Home / Archives / Race/Ethnicity Questions 461-470

Race/Ethnicity Questions 461-470

THE QUESTION:
R470: I would like to hear comments from any African-American Race/EthnicityQuestions 471-480Feel free to browse the following questions, some of which may still await answers. You can then post an answer or counter an answer that has already been posted. Please read the guidelines for answering questions before making a posting.   Previous 10 this topic area Next 10 this topic area   hockey and figure skaters, including adults who have had (or are having) problems within the sport.
POSTED SEPT. 29, 1998
Cee Gee, African American, West Orange, NJ

ANSWER 1:
I am an African-American female who started figure skating when I was three. I quit the sport because neither my coach, parents nor I felt the judges were judging me fairly. We felt the same way when Surya Bonnaly (sorry about the spelling) was not awarded with the gold medal a few years ago, and refused to wear the medal on the stand. We supported her in her decision because we understood what it was like to deserve first place and be given less. I am interested in speaking with you in greater detail. Please write me at my attached e-mail address.
POSTED OCT. 7, 1998
Batgirl, 17, African-American female, <tawandam@goplay.com> Newbury, OH
FURTHER NOTICE:
According to a newscast I saw, Bonnaly (I don’t know how to spell it, either) refused to wear the medal not because she felt she deserved better, but because she felt she had not done her best and hadn’t earned the medal.
POSTED OCT. 13, 1998
Colette &lt;inkwolf@earthlink.net&gt;, Seymour, WI
  To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
 
R469: For an article about legislation in different countries, I want to put a sub-head on the section about Japan. Would anyone be offended if I called the Japanese section, “Ah so!”? The French section head is, “en francais.” The Japanese legislation compares favorably with other countries.
POSTED SEPT. 29, 1998
P. Kome &lt;kome@shaw.wave.ca&gt;, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
 
R468: I am close friends with a black female, and we go out to lunch almost every day. I noticed that when we pass black people, they always say hello to each other. The first time I assumed they knew each other, but it happens with every black person we pass. At first this insulted me because I know that if she didn’t know me she wouldn’t acknowledge me if we were to pass one another. My question is: As a white female, should I just take this fact with a grain of salt, or say hi as she does? I also noticed that black men will say hi to me when I pass, but black women rarely do. Why is this?
POSTED SEPT. 29, 1998
Dawn, 20, white female, Schaumburg, IL
        ANSWER 1:
  I think it is largely a cultural thing. It is customary to speak when you are passing and catch someone’s eye. I try to speak to everyone I pass, but for the most part, white people don’t respond, or they give me that “tight lip smile.” As for men, they are going to speak to a lady, especially if she is attractive, no matter what race. Take it as a compliment!
POSTED OCT. 6, 1998
Samm, 33, African American, Boston, MA
  FURTHER NOTICE:
  Black people acknowledge each other because of the “sister/brother” philosophy. We believe that our issues, experiences and struggles are interconnected, so wherever we go, other blacks feel like family. Skin so defines our common experiences in the world that we simply cannot ignore or disregard one another, particularly in public settings. The acknowledgement is a symbol of unspoken solidarity, understanding and shared identity. Even further, during slavery blacks learned to use codes to communicate because it was forbidden to share thoughts and ideas. Because of our race and the effects of racism, we see ourselves as mirror images of each other. Most whites, on the other hand, do not usually experience the world by race or ethnic identity, so “speaking” has more of a social rather than ethnic value.
POSTED OCT. 6, 1998
Dee, black, &lt;westde@hiram.edu&gt;, Cleveland, OH
  FURTHER NOTICE 2:
  It’s not racial, but cultural. Most blacks are just a generation or two removed from the South, and “Down South” it is considered good manners to acknowledge people as you pass them on the street. African Americans start speaking to everyone, but the Northern custom of not speaking to people you don’t know soon trains people to only speak to their own.
POSTED OCT. 6, 1998
Fred, African-American male, Chicago, IL
  FURTHER NOTICE 3:
  I was taught as a child to acknowledge others as a matter of good manners. It has been my experience that African Americans readily say Hi when you say Hi to them. This coming from an apparently white male may surprise some people. Have I ever encountered what could be construed as a cool or even bad response? Yes. So what. Does it happen often? No. I have noticed how seldom I encounter negative responses from African-American males. I’m of the belief that there exists in our crowded world too much individual isolation. We need to try to be polite to all people and try not to judge those who are non-responsive; maybe they are just having a bad day.
OCT. 13, 1998
Jean L., white/Native American of French descent &lt;jgagnier@efortress.com&gt;, Westerly, RI
  To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
 
