Race/Ethnicity Questions 61-70

THE QUESTION:
R70: In the past several years, I have noticed a lot of crown air fresheners in the automobiles of African Americans. I have rarely seen them in the cars of Caucasians. Does the crown have some significance?
POSTED MARCH 21, 1998
Diane R., Plymouth, MI

ANSWER 1:
I live in a suburb about 15 minutes away from Detroit, and I also have noticed the same. I have seen the crowns in stores as air fresheners, but I have heard there is a deeper meaning to them than their sweet smell. A few years back in Detroit, a man by the name of Malice Green was killed by Detroit police. Also, in the L.A. riots preceded the beating of Rodney King. I have been told that the crowns signify a remembrance of the two incidents.
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
VK, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
They are air fresheners that may only be sold in the minority community.
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Rain, 43, Dallas, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I disagree that crown air fresheners are sold only in minority communities. I have seen them in suburban Kmarts, car washes, etc.
POSTED MARCH 29, 1998
David H. 30, white, Royal Oak, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 3
In my community, we see the crown air fresheners in mostly Latino vehicles. The significance to me is different. Our local Portuguese communities hold yearly Holy Ghost festivals. We recently had a party to celebrate a relative being chosen as “queen” and gave those air fresheners as party favors. To our family, it means something religious/cultural.
POSTED JUNE 9, 1998
L.H., Santa Rosa, CA
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THE QUESTION:
R69: It seems that African-American intellectuals often use difficult words in sentences where easier words would suffice. Are they aggressively responding to those who assume that they are ignorant or merely asserting their brilliance?
D. VanBuskirk <sooners85@aol.com>
Searcy, AR

ANSWER 1:
I’m white and a former MENSA member. I don’t think this is a racial question, since many white intellectuals also insist on using more complicated verbiage than necessary to express themselves. Reasons for using expanded vocabulary are: 1. The less-familiar word has overtones that are more precisely expressive of the speaker’s thoughts – the Mot Juste. 2. The speaker enjoys the opportunity of using words not commonly heard, as an assertion of personal style and individuality. The English language is a thing of beauty and diversity, and shouldn’t be restricted to two-syllable words. 3. (On occasion) the speaker is expressing this thought – “Your house is more expensive than mine, your car is newer, your income is 10 times mine, you got promoted over my head, but I know all these words that you don’t. Ha, ha, ha! Moron!”
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Colette, 32 <inkwolf@earthlink,net>
Seymour, WI
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THE QUESTION:
R68: I recently met a gentleman with the last name Nguyen. He said that in his country, his last name is pronounced “Wang.” I know that Asian languages are character-based, and they do not use the same alphabet as the English language. When people using one of these languages write their name in English for the first time, how do they arrive at Nguyen for “Wang?” It seems like any spelling could be chosen, since English and these languages do not have any common characters. Why choose a spelling that is not pronounced as it looks?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Phillip W., Detroit, MI

ANSWER 1:
First of all, not all Asian languages are character-based. If you read history, the Vietnamese people were very influenced by the French. We’ve integrated many of our words together to form what is now the Vietnamese language. We also changed the style of writing from characters to actual letters, most resembling the French alphabet. And this is the main reason we spell our last name the way we do. Now, if you were to ask someone to say “Nguyen” in the native tongue, it would most resemble “Win” instead of “Wang.”
POSTED MARCH 25, 1998
Ms. Nguyen, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
To piggyback on Ms. Nguyen’s answer, Tagalog (the main dialect of the Philippines) is written in the Roman script and is not character-based, as is Chinese. Moreover, the question, “Why choose a spelling that is not pronounced as it looks?” might well be applied to English, which has a notoriously inconsistent system of spelling vs. pronunciation. As an example, look at the pronunciation of “gh,” as in “enough” or “though.” The same two letters, but two different pronunciations!
POSTED JULY 18, 1998
Noisette, 27, Filipino-American, Seattle, WA
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THE QUESTION:
R67: My best friend is black and we’ve known each other for more than 10 years. Over time, practically all of her black female friends severed ties with her, saying she had “sold out” by befriending me. This is so unfair, but I’m trying to understand the basis of it. Any suggestions?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Sam L. Lansing, MI

ANSWER 1:
Unfortunately, there are still people who believe having a close friendship with a person of an opposite race means you have betrayed your own race. Unless this young woman’s friendship with you has caused her to disassociate herself from any and everything black, she has not “sold out.” It could be that over the years she has picked up some of your mannerisms and ways of speaking that her ex-friends may consider “acting white.” If their friendship was based on such superficialities to begin with – rather than what’s in the heart – then she’s better off without them.
POSTED MARCH 24, 1998
Michelle, African American <kmichell@umich.edu>
Ann Arbor, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R66: I work in areas with mostly black population(s) and Arabic store owners. When I’m in their stores, they talk about black people in the most negative way. They say they all try to steal from them. I told them, if you serve mostly one type of group and you have a theft problem, you can’t blame the group. If you served a 50-50 mixed group and constantly had caught only one type of group, then you might have a point. Was I right?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Kevin <star4478>
Detroit, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R65: Why do black people say that other black people who make it in corporate America or other high-profile jobs are sell-outs?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Gary, 26, white male <pillette@tdi.net>
Monroe, MI

