#20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
January 23, 2008 by clander
White people are pretty conflicted about their culture. On one hand, they are proud of the art, literature, and film produced by white culture. But at the same time, they are very ashamed of all the bad things in white culture: the KKK, colonialism, slavery, Jim Crow laws, feudalism, and the treatment of native americans.
One way they can make up for it is becoming marginally acquainted with foreign cultures. It is generally acceptable for a white person to learn a few terms in a language spoken primary by non-whites (such as Chinese, Tagalog or Portuguese). They can then use these phrases to order certain ‘more authentic’ dishes in restaurants.
White people can also take passing interest in film, politics, music or art from these countries. When they actually meet someone from that country, or at least who has parents from that country they cannot wait to engage you in all the details that they have learned.
“Have you heard the new Andy Lau CD? It’s awesome!”
It is imperative that you recognize how special and unique this white person is for knowing about your culture. Acceptable responses include “Wow, I’ve never seen a white person order chicken feet,” or “How did you find about that film? I didn’t think they had dubbed it yet.”
These responses will fill white people with that self satisfaction they need. Also, they consider a reminder that they are not racist, which also makes them feel terrific.
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This is so fucking true. I’m Asian and I live with a white person who’s always telling me how my culture and religion actually is like, and who MY ancestors and heritage are. HELLO, I don’t need YOU to tell me about my culture and religion, and I know my own heritage and ancestors thank you very much.
The majour population of Portugal – Europe are WHITE.
In brazil there are whites to, but they are a minority.
They aren’t a minority, they are more than 50%, check your facts out: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html.
and you believe ANYTHING the CIA tells you?
[...] on non-white cultures. October 27, 2008 — Restructure! Stuff White People Like’s #20 Being an expert on YOUR culture is about pretentious white liberals and leftists who consider themselves “experts” on [...]
I don’t really care about the Negroes too much. I do feel some sort of sadness for the Native Americans though. That was some seriously sick shit they pulled on em. Regardless who you are you can’t deny that fact.
Scarlofs, your picture should be the definition of the following words in the Webster’s Dictionary: ignorant, uneducated, bigot. You must have gotten a really bad ass kicking by some ‘negroes’ to be so bigoted.
As for your comments on Native Americans, it is so kind of you to show pity for them. People that think just like you put the Native American into the position you feel ‘sadness’ for; but this irony is lost to your narrow mind….
My grandma commented that a painting I had done reminded her of “one of those negroes.” I wasn’t sure what to say.
You know what they say, “You don’t have to have had a severe ass kicking by Negroes to be bigoted against Negroes” roflmao!!11!11!1!!11!!111
//loves Negroes
I made the mistake of attempting to explain to a White Person how my culture views women… who then proceeded to tell me that I WAS WRONG, and went on to tell me that I was not an expert. Oh really? Because what would I possibly know about my own childhood? Or my own culture?
But the greater question is this… was this a moment of failure for the White Person, or a moment of triumph?
Don’t think that other races don’t do the same thing (and are less aware of it.) I live/work in SE Asia (yay rack up some white person points!!) and hear ridiculous and patently untrue claims made about various aspects of life and in America, Australia and other “white” countries quite regularly (usually to do with debauchery and sexual mores).
Surprisingly in my experience most people tend to have less extravagant ideas on what white people in places like France and Germany which as everyone knows are far more debauched than any whitebread Anglo offshoot nation.
well DUH!!!….what did you expect Sawedhlinn?…don’t you know that white people know you better than you know yourself? They tell me all the time that they are not prejudice, yet when they get comfortable around you, they talk about non-whites like dogs…but they will say to you that….’you are not like those other non-whites’…..
Prejudice is a figment of all non-white people imagination….and your culture??….it is obvious that if your culture was not studied by a white man (who put all of his information in a book), then you don’t know as much as the white man about your own culture…..
You see, non-white knowledge has to be justified and acknowledged by white scholarship before it can be accepted…even if you lived what they ‘observed’…….There was a book written in the early 60s entitled, ‘Black Like Me’ about a white man who decided to go down south impersonating a black person (brown skin cream, bush, etc)….He experienced white racism in its rawest form, and after one week he could not take it anymore….he went back north and wrote this best seller….Now the funny thing about this is that it took a white man to impersonate a black man in order for white people at that time to be interested in racism……
oh well…..such is life as a non-white in america…….get used to it….
well that’s the eternal question, isn’t it?
