What I Learned This Summer About Being an American

What I Learned This Summer About Being an American
chamaflauge Aug 07, 2013 18:12

Some people make jokes when others of different ethnicities talk about "the man" putting them down. The people that mainly joke about it are white folks.  As an American black person I didn’t really believe it happened so much in the present day. That is until I arrived in China.   

 

Over the summer holiday I had this great gig that most people would envy. I was a voice narrator representative for one of the top Fortune 10 companies in the world. Most people would have done it for free. I was getting paid to do it.

 

When most people speak with me over the phone they don’t know what ethnicity I am. They only know that when I speak English they can fully understand everything coming out of my mouth. To be fair I had a face to face interview, and at first I thought I would be wasting my time.  To his credit, a Chinese manager hired me because I guess he felt what I felt; that I sounded standard enough, and with enough practice everything would come out all right.

 

As the second month rolled around I was getting complaints from the higher ups. You know the higher ups; the white folks that run these Fortune 500 companies. They kept complaining that my voice sounded “too ethnic”.  I let colleagues from my other job hear my samples, and all I kept hearing was 

"You really sound like you can be in a commercial"

 

“Chama, wow you sound really, white” .

 

In actuality I didn’t want to sound “white” because I couldn’t. I wanted to sound American, because that’s where I was born and raised, and after all; this company was the cornerstone of American consumerism. I mean didn’t they know that America has changed since the 1940’s? Haven’t they heard of Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama; two of the greatest orators of our time. I am not saying that I am them, but the way I sound when I speak to you is not too far off.

 

Didn’t they know that America is renowned for being multi-ethnic? Or is this a facade?

 

What about Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Chris Rock, Will Smith, Edward James Olmos. What about when you tune into NBA Sports Center, or when you are watching a game listening to Reggie Miller.  Do they sound too ethnic?

 

This summer I was fired for sounding too “black” and it was then that I had an epiphany. It’s not the Chinese that are keeping me from realizing my ambitions. The Chinese, for the most part follow the West. It’s the old broken down and out-dated foundation of elite white American society that still wants to be in control of what is “right”, and what is “not right”.

 

Bragging about multi-ethnicity, but only when it is convenient. 

 

What I learned this summer is that I am American, but that some Americans are more American than others.

 

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9 Comments

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DonNoble

I can relate very much to the writer of this article. I am African adopted by my American parents who are both white. I have been working here in China for four years and the only place I am allowed to teach Psychology my major is in the universities. I wouldn't say I am racist against because I am black but some Chinese and also some foreign friends hold the opinion that I fake my accent trying to sound white. I constantly have to remind them that people pick up a certain accent from childhood. Not until recently when my parents came for my marriage did some ignorant people begin to see the point I was making. There are still many teaching institutions that employ blacks and other minorities. Granted, they have to contact your university in the state, get a bunch of recommendations from previous jobs. The only worry I have is when some locals ask me if blacks speak good English or tell me that some white folks tell them blacks English is unacceptable( can't verify this).

Aug 11, 2013 00:01 Report Abuse

DonNoble

It's beyond crazy!

Aug 11, 2013 09:58 Report Abuse

rasklnik

"They prefer to empower their minorities economically" they meaning the Chineses. Oh yes, I know some Tibetans that are just dying to FLAME you for this. I mean it's a BURNING question with them...

Aug 10, 2013 13:27 Report Abuse

Firefighter

"Racism in China is far worse than in America".First nobody was out to compare racism in the two countries.Secondly,jobs,especially teaching jobs in China were open to everybody in China right up to 2006,2007,when people started flocking over to China from the US and Europe as a result of the financial downturn.We read all what they said here about minorities.It's good they keep making the same mistake rambling about pronunciation.There are regional varieties of English and what is utmost is fluency,and intelligibility,not pronunciation.Most teachers from the US and Europe who have made the mistake of spending countless hours with students reading and articulating words know the damage this has done to their fluency and intelligibility.Many students have not moved a step away from their Chinglish.How come we have these great teachers from these great English speaking countries,yet students keep saying things like:"I very love my mother", "My mother is kindly and lovely"? When a teacher starts telling you Chinese have problems pronouncing:"shi" and "si",then know his job has mostly been limited to regurgitating crammed words.How do Americans do business with Indians,Pakistanis? Do we pay attention to overall fluency and intelligibility or just pronunciation? If you don't keep reminding people of their status,nobody can play the slave card.Frisking people on the streets is not a slave card.It is a way to demean others and show they are not welcomed.Hanging your Presidents effigies on trees repeatedly is not the slave card;it is primitivity. Having a judicial system that selectively and disproportionately hit hard on minorities is not a race card.What people like Paris Hilton,Lindsey lohan,Amanda Bynes are doing will not be tolerated if they were not who they are.When somebody shoots a person and goes for 40 days without being arrested,do we still have the guts to say there's worst racism in China.We are eager to pick a peck from others' eyes,but we can't see that which is in our own eyes.You carry guns so that you and you alone can comprehend how to selectively stand your ground.All the people you frisk and throw into prison will come out and continue to be a thorn in your butt.Chinese with their 5000 years history know somnething about this.They prefer to empower their minorities economically.Many Africans have a whole province in China to do small businesses.You cannot have this in the US,because the superior race is too much into blame game.

