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>"A lot of other people were thinking [my mom] was smoking marijuana and drinking Pepsi," she tells NPR. "In the black community, we're used to having names tha

>"A lot of other people were thinking [my mom] was smoking marijuana and drinking Pepsi," she tells NPR. "In the black community, we're used to having names that are more cultural." I'm not a native English speaker, so I might be in the wrong here, but is she using the word "cultural" in a different way than normally?

RIMR 7y ago
No, African Americans have a unique culture in America, and whites are notoriously judgmental about it. The only reason you might find this "different" is if you don't consider Black culture to be legitimate. We call this "racism".
- maxheadroom 7y ago
  >No, African Americans have a unique culture in America, and whites are notoriously judgmental about it. The only reason you might find this "different" is if you don't consider Black culture to be legitimate. We call this "racism". ...but he's not American? It's quite a stretch to arrive at an honest question about the use of a word - by someone outside of your own country's culture - to it being equated to racism, merely because it's from a egocentric (American society) point of view. The world is a lot bigger than just America. Maybe tone down the racist accusations until you have some qualitative context to use it. Otherwise, if antagonising people that might otherwise be sympathetic to your plights is your end goal, then by all means, carry on.
- adolph 7y ago
  As the subject of tfa says, "We all hear things that make us look twice." Unfamiliarity != delegitimization Your use of the term racism certainly isn’t lending a hand towards others gaining positive familiarity.
- adolph 7y ago
  Marijuana is not in the top 1000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1960. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/ https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
allannienhuis 7y ago
I interpreted it to be 'more specific to our culture'
adolph 7y ago
Yes, “cultural” is an adjective and in typical English has a noun to which it refers. In this case the noun may be implied by some other part of the conversation not included in the article.
gHosts 7y ago
In Africa children often have names like "Beauty", "Princess", "Precious" (yes, Precious, that's a fairly common boys name).... I actually love it. It says what the parents feel about the child.
- layoutIfNeeded 7y ago
  Hmm, still I think Marijuana Pepsi is a bit different than Beauty or Precious. It’s more like the name of this Sudanese general: Telephone Kuku http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?mot2811 http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?mot2811

RIMR 7y ago

No, African Americans have a unique culture in America, and whites are notoriously judgmental about it. The only reason you might find this "different" is if you don't consider Black culture to be legitimate. We call this "racism".

maxheadroom 7y ago
>No, African Americans have a unique culture in America, and whites are notoriously judgmental about it. The only reason you might find this "different" is if you don't consider Black culture to be legitimate. We call this "racism". ...but he's not American? It's quite a stretch to arrive at an honest question about the use of a word - by someone outside of your own country's culture - to it being equated to racism, merely because it's from a egocentric (American society) point of view. The world is a lot bigger than just America. Maybe tone down the racist accusations until you have some qualitative context to use it. Otherwise, if antagonising people that might otherwise be sympathetic to your plights is your end goal, then by all means, carry on.
adolph 7y ago
As the subject of tfa says, "We all hear things that make us look twice." Unfamiliarity != delegitimization Your use of the term racism certainly isn’t lending a hand towards others gaining positive familiarity.
adolph 7y ago
Marijuana is not in the top 1000 names for any year of birth beginning with 1960. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/ https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

allannienhuis 7y ago

I interpreted it to be 'more specific to our culture'

adolph 7y ago

Yes, “cultural” is an adjective and in typical English has a noun to which it refers. In this case the noun may be implied by some other part of the conversation not included in the article.

gHosts 7y ago

In Africa children often have names like "Beauty", "Princess", "Precious" (yes, Precious, that's a fairly common boys name).... I actually love it. It says what the parents feel about the child.

layoutIfNeeded 7y ago
Hmm, still I think Marijuana Pepsi is a bit different than Beauty or Precious. It’s more like the name of this Sudanese general: Telephone Kuku http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?mot2811 http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?mot2811