Black History Month

[Honour]

Thank goodness for that!! I hit 'new' and it came up. My point is that Americas problems with blacks are America's problems. Using this forum to disrespect Black History Month with the mocking is...well I'd slap ya! A lot of generalizations, and bullshit posted that is simply unacceptable (at least to me).

[Tigerman]

Using this forum to disrespect Black History Month with the mocking is...well I'd slap ya! A lot of generalizations, and bullshit posted that is simply unacceptable (at least to me).

I disagree with that notion. There is nothing wrong with people disagreeing with Black History Month, or any other event, so long as they do so within the scope of the Rules of this site.

Naturally, we are all entitled to rebut and or refute any comments containing bullshit and generalizations made here if we disagree with the same. However, none of us should be precluded from disrespecting anyone or anything or any notion that we might wish to disrespect, again, so long as we do our disrespecting in a way that does not transgress the Rules of this site.

[Honour]

I was only kidding about the 'slap ya' part, but some of what is posted offends me. Like you said, I have the right to post that too. This thread is not the first time I have seen people post blaming America's woes on the minority populations.

Seriously, Black History month is important to a lot of us, not just blacks and not only to Americans. Not understanding black history month is one thing, but using it as an opportunity to bring up whatever racist, fascist thoughts lure in the back of one's minds is weak (IMHO).

BTW, I haven't heard of any racial profiling in China. So if you want to compare the two, or any other nations I think you need to do so fairly. So as far as promoting ignorance and hate goes, well good for Forumosa and its rules.

[Jive Turkey]

Not understanding black history month is one thing

So if someone disagrees with the idea of setting one month aside for the celebration of one ethnic group's history, then that person "just doesn't understand?" This seems like a variation of the well worn "You just don't understand Chinese culture" line.

BTW, I haven't heard of any racial profiling in China.

You haven't spent much time in the PRC, have you?

[Honour]

If I am wrong, then correct me. I don't have a problem with that. If I sound like the "you don't understand Chinese culture" thing, I apologize. I hate that too, that wasn't my intention. I meant if someone is going to mock it, then perhaps they don't understand what it means to the people that celebrate it.

I don't care if it is a black, white, jewish, or whatever holiday. However much we try to convince ourselves, it's not always our place to comment.

That's my opinion. My point was that some comments in this thread offended me. There is such a thing as going to far. I think the moderator's have the right to draw the line somewhere, where they choose to draw it is Forumosa's business.

[mod lang]

By the way, Black history month isn't only American. It's celebrated in Canada, England and lots of other places around the world. There are activities in Taipei all month long, including fashion shows of traditional African wears, young black achievements, history classes and poetry readings. I haven't looked up the calendar because I am unable to attend this year, but last year was dedicated to Black inventors.

Why should they have to celebrate Black History month in Taiwan? That makes as much sense as celebrating Estonian History month in Botswana. Does Taiwan have an Aborigine or Hakka History month? That would make much more sense given Taiwan's ethnic demographics. I dislike this cultural imperialism of foisting North American holidays upon societies where the context is not the same. You know, teaching kids to sing "Frosty the Snowman" at Christmas in Taiwan, where most of the people are Buddhists and it never snows - that kind of thing bugs me.

[Goose Egg]

Oh Lord, I know I'm probably going to get flamed because I cannot put this in the words I want to put this in, but here's to hoping that people understand where I'm coming from.

Be warned that this post is full of rants... You've been warned.

I get bothered by the fact that a lot of "black achievements" being simply because the person achieving them are black. Do not get me wrong before anyone starts stuffing words in my mouth, I think it's important for children to look up to people of all colors for their achievements, but not simply because of their skin color...let me revert to metaphors and analogies since I seem to argue better using these devices:

When you celebrate the first black person in space who did not get there until 20 years after the first white American in space, you are basically saying "We recognize your achievement only because of your skin color because a whole parade of white people accomplished this feat before you did." It is like praising the slower child for doing something that the other kids his age had already accomplish long before him. I feel it only adds to our sense of inferiority that we should applaud ourselves for finally accomplishing what white people have already done. It's like treating someone special because you know they couldn't do it like the "normal" people could. George Washington Carver did many amazing things and was a prolific inventor. He is celebrated not because he was black, but because he was an incredibly intelligent and capable human being. That to me is someone that should be a hero to a young black child. He's not considered an achiever for following in the footsteps of whites, but because he was a leader.

Richard Pryor was a great comedian. And he was black. But he was not a great black comedian (as opposed to a great comedian who was white), he was a great comedian. Full stop.

I think what I am saying (but I could be wrong ) is that when you quantify a person's achievements by their skin color, you also say that the reason why we should be celebrating them is because of the their skin color, rather than because of their achievement. No one calls Bob Hope "a great white comedian" or Buzz Aldrin "a white pioneer in space". Dr. Mae C. Jemison should be celebrated, not because she was the first black woman, or even a woman, in space, but because she's an astronaut and that in itself is an achievement. Martin Luther King was a great leader of the civil rights movement. Not because he was black, but because he was a great leader.

I think Black History Month is important to remind all of us of the great things black people have done and contributed to the world and to build confidence in our youth that they too can achieve greatness since there do not seem to be a lot of positive role models out there in their lives for them to look up to. But let's celebrate the people who have made these contributions rather than just their skin color.




