Comments on: Will the Culture of “Acting White” Anti-Intellectualism Kill America? http://chrisabraham.com/2007/08/15/will-the-culture-of-acting-white-anti-intellectualism-kill-america/ Because the Medium is the Message Wed, 09 May 2012 09:02:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: KMhttp://chrisabraham.com/2007/08/15/will-the-culture-of-acting-white-anti-intellectualism-kill-america/#comment-2573 KM Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:14:45 +0000 http://chrisabraham.com/?p=4102#comment-2573 Where I teach, right out side of DC, there is a big mixture of minorities born and raised from US families and immigrants from all over the world. For middle schoolers, finding that balance between peer popularity and school success is the hardest thing they can learn. Without a role model of success, it can be extremely hard for lower-economic kids (kids of parents with no college degree) to even have any idea HOW to "act white." as you define it. Who would they talk to like that? Immigrant minorities (especially from Africa) tend to actually do better at this - probably because their parents are very close to the sacrifice it took to getting them here. They are expected to become part of the educated culture. I try to tell them that they won't learn to use proper grammar and mechanics in their writing until they WANT it to look and sound educated, and that they should WANT to be able to "turn on" thier educated side when they need to impress the right people. Successful "hood" kids have to turn their communication skills on and off all the time. It is a very hard situation to survive both worlds. Where I teach, right out side of DC, there is a big mixture of minorities born and raised from US families and immigrants from all over the world. For middle schoolers, finding that balance between peer popularity and school success is the hardest thing they can learn. Without a role model of success, it can be extremely hard for lower-economic kids (kids of parents with no college degree) to even have any idea HOW to “act white.” as you define it. Who would they talk to like that? Immigrant minorities (especially from Africa) tend to actually do better at this – probably because their parents are very close to the sacrifice it took to getting them here. They are expected to become part of the educated culture. I try to tell them that they won’t learn to use proper grammar and mechanics in their writing until they WANT it to look and sound educated, and that they should WANT to be able to “turn on” thier educated side when they need to impress the right people. Successful “hood” kids have to turn their communication skills on and off all the time. It is a very hard situation to survive both worlds.

]]> By: Chris Abrahamhttp://chrisabraham.com/2007/08/15/will-the-culture-of-acting-white-anti-intellectualism-kill-america/#comment-2572 Chris Abraham Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:27:20 +0000 http://chrisabraham.com/?p=4102#comment-2572 Influence not money. Our culture is being dumbed down every day. Unfortunately, it isn't merely money or dominant culture, it is influence. And, unfortunately, it doesn't matter. It is all an emergent system based on simple choices, although it does often look like a mad global conspiracy. Blame whomever you want if it helps you sleep at night,even though you (not you, Janna -- you, plural) botched an interview because you (pl) didn't know how to put a sentence together or how to pronounce English words as they are well-defined in every dictionary.Maybe it is not the man keeping you (pl) down, it is yourself. Maybe not. Influence not money. Our culture is being dumbed down every day. Unfortunately, it isn’t merely money or dominant culture, it is influence. And, unfortunately, it doesn’t matter. It is all an emergent system based on simple choices, although it does often look like a mad global conspiracy. Blame whomever you want if it helps you sleep at night,even though you (not you, Janna — you, plural) botched an interview because you (pl) didn’t know how to put a sentence together or how to pronounce English words as they are well-defined in every dictionary.

Maybe it is not the man keeping you (pl) down, it is yourself. Maybe not.

]]> By: Cute Girlhttp://chrisabraham.com/2007/08/15/will-the-culture-of-acting-white-anti-intellectualism-kill-america/#comment-2571 Cute Girl Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:19:58 +0000 http://chrisabraham.com/?p=4102#comment-2571 I look at it more simply, actually. To me, again this is all about preservation of culture. The truth is...we value some cultures and devalue others. There's no way around that. The sad thing is that the one with the most money makes that judgement. I look at it more simply, actually. To me, again this is all about preservation of culture. The truth is…we value some cultures and devalue others. There’s no way around that. The sad thing is that the one with the most money makes that judgement.

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