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“ There is a popular term being used right now which says “do it for the culture” that you may have heard. I have never heard it used by Black Americans in relation to African or Caribbean traditions. ”
“ Black immigrants have been known to look down on Black Americans drawing a line in the sand and making a distinction between themselves and Black Americans. They don’t always respect or even acknowledge Black American culture either. They sometimes say they lack a culture. ”
Gotta be hard to share in a culture that’s don’t think exists and are drawing lines in the sand. Between them and the at group.
I’m talking about immigrants that choose not to Americanize. I think that can be said for Asian and Latin culture too. They try their best to make sure their children grow up in their own culture. Those children that resist and try to Americanize are frown upon by their parents.
this is too anecdotal and not gonna get us anywhere.
I’m talking about immigrants that choose not to Americanize. I think that can be said for Asian and Latin culture too. They try their best to make sure their children grow up in their own culture. Those children that resist and try to Americanize are frown upon by their parents.
But that is what you have been arguing when talking about diversity. You’re talking about culture. It’s not like race where you can see with your own eyes the difference between people. That’s why this is problematic to begin with.
This is very much what I expect and understand regarding Atlanta. We’re not saying it doesn’t have people from various part of the diaspora it’s just that objectively it’s a very small %. The linguistics and even racial admixture isn’t as diverse and it’s just not as pluralistic. So to someone like her who’s probably never been to Detroit or St Louis ATL will feel very generic. Especially when your from a place black Americans tend to avoid, and thus the culture is more locally entrenched or perhaps “preserved” and sheltered/insular/closed off. These women can tell it’s not as diverse ethnically and I feel it just being in DC, like DCs black population is diverse but honestly it doesn’t even feel close to Boston in that area. Especially because so much of the at balck diversity is in the suburbs that aren’t actually DC.
It truly doesn’t feel that diverse within blacks or even the whites compared to where I’m from. Boston area and NYC area have enclaves- the Boston area MUCH less so- but virtually anywhere you go in the Boston area with a significant concentration of black people youre gonna find a wide wide variety of people. When I attended my private middle school in Boston the first three black male teacher I had were 1) Senegalese born in France, 2) Cape Verdean born in Boston housing projects 3) and a half Nigerian/half black American from Cleveland.
My only complaint with the Facebook comments is that they're pretty much dismissing other cities/ regions already established Black (American) culture simply due to them not having a diverse Black culture. I'm not a big fan of dismissing Black culture wherever it is in general. Now had she just left it as "Other cities LACK a diverse culture" than that's accurate. But to suggest one lacks culture is inaccurate.
I also think the other commentary that "all they do is eat hot wings and seafood" is just simply lazy especially considering that Atlanta is largely made up of people not actually from Atlanta. And again I get the criticism of the food scene but I just think it's a lazy take from a recent transplants. Which every city is victim to clueless transplants who just make sweeping generalizations about a city they really haven't truly explored.
But I understand the sentiments if you come from a place like Boston, NYC or that part of Northeast where Black/African diversity is just pretty much the norm. Like I said before, in other major cities like a Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, or DC it's only the "NORM" when you live in certain parts of the city. Most AA's in these metropolitan areas don't experience that diversity EVERYDAY. It's pretty much unavoidable in a Boston, NYC, Miami. You can avoid it in those other places. My child for example goes to a super diverse school. Mostly Continental Africans, Caribbean's, AA's and various other Asian and Hispanic kids. She'll have a completely different outlook on race/ethnicity than her cousin who's about the same age who lives in a suburb that's incredibly AA and Mexican.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MDAllstar
Saying he identifies with being Black American means what? Did he eat collard greens, fried chicken, black eyed peas, corn bread, and sweat potato pie at family functions? We have to define culture and ethnicity to even begin this discussion. It’s no different than Latino, Asian, African, or Caribbean cultures and ethnicities eating their native cuisine, wearing their native garments, and following their native traditions.
What? Those are not the only things that define our culture. LOL WILD
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShenardL
If you're east Asian, Atlanta's food scene in the burbs (Duluth/Suwanee) is great.
Yes, but what is his family culture? Serious question because I don’t know. What are they like and what do they identify with? Customs, traditions, food, etc. if not what people typically call Black American culture that has its origins in the south.
Do other countries measure their Black resident diversity like we do here in America? It’s a question we haven’t discussed. Would someone ask about Black Jamaican diversity for Kingston, Jamaica and count how many Black Americans live there, Nigerians, South Africans, etc.?
trinis and jamaicans specifically like to point out if they are mixed doogla.
i went to college with someone who claimed to be from nigeria; however, i.i.r.c., her dad was a bonny chief or something and was born before england renamed the country... nigeria, kenya, congo, ... now have dozens of nations.
Frankly, a lot of African Americans believe black=African American only and have trouble understanding and accepting global black and African cultural diversity. This is changing as places outside NYC/New England/Florida accept more black immigrants and people travel more but as someone of Caribbean descent who grew up in the Northeast and now lives in DC, I notice this a lot living in the DC area. Black diversity is so normal if you grow up in the Tristate, South Florida, or New England that there can be some culture shock when you are in a place so dominated by one group. I will say DC has a longer history of black immigration than much of the US and black diversity is the norm in its suburbs, particularly Montgomery County and parts of PG County.
