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I hear black people use this term about someone being black but yet they are white on the inside and it is a negative used by blacks. I think it is racist to say someone is acting white.
I don't know what it fully means. Acting white is what?
It means any number of things. Legit, law-abiding, honest, collegiate, middle class, well-spoken, empathic, etc.
Usually blacks are associated as being loud or obnoxious or heavily dependent on others to make ends meet. This of course is a stereotype. But when another race or another black person sees another black person that can use proper diction with the English language, educated, and can converse and have self esteem they are usually looked at as abnormal or different or labeled trying to act white. I have witnessed people go through this.
I will also say traditionally I have seen this treatment in the south, not to take away from southern blacks but blacks up north or out west regard education highly and better to do. Your foreign blacks ie Africans, Haitians, Jamiacans, don't act like american blacks and due to harsh situations in their own land when migrating to U.S. make a point to make education priority so mishaps in their own land will not happen in their future generations, so alot of them have been labeled by black americans as acting white, but its due to culture differences that they carry themselves differently.
In the south, with black americans, it is do what it takes to get by, not looking toward the future mentality, even as I read my own response sounds stereotypical but is what I see, basically that oreo comment is another culturally conditioned way of keeping blacks inferior (which of course they are not).
And not all blacks like the title African Americans, Usually your foreigners prefer to be called native country-American ie Jamaican American, but for everyone to be politically correct we say African American. I think its all hog wash, black, white, asian, latinos, we are all created equal and not one is better than the other.
....I will also say traditionally I have seen this treatment in the south, not to take away from southern blacks but blacks up north or out west regard education highly and better to do....
That is an interesting idea, but are you sure non-Southern blacks are more likely to regard education and rising in status more favorably? I think what might answer this question is: where have more blacks pushed toward and risen into the middle class? Are there more middle class blacks in the South or elsewhere?
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In the south, with black americans, it is do what it takes to get by, not looking toward the future mentality, even as I read my own response sounds stereotypical but is what I see, basically that oreo comment is another culturally conditioned way of keeping blacks inferior (which of course they are not).
That sounds a lot like working-class whites too, especially those in the South. And I would agree that blacks hold themselves down by the misguided peer pressure you described.
I still haven't gotten an answer what is acting white. I have heard it in political circles from black individuals.
I too see us as individuals and reject the term "oreo" "uncle tom" or these kind of negative words used to describe certain blacks .
I have never heard of someone being black on the inside and white on the outside. It is a strange perception to say the least to have one color on the outside and being another color on the outside. I just don't accept it at all. We are all human beings.
Just watch "Undercover Brother" to get more in touch with Black America. It's a satire, but it's still relevant.
There's definitely a fundamental difference between the way white people, black people, Asian people and Hispanic people act. The fact that you don't know that tells me that you're surrounded by white people and your only exposure to other races is either in a very shallow way (the Asian behind the counter at the dry cleaners, the Mexican guy working in the kitchen, etc.) or through popular media. My closest friends are a Blacktino (technically he's a Cuban black guy), an Arab Christian, an African Muslim, a Jewish guy, an Italian, a generic white Christian, a few Filiipinos, a Mexican, a Vietnamese and a few black guys. I'm exposed to basically every culture through my friendships and while there are stark differences, there are also similarities.
Expose yourself to other people, especially those of other religions and those with no religions, and maybe you'll become a better person.
It means any number of things. Legit, law-abiding, honest, collegiate, middle class, well-spoken, empathic, etc.
Meh...not really. Because as a black man, i don't associate any of those things with white people in general. I do ascribe those traits to certain whites i know, but not all or even the majority of whites. Not universally.
So you trying to turn this thread into a self flattery exercise for whites is laughable.
I still haven't gotten an answer what is acting white. I have heard it in political circles from black individuals.
I too see us as individuals and reject the term "oreo" "uncle tom" or these kind of negative words used to describe certain blacks .
I have never heard of someone being black on the inside and white on the outside. It is a strange perception to say the least to have one color on the outside and being another color on the outside. I just don't accept it at all. We are all human beings.
Do you know where the term "Uncle Tom" comes from?
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