Now onto my next rant...
As far as environment, it's a known fact that most cushy teaching jobs (those in well-off schools and school districts with lots of resources) go to tenured, experienced teachers. Teaching jobs in impoverished schools and school districts often go to inexperienced teachers or teachers who are not dedicated to their work. As a reward for becoming better teachers, those who make improvements go on to the nicer schools where parents are more dedicated to their children's education, the students all have goals that usually include tertiary education or trade schools, and the community has the money to provide the school with the resources it needs to produce the programs it wants.

Meanwhile those kids attending school in the more impoverish districts keep teachers that no one else wants and the teachers who don't know what they are doing, using what little resources the district can afford to give them. Can you imagine feeling motivated to learn and pursue higher learning when all the teachers you get don't want to be at your school, could care less whether or not you learn, and live for the weekend? What kind of message would you get about your self-worth when your own parents (or rather parent) doesn't or can't support you in your learning and your teacher would just as soon have you drop out so her class can go from 30 students to a slightly more manageable 29?

All of us on this website are lucky that we had someone out there who cared enough for us to inspire us to learn. I cannot say there is anyone here who did not have at least one really good teacher. And even if your home environment was not perfect, you still had someone in your life who believed in you. Not many of these kids get that. And if your life is devoid of hope, of the idea that you can escape the misery around you, then why bother getting better if becoming a part of that negativity is inevitable (or so you are led to believe)?

I am one who believes that genetics has nothing to do with how successful one's life can be. Environment plays a big role in who we are. If we are taught that XYZ people are inferior to us, then until some opportunity comes along to show us something different, we will continue to believe that XYZ people are inferior to us. If we live in an environment where we are treated as if we are animals incapable of achievement, then if no one comes along to tell us otherwise, we will continue to follow the path we think we are meant to follow. Many people in the US (and our other home countries) believe that life outside of their own community/country is not safe or is too difficult to survive in. They never leave their home country. I think that idea is similar to what impoverished people, who are never told that they don't have to live in poverty and can choose to improve their lives, go through. Granted, I was a linguistics major and not a sociology one, but I think it's self-evident:

If you don't teach a child to be respectful at home, most of them won't learn it on their own, ignoring the fact that they do learn something through school culture and outside of the home.

If you don't teach your child how to delay gratification, chances are they won't be able to do it on their own.

If you don't teach a child that they are worthy of success and capable of achievement or push them to do their best, you cannot expect that they will do these things on their own.

Let's face it, it's much easier to be disrespectful, get what we want immediately, and be lazy than to be respectful, patient, and hard-working. But it takes discipline and love to help us understand why it's worth having the latter characteristics. Unfortunately, not everyone gets this discipline and love. Especially in impoverished urban environments.



Rant over. Packing up the soapbox as we speak.

Peace. Shalom. Sala'am.

ImaniOU

[ImaniOU]

By the way, Black history month isn't only American. It's celebrated in Canada, England and lots of other places around the world. There are activities in Taipei all month long, including fashion shows of traditional African wears, young black achievements, history classes and poetry readings. I haven't looked up the calendar because I am unable to attend this year, but last year was dedicated to Black inventors.

Why should they have to celebrate Black History month in Taiwan? That makes as much sense as celebrating Estonian History month in Botswana. Does Taiwan have an Aborigine or Hakka History month? That would make much more sense given Taiwan's ethnic demographics. I dislike this cultural imperialism of foisting North American holidays upon societies where the context is not the same. You know, teaching kids to sing "Frosty the Snowman" at Christmas in Taiwan, where most of the people are Buddhists and it never snows - that kind of thing bugs me.

Or worse yet, teaching children about Chinese New Year in an American elementary school when most of the people in the country are Christian and the student body is almost 100% caucasian. Or building a theme around the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom when the vast majority of the US is of a temperate climate and there are no native species of coconut trees on the whole continent. Hell, why are we even here teaching them English? Talk about foisting a culture on people...

[TainanCowboy]

Frank Robinson - "The Judge"

[mod lang]

Or worse yet, teaching children about Chinese New Year in an American elementary school when most of the people in the country are Christian and the student body is almost 100% caucasian. Or building a theme around the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom when the vast majority of the US is of a temperate climate and there are no native species of coconut trees on the whole continent. Hell, why are we even here teaching them English? Talk about foisting a culture on people...

Admittedly I've been out of the states for a while, but where do children in America celebrate Chinese New Year (outside of cities where there's a large Chinese community)? In my 12 years of public schooling I never even heard of it, or any other foreign holidays, much less taught to celebrate them in class. How many non-Muslims in America celebrate Ramadan, or even know when it is? Are there thousands of shopping malls in America piping traditional Chinese music (in Mandarin) over the speakers and hordes of stores advertising "One week only! Chinese New Year, save up to 60% off selected items!" The comparison isn't a good one, because the pervasiveness of imported Western holidays like Halloween and Christmas are much greater in Taiwan than any Chinese holidays are in America. Plus, I hate Christmas music, and you would think that in faraway Taiwan you'd finally find a place to escape it, but nooooo.....

And of course forcing kids who don't want to be there to submit to English class is cultural imperialism. You'd have to be blind not to see that. If forcing your language upon a people isn't imperialistic, then imperialism doesn't exist. However, this is one case where I think that a little linguistic imperialism is justified, because if the world ever wants to truly to international, we all need to speak an international language, and English looks like it's going to be that language. Kids need to learn English to get ahead and not be limited to this little island.

Christmas and Black History Month are different. Just because the Taiwanese like to import our language and certain other parts of our culture, doesn't mean that we should ram our entire culture down their throats wholesale. Rampant commercialism (Christmas) and American identity politics that are not relevant to Taiwan's ethnic situation (BHM), these are Western imports that Taiwan does not need.