Nas wrote:
I appreciate you sharing your perspective.
That's great that you don't use those particular slurs. Have you never used one? Are you suggesting that blacks use the n-word every other sentence? Are you suggesting that other groups of people don't use slurs in the way I described in this thread? Help me understand exactly what you are in disagreement with.
I think I might have used the term kraut once or twice, in some sort of sarcastic sense. We know I've used the term Nazi a lot but not related to German ethnicity. I'm suggesting some blacks use it excessively as a replacement for countless other words. Sometimes replacing 'buddy.' Sometimes as an insult. I do not believe any other group uses their own ethnic slurs in the number of ways and in the quantity that black Americans do. To outsiders, it simply seems like 'we are different so we can do things that you can't...na na naaa na naaaa na.' Let's just look at music for a moment.
http://www.besttickets.com/blog/rap-profanity/ Now let me know how many bachata or cumbia songs you know that use hispanic slurs.
Nas wrote:
How did African Americans isolate themselves? When we get anywhere near middle class status, MANY of us move to communities that may have few people who look like us. History has shown that often times whites move away when that happens. We've fought to attend your schools. These aren't things that a group of people who want to isolate themselves would do.
And in those schools, there are often cliques. Conant was an extremely diverse and accepting school; I can't imagine how it could have been any more inclusive. And yet there was this one hallway near the cafeteria where the black kids hung out between periods or during lunch. A lot of these kids were my friends. They'd be a part of our social groups during whatever classes we had together, gym, and after school. But there was just something about the school day where these kids had to hang out together. Just the black kids. The only other group that came close to acting like that were the Asian kids, and there interests were usually tied into things others didn't care about like anime or whatever.
Nas wrote:
In what ways have blacks desired separatism? Our women spend thousands of dollars trying to get their hair to look like yours, they starved and mutilated themselves to get a European acceptable body, we copied European fashion, the way you spoke, MANY of us think we made it when we live in your communities, we give our daughters dolls that look like you and black men have spent centuries trying to present themselves in a way that White America finds acceptable and non threatening.
Just consider the opposite of what you just said. Is Eminem the only white person in history that has truly been accepted by black Americans to participate in their subculture? How is a white kid that loves thicc black women, wears Sean John and Tims, tries to speak the current urban lingo...at best, you ostracize him. At worst, you kick the shit out of him. We all knew white guys like that.
Nas wrote:
Doesn't every group of people who came here on a plane, boat or was already here have claim to a unique culture? We often have local festivals or holidays to celebrate the uniqueness of MANY cultures. These cultures have unique cuisine and many other things. No one demands that they give them up. We embrace it as part of the greatness of our great experiment.
All of this is true. But I've never heard any Polish or Slovak individuals in the Ukrainian Village talk about wanting to reclaim their neighborhood and yelling about how there are so many new business owners in the area that don't share their own ethnic heritage.
Nas wrote:
What is black culture? Slavery robbed many of us of the heritage of the country our ancestors descended from. From music to food to entertainment, we've willingly shared and in many cases don't actually own significant parts of "black culture".
We all might have different answers to this, but my own answer would be the hip-hop / sneaker culture. Clearly, this isn't 'African' culture but created here in America.
Nas wrote:
You're my guy. I think that these conversations are always healthy. Especially if they're somewhat uncomfortable. The statements you made don't seem to be supported by facts though. They appear to be supported by something you read or heard on television or possibly a small portion of hip hop culture.
I've now used several personal examples from growing up, which being less than 20 years ago I still feel are current enough and valid. We haven't made too many recent strides in this area, after all. So at worst, I've used personal experience. I'm not sure what you mean by facts though.
You're my kraut too.