Race/Ethnicity Questions 261-270

THE QUESTION:
R270: I have noticed that many of the white females in my dormitory do not wash their hands. Why is this?
POSTED MAY 15, 1998
Cheryl B., 22, African-American female <CherylB4U@AOL.COM>, Memphis, TN

ANSWER 1:
I do not believe it has anything to do with the fact they are white, but the way they were raised and taught – or mistaught. I have also come across many people of many races and backgrounds (black, white, Asian, etc.) who did the same thing.
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
Long, 18, white male, Jacksonville, FL

FURTHER NOTICE:
I agree with Long. It isn’t necessarily about race. I am a black male, and my father said I never needed to wash my hands after urinating unless I would be coming in contact with food or someone else. I was in college before I realized the number of men who wash their hands after urinating, and I attend a historically black school that does not have women.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Marc, black male, 20, Atlanta, GA
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THE QUESTION:
R269: Why does it seem that many African-American people do things to draw attention to themselves, such as being very loud and/or wearing flashy clothes? I am not a racist, but have always wondered why.
POSTED MAY 15, 1998
M. Steward, 18, bi-racial (black and white) female <yngmom18@aol.com>
Jacksonville, FL

ANSWER 1:
There are people like this in every race, and it is not true of all black people. I could say all whites’ hair smells like dogs when I know this is not true. Don’t feed into a negative stereotype, because I’m sure you know many black people who are the opposite of that.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
T. Spen, 26, black female <auset2be@aol.com>, Largo, MD

FURTHER NOTICE:
Our people are just being themselves. I went to Africa a couple of years ago, and it is cultural. International blacks talk loud, and they wear bright colors. I believe that Americans of African descent have that “loudness” in them. I don’t think they do it so much to get your attention but because it is just how we are as people. Some of us have learned that to fit in in American society and certain social circles, we have to tone it down some. Flashiness is a part of our culture and has been for thousands of years, including gold teeth, lots of jewelary, brightly colored and/or expensive clothes, etc.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
Carmela, 29, black <pecola@hotmail.com>, Atlanta, GA
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THE QUESTION:
R268: My wife says blacks at her work have confided to her that blacks envy blacks who are lighter-skinned than themselves. They told her the lighter you are, the more desirable you are, and the darker you are, the less desirable. Has anyone else encountered this belief?
POSTED MAY 14, 1998
Dirtydog 53, white male <dirtydog@globalsite.net>, Richmond, IN
(Similar question posted July 17, 1998, by Nancy S., 70, white, Ventura, CA)

ANSWER 1:
Your wife heard correctly: There was/is a prejudice in the black community that favors those with lighter skin. I’m trying to remember an old rhyme, if I’m off I hope someone will correct me: “If you’re white/light(?), you’re all right. If you’re brown, stick around. If you’re black, get back!”

This dates back to the slavery era. My guess is that after constantly being bombarded with the notion that black equals inferior, the notion eventually took hold in the minds of the slaves. Therefore, those blacks who inherited physical features more typical of their masters came to be seen as more attractive.

Among the free black population, prior to and after the Civil War, those who inhabited the black upper-classes tended to be lighter-skinned. And fortunes were made on cosmetics that would lighten skin and straighten hair. Even today, if one takes the time to watch a few black music videos, one will notice that very few “sisterly-sisters” are cast to shake their moneymakers in front of the camera.
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
Jay B., black male <jayboyd@ameritech.net>, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
All blacks do not have a problem with lighter-skinned or darker-skinned blacks, although there are those who are still influenced by slavery, and they have a problem.
POSTED JUNE 11, 1998
R. B. 40, black, San Bernardino, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
There is a continuing problem in the black community with those of us who are considered “Color Struck” – a term that describes the obsession that some blacks have with being light-skinned, or their obsession with light-skinned blacks. The distinction of skin tone in our race dates back to slavery, when white slave owners often raped black women or kept them as concubines. As a result, mulatto (biracial) offspring were lighter-skinned. They were treated better than darker slaves, often receiving education, and sometimes their freedom, and other luxuries that darker blacks were not afforded. Consequently, within the black community, lighter-skinned blacks were viewed as those who were most like whites and were better than other blacks. Although it isn’t as divisive as it used to be, black America does have some serious issues to deal with as far as the rift that was created among us years ago.
POSTED FEB. 2, 1999
Black Female
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THE QUESTION:
R267: I live in Trinidad, where the majority of people are either from black or East Indian backgrounds. I learned in school that India refers to a country and not a race, such as black, white, Asian, etc. So to what race do East Indians belong?
POSTED MAY 14, 1998
Jan T., <mauree@trinidad.net>, Trinidad

