Don't Get it Twisted: White stereotypes as bad as others
By: Miles HarwellIF someone asks me what my nationality is, I'll tell them I'm white and Native American.
But since my skin colour isn't as dark as someone who would be
labelled as an "Indian", what my nationality translates into is
simply "white".
But don't get it twisted, I'm the least white white person
you'll ever meet in your life.
When people of other nationalities think of white people, they
usually think of somebody with long hair and a skateboard who
refers to everyone as "dude".
This is the stereotype associated with white people.
I'm white, but I've used the word dude probably three times in
the past five years, usually quoting someone else.
The term clearly has no meaning for someone like... The last
time I tried to step on a skateboard I nearly got injured when it
slipped out from under me, so I'm far from entering any X-Game
contests.
My hair is long, but it's usually braided or tied up and tucked
in my wave cap I wear every day.
But despite my lack of relation to it, my skin colour alone
associates me with this unjust stereotype.
White people are assumed to listen to mainly rock & roll
music.
People picture white people with their long hair, banging their
head up and down to rock music played at maximum volume.
The last time I had the unfortunate experience of having to
listen to loud rock music, I got a splitting headache and nearly
vomited out of displeasure.
Frankly, if the music isn't 50 Cent, Nas, Killa Tay or similar
artists from that genre, it isn't going in my CD player.
With the emergence of Eminem, white people have been given a
rapper they can listen to, while still being true to
themselves.
I listen to Eminem, but don't get it twisted, I listen to him
not because he's white, but because he has lyrics, and backed by Dr
Dre, a black music pioneer.
People also assume that white people have rich families.
At no point in my life so far have I or anyone in my family ever
been rich, or even remotely comfortable financially.
Any large amount of money that has ever came to me has either
come through inheritance or doing something that could land me in
jail, and being that I'm currently putting myself through college
being self-employed, money comes even harder.
So chances are, I'll be asking you for money, before anyone asks
me for money.
Don't get it twisted, a person's skin colour does not determine
their financial worth.
If it did, there would be no need to build trailer parks.
White people are also assumed to be generally frightened by
people of colour, and to generally associate with people of their
own persuasion.
I fall into this racial category, but don't get it twisted, my
closest friends and the people I associate with are all people of
colour.
On the contrary, I have a total of ZERO white friends, and any
one of my friends will tell you this about... I went to a high
school where white people were the minority, and if I was scared, I
wouldn't have survived and enjoyed four years there.
Even when I'm not familiar with someone, I'm not going to be
afraid of them just because their skin is darker than mine.
I'll stare anyone in the eye to see who they are.
White people are expected to sit in the front of the bus, but
this doesn't stop me from taking my seat at the very back of the
bus, no matter who's sitting in the other seats.
One's nationality shouldn't decide their social behaviour, no
matter what colour of skin they have.
I don't like being labelled as a "white boy", anymore than a
black person likes being looked at like a thief when trying to buy
something from a store.
I don't like it anymore than a Latin person likes being accused
of moving to this country illegally, or an Asian person being
assumedly a genius.
All the before-mentioned stereotypes are unjust, and the one I
am subject to is equally unjustly given.
When it comes to stereotypes, I'm not white.
I'm just Miles, and that's all I know how to... Don't get it
twisted.
- Pacific News Service
* Miles (21) is a Contributing Writer for YO!, which forms part
of the San Francisco-based Pacific News Service (PNS)
But don't get it twisted, I'm the least white white person you'll
ever meet in your life.When people of other nationalities think of
white people, they usually think of somebody with long hair and a
skateboard who refers to everyone as "dude".This is the stereotype
associated with white people.I'm white, but I've used the word dude
probably three times in the past five years, usually quoting
someone else.The term clearly has no meaning for someone like...
The last time I tried to step on a skateboard I nearly got injured
when it slipped out from under me, so I'm far from entering any
X-Game contests.My hair is long, but it's usually braided or tied
up and tucked in my wave cap I wear every day.But despite my lack
of relation to it, my skin colour alone associates me with this
unjust stereotype.White people are assumed to listen to mainly rock
& roll music.People picture white people with their long hair,
banging their head up and down to rock music played at maximum
volume.The last time I had the unfortunate experience of having to
listen to loud rock music, I got a splitting headache and nearly
vomited out of displeasure.Frankly, if the music isn't 50 Cent,
Nas, Killa Tay or similar artists from that genre, it isn't going
in my CD player.With the emergence of Eminem, white people have
been given a rapper they can listen to, while still being true to
themselves.I listen to Eminem, but don't get it twisted, I listen
to him not because he's white, but because he has lyrics, and
backed by Dr Dre, a black music pioneer.People also assume that
white people have rich families.At no point in my life so far have
I or anyone in my family ever been rich, or even remotely
comfortable financially.Any large amount of money that has ever
came to me has either come through inheritance or doing something
that could land me in jail, and being that I'm currently putting
myself through college being self-employed, money comes even
harder.So chances are, I'll be asking you for money, before anyone
asks me for money.Don't get it twisted, a person's skin colour does
not determine their financial worth.If it did, there would be no
need to build trailer parks.White people are also assumed to be
generally frightened by people of colour, and to generally
associate with people of their own persuasion.I fall into this
racial category, but don't get it twisted, my closest friends and
the people I associate with are all people of colour.On the
contrary, I have a total of ZERO white friends, and any one of my
friends will tell you this about... I went to a high school where
white people were the minority, and if I was scared, I wouldn't
have survived and enjoyed four years there.Even when I'm not
familiar with someone, I'm not going to be afraid of them just
because their skin is darker than mine.I'll stare anyone in the eye
to see who they are.White people are expected to sit in the front
of the bus, but this doesn't stop me from taking my seat at the
very back of the bus, no matter who's sitting in the other
seats.One's nationality shouldn't decide their social behaviour, no
matter what colour of skin they have.I don't like being labelled as
a "white boy", anymore than a black person likes being looked at
like a thief when trying to buy something from a store.I don't like
it anymore than a Latin person likes being accused of moving to
this country illegally, or an Asian person being assumedly a
genius.All the before-mentioned stereotypes are unjust, and the one
I am subject to is equally unjustly given.When it comes to
stereotypes, I'm not white.I'm just Miles, and that's all I know
how to... Don't get it twisted.- Pacific News Service* Miles (21)
is a Contributing Writer for YO!, which forms part of the San
Francisco-based Pacific News Service (PNS)