R467: I am curious about the origins of the different so-called “races.”. If the “Out of Africa” hypothesis is correct, where do non-blacks come from? My own guess is that Caucasians are descended from inter-mating albinos of black people, and yellow people are the children of blacks and black albinos (whites). Has anyone heard of similar thinking? If so, can you suggest references for study?
POSTED SEPT. 29, 1998
Amon R., 41, Hakodate, Japan
        ANSWER 1:
  The physical trait people most commonly use to define a “race” is skin color. However, skin color is merely an adaptation to the environment, specifically the amount of solar radiation. Assuming the “Out of Africa” hypothesis is correct (which suggests that modern Homo Sapiens first evolved in North Africa around 100,000 years ago and, as population levels increased, spread out to eventually cover the globe), then over millenia, as populations adapted to their environmnent, certain traits were selected for or against that better suited people to that particular environment. In areas near the equator, it was more beneficial to retain a high level of melanin in the skin (the pigment that gives the skin color) The closer to the equator, the more melanin, and hence, the darker the skin. Farther away from the equator, where solar radiation was not as intense, over many generations, it was not advantageous to have much melanin in the skin, and the skin was lighter. There are no clear divisions in skin color, but rather a gradation from very light, through every possible shade to very dark. And skin color is not controlled by only one “gene,” but by many. So, skin color, or any other genetic trait, does not define a “race” of people. The idea of race is a socially defined category.
POSTED DEC. 3, 1998
Female, anthropologist, Chicago, IL
  To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
 
R466: I recently heard about an African harvest holiday. What is its name and what types of festivities go on during this holiday? Are there specific foods that are eaten? Is this based on a specific religion?
POSTED SEPT. 28, 1998
C.B. &lt;cmbender@kent.edu&gt;, Columbia, OH     To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:     R465: Why do many of the Asian women I see shuffle their feet when walking?
POSTED SEPT. 28, 1998
Paul, Vancouver, Canada
To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
R464: Sometimes when I am driving down the street, I encounter
an African American crossing. As I get closer, they seem to slow down, as though they are daring me to hit them. Why is this? I’m sure there’s some logical explanation.
POSTED SEPT. 23, 1998
Bill C., gay white male
&lt;nellytooth@aol.com&gt;, Memphis, TN
       

ANSWER 1:
Many blacks are treated by whites as if they are invisible. In most day-to-day interactions, other than school or work, there is normally little eye contact and seldom interpersonal communication between races. So the crosswalk phenomenon you describe is a passive aggressive way to send a message that “you have to see me, you can’t deny that I exist, and you must acknowledge my presence. You may want to destroy me … but you can’t.” The slower the walk, the more control, though displaced, the person lingering feels. This attitude stems from deeply internalized effects of racism, some of which manifest themselves in the most peculiar ways. Keep in mind that, however unfair, until a person gets to know you personally, you are just another white man who has the burden of disproving that you have a racist agenda.
POSTED OCT. 5, 1998
Dee W. &lt;westde@hiram.edu&gt;, Cleveland , OH

FURTHER NOTICE:
Dee, pu-lease! The reason for that slow walk across the street is rudeness and risk-taking stupidity, plain and simple. I have seen a lot of pedestrians do it, black and white alike.
POSTED OCT. 10, 1998
Diane, African-American female, Durham, NC
FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Dee, it seems to me that you are the one with the agenda. The strutting in front of a car, by any person, is more a show of arrogance than a statement.
POSTED OCT. 19, 1998
M.E.D., colorblind, HI
 

