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1. Do African-Americans "talk like hoodlums" because that's how hoodlums talk or is that your image of how hoodlums talk? Overall wondering if words like hoodlu

1. Do African-Americans "talk like hoodlums" because that's how hoodlums talk or is that your image of how hoodlums talk? Overall wondering if words like hoodlum, thug, and ghetto are reserved exclusively for black people. 2. Are you assuming all or most black people speak this way and/or can't speak 'properly' in proper circumstances? Do you draw the same conclusions for the vernacular of (poor) southern whites? 3. '[I]ntegrate', 'culture', and 'Uncle Tom' have real historical significance. Do African-American's simply need to speak the standard white American dialect to 'get ahead in life' or do they need to also act white? Perhaps look white? In the recent past, not having a real education and not wearing a suit everyday severely limited your economic opportunity. Entrepreneurship in the form of "hacker culture" changed that. I think the same can happen with entrepreneurship in the form of "black culture" or any culture. Please question assumptions, second-guess terms like hoodlum not to be politically correct but to be accurate, and know history explains a lot about why society is how it is, anthropology does too.

mc32 10y ago
Not all Chinese grow up speaking mandarin, however that is what they get taught in school. Students in Nigeria get taught standard English in school. Parents push for that knowing it can potentially improve their children's outlook. We know whites who speak non standard English also suffer from job difficulties. We know middle class immigrants like to get their kids to integrate into their new society by learning their new country's language and being proficient in it. We see this in France, Britain, Japan, etc. Fitting into the mainstream, like it or not, improves life opportunities. I know people like to retain their culture, and that's fine, but actively despising it and then saying the mainstream culture shuns you is unsurprising. It's like bikers who dress like bikers do as to "enjoy" the the image that brings then complain they get reactions from people or police which affect them negatively, even if they aren't engaging in their aura. It's not exactly the same, but the mechanisms have similarity.
- infosample 10y ago
  Schools in the United States teach African-Americans standard English. Please keep in mind this article refers to one city, 20 years ago. African-American parents push for standard English as well. African-Americans know fitting into mainstream culture improves life opportunities. African-Americans don't actively (or passively) despise the mainstream culture. African-Americans do complain about the reactions from people and police which affect them negatively, even when wearing a suit and speaking perfect proper English. Is it possible black people aren't really different but are treated differently? Why? Or maybe my reading, travel, and observations have selection bias skewed too positively.

mc32 10y ago

Not all Chinese grow up speaking mandarin, however that is what they get taught in school. Students in Nigeria get taught standard English in school. Parents push for that knowing it can potentially improve their children's outlook. We know whites who speak non standard English also suffer from job difficulties. We know middle class immigrants like to get their kids to integrate into their new society by learning their new country's language and being proficient in it. We see this in France, Britain, Japan, etc. Fitting into the mainstream, like it or not, improves life opportunities. I know people like to retain their culture, and that's fine, but actively despising it and then saying the mainstream culture shuns you is unsurprising. It's like bikers who dress like bikers do as to "enjoy" the the image that brings then complain they get reactions from people or police which affect them negatively, even if they aren't engaging in their aura. It's not exactly the same, but the mechanisms have similarity.

infosample 10y ago
Schools in the United States teach African-Americans standard English. Please keep in mind this article refers to one city, 20 years ago. African-American parents push for standard English as well. African-Americans know fitting into mainstream culture improves life opportunities. African-Americans don't actively (or passively) despise the mainstream culture. African-Americans do complain about the reactions from people and police which affect them negatively, even when wearing a suit and speaking perfect proper English. Is it possible black people aren't really different but are treated differently? Why? Or maybe my reading, travel, and observations have selection bias skewed too positively.