Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 14 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 9 months ago by
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- To people of various backgrounds: Are there any types of music, practices or lifestyle activities that you would like to do or be a part of but feel you can't because of your culture?
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Name : NATALIE, Gender : F, City : Sale, State : NA Country : Australia,My 'corporate culture' doesn't allow me to wear my nose ring, or to publically do anything that could be labeled outlandish or brazen. I've found that even the things I do in my private, non-work time are seen to reflect on my suitability for professional employement.User Detail :
Name : Lisa22736, Gender : F, City : Tampa, State : FL Country : United States,I personally would like to learn something about Asian culture besides what you see in biased mainstream culture; karate, stir-fry and anime cartoons don't impress me much. I know there has to be something more to Asia than that. Ditto for Iron Chef. However, being a black American, I get a pretty cold reception when I ask Asians about their culture. Maybe it's how I'm asking?User Detail :
Name : Mel, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Gunnison, State : CO Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,The current euphemism for me is 'African American' (stay away from certain words and you can call me whatever you want). I like rock music, bluegrass and other forms of music that I'm sure I'm supposed to hate, just because the people who traditionally perform it don't look like me. Early on, I learned I had to hide my musical preferences from EVERYBODY. While driving on trips, my parents would let the radio play whatever came in the clearest, yet I in no way was supposed to grow to like anything I heard? I just don't relate to 'R&B' music (it's called that, right?). All the 'baby baby' and 'party down' themes are recycled and repeated so much that I wonder how anyone can stand it.I've never tried to act any way other than what I am, and the fact is that who I am has never been what people like to believe I should be. I'd even like to start a real rock band with other 'black' people who like rock music. I don't know how I would find them, though. Music is everywhere and ears don't close, only minds do.
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Name : Nathan, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 32, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,I admire clothing from other cultures. For instance, I think Indian saris are beautiful, and I also love Japanese kimonos. If I could, I would wear a different 'global' outfit every day, from every culture on earth (except for those that don't wear clothes!). I don't necessarily feel I 'can't' do this because of my background, but I know it would make it harder for me to carry out my normal activities (going to the store, etc.).User Detail :
Name : ED25425, Gender : F, Age : 45, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States,I have worn 'ethnic' clothing ever since high school, so it has become my trademark. Traditional Asian, African and Polynesian clothing tends to be better made and more flattering to shorter and fuller-figured women than tailored Western clothing. I find Western clothing very boring, and I usually wear salwar kameez (tunic/pants/scarf), which are inexpensive, practical and very flattering to Western women. I live in an area with a large Indian population, so it's not such an unusual sight. Once in a while someone might laugh, but overall people compliment me.You might mix ethnic pieces with Western stuff; in the winter I like to wear Tibetan shirts and vests with jeans, or a haori jacket over a blouse and skirt. If anyone says I am stealing from other cultures, I would ask, Why is it OK for a native Indian to wear Tommy gear but not OK for a 'white' to wear salwar kameez? Assimilation can go both ways.
