Race/Ethnicity Questions 241-250

THE QUESTION:
R250: Black comedian Chris Rock is very specific about distinctions between “niggers” and “black people” (his words). I’d like to ask black people if they see this as a real distinction or just a comedy routine.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Paul J., 55, white male <sane5@hotmail.com>
Minneapolis, MN
(Similar question posted June 25, 1998, by T.U., middle age, Polynesian, Honolulu, HI)

ANSWER 1:
I’ve heard this “distinction” described long before Chris Rock became a celebrity, from blacks and non-blacks alike. I’m sure boxing fans recall when Hector “Macho” Camacho admonished Mike Tyson for having too many “niggers” in his entourage after the last Holyfield-Tyson fight. Whenever I hear someone describe this “distinction,” I have to wonder, upon encountering a black person for the first time, if people who make this sort of distinction consider the person to be black or a nigger by default, until they prove themselves otherwise.
POSTED MAY 9, 1998
Jay B., black male <jayboyd@ameritech.net>, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
There is a distinction between blacks and niggers. To me, a black is a person who has pride and respect for being black. These are people who are positive contributors to society and strive to live positive lives. These are people who care about their children and work to provide their children with better opportunities than they might have had. A nigger is the type of person who really does not care about anyone. They are the worst of society. They are comfortable with taking what they want from other people without regard, and they have no respect for themselves or others. I enjoy living around and associating with blacks, but I avoid the other kind and do not want to be grouped with them in any way. They are the black equivalent of “white trash.”
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
D.W., 43, black male <dmwomega1@compuserve.com>, New Orleans, LA

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The distinction between black people and niggers should be as clear as that between white people and rednecks. The difference is in the values and intelligence of the individuals. While I don’t think the word “nigger” is the best term to use, I believe most African Americans know exactly what Chris Rock meant, and white Americans could benefit from understanding the difference: The vast majority of black people love their children and family, go to work, go to church, vote, aspire to own businesses and homes – I could go on, but a great many whites and others are, most likely, beginning to get the point. As much as the media would have you believe otherwise, blacks who kill indiscriminately and sell and use drugs are not representative of even a fourth of the African-American population; they just get the most media exposure because terror and controversy sells. This makes it difficult for the majority of us to enjoy our lives because we get squeezed from both sides: On one side you have white America, which for the most part fears and despises us, and on the other there are the “niggers,” who have no use for us unless they want to steal or vandalize our property or use our children for target practice. I found Chris Rock’s routine not just funny, but almost therapeutic!
POSTED MAY 14, 1998
Mike G., 28, black male, Fort Washington, MD

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
What I found most interesting about the responses is that they justify use of the word “nigger.” That word is not an appropriate description of anyone. The human psyche is far too complex to be categorized as all good or all bad. Neither can you apply that sort of logic to an entire group of people. Not every churchgoer is trustworthy. Not every criminal is bad to the bone. Some have had bad families, little education and few employment opportunites.Everyone needs guidance to maintain the straight and narrow. If none of the so-called “good” blacks are willing to provide that guidance, where does that leave the people who need it?
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, NY

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
To Mike G: Whoa there, partner! Being a bona fide redneck – complete with jacked-up truck, gun rack and country music blaring on the stereo, I take great offense to lumping “rednecks” with other folks you called “niggers.” To insinuate that rednecks don’t have any kind of values and are leeches on society is inaccurate. I think the term you are looking for is “white trash.” Folks, rednecks are just country people. They are in every state, and they are not the monsters the media and popular press would have you believe.
POSTED JUNE 15, 1998
Wallace Redneck <tdbuk@juno.com>, Suwanee, GA

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I agree with Wallace.What it comes down to is there is good and bad in everything that lives and breathes. I don’t think “nigger”should be classified for blacks alone. To me, a “nigger” is a low-life dirty person, black, white or other. Why does color always have to be an issue? The world will never get over the color issue because most people are ignorant. I do not fear the color, but I do fear people in general. This is a cruel world we live in. It will never change. Garth Brooks sings a song titled “We Shall Be Free.” That song says it all. Take the time to listen to it; it will hit you right in the heart.
POSTED JAN. 20, 1999
Joanne, 32, <wildcat@bbnp.com>, NC
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THE QUESTION:
R249: Why is it that in neighborhoods that are largely black, gas stations are “pay first,” and the party stores have bullet-proof glass?
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
Dave, 40, white <davesmith11@juno.com>, Westland, MI

ANSWER 1:
This is associated with crime rate, not race. Owners of stores in areas with high crime rates take extra precautions to protect themselves and their employees from violence. It has nothing to do with neighborhoods being “largely black.” Case in point: Have you ever seen a bullet-proof window in a small town with a low crime rate?
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Britt, 28, white, Birmingham, AL

FURTHER NOTICE:
Many companies, when constructing these places, perceive there to be a higher risk of theft. This doesn’t mean there actually is higher crime backed by actual statistics, but this is commonly a perception.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Marc, 20 <romarti@yahoo.com>, Atlanta, GA
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THE QUESTION:
R248: Are more black people’s eyes bloodshot for a reason? I’m not saying all blacks eyes are, but a very high percentage. Is it something in the physiological makeup of the black race? My eyes are bloodshoot from allergies. Could blacks be more susceptible to allergies than whites, hence the bloodshot eyes?
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
Stu, 27, white <hawkstu@juno.com>, Commerce, MI

