I watched the video below and initially had no words to express how it made me feel. It is an Ethiopian woman talking down about, generalizing, and stereotyping African American women. Among other things she noted that African American women:
1. Come from broken homes
2. Are loud
3. Are the most desperate women in the world
4. Do not speak "proper" English
5. Live in African American neighborhoods that are chaotic
6. Cannot date outside of their race because no one wants them
She classed herself as being higher than African American women as a first generation African woman, and placed Jamaicans, Haitians and Dominicans in the class with her. One of the things it seems she feels proves her as an African woman is better than an African American woman is the fact that she was able to obtain and Asian husband.
Over all, what this video did was MOTIVATE me. Oddly enough, it made me want to do better than I usually do, work harder than I usually do to prove to her, and everyone else who thinks like her, that African American women, like any other type of person, have good and bad representations, and I am one of the GOOD.
I dislike stereotypes. And I dislike when people assume they are some how better. Generalizations are faulty because they aren't always right. I personally believe they make the person stereotyping look ignorant themselves. My family being loud in anyway is not an indication that they are less than and that she is better. It's simply and indication that they are loud, end of story. Something about this bothers me and it could be because I don't like to classified simply because of a characteristic that I have. ie. the color of my skin.
ReplyDelete@CC - true, agreed on all accounts.
ReplyDeleteWOW---I agree. I hate stereotypes! I'm an african american woman...and I did not come from a broke home, nor am I loud or anything else she claims us to be. Yeah I can see how this would motivate you---it's a shame people feel/think this way. Found your blog on Mingle Monday!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for not letting someone's very small minded opinions get you down! Hi~ I am your newest follower from the blog hop & would love it if you stopped by and followed me too :) (My name above links directly to my site )
ReplyDeleteI absolutely deplore stereotypes and classifications. I have never understood why people feel they're better than others. I'm an African-American woman who came from a broken home, but that has not effected my life. I'm not loud, I don't live in a "chaotic" neighborhood, I'm educated with a career, and I'm married to an Amazing African-American man that deeply Loves me, and I know plenty of women who are just like myself. This woman needs to open her eyes and expand her mind.
ReplyDeleteMungu Wangu(My God! in Swahili!) I don't get this woman at all..
ReplyDeletealtho i have to admit that there are people like that out there and i feel sorry for her since she is Judging herself as better jst b/c she has an Asian husdband..WHAT A SHAME
as an East African continental person, i condemn her saying and understand that she is wrong.. i hope ya'll don't think that all of us (Africans) hate Black Americans, In fact most African youth grow up watching American TV and esp music,MTV etc.. and STRIVE to get the African American look.. go to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and u will see people rocking skinny jeans and baggy pants and 50-cent shirts etc..
this woman is just CRAZY and yes there are people like her out there, but they need to be EDUCATED...
side note: I've met a few ppl from horn of Africa ie Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia who think that they are BETTER than Bantu Africans b/c they have lighter skin, tall people and long curly hair.. again.. its ALL abt stereotypes and brainwashing!