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I agree with the rudeness theory. I have also encountered black males who stop their cars in the middle of the street and have a little meeting of the “minds,” and expect the rest of the world to go around them. (I put the word “minds” in quotation marks because anyone this rude can’t have much of a mind.) Why can’t they pull off into a parking lot where there’s lots of room?
POSTED FEB. 28, 1999
PO’d driver <baskthed@flash.net>, Fort Worth , Tx
To respond
BACK TO TOP
     


THE QUESTION:
 
R463: I work at a very ethnically diverse company in Southern California. I have noticed (as have several of my co-workers) that people from the Philippines are very noisy when they eat and drink. Why is this?
POSTED SEPT. 22, 1998
Sally, 46, white, La Verne, CA
        RELATED QUESTION:
 
I have noticed something similar: That Asian (Vietnamese, Chinese) immigrants to America generally eat more loudly than native Americans, especially when eating soup, and also may talk with food in their mouth. What are the prevailing codes of behavior (manners) for eating and drinking in Asian cultures? Maybe they are following rules that native Americans do not discern, or their various prohibitions may be of lesser or greater degrees.
POSTED OCT. 5, 1998
Mark S., 30, white, Houston, TX
        ANSWER 1:
  When I went to visit my fiancee in the Philippines I noticed the same thing. It’s just a cultural difference. A good meal can be a noisy affair, with chomping, slurping and belching drawing nary a glance. Actually, it was kind of nice not to have to worry about “table manners,” but I know I’ll probably have to have a little talk with my fiancee when she gets here.
POSTED OCT. 5, 1998
Fred, 49, white, Spring, TX
  FURTHER NOTICE:
  I laughed when I read the question, I guess because I am a Filipina American and I never really thought about sounds at the dinner table – but come to think of it, visiting the Philippines, it’s true! There’s nothing wrong with the sounds accompanied with eating – especially when it’s a delicious meal, and no one really notices anyway, I guess, because dinner time is also catch-up time with the family; a time for everyone to talk about their day.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
D.F., Filipina American, female &lt;dxf0001@widener.edu&gt;, Chester, PA
  To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
 
R462: To me, many Puerto Ricans seem proudly Hispanic when it suits them (to the point of even trashing us “gringos”), but then when the situation calls for them to be red-blooded Americans, theysuddenly classify themselves as that. Why is this, or am I incorrect in my perception?
POSTED SEPT. 22, 1998
Icarus, 26, white American, Miami , FL
        ANSWER 1:
  When you realize that Hispanic just means “of Spanish descent,” you will realize that one can be Hispanic and proud of it and also be a patriotic American (Puerto Rico is part of the United States). The problem that exists is when you are Hispanic, it is presumed you are one way by others. I do not speak Spanish fluently (to my wife’s chagrin) but as a blue-eyed, fair-skinned male, I am often treated one way by folks looking at me and another when only my name is known, and a third way when I am in uniform. To be proud of one’s heritage is OK and to acknowledge one’s citizenship is also OK. Neither one diminishes the other.
POSTED OCT. 7, 1998
Frank, 30, white/Puerto Rican, &lt;gonzalez1@hauns.com&gt;, N.M.
  To respond
 
BACK TO TOP      


THE QUESTION:
 