If you have to ask …
I did this way too much, pretending to be Native American, even though i never met my Indian ancestor. i constantly found ways to market myself as a non-white, non-american, but after a while it seemed pointless. sure i might have ancestors that are Cherokee, Scottish, Slovenian, and what not, but that doesn’t make me one of them. you need culture, not genes.
Makes me think of a guy in my high school. “Hey, I’m 1/16 Cherokee!” “[Guy's name],” I said, “You are white as hell, ok?”
Seriously, he looked like a tall, thinner hobbit. And he was hella white, too. Not in a bad way, as readers of this blog might think, but still.
its funny that portuguese people are white…
You know whats kinda funny and obvious. You think “Portuguese people” come from Portugal and Brazil just because they speak Portuguese (Which are also very different from each-other) You probably dont even know where both countries are…..and this is coming from a BRAZILIAN.
And you dont know 50% of people in Brasil are white. which OBVIOUSLY leaves space for OTHER people who are not white (Mixed, Black, Japanese-Brasilians (yes, that exists))
Wow…
Do people not know that Japanese-Brazilians exist? Weird. I thought it was common knowledge.
Visit Trinidad and Tobago…..there are Chinese-Indians (offspring of one parent from China and other parent from India)….also, there are cross marriages between various religions (christian-muslim-hindu-etc)….
Trinidad is one of the most unique countries i’ve ever visited in the world….
Um, you’ve never been to Portugal then?
I believe many people are not in full understanding of the differences between CULTURE and SUB-CULTURE.
We are all born into a CULTURE that in most cases (should be) nurtured, grown, and explained to us by our family… Like I was born into an Irish – Roman Catholic, Democratic family with a set of rules, regulations, and believe…
As I grew up and made friends I (like us all) picked up on their differences (their Cultural ways) but being strong and loyal to my Cultural ways I continued to be ME, but of course I did pick up the best ways of my friends (their cultural ways) to make it my way… thus creating my Subculture.
Today I am a proud “Whiteman” with my white cultural ways and rely on my Subcultural ways to understand and mix with many nationalities world wide. My subcultural way in which I live has me being a Irish, Bretheran religion, Republican who is married to a Thai-American (over 19 years) Godfather to a “Chamarro-Korean-American” that attends an International College of every race and Culture you could imagine (that are actively practicing their cultural ways).
I still voice my American Pride, I still stand behind my country (right or wrong, good times and bad)… Just as I did in Saipan. I was a proud Supporter and Voter to former Governor Babauta! Which gives me rights to voice my oppinion as see fit (never needed to however).
Here in Thailand I know, see, and interact with the people as well… been related (through marriage) to this country 19 years. I never felt the need to become Buddhist (the temples are cool looking no doubt).
We are all pretty much the same Saipan at a much smaller scale and of course you cannot hide on an island and of course you will get caught eventually… Thailand and America is so much bigger therefore it takes a bit longer to see the problems and what nots…
Buddhist people are just as bad a Christian people… they are live her like me – learn the language – listen and watch! They hide it better than most…
I traveled and lived throughout the world – moreso as an American soldier…
Subculture is a beautiful thing that we creat to satisfy our needs, wants, and desires in life… it never changed the fact that I was born American into an Irish, Roman Catholic, Democratic family. I am a proud American – temporarily (by choice) living in Thailand.
You had to go and put SFC (Ret)?
I…Hate…You.
[...] October 9, 2008 funny post in Stuff White People Like Posted by snooway under Random Musings | Tags: blog, stuffwhitepeoplelike | http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/23/20-being-an-expert-on-your-culture/?cp=all [...]
I am a white Buddhist American who is often conflicted as to what my culture is. It is pretty clear what my religion is, but here in America it is hard to “talk” about your culture, because I really don’t have a set of customs that are different from the customs in my religion. Therefore it is quite common to see me dress in salwar’s, sarees and traditional robes for religious events and events of my Hindu peers. I look awkward if I don’t. I’m the only white person in my temple and I dress according to what I deem is appropriate for the setting. A lot of my friends are Hindu so if they invite me to a religions function, I believe it is completely inappropriate to wear a pant suit or a revealing dress especially when I am in India. Plus Salwars are so much prettier and more comfortable than American dresses. Heck, maybe I was born into the wrong race? But so be it, it’s fun and i’m proud of who I am! I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on any one culture but my own , although I am going to school for Asian studies, history and early childhood education, hah weird mix much? I guess that is another thing white people love, majoring in strange things.
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