Need an African American to Explain this Behavior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is just reprehensible. I don't know why everyone wants to jump on here claiming it's not representative of young black male behavior, but I have seen this sort of behavior from young black males, too -- and have never seen it from any other race in this country. I don't think this act was racism against OP, but I do think it's a deep cultural and social issue that many urban black males grow up behaving this way, but get a pass because it's "racist" to call them out. I'm calling them out: this is not the way a human being in a civilized nation should ever treat the mother of a baby in front of that baby, and PPs are fooling themselves if they think it doesn't cause people like OP and me to associate those behaviors with the whole group. I know this is an unpopular thing to say and think.

You've NEVER seen a white teenager behave poorly? Ok, then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I ask your background? Do you think you may have prompted it in any way? I am NOT saying this behavior is excusable.

Maybe they were jealous? Is it a nice car? This behavior could have been from anyone - including my uptight white neighbors who get jealous if they think someone has more than them

Op here-- Asian background. The daycare folks are nice Pakistanis. I don't think it was prompted - I was just holding my son and walking back to my car. My car is not anything of note and, seeing some of the other posters on this forum, I'm more ashamed of listing its make and model than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I ask your background? Do you think you may have prompted it in any way? I am NOT saying this behavior is excusable.

Maybe they were jealous? Is it a nice car? This behavior could have been from anyone - including my uptight white neighbors who get jealous if they think someone has more than them

Are you saying your uptight neighbors will spit on your car right in front of you???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is just reprehensible. I don't know why everyone wants to jump on here claiming it's not representative of young black male behavior, but I have seen this sort of behavior from young black males, too -- and have never seen it from any other race in this country. I don't think this act was racism against OP, but I do think it's a deep cultural and social issue that many urban black males grow up behaving this way, but get a pass because it's "racist" to call them out. I'm calling them out: this is not the way a human being in a civilized nation should ever treat the mother of a baby in front of that baby, and PPs are fooling themselves if they think it doesn't cause people like OP and me to associate those behaviors with the whole group. I know this is an unpopular thing to say and think.

If you have never seen this type of behavior from any other race, as you claim, you have managed to lead an incredibly sheltered life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is just reprehensible. I don't know why everyone wants to jump on here claiming it's not representative of young black male behavior, but I have seen this sort of behavior from young black males, too -- and have never seen it from any other race in this country. I don't think this act was racism against OP, but I do think it's a deep cultural and social issue that many urban black males grow up behaving this way, but get a pass because it's "racist" to call them out. I'm calling them out: this is not the way a human being in a civilized nation should ever treat the mother of a baby in front of that baby, and PPs are fooling themselves if they think it doesn't cause people like OP and me to associate those behaviors with the whole group. I know this is an unpopular thing to say and think.

Most of the pps are not giving the guy a pass - they're saying there's no way to know whether the guy is racist or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is just reprehensible. I don't know why everyone wants to jump on here claiming it's not representative of young black male behavior, but I have seen this sort of behavior from young black males, too -- and have never seen it from any other race in this country. I don't think this act was racism against OP, but I do think it's a deep cultural and social issue that many urban black males grow up behaving this way, but get a pass because it's "racist" to call them out. I'm calling them out: this is not the way a human being in a civilized nation should ever treat the mother of a baby in front of that baby, and PPs are fooling themselves if they think it doesn't cause people like OP and me to associate those behaviors with the whole group. I know this is an unpopular thing to say and think.

You haven't been around enough. This is young punk behavior, propped up by the presence of his like-minded companions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because all AA's display the exact same behaviors.

OP here-- no, but when an individual of your ethnicity commits an outrageous act, do you not feel shame? We are all representatives of our identities to the larger world - ethnicity, nationality, etc. If this were not the case, concepts such as "White Guilt" or Germany's guilt over Nazis would not exist. I'm requesting an AA's explanation because before I add this to the "well, some AAs are just hostile towards me" category in my mind, I'd like to have someone at least defend their case.

No, it doesn't work like that here. Maybe it does in your country, but not here. One AA is not representative of all, and no one can answer why he did it, except for him.