R461: Why do teams use demeaning and hurtful names like “Redskins,” “Braves” and “Wahoo”? “Redskin” is, according to the U.S. Dictionary, equal to calling a black person “nigger.” Does anyone care that these things degrade and stereotype a living, breathing race? Do we have rights to the same racial dignity others now enjoy? I apologize if I sound angry. I just pray that Creator gives the people of America the empathy, compassion and conviction to see the wrong in these things, and make them right.
POSTED SEPT. 21, 1998
C. Nunpa, Lakota/Potawatomi, MI
        ANSWER 1:
  I am a black woman who is strongly offended by the use of racist logos. I refuse to attend any sports contests where these teams or logos are endorsed and will not purchase this racist merchandise. The effects of racism are immeasurable, and it doesn’t matter who the target audience is. My prayers are in line with yours.
POSTED SEPT. 22, 1998
Dee W., black female, westde@hiram.edu, Cleveland, OH
  FURTHER NOTICE:
  I don’t feel we have any rights to “racial dignity.” We do, however, have a right to freedom of speech. Native Americans (neither word being very accurate) are a conquered people and as a whole are well-respected and accepted by the general population. When these terms were first used, they were not meant to be negative. The idea that a competitive sports team would use an ethnicity to promote itself shows honor. In today’s society, these terms have become less than acceptable among the politically correct. Names like Canucks, Fighting Irish and Vikings are all words that can now be found offensive. That’s life. Win the war, write the rules.
POSTED SEPT. 22, 1998
Kirk &lt;saturnkk@concentric.net&gt;, Warren, MI
  FURTHER NOTICE 2:
  I think you should lighten up. The teams are named after a people who are admired. It’s not a putdown. It’s a compliment.
POSTED SEPT. 23, 1998
Half Native American, FL
  FURTHER NOTICE 3:
  Thank you for bringing to my attention that these words are offensive to Native American people. I was aware that “Redskins” was considered insulting. However, I had no idea that “Braves” was also an insult, and I have never heard the word “wahoo” before. Could you explain what these words mean and where they come from? I’m afraid I’m very ignorant of your culture!
POSTED SEPT. 23, 1998
Liz, white &lt;Elizabeth.Baines@bbsrc.ac.uk&gt;, Edinburgh, UK
  FURTHER NOTICE 4:
  C.N., you are certainly entitled to your opinion, but your rights end when they impose on another’s. Words carry different meanings to different people. In fact, your own name might be considered an insult in other tongues, yet I have no right to tell you not to use it.
POSTED SEPT. 24, 1998
Arlin, 49, Polish, Forest Meadows, NJ
  FURTHER NOTICE 5:
  I will believe “Redskin” is a compliment for Indian people as soon as I hear of a team being named “Small Penises” or “White Trash” and whites take it as a compliment. These names are stereotypes and negative ones definitely. Imagine a team being named “Stingies” or “Kikes” and then people claiming they were complimenting Jews on their thriftiness. The “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame was objected to as a stereotype by Irish people in the 19th Century and early 20th Century, when discrimination against the Irish was still quite common. But I have never heard of discrimination against Canadians or Scandinavians. That’s why no one objects, because whites do have power within this system. But there is no group more powerless than American Indians (only guilty whites say Native American; I’ve never heard another Indian call themselves anything but Indian or their particular tribe). I cheer those who search their conscience and do not laugh off hateful language.     To Kirk: The “conquered people” idea was proven wrong long ago by historians. First, some Indians such as the Seminole were never defeated. Others, like the Apache, were never defeated by the military but by Indians allied with the United States. Dozens of tribes never fought the United States at all. Disease and starvation played the main part in those that were temporarily defeated. As you can see, we are still here and stronger than ever. I am not “conquered” anymore than blacks are still slaves. The conquered people argument is another way of saying “might makes right.” But we all know what is right is right. It does surprise me that you claim Indians are well treated when that part of the country, the North-Central, is where Indians are commonly referred to as “Prairie Niggers.” The use of sports teams using racial epithets is a sign of a larger problem, just as there used to be a chewing tobacco brand called “Nigger Hair.”
POSTED SEPT. 24, 1998
A.C.C., 32, Mexican and American Indian male, San Antonio, TX
  FURTHER NOTICE 6:
  I’m white, and I’ve never been terribly sensitive to complaints by minority groups about the nicknames that have been given to them. Sometimes I feel it is simply whining – particularly when I know of Polish Americans who refer to themselves as Pollacks and blacks who refer to other blacks as niggers. Spoken by the wrong person, however – i.e. someone who is not a fellow member of a group – I know that names can be very hurtful. I grew up in the South, and I know how hateful the name nigger could be. The odd thing about all this to me, however, is that I can’t think of a single nickname for whites that gets me upset. Not whitey, not ofay, not honkey, not gringo, not Yank. Even the Australian pejorative, Septic (as in septic tank, rhymes with Yank), doesn’t inflame me. It’s merely funny. Am I missing something?
POSTED SEPT. 28, 1998
Jim S., 69 &lt;jimshaws@aol.com&gt;, Santa Ana, CA
  FURTHER NOTICE 7:
  I agree that racial sports mascots are insulting. However, I noticed something on a trip to the Four Corners area on the Navajo reservation. I drove by two or three high schools and noticed that they all had team names like Braves and Warriors, etc. Anyone care to comment on this?
POSTED SEPT. 30, 1998
P.J. &lt;civserv@yahoo.com&gt;, San Jose, CA
  FURTHER NOTICE 8:
  When I was in school I learned about the Indians being brave and strong and good hunters and very proud people. So when we would choose a name for our sports team, we chose names of Indian tribes because we wanted to be brave and proud and strong. It wasn’t an insult, it was out of respect for the qualities of that race. Caucasions in general are not known for things that you could name a football team after. (The Boston Blonde Guys, The San Fransicso Sun-Burns?) The Indians of today are sadly thought of as drunks and lazy because of ignorance. I think if the effort was put into reminding people why those team names were used in the first place it would help stop the stereotyping of that race, and people would remember how much respect that race deserves.
POSTED SEPT. 30, 1998
L. Riobo, 33 &lt;moxdox@bc.sympatico.ca&gt;, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
  FURTHER NOTICE 9:
  To Jim S.: I think the reason many white people aren’t offended by derogatory terms about whites is based on the fact that whites have enjoyed a powerful position in society, relatively speaking. Whites can afford to laugh off derogatory remarks. Ask yourself, in the extreme, who is damaged more in this situation: A white slaveholder refers to his/her black slaves as “inferior niggers” while he whips them, vs.: A black slave refers to his/her white master as the “white devil” while being whipped. Blacks (and other targets of racism) have been affected more by racist attitudes, which are reflected in derogatory language. A more contemporary example would be a white employer or landowner refusing to hire or rent to a black person while thinking to himself (or bragging to others) that he rejected a “nigger” today. A black person calls him a white, arrogant honkey. The white guy laughs (all the way to the bank, so to speak). You just have to look at the large statistical gaps between whites and blacks in employment, housing, education, wages, medical care, etc., to see the big picture.
POSTED SEPT. 30, 1998
L.A., Oregon
FURTHER NOTICE 10:
If people were really offended by these names, they would speak with their pocketbooks. If C. Nunpa or A.C.C. are offended by these team names, they have every right to stay home or share their view with others in hopes that they too will stay away from these teams. I can’t believe a team called “Small Penises” or “White Trash” (A.C.C.’s insult, not mine) would ever sell a ticket, nor would a team called “Dirty Wetback” or “Alcoholic American Indians.” Not because of the racial tie, but because of the accepted nature of these insults. But if they did sell tickets, it is their right to do so. We can only hope that such a thing would never happen.
POSTED OCT. 5, 1998
Maria, Mexican American, Austin, TX
 

