Things You Had to Deal W/ As The Only Black Kid

TheChocolatePrincess

Well, I was the first Mexican in my elementary school in California. I didn't speak English then but ran for school historian, memorized a speech (probably slaughtered it) and got elected. Pity vote? Maybe.

I've heard all the racist insults. Meh, who cares. My nickname was even "Cheech" for a short while.

What is bizarre is being told that I don't "look"/"sound" Mexican by relatively educated people. I have been asked if I rode a donkey to school, when I learned to use a fork, how I came into the US. One lady, at my university registration, insisted that I came from New Mexico because I couldn't possibly come from the country; "it's poor and full of people that speak Spanish."
On a date, I was once told, "You're Mexican, right? I thought you people all had accents ... I like accents ..." Oh, well.

Oh, and how incredibly embarrassing it always is to be introduced to some other person that is from somewhere in Latin America as if we are going to be best friends because we are both "Mexicans". Since we usually don't have anything in common conversation usually is a non-started on that single point - I have to jump start that DOA bit - Hey let's go talk to the waiter, I hear he's from Tijuana, maybe we can start a band....

Stereotypes - easy comedy.

ROTFLMAO! This is hilarious. One of my friends is from Mexico and she gets the "you don't look Mexican" thing a lot...LOL! We laugh because she is like "WTF does a Mexican look like?"...As she goes on to say "you don't look American"...HAHA!

ThoseLittleCats

My mom sent me to the African American Academy here in WA for summer school.
That's actually the name. I'm not being a jerk.

I got called snow flake/snow white/cream puff, kicked down the stairs, beat up, and people would say things like "Thanks for enslaving my ancestors!" as I walked through the halls.

I've never told anyone this because I was too embarrassed ._.

but u most likely did enslave there ansisters

wish21

The one that I STILL get is, "You don't sound black." -- annoys the crap out of me. Uhm, I'm sorry that I speak clearly and have an education? The only other thing that I could probably live without are looks and comments I get when I'm out with my BFs (interracial couple). All of them have been outside of my ethnic background -- really people? Oh well. Shame on them.

Mostly everything else I just laugh at because I find their ignorance as humorous.

I can relate. I was once told "You sound like a book.".

Sorry for actually pronouncing words correctly. :grumble:

I get the you don't sound black or you talk like a white person. I just brush that off. I wasn't raised to talk/act ignorant.

AnDiallo

In my first year of uni:

''Oh you're from the Ivory coast...do you speak african? Are there cars in africa?''

:noway: Say whattttt???

Joehenny

Never experienced it really grew up in a diverse area. Then went to an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities), was an interesting experience, got a chance to learn a lot about myself.

pennydreadful270

I have never gone and touched someone's hair without their permission- because that would be WEIRD what is wrong with those people - but I really see where the impulse begins from. I do catch myself staring sometimes. I start wondering how different braids are made, or taking in the sight of black natural hair because it's just so rare to see it... and little black kids with those coloured beads. ADORBS.

So I am sorry, small, mainly immigrant, black population of my town, your hair is interesting to me. I don't mean it in a bad way, but it I am sorry if you caught me looking too long. I'll go back to staring out the bus window now.

kwagganin

Best thing about being South African:

1. On international chatsites people were dumbfounded because I was white. "Oh, I thought you were black because you live in south Africa". - nope, there's all sorts of races here. That's why we're called a rainbow nation.

2. Do you live in a hut in the bush?- nope, I live in a tree house in a tree.

3.(This is the best) - do you have a pet lion or rhino? - yup, I keep it in the back yard and feed it little children.

4. (2nd best) does wild animals roam free in the towns/cities in SA - no, but we have humans behaving themselves like wild animals roaming free in SA. <--- very true.

5. FOR SOME VISITORS - do not get out of your car in the Kruger National Park to TRY to pet lions, leopards, cheetahs, ELEPHANTS or heynas. The felines wil eat you for breakfast. Heynas wil rip you apart while laughing their butts off and elephants wil trample you and probably your car to death. they are WILD animals.

krhn

I can relate... Only Chinese kid in primary school and partly through secondary ...
Doesn't help when you look like Homer Simpson but chubbier :laugh:

srcardinal10

In my first year of uni:

''Oh you're from the Ivory coast...do you speak african? Are there cars in africa?''

:noway: Say whattttt???

wow.

DalekBrittany

My mom sent me to the African American Academy here in WA for summer school.
That's actually the name. I'm not being a jerk.

I got called snow flake/snow white/cream puff, kicked down the stairs, beat up, and people would say things like "Thanks for enslaving my ancestors!" as I walked through the halls.

I've never told anyone this because I was too embarrassed ._.

but u most likely did enslave there ansisters

I doubt that the OP, personally, enslaved their "ansisters."

Timshel_

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/27-things-you-had-to-deal-with-as-the-only-black-kid-in-your

Dang. I know how that is!

Thewatcher_66

My mom sent me to the African American Academy here in WA for summer school.
That's actually the name. I'm not being a jerk.

I got called snow flake/snow white/cream puff, kicked down the stairs, beat up, and people would say things like "Thanks for enslaving my ancestors!" as I walked through the halls.

I've never told anyone this because I was too embarrassed ._.

but u most likely did enslave there ansisters

I doubt that the OP, personally, enslaved their "ansisters."

