Are you a walking, talking stereotype? No, you don't say...
Have people noticed? Yes
Have they commented? You betcha!
Well share those stories with the rest of us...for a good laugh, of course.
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oh my god, PLEASE don't tell me someone actually said that to you?!?
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hmm....
"But where's your accent?"
"What do you mean, you've never owned or even picked up a real gun?"
"do you ride horses?"
"do you love george w. bush?"
"you don't seem like a Texan" (said by people who'd never been there)
"do you and your husband have a lot of problems because he's not white? Because everyone there is white, right?" (um. NO)I grew up and lived in Texas until this past year. I heard those types of comments every time I traveled in other countries. Sometimes "american" was used instead of "texan". Like, "well, you're different. You're not very American". And I would be like, yes I am! We're all different there, I promise you! There are lots of people just like me, and lots of people exactly opposite of me, and everything in between!
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When I met DH, I was *accused* by several of his friends of being an NFL cheerleader. A current NFL cheerleader. These same friends had a hard time understanding that I am an attorney and that several of us passed the same bar exam. *lesigh*
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@Shutterbug: It's a common experience among black folks.
I usually wear my hair naturally curly and get compliments when I flat iron it. My hair stylist always jokes that my straight hair looks like weave (not the peanut gallery part yet).
My straight hair prompts the, "where are you from question?" Eventually we get to "I am black from America."
That doesn't satisfy people and then I am asked "come on, which parent is white?" Obviously they weren't listening.I have been studied like a specimen: "you are so light, lighter than me!", I guess all black folks are only dark like Michael Jordan, and "your hair isn't you know nappy and it's long" really??
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Have you ever seen this satire site? It makes me laugh.
http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/ -
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: gah, the you are so articulate thing pisses me off. People are always calling me well spoken. Ya, my parent spent a bundle on my education, I should bloody well hope so.
Since I had LO, people assume I'm the nanny all the time. And they are not shy about asking me.
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@plantains: say whaaaaa? bananas!
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@bree72: Random trivia... that website was actually made by the cofounder of Buzzfeed!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonah_Peretti -
Hilarious, sad but true! @bree72: I have a Jewish friend who always distances himself from white people and says WE need to stick together. I have been told I am nice (not angry like other black women) and I am a credit to my race, changing the perception of black people (in defense the woman lived in a small time and grew up at a time when the polite word was Colored).
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@MsLipGloss: Awe you must be really attractive. A friend's fiance was actually an Eagle's cheerleader. She has already earned her JD/MBA, it was a dual program and is now completing her medical residency. Pretty girls ARE smart!
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Oh, articulation. I've gotten that. Someone actually said this to me during a job interview like he was surprised that I could string a sentence together properly.
"You talk White"
"Where are you from? California? London?"
"Yeah, but you're not like them": "them" being "ghetto," Black folks who don't speak "proper." -
@plantains: My grandmother was mistaken for the help once when she answered our door for little a playmate and her mother. The mom was apparently rude too. Both my parents are light, but my grands are very brown.
@mrsjazz: Yep, a college roomie from Baltimore swore I was white and from Cali and she wouldn't like me because of that. She was right about one thing.
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@mrsjazz: "you talk white" infuriates me soooooooooooOoOoOoo much!!!!!! I used to get that alot from cousins growing up, and my youngest sister still says that to.me! There's so many levels of insult there that even thinking about it makes me angry!
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Wow-she is a smarty pants! And reading these posts makes me sad. People can be so thoughtless! I will say that although I get underestimated a lot (by people who don't know me), it only ever happens once!
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This whole thread has me saying, what the **** is wrong with people?
People are always surprised at how "Mexican" I really am. I guess since I look pretty white they assume I'm lying when I tell them I am, but they meet my family and all of a sudden they get it? Yup, some don't speak english, yup my dad is brown, yup things like rice and beans are a staple in our diet, why does this surprise you? Also when people find out my families ethnicity (whether someone tells them or they meet people) someone inevitably always says, oh we love tamales, we used to buy them from so and so, or oh we knew a lady from Spain, Guatemala, Argentina (insert anything other than Mexico here), yeah your right that's exactly the same, tell me again why I care about either of these things????