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Name : Dolma, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Partial visual impairment, Race : Mixed Hawaiian, Religion : Buddhist, Age : 34, City : Flushing, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Librarian, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,It seems to me that people who have lived in another country, apart from their homeland, seem to be more open-minded. I am Japanese/American and lived most of my life in Japan but attended DoDDs schools and loved it. The great lifestyle that I had does not appear in brochures from Japan. Some people who have lived in one town their whole life want to stay in that one town even when they move out of the house. Why? In my opinion, because they don't know what they are missing. I am interested in all other cultures. I love Egyptian art, and I accept everyone for who they are. When I moved to America I couldn't believe how strong the prejudice and racism was (and I've lived in the north,south, east and west).User Detail :
Name : Jackie, Gender : F, Race : Asian, City : Pensacola, State : FL Country : United States,Yes, this applies to me. For example, I have a sarong that I like to wear. In Polynesia and Southeast Asia it's common for men to wear them. Not in Canada. My family, especially my parents, are very conservative about matters like this, and one of my brothers who sees himself as the guardian of normality or something along those lines really hates it because it's not normal. Now, with the idea of men in skirts, two things can happen: They are either pigeon-holed as cross-dressers or as homosexuals, or, as being associated with some other lifestyle - the 'Oh, he dresses this way? it must mean he listens to New Age, believes in positive energy and practices vegetarianism' or something along those lines. I wear my sarong at home sometimes because it's comfortable, but if I wore it on the streets of Montreal I'd be eaten alive, figuratively speaking. In the summer it's so hot, but I have to endure certain constraints because of the constraints of society's narrow mind.User Detail :
Name : Sebastian, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Not sure what to believe!, Age : 22, City : Montreal, Quebec, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I agree with Nathan. I also like rock, country, bluegrass, classical and various types of music that black people aren't supposed to. However, I am in a duo with an acoustic guitarist, and we're doing mainly '70s rock and some country type stuff. I'm both looking forward to and somewhat nervous about public performances. People are going to look up when I start singing the Beatles, CCR and Alison Krause. But, I did the same thing at karaoke, and most people were surprised but liked it. Some black people would come up to me and say, 'I don't normally like country music, but I like that (country) song you sang.' Just gotta do what we like!User Detail :
Name : Makia, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 36, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I grew up in Connecticut, so I've always felt the vacuum where Native American cuture once was, then the Meshantuckett Pequiod tribe parlayed their small bingo operation into the world's largest casino. The state legislature, with its Puritan roots, stated that they'd do anything in their power to stop it, but the tribe is a sovereign nation, so they just went to Japan for the startup capital. The casino(s) now employ more than half the workforce in what was a stagnating economy. They handle the obscene profits just like they did before European culture came through and changed everything: they split it evenly. They set a small portion aside to buy up colonial landmarks and change them into Native American landmarks. This stuff impresses me to no end; Native Americans are cool. Then I moved to the Midwest and found myself living in predominantly Mexican neighborhoods. The reason I like them is that the only difference between Mexicans and the Irish is geographical. I've found that despite obvious cultural differences, we share the same sensibilities.User Detail :
Name : Justin27086, Gender : M, Religion : Atheist, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,I love traditional Indian temple dances. The dance form is beautiful, graceful and almost surreal. I would love to study it formally, but I am put off from doing so because of my African-American heritage.User Detail :
Name : Lady-J26192, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 26, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Web Administrator, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Hi. I love classical Indian dance, too, and I am white. When I attend classical Indian dance performances,, about 90% of the dancers are Indian; about 9% are white; about 1% are black. The teachers are traditional Indians, and they don't keep non-Indians from performing or taking their classes. I encourage you to take classes. This is the most gorgeous dancing and we need all the classically trained Indian temple dancers we can get!User Detail :
Name : Laurie, Gender : Female, Age : 56, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States,I'd like to be able to dance. However much I practice I still dance (in the words of one of my friends) like a straight white man.User Detail :
Name : PW30328, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 33, City : Sydney, State : NA Country : Australia, Occupation : I.T., Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,This is a comment on those who feel they can appropriate another people's culture without permission. We indigenous Native people have been victims of cultural theft by everyone and their brother who feels that after seeing one Indian ceremony or learning from some New Age 'shaman' that they have the right to perform our sacred ways. Sometimes a wish to participate in another's culture is not the thing to do...User Detail :
Name : pete, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : American Indian, Religion : Native American, Age : 50, City : Parshall, State : ND Country : United States, Occupation : communications, Education level : High School Diploma,I am a white woman engaged to an East Indian man and I agree with E.D.. I find sari's beautiful and ultra feminine. They look so comfortable. The problem is, not only would I feel strange wearing one, my fiance wouldn't find it appealing. He has acceptance 'issues' with his family-they don't like the fact that his future wife is non-Indian. I used to think racism was predominantly a white problem.User Detail :
Name : Natalie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Deist, Age : 32, City : Toronto, State : NA Country : Canada, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,
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