah its really strange, if it was up to me I would declare the united federation of planets now, and redirect all funds to space exploration and human well being and prosperity

and @I am the walrus, believe it or not slavery is not so horrible compared to racism, because as a slave people used to be able to actually buy their freedom and do some social climbing (talking about Roman, Greek, Mesopotamian times of course, not the colonial barbarism which used savagery with slavery, since they did not even consider the humans they were enslaving human in the first place)

anyway slavery, racism, zealot-ism, are all a symbols of disrespect to the very essence of life, not only human but also all other forms of life, treating animals badly is also a form of slavery in my opinion, hell even the still nature around us should be treated with respect.

I think it should be present only because it adds to the realism and the believability of the world.

Edit: Want to hear a joke? Why do khajiits lick their butts? To get the taste of khajiit cooking out of their mouths.