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In NYC I think its become quite complex as American and Caribbean blacks have been interacting now significantly for over 100 years. So its a love hate thing. Many American blacks have their Caribbean family. So there is now more understanding. In NYC there is no longer one dominant black culture and there is much two way cultural interaction, so the direct hostilities I think are mainly over.
Coming to NYC was a culture shock for me. No one is American in NYC. People ask you where you are from expecting you to say that you are from some other country. Even tourists come here, and ask me what country I am from. It's the craziest thing in the world! Whenever people ask, I try my hardest to convince them that my family is actually from THIS country and I get confused faces. They don't even understand the concept, and think there's no such thing as an American. The assumption in NYC is that we're all from some other place and are just living in the United States.
I lived in communities where there were only black immigrants. And at my University, most black students were of foreign origin. What's more, the American black people left in NYC are mostly very low class. There's virtually no middle class blacks left in NYC. Nearly all left long ago in the 70s. So, I found myself not being able to identify with any other black people.
At first I was fascinated by the black immigrants from exotic countries (I started calling them "ethnic black people") -there's even Spanish-speaking black people that I had never seen before coming to NYC. But over time, I grew tired of it all and felt homesick.
There is no "culture" in NYC, not black or otherwise. When people speak about their culture, they're talking about the culture of whatever foreign country they're from.
Coming to NYC was a culture shock for me. No one is American in NYC. People ask you where you are from expecting you to say that you are from some other country. Even tourists come here, and ask me what country I am from. It's the craziest thing in the world! Whenever people ask, I try my hardest to convince them that my family is actually from THIS country and I get confused faces. They don't even understand the concept, and think there's no such thing as an American. The assumption in NYC is that we're all from some other place and are just living in the United States.
I lived in communities where there were only black immigrants. And at my University, most black students were of foreign origin. What's more, the American black people left in NYC are mostly very low class. There's virtually no middle class blacks left in NYC. Nearly all left long ago in the 70s. So, I found myself not being able to identify with any other black people.
At first I was fascinated by the black immigrants from exotic countries (I started calling them "ethnic black people") -there's even Spanish-speaking black people that I had never seen before coming to NYC. But over time, I grew tired of it all and felt homesick.
There is no "culture" in NYC, not black or otherwise. When people speak about their culture, they're talking about the culture of whatever foreign country they're from.
Id tend to agree; however, I came to NYC particularly for the opportunity to meet black people from other places. Where I am from, Blacks think all other non-American blacks are from Africa. I know, it's sad. I also wanted to get away from some of the homogenous blacks in the south. I have very few African American friends here in NYC (although Id like to meet more AA professionals), but many Afro-Caribbean friends. They are awesome.
After 15 years, the novelty of it wears off, and I realized that there is nothing special or "fancy" about people from foreign countries.
Living in NYC so long turned me into a nationalist.
Non-American black people can be equally ignorant and bigoted of us.
New York, Miami and LA are no longer "American" cities by any stretch of the imagination. I know quite a few African-American professionals that have lived in Miami and they all hated it, moved at soonest opportunity.
There is something to be said about the resurgence of nationalism. As a child of African immigrants I'm more partial to it then the open borders, we are the world crowd. I can only imagine how long settled white and black Americans feel. I was in Minneapolis for the first time ever and all of the Somali women in hijabs was a real turn off to me. They shouldn't allow them here if they refuse to adapt. They can maintain their culture in Somalia.
In the UK there still seems to be antipathy between British blacks of Caribbean derivation and Africans. There is now a movie on Netflix called "Gone too far" that examines this dynamic. Bring it to Miami and replace the Caribbean blacks with American blacks and stick in the Africans as Haitians and the dynamic is the same.
In NYC I think its become quite complex as American and Caribbean blacks have been interacting now significantly for over 100 years. So its a love hate thing. Many American blacks have their Caribbean family. So there is now more understanding. In NYC there is no longer one dominant black culture and there is much two way cultural interaction, so the direct hostilities I think are mainly over.
African and Caribbean immigrants to NYC also have a different dynamic. Seeing each other as fellow black immigrants, and sharing similar perspectives about the black (American) underclass. But also keeping some distance recognizing real cultural differences.
And then we get to the Francophone Africans and the Anglophones. I can say with definite confidence that there are no groups of blacks in NYC more alienated from each other than Francophone and Anglophone Africans are from each other. Each interact more with American blacks.
That movie was funny. I didn't know there were issues between the two groups.
Coming to NYC was a culture shock for me. No one is American in NYC. People ask you where you are from expecting you to say that you are from some other country. Even tourists come here, and ask me what country I am from. It's the craziest thing in the world! Whenever people ask, I try my hardest to convince them that my family is actually from THIS country and I get confused faces. They don't even understand the concept, and think there's no such thing as an American. The assumption in NYC is that we're all from some other place and are just living in the United States.
I lived in communities where there were only black immigrants. And at my University, most black students were of foreign origin. What's more, the American black people left in NYC are mostly very low class. There's virtually no middle class blacks left in NYC. Nearly all left long ago in the 70s. So, I found myself not being able to identify with any other black people.
At first I was fascinated by the black immigrants from exotic countries (I started calling them "ethnic black people") -there's even Spanish-speaking black people that I had never seen before coming to NYC. But over time, I grew tired of it all and felt homesick.
There is no "culture" in NYC, not black or otherwise. When people speak about their culture, they're talking about the culture of whatever foreign country they're from.
You have middle class Black neighborhoods in Eastern Queens, plus there were ALWAYS Black homeowners in the Bronx, in Upper Manhattan, and in Brooklyn. It's ridiculous to say that there's no Black middle class in NYC.
New York, Miami and LA are no longer "American" cities by any stretch of the imagination. I know quite a few African-American professionals that have lived in Miami and they all hated it, moved at soonest opportunity.
There is something to be said about the resurgence of nationalism. As a child of African immigrants I'm more partial to it then the open borders, we are the world crowd. I can only imagine how long settled white and black Americans feel. I was in Minneapolis for the first time ever and all of the Somali women in hijabs was a real turn off to me. They shouldn't allow them here if they refuse to adapt. They can maintain their culture in Somalia.
There is no law that says one has to dress this way or that way in the US. You should mind your own business.
I'm one of those long settled Black Americans, and I'm perfectly fine with those Somali women dressing as they please.
I'm not a nationalist and I spend a lot of time traveling myself.
There is no law that says one has to dress this way or that way in the US. You should mind your own business.
I'm one of those long settled Black Americans, and I'm perfectly fine with those Somali women dressing as they please.
I'm not a nationalist and I spend a lot of time traveling myself.
Cool I don't care. I'm not fine with it.
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