One stigma that has personal experience with is the perception is acting
white. In the African American culture, apparently it’s more than a stigma;
it’s almost a social death sentence. But, what does it mean to be black,
exactly? Does it mean to only wear urban attire? Does it mean to only listen to
rap and hip-hop music? Does it mean to only aspire to either a rapper or a
professional athlete? My intent isn’t to demonize, but rather to attempt to
understand why certain activities are glorified while others are admonished,
like reading for example. It is very rare sight to behold an African
American individual, on a bus, while reading. Other activities that fall under
the same vein including: speaking proper English, excelling academically or not
being about to dance; which is an offense so "egregious" that it
almost deserves its own blog post.
What's the difference between me and you?
Although I can only speak from the African American side about experience, it
seems like this theme is culturally universal. I think it all boils down to
managing the expectations and when those predetermined beliefs are challenged,
even for the better, that that change can cause fear. Embracing cultural
practices can be a good thing. Problems arise when cultural expectations are
placed on someone for an option that is out their control, like having a certain
skin color; begin to infringe upon someone ability to be an individual.
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