ANSWER 1:
Before I came to the United States, I thought “Asian” referred to a person from “Asia.” As far as I know, the usage of the word “Asian” to refer to a race ( i.e. people from East Asian countries) is peculiar to the United States (and maybe by extension English-speaking Carribbeans). I don’t really see an overwhelming need to fit everybody in the world into neat little racial packages. This too I find a peculiarly American trait. (Witness the lumping of all Latin/South American peoples under the race “Hispanic”). The only purpose that serves is to fit peoples in a sort of unofficial hierarchy of worthiness, with whites of course being at the top and the rest of the groups jostling for position underneath.
POSTED NOV. 24, 1998
C.A., (Asian) Indian <p2k4@hotmail.com>, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
Indians are white. I am a European, not an Indian, but I learned at university that scholars who try to categorize human types say Indians belong, like me, to the Caucasian group. My cousin’s wife is of Indian origin; she lives near London. She sometimes suffers discrimination because, as they say, she is “black”! (In Britain, they may use “black” for Asians with a dark complexion.)
POSTED NOV. 28, 1998
Bernard D., 45 <bernard.durning@wl.com>, Paris, France

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I agree with C.A. No, Indians are not white. I cannot understand why, while striving to unify and bridge all the ethnic groups, we are taking the time to separate people sinto sects. Thinking like that fosters the kind of stereotyping we are trying to progress from as an “educated society.” What is to be said, then, about most of this world’s population that come from mixed backgrounds? Are they to form new races? I don’t think the distinction should go beyond appreciating the cultural differences between us. This allows you to consider the aspects of cultural practice, country and religious belief. These are the things that distinguish us from each other.
POSTED DEC. 2, 1998
Jonny9 <ggxls@yahoo.com>, Brooklyn, NY

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
Biologically, there is no such thing as race. By that I mean there are no neat little packets of genetic traits that can be called “races.” So East Indians cannot “belong” categorically to a race. However, the idea of race is a very powerful social category, and the particular categories vary widely from culture to culture. I always find it more useful to refer to general geographical or cultural categories. East Indians in America may be considered generally Asian in that they are from the Asian continent, as are Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, etc. Or East Indians are referred to, ethnically, as Indian.
POSTED DEC. 4, 1998
M.F. <u19976@uic.edu>, Chicago, IL
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THE QUESTION:
R266: Why don’t East Indian females wear turbans like males do?
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Steve K., Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
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THE QUESTION:
R265: I am an African-American female, and ever since I moved to South Florida from Connecticut, I have been teased by other African Americans because I speak proper English (they say I act “white”). Now that I am in college, people say I think I am better than everyone else. All this comes from my proper speech. Does anyone know why people feel this way?
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Teeka, 20, African American <Teeka425@hotmail.com>, South Florida

ANSWER 1:
I am African American and have been going through the same problem most of my life. Even family members tease me about the way I talk. I hate it when people say I speak “proper English.” I just speak different English. It has nothing to do with the way I act. It’s just that I have grown up in an area where this kind of English was spoken the most.
POSTED MAY 14, 1998
Kara, Japan

