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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP,

I am a black mother, but I can't answer why this teen did this to you I'm not really sure why we're discussing "youths" when one person did this really nasty thing.

From my experience of growing up in the ghettos of DC:

-Some Asians who run convenience stores/carry outs/beauty supply stores are extremely rude and extremely suspicious of their black patrons. They set up shop in black neighborhoods and proceed to act like having them for a customer is a bother. This creates distrust between the two groups. 
-Many (not just black people) see Asian males as weak and/or not that masculine. This might have especially been true in your case if you were making baby noises as you walked with your child. This does not excuse their behavior, but sometimes assholes will prey on people they perceive as weak.
-You say you noticed this boy as you walked with your child (noting the walking pattern, etc). This suggests that you were "watching" the youths. Perhaps they took this as fear and took offense? Not saying it's right, but some teens are incredibly immature and don't know how to deal with graciously handling a "diss".

Bottom line. This was a terrible act. I'm sorry it happened. I don't know if the teen did this because he didn't like Asians, because he thought you were weak or because he thought you had dissed him. Either way, it was wrong. I hope you don't blame and/or attribute certain behavior to all black people as a result of an unruly and disrespectful black teen. [/quote]

+1 From another black mother. I have tried to break things down here before for people (that Brazilian thread) and just gave up. It's too tiring for me. You are better than I. :)

There is so much that goes into these microaggressions - it's not just personal perception but societal perceptions of Black and Asian men that are going into it.

[b]I have never had a black teenager try to intimidate me in DC. I treat them politely, say excuse me, and I am not afraid of them, and nothing untoward has ever, ever happened to me. Especially with my child. If anything, they are more polite. [/b][/quote]

See, but you are a black mother.  Try being a white mother with a child encountering a black male teen, and ask yourself if you think you can expect the same response.  Nothing untoward has ever happened to me either, but I have made eye contact and said hello to black teens in my neighborhood who gazed past me, pretended not to hear, and said nothing.  I won't call that racist b/c I don't know the motivation, but what is that behavior if not disrespect?  [/quote]

Not sure what you're getting at here. Am I supposed to feel sorry for white mothers if black teenagers don't say hi?

There are plenty of people who don't answer back if you say hello. Happens to me all the time with all kinds of people. I really don't take it personally. [/quote]

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