Race/Ethnicity Questions 41-50

THE QUESTION:
R50: I work in sales, in an area were a lot a Middle Eastern people live. Why is it that many Arab people and Eastern Indian people almost always try to bargain down the price of the merchandise? I am not in the position to lower the price.
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
JA, Dearborn, MI

ANSWER 1:
Back in the Homeland (Middle East, India, Bangladesh or whatever) the economy and marketing strategies are very different. You will see two sales people, for example, selling shoes, sitting right next to each other. There is no such thing as a fixed price, so they are in a position to begin with a higher price and reduce it later on the spot and still get a profit. When a patron comes walking by, he/she will obviously try to haggle the price down. So you see, haggling prices is just something most of these people are used to and is accepted by the culture. They just have to get used to the fact that the way things are done here is different.
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
JK, 22, Indian male, Ann Arbor, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R49: Why is it that many Arabic people have bad body odor?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Melissa, 17, Algonac, MI
(Director’s Note: See related question at R185)

ANSWER 1:
Believe it or not, that smell is not what most people would call “body odor” or “BO.” It is actually due to types of Arabic foods that, when digested, excrete from the skin pores. Another example would be someone who drank heavily the night before. The person would still smell like alcohol the next day, no matter how many times they brushed their teeth, because the alcohol is leaving the body through the skin’s pores.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Eric, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
The response about alcohol is incorrect; alcohol by nature is odorless.
POSTED MAY 2, 1998
B.B., black, Detroit
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R48: I was wondering why it seems more African-Americans (and even Latinos) have custom wheels on their cars, as opposed to white people. It is something I’ve noticed and I was wondering if there was a specific reason behind it.
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Scott W., 24, white, MI

ANSWER 1:
For some people, having a nice car, especially an expensive one, is a status symbol, particularly if you live in a poor neighborhood. Dressing up the car with fancy wheels, fancy license plates and custom trimming is another way to attract attention,to show off what they have and how much money they have.
POSTED APRIL 13, 1998
Suzie, 26, black
Queens, NY
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R47: Lately I have heard that some minority groups are upset with the Taco Bell commercial that features the little dog. What exactly is the problem, and is it worth pulling the comercial?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
M. Melville <mark@high-eng.com>
Howell, MI
(Similar question posted April 15, 1998, by T. Mc., Irish, of Detroit)

ANSWER 1:
Some Hispanics, especially Mexican Americans, feel offended by the Taco Bell commercial because of its symbolism. The Chihuahua is Mexican, and many Hispanics feel the ad is making fun of this particular “culture or country” by using the dog for advertising purposes. It might look funny to most of us, but if you place yourself in their shoes, you might understand the offensiveness. A similar thing happened with one of the last Seinfeld episodes, in which Kramer burned a Puerto Rican flag by accident. This was very offensive to many Puerto Ricans. As a result, the Puerto Rican Association expressed its discontent with the scene, and NBC apologized. It might not be the same, but it shows that mocking and making fun of other people might not be funny for everybody – something we should respect as human beings.
M.T., Puerto Rican female <cafe539@aol.com>, Lawton, OK

