Over the years I have noticed that black people who are of African-American descent but are not part of the African-American culture, for example they do not speak black English and have "assimilated" to the mainstream culture tend to be more successful and have more money that African-Americans who culturally more African-American.
I also noticed that non African-American blacks such as people from Africa or Jamaica tended to also be more successful and had less problems with discrimination and racism. A friend of mine from Ghana says that she feels racism when people initially see her because she is obviously black, but she notices that the instant people realize that has a foreign last name and that she is African their attitude almost immediately changes.
I have also noticed that when non-African-American black people assimilate to American society they go in one of two directions. The ones who assimilate more into African-American culture wind up having a lot of the same issues that African-Americans do. The ones that wind up assimilating into white society or who choose to remain "foreign" seem to be more successful. I have noticed this with Africans, Jamaicans, black Latinos, and others. The only foreign blacks that I have really noticed facing the same issues as African-Americans are Haitians and not to the same degree.
As a Latino, I know there are many negative things in my culture that perhaps contribute to our problems. For example, many of the men are very macho which contributes to disrespect towards women and homophobia. We are very Catholic which leads to a really low divorce rate which looks good on the surface but in fact forces dysfunctional families to stay together. Well, you get the picture.
A coworker of mine who is an African-American woman in her 50's has told me on occasion that she thinks one problem in the black community is that black women have become too independent minded and feel that it's ok to parent children by themselves without a father. And she says that has contributed to the destruction of the African-American family. Is there any truth to this?
Why are African-American blacks who are more "mainstream" and don't speak black English more successful than African-Americans who are more culturally African-American? Why don't foreign blacks face the same issues as African-Americans unless they decide to identify as African-Americans themselves?
I also noticed that non African-American blacks such as people from Africa or Jamaica tended to also be more successful and had less problems with discrimination and racism. A friend of mine from Ghana says that she feels racism when people initially see her because she is obviously black, but she notices that the instant people realize that has a foreign last name and that she is African their attitude almost immediately changes.
I have also noticed that when non-African-American black people assimilate to American society they go in one of two directions. The ones who assimilate more into African-American culture wind up having a lot of the same issues that African-Americans do. The ones that wind up assimilating into white society or who choose to remain "foreign" seem to be more successful. I have noticed this with Africans, Jamaicans, black Latinos, and others. The only foreign blacks that I have really noticed facing the same issues as African-Americans are Haitians and not to the same degree.
As a Latino, I know there are many negative things in my culture that perhaps contribute to our problems. For example, many of the men are very macho which contributes to disrespect towards women and homophobia. We are very Catholic which leads to a really low divorce rate which looks good on the surface but in fact forces dysfunctional families to stay together. Well, you get the picture.
A coworker of mine who is an African-American woman in her 50's has told me on occasion that she thinks one problem in the black community is that black women have become too independent minded and feel that it's ok to parent children by themselves without a father. And she says that has contributed to the destruction of the African-American family. Is there any truth to this?
Why are African-American blacks who are more "mainstream" and don't speak black English more successful than African-Americans who are more culturally African-American? Why don't foreign blacks face the same issues as African-Americans unless they decide to identify as African-Americans themselves?