tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post4900159967390102406..comments2023-11-05T04:05:55.498-06:00Comments on Like a Dream: Just Black...?Tundehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679721958814302294noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-22915977085318385572009-11-27T14:04:48.647-06:002009-11-27T14:04:48.647-06:00Very well written! I will never understand why the...Very well written! I will never understand why the things that should bring us together tear us apart.The Reasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04027564220125144933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-20858503585357959742009-11-23T10:50:11.084-06:002009-11-23T10:50:11.084-06:00I’ve cut out 2/3 of what I wanted to say. Lol. Thi...I’ve cut out 2/3 of what I wanted to say. Lol. This topic can go on for days. Great job……..<br /><br />I was fortunate enough to always have Caribbean or (native) African friends growing up. My exposure to African diaspora cultures intrigued me from a young child. Needless to say my tolerance for ignorance is VERY low. I've never had a friend overtly disrespect my 'American-ness' or vice versa. My interest in black int'l culture changed my perspective on who I was as a black American. In a sense I embraced other cultures more because I felt being 'just' American was not exciting. (Though, I was always very pro black and recognized the struggle. Southern parents will do that for you!) <br /><br />The most common comment from all my international black friends is that WE, as in ALL Americans, are lazy. Understanding that education is a preeminent factor in international cultures, based on what they (or their) families see, Americans are lazy in comparison. Hell, I agree! Pick up a book. Read. :-) I've also been told that Africans don't endear us as 'Africans' because we aren't pure. I mean, can you blame them? We technically aren't anymore. We have roots there undoubtedly African but culturally we are American- blacks in America. <br /><br />We (sort of) have our own culture and have made do with what we were given- as you stated. As I've gotten older I have begun to embrace my American-ness and have been prouder to share my history. Black American history is rich and though not filled with indigenous aspects, it is worth sharing. Black Americans are just another thread in the huge cloth of the Diaspora around the world. <br /><br />And yes, I always look for the black people when I travel internationally! Sharing stories is amazing! :-)Daydreamerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10130708174792642991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-40081781333250577002009-11-22T05:29:25.706-06:002009-11-22T05:29:25.706-06:00In America, greater emphasis is always placed on r...In America, greater emphasis is always placed on race rather than culture because its easier to group people. Out of all the different immigrant groups that have come to this country since the beginning of its creation, it would be impossible to learn everything there is to know about every culture here. We have people/descendants from every nation on the planet. <br /><br />I wish more people would realize <br />a)there's a difference between someone being ignorant of YOUR culture vs. being just plain ignorant. <br />b)when African-Americans do run into "culture snobs" it doesn't exactly make us think "Wow. I would sure like to learn more about their culture and how they became such a loving people!" <br />c)Don't treat me like I'm stupid just because I don't know about your culture; unless you can tell me about Czech culture, can't I also say you're just as ignorant about the world?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-44621519245396955822009-11-16T12:57:20.850-06:002009-11-16T12:57:20.850-06:00Tunde-yup. well put. ;-)Tunde-yup. well put. ;-)Milanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879886722416883203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-80551951780012016012009-11-16T12:56:29.545-06:002009-11-16T12:56:29.545-06:00I respect this post a lot. I grew up with Caribbea...I respect this post a lot. I grew up with Caribbean parents and they raised me with a disdain to other Blacks. They always had beef with African Americans and Africans in general. They really didn't have kind things to say, and I grew up thinking I'm not a part of that culture. It's not till I got older and interacted with others that I took down the barriers that were built in me. I agree totally that for us to move forward the divisions must go. A house divided will fallDJ Martian Man Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04793874259158151512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-60747069601167323582009-11-16T12:12:20.784-06:002009-11-16T12:12:20.784-06:00i would agree with you milan on this front as well...i would agree with you milan on this front as well. there are plenty of africans or afro-caribbeans that look down their nose towards black americans. their reasons vary. i have noticed that the people who feel this way are from our parent's generation and older. <br /><br />i remember growing up listening to how my parents and uncles didn't want me or my brothers associating with children outside our culture. i personally thought it was insane. like i live in america so how could i not interact with americans? o_0 one word that really got under my skin that my parents/uncles/aunts used was "akata". it's a word for black americans and it doesn't have a positive connotation.