Yes, but what is his family culture? Serious question because I don’t know. What are they like and what do they identify with? Customs, traditions, food, etc. if not what people typically call Black American culture that has its origins in the south.
Do other countries measure their Black resident diversity like we do here in America? It’s a question we haven’t discussed. Would someone ask about Black Jamaican diversity for Kingston, Jamaica and count how many Black Americans live there, Nigerians, South Africans, etc.?
Du Bois's family culture was rooted in the free black population of New England's culture. As was common back then among free black people, he had substantial mixed heritage, with free black ancestors, enslaved black ancestors, white ancestors from Europe, US, Bahamas, and Haiti.
Is the argument here that Du Bois isn't Black American? I'm having trouble follow this discussion.
Du Bois's family culture was rooted in the free black population of New England's culture. As was common back then among free black people, he had substantial mixed heritage, with free black ancestors, enslaved black ancestors, white ancestors from Europe, US, Bahamas, and Haiti.
Is the argument here that Du Bois isn't Black American? I'm having trouble follow this discussion.
My point really has nothing to do with Du Bois. The question is what defines Black American culture? The other question is how important is foreign born diversity if those residents no longer participate in their culture? If they are now Americanized, what is their significance to the local culture? How do you notice them?
Last edited by MDAllstar; 10-13-2022 at 07:59 AM..
My only complaint with the Facebook comments is that they're pretty much dismissing other cities/ regions already established Black (American) culture simply due to them not having a diverse Black culture. I'm not a big fan of dismissing Black culture wherever it is in general. Now had she just left it as "Other cities LACK a diverse culture" than that's accurate. But to suggest one lacks culture is inaccurate.
I also think the other commentary that "all they do is eat hot wings and seafood" is just simply lazy especially considering that Atlanta is largely made up of people not actually from Atlanta. And again I get the criticism of the food scene but I just think it's a lazy take from a recent transplants. Which every city is victim to clueless transplants who just make sweeping generalizations about a city they really haven't truly explored.
But I understand the sentiments if you come from a place like Boston, NYC or that part of Northeast where Black/African diversity is just pretty much the norm. Like I said before, in other major cities like a Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, or DC it's only the "NORM" when you live in certain parts of the city. Most AA's in these metropolitan areas don't experience that diversity EVERYDAY. It's pretty much unavoidable in a Boston, NYC, Miami. You can avoid it in those other places. My child for example goes to a super diverse school. Mostly Continental Africans, Caribbean's, AA's and various other Asian and Hispanic kids. She'll have a completely different outlook on race/ethnicity than her cousin who's about the same age who lives in a suburb that's incredibly AA and Mexican.
What? Those are not the only] things that define our culture. LOL WILD
No doubt!
Yea I mean these are the fb comments of ‘regular’ people not city- data nerds. I think she was really just talking about the food and the lack of non-AA and black-Hispanic cultures. I wouldn’t take it as a slight on the black culture there in general. When youre an AA up there like I was it’s just a normal part of being black. You don’t think about it as ‘foreign’ because everyone can’t be foreign every day of your lived life. That’s just normal. So when it’s not there it’s kinda like…strange. Just a feelin something is missing. Also I’d imagine being in a large metro like ATL it may be harder to get out to some of those enclaves. Especially if one was used the relative compactness of Boston where most of the black people are on the south side of the city and the south central suburbs leading into a Mattapan.
Yes I would say that the black diversity is definitely unavoidable in Boston and probably New York too- in 2022. My elementary school was certainly mostly African Americans (well, really, Jewish people) but I don’t think your be able to find that type of thing in 2022 unless you went to Springfield or Pittsfield. Wayy out west in MA. In NYC Maybe you could find your kid a school like the at in Harlem..maybe- but that’s a real long shot. There’s no particular town in the area where you wouldn’t find diversity in the black population..I was just on Instagram and found out this chef I follow in Boston is Bermudan..knew he was something but didn’t know what.
Then there’s a Bermudan news anchor in Boston named “Glenn Jones” you really just never know who’s what, and typically you wouldn’t assume… because youre thinking ‘Glenn Jones’ is ADOS but he’s not. [url="https://bernews.com/2022/02/photos-glenn-jones-billboards-boston/"]https://bernews.com/2022/02/photos-glenn-jones-billboards-boston/[/URL
What funny is of all the different groups and ethnicities in Boston I think I met one singLe Mexican kid when I was like 14/15 at a ‘Boston Ballers Summer Jam’ basketball tournament….We were teammates for a day. I don’t think I met another Mexican from Boston. Maybe I’ve met one in Boston? Point is we have no Mexican culture and almost no Mexicans at all. Never going to public school, never meeting a Mexican, going to an all boys school, growing up around primarily West Indian and African blacks, not seeing your city ever accurately portrayed in the media. Lotta times I feel pretty disconnected from the more typical American experience. A lot of the jokes , discourse and stereotypes don’t hit for me. Add to that Boston is anti fast food and box stores. No Walmart (in the city, the mayor blocked them), no Krissy Kreme, no neighborhood schools, no sizzler, no red lobster, not much highway infrastructure to speak of, no subdivisions- but very few rowhomes either, no this no that. Many things that I hear reference to but weren’t available- I think its why many New Englanders just in general feel kind of detached from American culture and politics.
You still get a lot of the basics but it’s in much shorter supply.
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