An African man

Once in a while in Skypeland, we get a look at other cultures and mindsets. J is an African American from Ohio who has advertised that he is a "house nigger" not a "field nigger" and for the most part, J presents a rational reasonable image. However, if you scratch beneath the surface a little bit, you find that J has very different cultural values and understanding than the American mainstream.

J came in to Skypeland stoned out of his mind, which he seems to do from time to time. J overheard some of the exchange with Hiney and U, and wondered why the discussion was so contentious. I told J the story, and J said that people needed to get past certain grudges and difficulties in the past. I asked him if he personally was past having hard feelings about slavery. J did not quite know how to respond to this.

J claims to be an "African", not an "African American". J states that there are no Americans, and even after 100 years or more, no one should be referred to as an American, but instead as a Korean, or a Japanese, or a Chinese, or a German or an African, or wherever their ancestors were from. When challenged to name the country he was from, J was unable to pronounce the names of any African countries.

Someone pointed out to J that there are white Africans. J had no response to this. I suspect he does not believe that there are any whites in Africa.

J claims that the African American names that blacks give their children are not made-up names, but are real African names. J said that blacks in the US name their children names from Africa, although J could not tell us what country these names came from.

A couple of African Americans compiled a list of some supposedly "real" African American girl's names. These are purported to be African American names, but I think J or anyone would be hard pressed to claim that these are real "African" names:

Latifah

Shaniqua

Latoya

Laquisha

La Kisha

La Tanya

Rohandra

Bon Quisha

Sha'' Tanya

Topramaneesha

La Quishtia

Bonifa

Levondia

Bufanaquishria

La Quishianiqua

Barbeersha

Mo'Nique

Abduiniana

Fo'Landra

Bon 'Qui Qui

Sha Nay Nay

Tay Tay

Da Quonde

La'Trice

Tramicia

De'Lanice

Ka'Likatifrianiqua

Sha'Londria

Elephantisha

La'Quaysha

Guuurrlll

Qua'Lifriaqui'Sha'Niquia

Cornbreesha

Congratulashayla

Barackisha

Obamaniqua

Koolaidria

Spongebobeeshia

Clitorisandrea

Fa'Nay Nay

Comptonia

Harlemisha

Beethovenice

Watermelondrea

Cellularphoniqua

Unidastazovamerikaliqua

Alejandrisha

KingKongQuisha

Fri'Chickenisha

Colla'Greeniqua

Grapedrankisha

Que'Shayda

La'Taniana Bo Vanashnaniqualiquan

Are these actual names of real people? If you have spent much time in the US, you have heard many similar names or even stranger names of real people. There are even African American websites with advice on baby names that caution African Americans about choosing such awful names that their children will have difficulty later in life (such as having trouble getting a job or being taken seriously).

J claimed that Affirmative Action is not racism, and that those with darker skin should be favored for scholarships and for school admission and to get employment. At first J claimed that there was no favoritism for those with darker skin, until school admission standards from the University of Michigan were read to him. Then J said it was only fair that those who came from bad neighborhoods with bad educations have the right to go to whatever university they want, no matter what and have whatever job they want, even if they cannot perform. J felt these were rights, not privileges.

J felt that favoring those of one skin color over another is not racism, and was quite adamant about it. And then I knew for sure that J had drank the purple koolaid.

Addendum

As an example of how each country has its own set of "political correctness" rules, UK emigrant D was discussing Oprah Winfree, and D said she could see no reason why Oprah was so venerated and respected. Somebody pointed out that one is really not allowed to criticize anyone who is African American, and D shot back that she didn't care what was politically correct; she would criticize whoever she liked. I am pretty sure that after D has spent a few years in the US, she will have a far deeper understanding of American political correctness, and will know instinctively that one cannot criticize someone like Oprah, just by definition.

I read some of the "African names" above to J. He said that they were made-up, which is my point of course. However, he said that those that I could not pronounce easily were obviously authentic African names. His proof of this was that I had trouble pronouncing them. Sounds like good reasoning, doesn't it?