ANSWER 1:
Success in mainstream America is perceived as giving in or selling out to “The Man” instead of resisting. It’s the same thing with blacks who speak proper English as opposed to slang. They are questioned about their “blackness,” as if they are trying to be something they’re not. (Trying to be white.) Ludicrous, isn’t it?
POSTED MARCH 21, 1998
John W., African American, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
I think John W.’s answer fails to do justice to the often legitimate criticism/concern that a black person who “makes it” in corporate America is a sell-out. The reality is that, even today, those who are in the positions to determine whether, when, and to what extent a black person is allowed an opportunity to advance are largely white men (e.g., college admissions committees). I believe these men continue to make such decisions in part on how well a given black person “fits in,” and “fitting in” often means “acting white.” (Yes, there is a such thing as acting white.)

If you disagree, go out in society and compare the background, demeanor, social habits, personality and even spouses of, say, black men who have made partner in America’s largest private law firms. Compare them to white men and you will see they act white, often displaying behavior that markedly contrasts with the average black male professional. Qualifications aside, their “whiteness” is the reason whites felt comfortable enough to hire them in the first place. (If you doubt that, too, compare the blacks that whites tend to hire with the blacks that whites refuse jobs, even where the qualifications are the same.)

Finally, consider that there is almost no chance any black person who takes a job in a majority/historically white setting will not encounter racism. The question is, what will he/she do when that happens? If they point it out and try to “change” it, they’re likely to be fired. If they overlook it and stay quiet, they might keep their jobs and even be rewarded (with promotions, etc.). So, the notion is that in order to advance to any high level in “white” corporate America, a black would be required to pretend that racism doesn’t exist; some really believe it and are, therefore, considered sell-outs. I feel Justice Clarence Thomas is a prime example. As a black man, were he not a sell-out, regardless of credentials, he absolutely would not have been nominated and confirmed for the Supreme Court. Blacks already know this; I wonder if whites do.
POSTED SEPT. 10, 1998
A.J.S., 26, black male <ASalley@aol.com>, Columbia, SC
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THE QUESTION:
R64: Why is it that in a poor area, where a lot of black people live, they tend to find it more important to have a new car than to have a better house or to be living in a better area?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Delbert, Detroit, MI

ANSWER 1:
It is not that most blacks who live in a poor area prefer a nice car to a home, but as a result of racism and prejudice in lending practices, it is easier for blacks to get a car loan than a home loan. As we all know, home ownership is one of the first avenues to wealth. Racism and prejudice dictate that the avenue is blocked to blacks.
POSTED MARCH 21, 1998
Claire D., black female, Stone Mountain, GA
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THE QUESTION:
R63: I’m convinced that Michelle Tafoya, a reporter for CBS Sports, is black. My family believes she is white. Which race is she?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Mark M., Detroit, MI

ANSWER 1:
Often in American society, because of the “one-drop-of-black-blood” theory, we try to categorize people into white or black heritage. The fallacy of this theory is that black blood is so powerful that it dominates the other 99 percent white blood. When I look at Michelle Tofaya, she looks biracial to me. I guess it’s what we’re looking for.
POSTED MARCH 31, 1998
B.J.W., 33, president, Unity, a Multiracial Social Group
Jacksonville, FL
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THE QUESTION:
R62: I would like to know why some black men wear a plastic shower cap (or so it appears) covering their hair.
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Dennis C., 49, white, Jacksonville, FL

ANSWER 1:
There is a hairstyle called a “jheri curl” (a curly hair style) that is activated by an oil spray and a plastic cap. Just as some women wear curlers in public, some men wear the activator caps in public.
POSTED MARCH 21, 1998
Rain, 43, black, Dallas
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THE QUESTION:
R61: I have noticed that some black men drive their cars with the driver’s seat in a fully reclining position, their heads barely showing above the steering wheel and door. It seems like a strange, dangerous thing to do. Is it a “gang” thing, or a “fashion” thing? Any explanations for this?
POSTED MARCH 20, 1998
Artie, 46, white, Dallas
(Similar question posted June 24, 1998, by Mary D., MD)

ANSWER 1:
I drive in a more reclined position because it is more comfortable to me. I find it odd that some people can drive so upright; it appears they are kissing the windshield.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
Michael, 31, black <Notlad2@webtv.net>
Ypsilanti, MI

FURTHER NOTICE:
Do people still do that? I thought it was a 1970s thing. Back then, this driving position was called a “gangster lean”; there was actually a popular song that described it, as well as describing the “dream car” of the period. It isn’t gang-related, however; it’s just a matter of what could be called personal style. Personally, I would say it looks rather unsafe, although I’ve only seen it done at slow speeds, usually in a “cruising” situation.
POSTED MARCH 28, 1998
PombaGira, 36, African American female, Detroit

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Yes, this is still around, and it’s not only blacks that do it. The Puerto Rican and Mexican teenagers in my neighborhood do it. Come to think of it, I’ve seen some of the white teenagers do it, too. They all think it’s cool!
POSTED MARCH 29, 1998
K. Lynn, black <fortlynn@ix.netcom.com>
Chicago, IL