Why do so many races hate African Americans? I feel the hate. (Orange: home)

[Invisible]

Originally Posted by eeka

You're welcome, 'not so' Invisible...


All the best in L.A. Any advice for being safe and doing well in L.A.? I'm a small-towner who is not used to big cities...I'm afraid it will be a bit of a shock at first! : )

-eeka

Eeka,

Two things: Boise sounds like a nice place, so why are you leaving? Just curious. And second, if you like the small town feel, Altadena is nice. It's near the moutains. Sierra Madre is also good. Monrovia has a nice quaint feel to it, too. Try South Pasadena, as well. All these cities are within 30-40 min. of Los Angeles. The thing is, it's hard to find affordable housing in an area that doesn't have a crack house down the street. LOL! But they're out there, you just have to look hard.

[Invisible]

Originally Posted by whatalady

Invisible,
I know just what you're talking about. However I have no belief that racism will ever go away, it will just be more subtle. Please remember a few things, America used to be a melting pot. I say used to be because when people immigrated to our country they assimilated (melted) to the American culture. That doesn't happen these days. We tend to allow everyone to not assimilate to the american way. The problem with that is people who are not used to seeing black people may be afraid of them, children call blacks names, the parents encourage this by not wanting their children to play with black kids or any other minority. As stated before, hip hop videos does not help.
Also, there is racism within the black culture. Have you experienced that? I have and I'm not sure which is worse, being put down by another race or by your own. Your either too light or too dark. Your hairs to nappy or "ooh she got some good hair" and everyone wants to touch it. If you're an educated black person and you speak and carry yourself well, then you're "selling out", an "uncle Tom" or "white-washed".

Something funny....I grew up around blacks, whites and mexicans.(so cal) I was always bussed to predominately white schools. No problems. Sometimes my cousins or neighborhood kids would call me white-washed or tell me I was a white person dipped in chocolate! My DH is white and I didn't start speaking "ebonics" if you will until I met him!!! He doesn't attempt to act black or pretend to know the struggles of a black person. He's told me that he does feel more comfortable around black people though. When people talk to my husband on the phone they're always suprised to find out he's white, because he sounds black. Its not the words he uses but more of his natural tone. I sound the complete opposite.

If we could get rid of the racism within our own culture and come together then maybe we can make sure a better image is portrayed. Children in the "inner city" need to see other role models than rappers and sports stars.

Whatalady,

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I went to private school when I was a child, and my mother never allowed Ebonics in our house, so I was often teased by other kids about "talking white" and "acting white". I've been called everything from "oreo cookie" to "white girl". I guess it didn't help that I liked heavy metal and rock music (still do). When I was in high school, we had to take turns reading aloud in class. After I read, one boy came up to me after classed and asked, "Why you gotta read all civilized and stuff?". At the time, I laughed, but now it just reminds me that many of our people still confuse sounding educated with sounding white. Thank you for reminding me of that.
And as far as hip hop videos go, I NEVER watch them. This cinematographer showed us some of his work in one of my college classes, and the one he played all the way through had a couple of Black guys cursing at each other (every other word was a curse word) and all these Black women dancing with their half-naked butts in front of the camera. As the only Black person in the whole class, I was incredibly embarrassed. All I could think about was "I wonder if the class thinks all Black people act this way". It was terrible. We need to stop these hip hop offenders from exploiting their own people. As a filmmaker, it is my goal to help put more positive images of Black people on tv, and keep them there. We shouldn't have to wait 20 or 30 years for another "Cosby Show".

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by Invisible

Whatalady,

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I went to private school when I was a child, and my mother never allowed Ebonics in our house, so I was often teased by other kids about "talking white" and "acting white".

I'm white, but when we moved from the suburbs (NJ) to Easton, PA (a more urban area) for two years when I was a little girl, I was picked on by my white classmates for talking "like a snot". I didn't have the accent and I didn't have the rhythm and I didn't know any of the slang words. I was told I was trying to be an encyclopedia. They'd parrot back to me in a loud, humiliating scream in this fake English accent to "copy" what a snob I was "trying" to be. I was harrassed daily on the bus by two girls in particular who would sit in the seat in front of me and scream and babble in my face in that "English" accent (I didn't have an English accent!) and tell me how if I didn't lower my nose then they'd beat the sh*t out of me, they were going to kill me, etc. Then I'd stagger off the bus and they'd follow me halfway home, still taunting. I eventually had sort of a nervous breakdown from constant fear and loud humiliation and the girls got in trouble and after that they didn't pick on me anymore.

I can fully see how "not talking like your people" could be very bad for any given group as a child.

[fastfilm]

Hey invisible. At least there's a fulltime cable tv station now with an emphasis on positive images of African-Americans, tv-One.

I'm way more superannuated than the demographic for liking metal and hard rock, but of course still do: it's great, emphatic music! I take it you were a fan of Living Color, both the band and the tv show.