FURTHER NOTICE:
To M.T.: Advertisers have been using animals in general, and “talking dogs” in particular, to hawk products since forever. I seached my local paper and found two activists who claim the ads are offensive, but neither says exactly why. What is using the chihuahua supposed to symbolize?
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
Jay B., 38, black male <jayboyd@ameritech.net>, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The first time I saw the Taco Bell ads featuring Dinky the chihuahua, I was with a large group of Mexican-American friends watching a Dallas Cowboys game. All of my friends thought the commercial was hilarious and that the dog was cute. So, I’m pretty sure most Mexican Americans aren’t terribly offended by that commercial. Some are, of course, but I don’t think it’s specifically because of that commercial. I think many Mexican Americans are angry and frustrated in general by media depictions. My ex-wife is Mexican and used to fume that “you never see a Mexican in a movie, and when you do, he’s a drug dealer.” She had a point. There are many things Mexicans can legitimately complain about. But the Taco Bell doggie is pretty harmless and silly. I mean, I’m Irish, but I don’t get offended by the silly, phony Irish accents I hear in commercials for Irish Spring or Lucky Charms!
POSTED JUNE 19, 1998
Astorian, 37, white male, <astorian@aol.com>, Austin, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
Chihuahuas are known as a Mexican breed and have been significant in our history for thousands of years. I do not find the commercials offensive, for there is no better animal to represent the food and the culture. Animal breeds have been used to represent cultures for many reasons. I would feel the same if I were a Chinese person and saw a commercial for Chinese food with a panda instead of a chihuahua, or if I were Australian and a commercial for Australian food featured a kangaroo or koala bear.
POSTED JUNE 30, 1998
S.B., 25, St. Johns, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
The dog is funny. The groups griping about it have an agenda of their own, and humor is not included. You will always have someone on the grandstand who will cry about an effort of any kind if it will further their goals. Political Correctness is the exercise for controlling people right now, but it will pass.
POSTED AUG. 7, 1998
Jerry, 56, Mexican American <jersan@aol.com>, San Diego, CA
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R46: In the United States, is it true that southeast Asians (Orientals, Indians and Pakistanis) are generally considered more intelligent than any other ethnic group? If so, is this because of their ethnic group, or other factors?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Jiman, 23, Bangladeshi male <jiman@umich.edu>
Ann Arbor, MI

ANSWER 1:
Orientals and Southeast Asians are not genetically smarter than Westerners. What they do have, in my experience, is a family structure that strongly promotes academics and good grades to better the family and rise in the economic ladder. It is not uncommon to have Asian students study at home for hours on end, at the expense of a social life. It is no coincidence that up to 40 percent of California’s universities are filled with Asian students. They have the study ethic. The Asian students who have become more Westernized, unfortunately, tend to adapt our more lax habits.
Scott O. <sroring@dmci.net>
Jackson, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R45: What is the meaning behind the derogatory terms “gooks” and “zipperheads” used against Asians? I believe this has some basis in the Korean and Vietnam wars, but am not sure.
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Stu, 26, white <hawkstu@juno.com>
Commerce , MI

ANSWER 1:
My understanding from a Korean friend it that “gook” derives from the word “Hunguk” (sp.?), the Korean word for Korean.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Sosumi, Troy, MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R44: For a number of years I’ve noticed that many African Americans do not say that they “live” at a place. Instead, for example, they say, “I stay at 4800 Dallas St.” Even if they’ve lived there 20 years, they never say “I live there.” Why is this?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Marie B., 45, white, Woodville, Tx
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R43: Why do blacks have larger-than-average lips?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
John B., Warren , MI

ANSWER 1:
Average compared to what? Turn the question around: Why do some whites have smaller than average lips? It’s all a matter of how you define what “average” is – and in this country “average” means “white.” This means that anything thatisn’t white is therefore different or non-average. See how strange that is?
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Alex, 39 <aleavens@mindspring.com>,Lawrenceville, GA

FURTHER NOTICE:
I think the original question was not meant to imply that any “non-white” lips are not average. I think it was an innocent question that deserved an answer. This is a good example of why white America will never understand other races. If we ask, we are perceived as racist.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
D.L., white, Redford, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
To D.L.: White America can understand other races and cultures better if we take the time to try to understand other perspectives than our own and not be so defensive when others point out when we do ask questions that display ignorance or white bias. I see no indication of Alex’s race nor any accusations of racism. His (her?) response is pretty straightforward. Even as a white woman, my initial reaction to this question was pretty much the same as Alex’s reaction, but thought it more appropriate to let a black person point out the obvious. One purpose of this forum is to help break down barriers and educate each other.
POSTED APRIL 28, 1998
DykeOnByke, white lesbian and corporate diversity council member <DykeOnByke@aol.com>, Southfield, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
How about “average” as compared to every other race? i.e. brown people, pink people, yellow people and red people. While I agree that “average” may be perceived to mean white, that is not the root of the question. I don’t think that the original question had racial implications. Which brings us back to: Blacks tend to have larger lips than the other four colors of people. Why does this tend to be the case?
POSTED APRIL 29, 1998
Linda (one of the other four colors) <linda1701e@voyager.net>
Bloomfield area, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
This is a stereotype. I am a white woman and have larger-than-average lips. It is not a race thing.
POSTED MAY 3, 1998
Mick, 27, white, Birmingham, AL