<br /><br />in high school my mother told me that if i didn't marry an african that she would disown me. i took the opposite approach that milan's friend did. i basically shrugged her off. if she would be willing to disown me for choosing someone that i wanted to spend the rest of my life with then that was on her. i know for a fact that she doesn't feel that way now. my younger brother's baby mother is from philly. my mother loves my her and my niece to death.<br /><br />i agree that all this dissention and seperation needs to end. the world doesn't automatically seperate us so why would we seperate ourselves?Tundehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13679721958814302294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-80402286427157290112009-11-16T11:48:03.940-06:002009-11-16T11:48:03.940-06:00olivya-thanks for reading! I appreciate your persp...olivya-thanks for reading! I appreciate your perspective as well and I know there's ignorance on both sides of the coin. (Did you read Tunde's initial post on the subject? Click the link in my post...). The bottom line is that it's unnecessary and needs to stop. ;-)Milanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879886722416883203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-64638584126282822292009-11-16T11:35:54.209-06:002009-11-16T11:35:54.209-06:00I've had this convo with friends before. Glad ...I've had this convo with friends before. Glad to read your perspective.<br /><br />I am Nigerian-American. I am not one to separate myself, but it's most Black-Americans who separate themselves from their African ancestry. All through grade school and high-school, there were those ignorant kids who would speak without thinking, who were disrespectful because my name wasn't 'simple'. Because of this I tended not to befriend them. Not to say that all Black-Americans are like this, I'm just giving a different point of view. <br /><br />There was a sense of 'I don't belong because my last name wasn't Smith, Johnson, Jackson, or Williams'. It made me seem like I was an outsider, when I was in the exact same classes, played the exact same sports, and spoke the same language.<br /> <br />I found myself, trying to fit in instead of stand out. It wasn't until I went to college that the notion of having a background other than American was accepted.olivya23noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-56111931994699442832009-11-16T11:23:27.874-06:002009-11-16T11:23:27.874-06:00Thank you Ms. Minx, Reecie & DC Dating Diva......Thank you Ms. Minx, Reecie & DC Dating Diva...of course, I agree with you all. <br /><br />LOL @ Reecie and "exotic"...yeah. Lame.Milanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879886722416883203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-81702870345174734722009-11-16T10:15:59.739-06:002009-11-16T10:15:59.739-06:00Great Post...
Funny, some people who seperate &qu...Great Post...<br /><br />Funny, some people who seperate "us" don't realize that the majority only sees them as being "black" in most cases. <br /><br />When a "black" person walks into a room, you don't hear someone say, oh they are Jamaican, or Nigerian, ... they are black first. Then once that person begins to talk to them, and get to know them, they find out the many layers that makes that person who they are. <br /><br /><br /><br />I thinkDC DIVA DATING ADVENTUREShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00096885006866653953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-62278236013846542782009-11-16T08:54:42.136-06:002009-11-16T08:54:42.136-06:00great read, Milan! I am too, 'just black' ...great read, Milan! I am too, 'just black' and fortunately have never really made to feel any way about it. I grew up with mostly just black people and didn't really encounter other ethnic groups until college. everyone was really nice about it, with of course having some immense pride about their country. It wasn't until I saw a guy drool over a girl that was a light-skinned Jamaican and called her "exotic" that my side eye formed--but that's another discussion. LOL. I agree with Minx, its dumb to allow your snobbery to ruin opportunities to make great connections.Reeciehttp://musicmakesmehigh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-35410245101686664102009-11-16T04:34:45.804-06:002009-11-16T04:34:45.804-06:00Hey, Great post, hun!
I definitely have come acros...Hey, Great post, hun!<br />I definitely have come across a lot of "culture snobs" too, who feel superior to African-Americans cuz of ignorant notions passed on to them by whoever, and I think its a damn shame.<br /><br />I'm hoping we're growing out of it as a people though, cuz we're essentially just throwing away opportunities to build solid friendships/relationships with great people, and that's "just" dumb.Ms.Minxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951822644039656354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572486819467381603.post-72639393333445454552009-11-15T22:43:54.009-06:002009-11-15T22:43:54.009-06:00I'll be the first...lol. Thanks for giving me ...I'll be the first...lol. Thanks for giving me a platform, Favorite. I appreciate it. ;-)Milanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11879886722416883203noreply@blogger.com