Aug 09, 2013 23:43 Report Abuse

Vyborg

Isn't what you call 'the old broken down and out-dated foundation of elite white American society' one of the minorities (however powerful) that makes America the multi-ethnic/multi-cultural society it is? Obsolete ideas surely have their impact on the course of history but I remember the time I could only have mentioned Sidney Poitier, and a non-white president was unthinkable outside science fiction. So I think things have changed for the better even if there's still a long way to go. In China, on the other hand, obsolete ideas are still being developed and I fear the homogenity of the Chinese society will be considered a blessing by the Chinese long after the first generations of outsiders that recognized the curse it actually is have passed away. Anyway, it's good to hear that prejudice lost it once again when it came to the sound of your voice.

Aug 09, 2013 21:54 Report Abuse

Guest2362248

My fellow human, I prefer that to fellow American. I read your blog and felt I had to respond. I am from the southeastern parts of the USA. That means I say y'all and reckon and other word phrases that often are misunderstood by non-native speakers. I understand that because I learned my Chinese from a program that taught Beijing zhongwen but since I am not living in Beijing, I have found it harder to pick up the local's meaning. For example: shi and si. They are said the same around here. Does it cost $4.00 or $10.00? Well, anyway, the point is I doesn't matter what color you are or where you grew up but whether you can pronounce the words the way it is suppose to sound to the average listener. I would also have trouble in your situation. I am not black, hispanic or any other "minority" but a good old American mutt with roots in America that go back to the 1700's. I have heard many TV personalities who have worked hard to shed their ethnic brogue and I am sure you can too with some help IF you need to. A good sounding voice should not be wasted.

Aug 09, 2013 17:17 Report Abuse

Firefighter

Chama,everything about your country America is out there for everyone to see now.You people lie when odds are starked against you.You don't need to go far.It is the same people you are complaining about who came over to China and started forcing Chinese to recruit only people who look like them.Go to schools owned by them,you would hardly see a colored person.The hypocrisy of your country is mind-boggling.They have ready-made answers for all your complaints.If you complain about slavery,they would say,black Africans sold their brothers,but they won't say who left his home with ships,crossed oceans to go looking for slaves.You people hang on to guns,because you want to carry out genocide against people who don't look like you.You have the Anthonys,Zimmermans out there,puffing with pride after killing and being let off the hook because of superiority complex.China with 1.5 billion people is doing far better than the US when it comes to race relations.For just over 5 years,places like Tibet,Xinjiang have gone from enclaves to big cities.At the same time,your superior race in America keeps playing the blame game.You don't know how to get people out of poverty.All you know is put them down.You are the makers of guns,and you think guns will help you solve your problems.What magic is China playing getting 400 million people out of poverty,while America is frisking young blacks on streets,disproportionately throwing them into jail? You cannot kill your way out of this mess.I see how frightened they are when one of them is caught calling others niggers.How can a slave-master be so estactic in calling his slave nigger.Where is the shame? You think people people don't know those who forcefully took these people to America? If you can't help them,put them back in ships and take them to where you uprooted them!The world is tired of people hanging the effigies of their president on trees and calling him the worst names.What respect do you think can have,if they don't respect others?You live in denial.

Aug 09, 2013 11:28 Report Abuse

Vyborg

When fighting fire, you'd better be sure you don't mistake the sea to be one and carry water to it.

Aug 09, 2013 21:29 Report Abuse

Latina1965

As a minority in America I can relate to your posting.

Aug 07, 2013 21:23 Report Abuse