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I have read that straight, overhanging noses evolved as an adaptation to cold climates, but I can’t remember anything about lips. I think there is a general trend for some races to have smaller or larger lips than others, but obviously, as with most genetic traits, there is a large range of types in each population and race. I believe that the “Out of Africa” theory of human evolution is the most likely. Therefore, it is likely that fuller lips are the original human state. Large lips may have arisen by natural or sexual selection. Lips are a very sensuous part of the body and look attractive. They may also be useful in practical ways – other primates use lips for many different functions, though other primates don’t have the thin-skinned, blood-filled part to their lips that most humans have. As people began to move out of Africa into colder climates, larger lips may have posed some disadvantage as did darker skin (not enough vitamin D/E?) and flatter noses (something to do with condensation of water in the air). Lips have less skin coverage than other areas on our face and are susceptible to the extreme elements – chapped lips are common when exposed to the cold and blistered lips when exposed to the sun (if pale skinned). The disadvantage wouldn’t necessarily have to be large to change the genetic makeup of a population over many, many years. Alternatively, there may just have been a particular trend in lip shape in those who migrated out of Africa (look up bottle-necks in genetics books). I think this is less likely.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Beth, thin-lipped, Edinburgh, UK

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
Genetically, African Americans (politically correct but not geographically) have fuller lips, Native Americans are known for straight, full, black hair, Swedes for blonde hair, Irish for green eyes, Jews for prominent noses, and the list goes on. As a multiculture offspring, I pass for “white” most of the time, but I am attracted to African Americans, so that I do not see “larger-than-average lips,” I see beautiful, full and sensuous lips. As an artist, though, I am able to see and appreciate the differences and beauty in everyone I run across.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Steve N., 40, mixed <blaster7@hotmail.com>
Dallas, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I’m a black male and do not interpret the question as racist. It’s a good question. Blacks come from a hot climate. There are biological and environmental reasons our nostrils are larger: To cool the air we breathe. Our behinds are larger to store fat in a place where we can stay cool rather than on legs or arms. We tend to be taller because taller, lean bodies dissipate heat better. Straight hair warms the head and neck. How many times have you seen straight-haired people pull their hair away from their necks to cool themselves? There is a biological reason why our lips are larger. I’d love to know the answer.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Ron B., Mission Viejo, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 8:
Black people seem to have the largest features of all the races because of adaptation. If you are willing to know the true answer, you must study. Black people tend to have the larger features because when we were in Africa, we had to adapt to the hot climates. That’s why our skin is deep in melanin – to protect us against the sun’s rays. Melanin is the dark pigment that gives us our color. We have larger noses to be able to breathe in the humid air of Africa. We have larger lips for the same reason. We tend to have “kinky” hair because of the humidity and hot temperatures of Africa. I hope this was helpful to you.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Rabiah S. <littlemama1220@hotmail.com>, Atlanta, GA

FURTHER NOTICE 9:
To quote the guidelines posted on this website for answering a question: “If someone else has shown the courage to acknowledge to themselves and others that they don’t know something, they may well be on the path to knowing. In that spirit, try not to penalize them by deriding them or being condescending with your responses.” The question was an honest attempt to inquire about a biologic difference, which most likely has a scientific explanation (of which I am unaware). The point is that this site was designed so that people could ask precisely this kind of question.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Mark M., white <marknyc@hotmail.com>, New York, NY

FURTHER NOTICE 10:
I agree with the first response: The question seems a bit narrow, but the person is trying to learn (I forgive you for not knowing). But take a moment to think about how that sounds. It is a generalization, based on non-factual perceptions, which can easily be seen as an insult. I dated a guy of Polish descent for a long time and his lips were very full and, well, sexy, but he was white. I never thought “Do all Polish people have full lips?” I really think that the lip thing is individual, as are most things about people. There are some traits that most of a certain group may have, but those things are just features.
POSTED MAY 6, 1998
Carmela, 29, black <pecola@hotmail.com>, Atlanta, Ga