FURTHER NOTICE:
I am a white female and wonder all the time why blacks feel that using proper English is a “white” way of speaking. I grew up and attended schools with as many blacks as whites, and we were all taught the same English, math, history, etc. It amazes me when I hear some black people speak; most of the time I cannot understand them. I also am troubled that proper English has gotten a “white”-only label. It’s the language of Americans – white, black, all races. This second language that blacks – and many whites – have chosen to use seems to indicate they are uneducated and never learned to speak properly. I feel as though blacks want to be as different from whites as possible; they want to create their own fashion statements, music and way of speaking. I enjoy all black music and probably own more black-artist CD’s than those of white artists. But I do not own rap because I cannot understand the lyrics, and those that I can understand are about degrading the black race, killing, drugs and violence. I hope someday to be a mother, and I am very concerned about the differences between whites and blacks today as compared to when I was growing up. There seems to be so much more separatism, so much more racism today. I believe all the changes have directly affected our chances of being equal and united as Americans.
POSTED JUNE 8, 1998
Kelly, 30, white, KellyMarci@aol.com, Wichita, KS
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THE QUESTION:
R264: Why do some Hindus paint a red dot on their forehead?
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Jamie, London

ANSWER 1:
A friend from Southern India tells me the dot, called a bindya, is for decoration and can come in many different colors and designs. It depends on the fashion. I always thought the color reflected the person’s caste, but apparently not. Indian women also wear another dot on their foreheads that is higher up and touches the hairline, which my friend says normally indicates the woman is married. Women may wear the two dots at the same time. My friend is Hindu, but I don’t think this fashion is specific to Hindus.
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
Beth, white, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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THE QUESTION:
R263: Based on the fact that Indian tribes of the United States have treaties with the United States that are the Supreme Law of the Land per Article VI, Clause 2 of the Constitution, I ask the following question: Why do we see Americans listed as White, Black, Yellow or Red – also known as European, African, Asian and Native American – when the Constitution provides only for Indians and non-Indians in the United States?
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Jimmie D. Oyler, 67, Shawnee Indian, Principal Chief, United Tribe of Shawnee Indians, <hdqrs@worldnet.att.net>, De Soto, KS

ANSWER 1:
I have always understood that treaties are legal documents between nations (i.e. the United States and in this case various Indian nations) and not between various ethnic groups (white, black, red, yellow). The U.S. Census and other governmental entities recognize various ethnic groups for various purposes. If I am not mistaken, doesn’t the Bureau of Indian Affairs require registration for a person of Indian descent to be counted as a tribal member? Whether or not a tribal member, a person might still be considered Native American ethnically.
POSTED MAY 201, 1998
WitchWomon, non-Indian <WitchWomon@aol.com>, Southfield, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
Nowhere does the Constitution make provision for any race. It is carefully worded to avoid doing so. For example, your Article VI refers to all treaties –Indians are not the only group with whom the government has made treaties.
POSTED JUNE 14, 1998
J. Scott, white female educator <jscott@cybertrails.com>, Chinle, AZ
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THE QUESTION:
R262: If the color black absorbs and stores heat, while white reflects it, why are Africans black instead of white?
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Dave, white <domrxj@usa.pipeline.com>, Louisville, KY
(Similar question posted May 17, 1998, by Ronald S., 28, The Netherlands)

ANSWER 1:
If skin were like “white paper” or “white clothing,” then it would reflect heat/light and maybe Africans would have evolved as “white.” But the outer layer of skin does not offer protection from the sun. It is the layers of skin beneath the outer layer that produce melanin, which affords protection from harmful ultraviolet rays. The darker the skin, the more melanin, hence more protection from the sun. The more you are exposed to the sun, the darker you can get. So the darkest people have the most protection from the sun, the fairest the least. Those living around the equator are usually darker than those living further north. Some people produce no melanin.
POSTED MAY 14, 1998
Jas, black <themoas@aol.com>, Pensacola, FL
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THE QUESTION:
R261: My cousin is an optical technician and has told me that numerous African Americans ask about “medicine” in eyeglasses. I encountered this the other day. What is this in reference to?
POSTED MAY 12, 1998
Heather G., 26, white <as4603mshgil@infoave.net>, Rock Hill, S.C.

ANSWER 1:
To the best of my knowledge, they are referring to whether the glasses are prescription or not. I just spoke with a friend who is an optometrist, and she says she hears it constantly. I have not heard anyone refer to “medicine” in glasses in a long time.
POSTED MAY 14, 1998
Janet B., 32, black female, Capitol Heights, MD
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