FURTHER NOTICE 11:
To Kirk: “Conquered”? “Well-respected”? Hmmm “Conquered” would imply a battle or war in which one side lost, correct? If this is true, then “conquered” would most definitely be an inaccurate word to describe the result of our dealings with the United States. “Massacred” and “deceived” would be more fitting terms. “Well- respected'”? Since when does it become someone else’s right to decide what “honors” me and my people? This ain’t about being politically correct; it’s about right and wrong. “Canucks, Vikings and Fighting Irish….” Since when does trying to justify a wrong make it right? You say, “That’s life.” I say: Not yours, obviously. Man, sometimes it feels like nobody in the world has a clue who we really are. I’m not angry, just sick.
POSTED FEB. 4, 1999
Cetan N., Lakota/Potawatomi, Mi

FURTHER NOTICE 11:
To Nunpa: I am Russian American, and in my language the word “nunpa” refers to a feeble-minded person. I take offense to your using that word as your name. Please change your name so that my people may take full advantage of the American dream. Of course, I have the full authority of my Russian brothers to make this claim.
POSTED FEB. 4, 1999
Stefan G., 33, American., Utica, NY
To respond
BACK TO TOP
     

Check Also

Sexual Orientation Questions 31-40

THE QUESTION: SO40: Are there any specific reasons for the lisp many gay men have ...

Leave a Reply