As a half Jamaican/French Canadian I've noticed during my come up that I dealt with a lot of racism. Now it’s not the type of racism you see in movies like 12 Years a Slave, this is more subtle and often accepted racism fueled by ignorance.
It’s odd because in my generation we are so connected with social media and in tune with each other’s cultures you would think we would have a better understanding of racial differences but that doesn't stop people from saying the most ridiculous shit. So without further ado I give you the 5 most annoying statements that piss me off:
1) “You’re such an Oreo!”
For those who don’t know, this means I’m black on the outside but white in the middle (get it? Like an Oreo?!) Now this one really irks me because what they are suggesting is that my aptitude for the English language contradicts their perception of a black man who they only know from watching 50 cent movies and listening to Lil B. Since when did the universal language of a black man become a string of broken English and street slang seen in today’s rap culture? That would be AMERICAN. I've been to the states countless times and to my knowledge people black, white, orange and green speak in that kind of American accented broken English (not all but some).Now many times this is used as an insult. Since when is having a solid grasp of the English language considered un-cool or not “hood”? Stringer Bell was a notorious gangster in the HBO show The Wire and not only was he educated, well articulated and business minded but he scared the shit out of the hardest thugs. How about you pick up a fucking book and move past the way someone speaks before you jump to conclusions.
For those who don’t know, this means I’m black on the outside but white in the middle (get it? Like an Oreo?!) Now this one really irks me because what they are suggesting is that my aptitude for the English language contradicts their perception of a black man who they only know from watching 50 cent movies and listening to Lil B. Since when did the universal language of a black man become a string of broken English and street slang seen in today’s rap culture? That would be AMERICAN. I've been to the states countless times and to my knowledge people black, white, orange and green speak in that kind of American accented broken English (not all but some).Now many times this is used as an insult. Since when is having a solid grasp of the English language considered un-cool or not “hood”? Stringer Bell was a notorious gangster in the HBO show The Wire and not only was he educated, well articulated and business minded but he scared the shit out of the hardest thugs. How about you pick up a fucking book and move past the way someone speaks before you jump to conclusions.
2) “Which parent is white?”
Does it matter? Every time I answer that my father’s white they are suddenly surprised. “Oh wow that’s so different” Yes there’s a stereotype that black guys love white women but why is it so weird if its vice-versa? Let’s just forget the fact that color is involved, a man loved a woman and procreated this fine specimen speaking to you now. I like to think they were attracted to more than just the color of each other’s skin.
3) “You’re supposed to be good at basketball!”
Okay let me just keep it all the way 100, I suck at basketball. I've never been good at it and even when I played on the junior high team I spent 95% of the time benched. Since I’m HALF black this seems to be surprising to many clueless individuals. Yes the NBA has a surplus of African American behemoths but this is because many of these vertically gifted few grew up in a low income urban environment where the only thing keeping them from jail or worse was a court and a ball. These success stories are what make the NBA so great but at the same time it puts an unfair expectation to the rest of us middle-class colored folk. I’m fucking awesome at Tennis (so I think) but there’s no award given to me for that.
4) “I have a black friend named _____”
So some of these gripes are not technically strictly a bi-racial issue as I’m sure full black people experience this on a daily basis but it’s still annoying as shit. Why do people have to throw in that they have a black friend? Does this give you more street cred? If so, many of my friends are black so I guess if we add them up then divide by the amount of white friends and multiply by the number of Hispanic/ Indian friends I should be some kind of O.G. How about you tell me about your FRIEND because I could not give one single fuck about what color he is and if he’s cool enough maybe…just maybe ill grant you some coveted “black street cred”.
5) “LOL why do you tan?”
Let me just clear this little misconception up, just because I have black in me doesn't mean I cannot tan. When I’m at the beach in Winnipeg for the three weeks of the year that we can actually go, I like to lay my ass in the sun. I’m not trying to change my skin color I’m simply just laying my ass in the sun. I personally suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is a depression caused from the lack of sun during winter. During the winter I purchase tanning minutes because the light helps me battle this debilitating mental issue. When I do this my skin actually gets darker in the process (what a surprise!!!) and my mood stabilizes. Don’t let the fact you’re colored stop you from wanting to tan, the benefits go beyond just cosmetic purposes. Don’t ever be ashamed to try and better yourself physically or mentally because some ass hat has a fucking useless opinion.
If you take anything away from this rant I hope it’s to think before speaking and to put yourself in the other person’s shoes before firing off these redundant questions.
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