I think the most positive inroads have been by those directors or actor/producers who've made it to the top, with or without Black content, their choices: Spike Lee, Jon Singleton, Forrest Whittaker (he directed chick flicks too!) Mario and Melvin Van Peeples, and Dave Chappelle. They show it can be done while aiming for the universality necessary in a collaborative business like the film industry, while remaining true to your own vision. I look forward to seeing your work eventually in that list too.

[JerZ]

Sandy, I really feel the need to say something here and I realize you're the mod and am not trying to undermine your work here. I do understand how bad things could really get with issues like this if there were no mods.

Although, yes, some of the above posts focused specifically on immigrants, people tend to be anti-Mexican *even toward Mexicans who aren't immigrants*. In other words, people group together "all Mexicans" without even knowing which people in any given "group" were actually born here. People born in the U.S. are not U.S. immigrants. They are U.S. citizens.

Many of the posts here and many of the awful comments in real life focus on Mexicans as a whole. This absolutely, positively includes Mexican heritage people who were born here, and Mexican people who do have green cards or who have already been naturalized. Therefore...not all Mexican "complaints" can be foisted onto the Immigration board.

[SandyCo]

JerZ, your post has given me food for thought. While racism is still a problem in this country and needs to be addressed, the solutions won't be found on City-Data. These kinds of conversations usually end up as circular discussions that go nowhere. Generic racism against Mexicans (or any other group) should probably be moved to the "Politics and Other Controversies" forum. I've allowed this thread to stay because it is addressing racism specifically in Los Angeles.

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

JerZ, your post has given me food for thought. While racism is still a problem in this country and needs to be addressed, the solutions won't be found on City-Data. These kinds of conversations usually end up as circular discussions that go nowhere.

Yeah...that's pretty much true. I guess you're right. ETA: Oh, how weird. I think my note to you above went onto the wrong thread! Thanks for NOT treating me like I was mental for just suddenly injecting that comment in the middle of an African-American thread, LOL. Don't know how that happened......

[Invisible]

Originally Posted by JerZ

I'm white, but when we moved from the suburbs (NJ) to Easton, PA (a more urban area) for two years when I was a little girl, I was picked on by my white classmates for talking "like a snot". I didn't have the accent and I didn't have the rhythm and I didn't know any of the slang words. I was told I was trying to be an encyclopedia. They'd parrot back to me in a loud, humiliating scream in this fake English accent to "copy" what a snob I was "trying" to be. I was harrassed daily on the bus by two girls in particular who would sit in the seat in front of me and scream and babble in my face in that "English" accent (I didn't have an English accent!) and tell me how if I didn't lower my nose then they'd beat the sh*t out of me, they were going to kill me, etc. Then I'd stagger off the bus and they'd follow me halfway home, still taunting. I eventually had sort of a nervous breakdown from constant fear and loud humiliation and the girls got in trouble and after that they didn't pick on me anymore.

I can fully see how "not talking like your people" could be very bad for any given group as a child.

My God, JerZ

I am so sorry you went through that horrific time in your life, all because of the way you talked. I am starting to realize that it's probably ignorant poor people of all races that resent people who sound educated and speak proper English. I remember now that my other friends who were Black and spoke like me, didn't resent me at all. It wasn't about being stuck up, either. That's just the way we talked. I can't help the way I speak, anymore than you can.
I think people who are uneducated are simply jealous and want to make us feel like dirt so that they will feel better about themselves. It sounds elementary, but it still shocks me that some people really are that simple-minded.

[whatalady]

Invisible,

I think it's more than jealousy. It makes people look at their own lives and their own short comings. I think it is their anger towards themselves for not pursuing dreams that they reflect onto those who have pursued their dreams, career, education etc.
I think it is especially hard for some people to see someone who came from the same or similar circumstances make something of themselves. It takes away the "blame it on my circumstances" card. Not many people like to be put to shame without a comeback.

BTW, I like all kinds of music. Except heavy metal. I kid you not, when I hear it I want to run into a wall or jump off the nearest bridge. I mainly listen to talk radio, but I really like country. Some people like men in uniform, I like men who wear cowboy hats!! Don't tell DH, but that's about 5% of the reason I want to move to Texas! LOL.

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by Invisible

I read the message boards about racism and there is a lot of hostility aimed at African Americans. Lots of races want to dress Black, talk Black, act Black, but don't want to be Black. After all this time, after all the strides we have made, why are we still saddled with negative stereotypes? I am tired of people seeing "Black, lazy, unintelligent" when they first see me. I go to school full time, work part-time, and I am raising a child. My grade point average has always been 3.0 or better. So why do I have to prove myself everywhere I go? Is there anyone out there who doesn't have a negative image of Black people? Please help. Being Black is not a crime, but it certainly feels like it.

Is there a father that goes with your child???