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Being Asian American, the assumption from many who don't know me is that I'm a foreigner (actually I am native born). So it's "Gee, you speak such good English. When did you come to this country?"
I got that more when I was younger and there were fewer native-born and raised Chinese Americans. Now it's pretty common to have more 2nd, 3rd and later generation Asians around so I don't really hear that from non-Asian people in public.
I've worked with lots of US born Asians who speak perfect American business English with newscaster neutral accent. I speak exactly the same language and you can't tell where I'm from by my accent. My parents thought that was important and I was sternly corrected if the dragged home any of the local blue collar dialect.
If I can place your race or birthplace on the phone, I think you have a problem.
Agreed. It's one of those backhanded compliments. Almost like black people are Foreign, and English isn't our 1st language.
And it's ironic considering that Blacks in the USA have been here for generations, going back to slavery. It would make sense that Black Americans speak English. Being seen as foreign despite having had roots in the USA going back a long time, in many cases longer than some Whites in the USA.
Agreed. It's one of those backhanded compliments. Almost like black people are Foreign, and English isn't our 1st language.
There's a radio commentator that used to be here in the LA area, his name is Larry Elder and whether you agree with his politics or not he's addressed this subject in detail many times and has gotten into other areas such as reparations and affirmative action.
He's a black dude and he says so much commons sense stuff about some of these subjects that deal with issues that the black community faces. He really gets it right in my opinion.
He's a former lawyer and a very bright guy and he obviously speaks proper English. He has given speeches about how it's import that young black kids speak properly, don't use the N word and things along those lines. Sort of how Cosby used to do, until he got all weird, but that's another subject.
I grew up around a lot of black kids and most of them didn't speak proper English all the time, heck, I don't either . I think it's fine if you wanna clown around with the boys and goof off, but unfortunately that won't fly in the corporate world. I'm sure this is obvious stuff, just saying.
I find that annoying as well. Anyone else speaking the same way, it isn't considered "speaking so well". That is reserved for those using complicated words not often used in layman's English. However, I hear that comment used alot more if a Black person speaks Standard English with little to no slang. To me, it says "I didn't expect you to speak regular English ". In a nutshell, low expectations.
I was a kid who "spoke well" in the early 60s. I was one of those kids who was "the first" or "the only" black kid in every part of my life, and yet and I've never been complimented on my diction. White people seemed to know better than that "back in the day," even though they had more reason for greater prejudice.
Well, no, I did have an older black man tell me once, "You talk like money. Keep talking that way."
If you younger people are running into that issue among your peers...are people getting more stupid, or just more commonly obnoxious than even racists were back then?
OTOH, I "code switch" to some extent. I don't use the same diction and vocabulary at a family reunion as I do in a business meeting...nor do I think anyone does.
I've worked with lots of US born Asians who speak perfect American business English with newscaster neutral accent. I speak exactly the same language and you can't tell where I'm from by my accent. My parents thought that was important and I was sternly corrected if the dragged home any of the local blue collar dialect.
If I can place your race or birthplace on the phone, I think you have a problem.
Whew!!!! Man oh man... LOL, get a load of the elitism and ego in this post... It's actually funny.
So the important question is why you choose bad people as friends. Friends should reflect your values and philosophy. Yet you picked this idiot who cheats on his lover, expresses stupid and irrational sentiments, and takes shots at you for your virtues.
The question is why you would pick this lowlife to be your friend. Cheater, liar, irrational. If you pick him, then he reflects your values on some level, that is reality. So figure out if YOU have a problem. Your choice in friends says yes.
That was my very first thought as well. With friends like this, solitude sounds even more delightful. If a friend started treating me this way, I would ask him/her to either stop the bad behavior or to stop contacting me.
I was a kid who "spoke well" in the early 60s. I was one of those kids who was "the first" or "the only" black kid in every part of my life, and yet and I've never been complimented on my diction. White people seemed to know better than that "back in the day," even though they had more reason for greater prejudice.
Well, no, I did have an older black man tell me once, "You talk like money. Keep talking that way."
If you younger people are running into that issue among your peers...are people getting more stupid, or just more commonly obnoxious than even racists were back then?
OTOH, I "code switch" to some extent. I don't use the same diction and vocabulary at a family reunion as I do in a business meeting...nor do I think anyone does.
In some ways I am similar to you. I played baseball as a kid and on two teams, I was the only Black kid. Same worked with a few other things I liked doing.
I think that Black man that said what he said wanted you to go far in life. Interesting thing is, I've never gotten "you speak so well" from other Black persons. I've been compliments by some kids for being that kid who read books for fun. OTOH, I've been made fun of for being "lame" or being "nerdy". One Black student referred to me as "overcooked White boy".
Maybe this stuff is a recent phenomenon. I had my middle school and high school years in the late 90s-early 2000s. I never got such comments in middle school. In high school I got them. I got compared to Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This happened in college too. The students who did make such comparisons were often White students.
I would think racists going further back would be more obnoxious. Or perhaps the way it manifests itself has changed. In my case, I dealt with some people flat out calling me the "N" word or some kid saying "I'm gonna hang out at the end of my rope". I did also get the "you talk like a White boy" comments. This I experienced living in the exurban areas of metro Atlanta.
My sister dealt with other issues. She's younger, and dealt with a different dynamic altogether. She was made fun of mainly by Black girls for "acting White". She didn't deal with nearly as much crap from Whites. Maybe being a female had a different factor to it.
Code switching, hmm, I hardly ever do it. I tried doing it and I never got the hang of it. I wasn't raised with it in my home. I speak Standard English when I'm around my family.
In some ways I am similar to you. I played baseball as a kid and on two teams, I was the only Black kid. Same worked with a few other things I liked doing.
I think that Black man that said what he said wanted you to go far in life. Interesting thing is, I've never gotten "you speak so well" from other Black persons. I've been compliments by some kids for being that kid who read books for fun. OTOH, I've been made fun of for being "lame" or being "nerdy". One Black student referred to me as "overcooked White boy".
Maybe this stuff is a recent phenomenon. I had my middle school and high school years in the late 90s-early 2000s. I never got such comments in middle school. In high school I got them. I got compared to Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This happened in college too. The students who did make such comparisons were often White students.
I would think racists going further back would be more obnoxious. Or perhaps the way it manifests itself has changed. In my case, I dealt with some people flat out calling me the "N" word or some kid saying "I'm gonna hang out at the end of my rope". I did also get the "you talk like a White boy" comments. This I experienced living in the exurban areas of metro Atlanta.
My sister dealt with other issues. She's younger, and dealt with a different dynamic altogether. She was made fun of mainly by Black girls for "acting White". She didn't deal with nearly as much crap from Whites. Maybe being a female had a different factor to it.
Code switching, hmm, I hardly ever do it. I tried doing it and I never got the hang of it. I wasn't raised with it in my home. I speak Standard English when I'm around my family.
I'm not a black dude, I'll start with that out of the gate. There's been suggestions that some of this stuff ties back to the slavery days where certain black slaves were given preferential treatment, we've all hear the term "house N" and the apparent jealously and/or perceived better treatment by the folks doing the more manual field labor. I'm not sure of this connection, but I've heard snippets over the years of this. Does it have any merit or not I don't know. I'm not a sociologist nor play one of TV, just spouting off things that I've sort of garnered over the years.
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. I think it's fine if you wanna clown around with the boys and goof off, but unfortunately that won't fly in the corporate world. I'm sure this is obvious stuff, just saying.