ANSWER 1:
Most of the black people I know do not have blood-shot eyes. I know one guy whose eyes are blood-shot all the time. He has allergies, but not all the time. I suspect that, like some whites, the people you see may be smoking special cigarettes. People just look different, and that is OK. Also, the place where you live may be polluted, and some people react to that.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Carmela, 29, black <pecola@hotmail.com>, Atlanta, Ga
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THE QUESTION:
R247: I am a white, French-Canadian middle-aged male and I have a budding relationship with a Chinese woman in her thirties. I have trouble getting a fix on her approach to sexuality. I sometimes think she is a tease, and she says I am too impatient. Would an Asian female please address this?
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
Serge, 50, white, middle-class <sharvey@uqac.uquebec.ca>, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
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THE QUESTION:
R246: Do black people who are not African-American feel offended when referred to as such? For instance, would someone fron Jamaica prefer to be referred to as Jamaican-American?
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
Interested in San Francisco

ANSWER 1:
I don’t think the proper term is “offended.” As someone from a family with long West Indian roots, I feel “African-American” labels me as something I am not and does not take into account the rich traditions and heritage of my family and ancestors. The term “African-American” applied to all black people lumps us all together. It dismisses the fact that we come from all over the world. Yes, at one time we all may have originated in Africa, but for many of us, that was so long ago that it has no relevance. Black people come from Haiti, Grenada, South America, Africa, the West Indies … and on and on and on. I prefer a label that accurately describes who I am – not what other people assume me to be.
POSTED JUNE 12, 1998
D.I., Jamaican-American female, Los Angeles, CA
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THE QUESTION:
R245: Until about 10 years ago, I had never heard of Kwanzaa. What is it? What is its history? What is the significance of the Kwanzaa hat?
POSTED MAY 4, 1998
P.B., white male

ANSWER 1:
Kwanzaa was created in or about 1966 by California State University professor Maulana Karenga to unify the black community in the aftermath of the Watts riots in Los Angeles. Kwanzaa is a holiday African Americans should celebrate because it represents us. We have a tradition and culture that are separate and distinct from the European-dominated society we live in. The holiday begins on Dec. 26 and runs through Jan. 1. The kinara, a candleholder that holds seven candles (three red, three green and one black) should be lit each of the seven days to symbolize the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The seven principles are umoja, (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics, supporting black businesses), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith). On the last day of Kwanzaa, a big feast is given for the family in which hand-made gifts are exchanged. I am not familiar with a Kwanzaa hat.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Janet B., 32, black female, Capitol Heights, MD

FURTHER NOTICE:
I am Nigerian and was very amused when I first heard of Kwanzaa. I believe it is not a “true” African festivity, but one made up by an African American in a quest to be closer to the Motherland.
POSTED MAY 9, 1998
Ifeyinwa <ifebigh77@hotmail.com>, Miami, FL
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THE QUESTION:
R244: Why has the black race had so many different names, i.e. Negro, Colored, Black, African-American, Afro-American, etc.?
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Andrew V., 32, white, San Diego, CA

ANSWER 1:
In a racist culture, any term that refers to blacks will become tainted by the contempt of whites. Blacks will naturally keep trying to come up with a term that doesn’t sound contemptuous, but after a few years of use, the nastiness rubs off on the new term. This phenomenon isn’t confined to race. Think about the mentally retarded – another group that is generally held in contempt. They have been called idiots (once a respectable term), mental defectives, mentally retarded, developmentally disabled, intellectually challenged and probably several others. Until the dominant culture stops the bigotry, all words they use for groups like this will wind up sounding ugly.
POSTED MAY 11, 1998
Will H., 48, Euro-American, gay, Dallas, TX
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THE QUESTION:
R243: Is it considered offensive if a white person calls a black person “black”?
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Andrew V., 32, white, San Diego, CA

ANSWER 1:
Contrary to popular demand, I prefer to be called black and not African American.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Mary B., black female, Des Moines, IA

FURTHER NOTICE:
I don’t mind being called either “black” or “African-American,” even though neither fully describes my cultural background. It depends on how the other person means it. For example, I have had white people call me “black,” and it gave me a really awful feeling. On the other hand, when people call me African American, I sometimes feel it’s only for the sake of political correctness, and the person is trying to be “careful” when addressing me. My preference would be just to call me by my given name.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Kara, Japan
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THE QUESTION:
R242: I think I have a fairly simple question, but I don’t think I could ask a black person face to face: What is the difference between the term “African-American” and “Afro-American”?
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Andrew V., 32, white, San Diego, CA

ANSWER 1:
The difference is that “African” describes one’s cultural heritage and “Afro” describes a hairstyle. For example, Irish-American, Latin-American, etc. describe heritage. After the ’60s, when that hairstyle was not very popular any more, the term didn’t seem practical.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Carmela, 29, black <pecola@hotmail.com>, Atlanta, Ga
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THE QUESTION:
R241: Is “mullato” considered a derogatory term?
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Adriane Z., 20, and Laura V., 20 <laura_37@harbornet.com>, Edgewood, WA

ANSWER 1:
“Mulatto” is a centuries-old term derived from the Spanish word for “mule.” It is used to denote an individual who is half-black and half-white. This term is along the same lines as “quadroon” (one-quarter black, three-quarters white) and “octoroon” (one-eighth black, seven-eighths white). As far as I know, it was a purely descriptive term and not an insult, but I’d stay away from it in general speech.
POSTED MAY 9, 1998
A. Morgan, Houston, TX
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