"Ansisters" as opposed to "anbrothers." lmao

lilRicki

But I grew up in Canada, so I never really heard racist remarks about black people. However, the racist remarks about native americans was sickeningly prolific.

Agree. I'm in canada and I haven't really come across any racism against black people but what you hear of native americans/aboriginals (or whatever today's "politically correct" term for them is) is absolutely horrible.

Although I'm metis, no one really knew. My friends used to call me spear chucker and wagon burner as a joke...but it never phased me because I didn't identify with metis culture. People would ask me if i could get them cheap cigarettes or booze, or what I can get from the government (nothing, i'm metis not treaty). The biggest prejudice i came across was because I was fat.

StrongAndHealthyMommy

Hahaaa.
When friends tell you that they refer to you as their 'black friend'
"Can I touch your hair?"
"Do you tan?"

I'm guilty... for the "black friend" I didn't mean to..... but I went to a Mexican party, and most people was Mexican but there was a guy who wasn't... so when I was looking for him I ask... your black friend... I feel like I was being racist .... but when people refers to me as the Venezuelan chick I don't find it racist...

StrongAndHealthyMommy

i went to high school in egypt. believe it or not, some kids at my PRESTIGIOUS university would ask if i a) rode a camel to school, b) spoke egyptian (?), c) spoke heiroglyphics, d) lived in a pyramid. i wish they were joking.

also, i was the only, if not one of the only, jewish kid(s) in my middle school and high school. got a look of questions, mostly based out of curiosity, but some were a little ignorant.

Im from Venezuela... and someone (who was hitting on me) trying to pick up conversation asked me:

guy: how did you feel when you walked into the mall for the first time?
me: what do you mean?
guy: you know one place, with a lot of stores with A/C.... you guys don't have anything like than in Venezuela right?
me: we have malls in Venezuela
guy: really? like here?
(AZ Tucson doesn't have good mall) me: The mall back home is 1000 times better than this... here, people dresses like they are at home.... the small is small and there is nothing good besides 3 stores....

that was once of the ignorant questions he made.... he also asked if we had new cars.... if we had collages..... of course he didn't get a first date! LOL

Kimdbro

Well I'm white, but in my small town growing up there was only 1 black family. The girl was in my grade 5 class. 2 things she had to deal with were 1)everyone wanted to date her cuz she was different and 2)my gym teacher would never argue with her because he didn't want to look racist. My gym teacher was later fired for kicking a kids desk with the kid in it.

But I grew up in Canada, so I never really heard racist remarks about black people. However, the racist remarks about native americans was sickeningly prolific.

Mr. Cameron?

Mimoki

My high school was majority black. My college had 18 black kids outta 5000, we all gave each other the 'nod of acknowledgment' when we walked by and when I lived in Ireland I was the token black american girl ya'll know what I'm saaayyying? Lol I'm only half black. Also I am living with my in laws at the moment here in Bangladesh and everyone keeps coming to see the 'American wife' but leave disappointed because they expect a white girl (folks forget Americans come in all types) lol. My mom is Thai so my colouring makes me pass for a bengali - but I got a massive fro...

ThoseLittleCats

when did i say tha op herself enslaved there ansisterz?? i said her great great etc etc grandparents prob did :huh:

ThoseLittleCats

My mom sent me to the African American Academy here in WA for summer school.
That's actually the name. I'm not being a jerk.

I got called snow flake/snow white/cream puff, kicked down the stairs, beat up, and people would say things like "Thanks for enslaving my ancestors!" as I walked through the halls.

I've never told anyone this because I was too embarrassed ._.

but u most likely did enslave there ansisters

I doubt that the OP, personally, enslaved their "ansisters."

"Ansisters" as opposed to "anbrothers." lmao

both of u can kick rockz

TyFit08

I had a white roommate in college who just didn't understand why I didn't wash my hair everyday. It used to annoy the hell out of me, but now I realize the hair divide between the races/ethnicities isn't as big as we have made it out to be. This college roommate assumed that all white women wash their hair daily and that is not true, I know plenty who don't and now that I wear my hair curly, I actually do wash daily now. I still hate that stores like Target and Wal-mart have the little ethnic hair section, when in reality we can use the same products on our hair.


As for stereotypes, I think we are all guilty of doing and saying ignorant things when we are around people unlike us. I saw it first hand in my predominantly black high school and my predominantly white college how the majority tends to find ways to point out the differences of the minority. The problem is when we don't use this interaction to learn not to be ignorant. I can get over the remarks make my high school and college kids, but when adults who have been out in the world still hold on to these stereotypes, then that is a problem.

My first job as a TV reporter was in a small town. I went to the gym in the mornings before work and showered there. One morning two white women were just baffled by the fact that I was putting on a suit at 830am. They asked me where was I going, like who the hell are you? It is 830 in the morning, I'm going to work, where do you think I"m going court. I replied that I was going to work. They followed up asking where did I work. When I told them a local TV station, their whole demeanor changed. It's like suddenly I'm okay to them. Also while living in this small town, I had a woman chase me down in a parking lot, to ask me where to buy black hair care products because she has a black friend coming to town and she wants her to have shampoo and conditioner. I told her she can use whatever shampoo or conditioner you use. Our hair won't melt if we use "white shampoo".