ETA: After reading these things though, I'm very glad people don't have such negative assosciations about me, my ethnicity, or whatever (at least that they verbalize to me), I should totally not complain. I'm actually really mad for some of the things that are listed here!
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: *facepalm* I can't believe people say these things!!
Have you seen this? The comedienne doing it has actually heard all these things. Effing crazy.
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@MrsLilybugg: My boyfriend from college is white. We were at my mom's house one day and she said to me, "He's Blacker than you!" Yes, because listening to rap music and using certain slang makes you Black. Sigh. I was so offended. I then had to school my mother on what it means to be Black.
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@ladyfingers: I
Franchesca! She makes great videos.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: My hair is natural, so when I straighten it, I get the, it's so long comments too. Uh, take care of your hair and it will grow.LOL
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: "black from America" love this. I don't know why it's expected that non white people are from Africa or Mexico or wherever. People of all kinds are born right here everyday. I'm surprised at how often I hear this. Heaven forbid you have an accent!
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I can't believe people actually say that to you guys! I mean, I was in so much disbelief that it took me half way through the comments to figure out what you were talking about. I have no words....
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@ladyfingers: Yes, yes, yes!
@MrsTiz: When I really get annoyed I say "home grown Negro."
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It's pretty much always the same:
"Where are you from?" Boston.
"No, where are you REALLY from?" I was born in Massachusetts. Lived here all my life.Eventually I give them a break and I say "if you're asking where my parents are from, they immigrated from Korea before I was born."
The one that kills me is "Korea? North or South?" If you've ever read anything in the news EVER you'd know that North Koreans are not allowed to leave their country! If I were from North Korea it would mean that I was a refugee who escaped the horrors of communist dictatorship!!
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@MrsStormy: my husband is 1/2 Mexican and 1/2 German, since his dad is German he has a very German last name. He cannot count the number of times people have made nasty comments to his face about Mexicans and immigrants not knowing his heritage he's just like "yeah.....funny thing is... I'M MEXICAN". effing infuriating.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I feel bad. When I met my college roomie I said that to her. My previous exposure to the black community had been some of the gansta rap listening, unarticulate in my low income Baltimore neighbourhood.
Looking back, I realize how rude, narrowminded and naive I was back then.Lucikly she didnt hate me for my ignorance, we became good friends, and I learned so much from her.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @mrsjazz: OMG! I get the "you talk white comments all the time. They drive me bananas!
I also have nice grade of long hair & I get the "are you mixed?" questions too.
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@wheres_c: In my case the roommate was black. She had an idea of what "blackness" is and I did not fit the bill.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: You started the post! Yay!
Besides the usual "articulate"-esque commentary, I get some extra special stuff with my Caribbean background. Can I speak with a Caribbean accent? Yes. Is it my automatic default? No. When I mention it, people want me to speak that way for them as if I am putting on a show. Uh nooo. My culture and accent will not be your entertainment. I'm waiting for the day when I speak with a Caribbean accent to my kids publicly, and I get asked if I am one of the many Caribbean nannies in my neighborhood.
I also get a lot of interesting commentary because of my hair since it's in the form of long very well-kept locs. People who know nothing about Black hair call them braids, which they aren't. Although people called the braids I had years ago locs, when they weren't. If you have any questions about Black hair, just ask in a polite manner. Most people I know would be happy to explain what they do or don't do. While we're on this, just because I wear my hair a certain way doesn't mean I have predilection for drugs or Bob Marley, although I like the latter very much.
@ladyfingers: Francesca is great. She actually does great hair videos as well. I need to check those out, so I can try new styles for my hair.
Franchesca! She makes great videos.
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