FURTHER NOTICE 11:
Consider another species: The dog. Dogs have more than 250 known “breeds” and many more mixes. Some dogs have long ears to help stir smells up from the ground to better smell. Others have broader frames to better pull sleds. Their anatomical differences have a purpose. As for the human species, I was once told that the definition of a race is determined by the size of the skull, the girth of the hips and the length of the thigh bone. If we are wondering about dimensions of a particular race’s anatomy, in this case lips, I’d say anthropology verifies there are anatomical differences helping to define races. Ignoring the word “average,” if we ask the question about lips in terms of a race’s development through evolution, do we know if there is a specific reason some races tend to have larger lips than other races (or for that matter straight hair, eyes with little or no lids, or a lot of body hair)? Is there a physical advantage to or need for any race’s differences based on what we know from anthropology? It’s a good question when we look at it scientifically and do not single out one race or another as average.
POSTED MAY 7, 1998
Laura K., <pelagic2@bellsouth.net>, Miami, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 12:
I find this an odd question because so many white models are getting callogen shots to give their lips more shape. Remains found in Africa show that if anything, African lips are the standard, and thin, Eurocentric lips that Europeans are now shooting to make fuller are not the norm.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
William H., black <wthob19@idt.net>, Tallahassee, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 13:
Blacks do have a larger-than-normal lip size. This feature helps cool the body by using the larger surface area in and around the mouth and nose, evaporating moisture in much the same way as panting in non-perspiring animals.
POSTED JUNE 3, 1998
Davis, Portland, OR
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R42: How did the term “jig” come to refer to black people?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
John B., Warren , MI
To respond
BACK TO TOP

THE QUESTION:
R41: Why do some black women not shave their armpits or legs?
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Steven, Southfield , MI
(Similar question posted April 16, 1998, by Brenda S., 23,<TuBCrzySxy@aol.com>, Wixom, MI)

ANSWER 1:
I can’t speak for not shaving the underarm area; but some black men find hairy legs very sexy.
Rain, 43, black female <PRBKB@airmail.net>
Dallas , TX

FURTHER NOTICE:
Some black men find hairy legs sexy. I have always been discouraged from shaving mine. However, I do shave my armpits. I can only guess that people who don’t shave their armpits don’t know that they should. I have personally advised at least three of my friends, who were otherwise quite meticulous in their hygiene, that they might want to shave their armpits.
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Claire D., Stone Mountain , GA

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Women choose whether or not to shave their underarms or legs. It has nothing to do with race.
POSTED MARCH 19, 1998
Catherine, 36 <Cathk@msn.com>
Brooklyn , NY

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I don’t mean this to sound snide, but it may be the same reason some white women (or a woman from any other ethnic group) don’t shave theirs. I personally shave.
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
A. Walker <alcewa@gulfsurf.infi.net>
Pensacola , Fl

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
The question should be why does anyone shave? What purpose does it serve? It just grows back tomorrow. In my experience, shaving any part of a body (female or male) is more of a cultural norm related to a society’s or individual’s esthetic sense of beauty, gender role conformity and/or sexual attraction. It has absolutely nothing to do with hygiene. Since I tend to value non-conformity for its own sake, I rather admire women who don’t shave.
POSTED MARCH 21, 1998
DykeOnByke, white lesbian <DykeOnByke@aol.com>
Southfield , MI

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
Hurrah! To Catherine and A. Walker. It’s merely a matter of personal preference. I haven’t shaved either (legs/underarms) for over 20 years. What started as a 60s rebellion evolved into “why shave?” And it certainly is not a compromise to personal hygiene. If one has an underarm odor problem, it has more to do with what you eat, hormones and an inadequate anti-perspirant. I definitely agree that it is more a socially or culturally motivated practice.
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Marge <MGrug@AOL.com>
Brownstown , MI

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I was once told by a black co-worker that she liked the look of shaved legs and underarms, but that she didn’t shave her own because she was subject to ingrown hairs. I don’t know if this is a common problem.
POSTED APRIL 26, 1998
A. Morgan, 33, Houston

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
The texture of black hair can and does cause hair to curl back into the skin, causing “razor bumps.” These bumps can become infected. Notice the razor bumps on the face of many black men. How do you think they would feel on legs and underarms? Just because a practice is customary, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s practical for everyone.
POSTED OCT. 20, 1998
M.S.D. <yaz04@yahoo.com>, NC