OP here-- I agree that his action does not represent his whole peoples. However, I'm trying my best not to generalize and stereotype the entire African American population based on this one incident and I'm beating myself up for not speaking out (asking why he did it), but then again, after that hostile act towards me, I didn't want any more trouble. Is there just a general hostility between African Americans and Asian Americans around this area? (ex. I know it's a problem between, say, Koreans and African Americans in LA)

[Anonymous]

Dear Asians of DCUM,

An Asian kid blinked at me extra hard today. What does this mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I ask your background? Do you think you may have prompted it in any way? I am NOT saying this behavior is excusable.

Maybe they were jealous? Is it a nice car? This behavior could have been from anyone - including my uptight white neighbors who get jealous if they think someone has more than them

Op here-- Asian background. The daycare folks are nice Pakistanis. I don't think it was prompted - I was just holding my son and walking back to my car. My car is not anything of note and, seeing some of the other posters on this forum, I'm more ashamed of listing its make and model than anything else.

Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indian? You aren't going to just leave us with "Asian," are you? Not much to go on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because all AA's display the exact same behaviors.

OP here-- no, but when an individual of your ethnicity commits an outrageous act, do you not feel shame? We are all representatives of our identities to the larger world - ethnicity, nationality, etc. If this were not the case, concepts such as "White Guilt" or Germany's guilt over Nazis would not exist. I'm requesting an AA's explanation because before I add this to the "well, some AAs are just hostile towards me" category in my mind, I'd like to have someone at least defend their case.

No, it doesn't work like that here. Maybe it does in your country, but not here. One AA is not representative of all, and no one can answer why he did it, except for him.

OP here-- I agree that his action does not represent his whole peoples. However, I'm trying my best not to generalize and stereotype the entire African American population based on this one incident and I'm beating myself up for not speaking out (asking why he did it), but then again, after that hostile act towards me, I didn't want any more trouble. Is there just a general hostility between African Americans and Asian Americans around this area? (ex. I know it's a problem between, say, Koreans and African Americans in LA)

No, you're not really trying your best. When I hear the young white men in my area talk about "fags" and "stupid queers" and "ugly dykes," I don't rush to DCUM to find out if all young white men are homophobes.

[Anonymous]

How in the world could an African American explain this behavior? The kid was an asshole. No one, including someone of his own race, could "explain" why he did this. OP, I'm sorry this happened to you, truly. But if you're looking for someone to give you a rational explanation for why this punk kid did that, you're going to be looking for a long time. Spitting on cars is not some common AA behavior that could be explained to you. It was gross, rude, and wrong. Not sure what else you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

New PP here: I think it does sound like it could have been racially motivated. In American history, there has always been racial tensions b/w "competing" minority groups: for example: there used to be a lot of animosity and tension b/w AAs and the Irish. Each group tries to better itself and be accepted by the "majority" and doesn't like to be associated with and/or one-upped by the other. Or one may may view more recent immigrants as enjoying a comparatively faster "ascent" or acceptance in mainstream American culture. This could have been an example of this. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear Asians of DCUM,

An Asian kid blinked at me extra hard today. What does this mean?

OP here-- Blinked at you? Probably has some kind of eye twitch. If the same Asian kid spat on your car as you were walking toward it while carrying your child, it probably means he or she is disgusted with your identity in some way - gender, ethnicity, or the way that you were dressed. Seeing as to how I was wearing some casual attire (unless they have problems with khaki shorts and a green t-shirt), that really leaves gender and ethnicity. Htey could've hated the fact that I'm a male, but I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

I have had Latino men do this near me but I figured it was a young male issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How in the world could an African American explain this behavior? The kid was an asshole. No one, including someone of his own race, could "explain" why he did this. OP, I'm sorry this happened to you, truly. But if you're looking for someone to give you a rational explanation for why this punk kid did that, you're going to be looking for a long time. Spitting on cars is not some common AA behavior that could be explained to you. It was gross, rude, and wrong. Not sure what else you are looking for.

OP here-- If the situation were reversed and someone else posted that while holding their kid and walking toward their car, a group of Asian kids strolled by and one looked right in their eye and spat on their car, I'd be able to post that "yeah, that kid was a ****ing racist and probably had something against people of your race" because there's few other meanings to that gesture in my culture.