The spice of culture
What gives people that edge?
Faith Thomas
Posted in: Opinion on 5/19/09 at 1:26 PM PST
Being identified by your culture means that you have certain ideals, morals, norms, traits and beliefs that you're supposed to follow but what happens when people aren't exactly what they seem. It seems that the culture of America is to find what color you most represent [what color is most represented to us by the census of California] and have those cultural traits assists in helping to define your personality. This is ultimately why this article was created; to dispel all rumors.
Let us first begin with African-Americans; the most prevalent of all misconceptions of African-Americans is that all of them know how to commit crime. The reason why this is the most prevalent of all stereotypes is because due to the visual interpretation of blacks in movies as the "crime-ridden hustler" due to shows the exposure of shows likes Cops and America's Most Wanted. It has become more relevant than the actuality which shows that for every black male in jail; there are educated black males.
It should be noted that nearly 4 out of 10 African-American men lack health insurance; while higher than that of whites it is lower than that of Hispanics, American Indians and Hawaiians combine. These young African-American men die at a rate of at least 1.5 times the rate of young white and Hispanic men and almost three times the rate of young Asian men.
The homicide death rate for young African-American men is three times the rate of Hispanic; which would be the next highest homicide rate. Homicide death rates among men ages 25-44 are still 3 times higher than that of Hispanics and American Indians of that group along with the higher HIV death rate of men 25-44.
Next on the list of cultural myths I want to dispel is that all Caucasians are into NASCAR
[National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing]. If you watch this sport, then you'd know that most of the drivers are roughly white, around the age of 30 and have weird names [Jimmy Bob or something like that], I can attest to this rumor being completely false; I just so happen to be an African-American female who enjoys any sport that involves pain and NASCAR is about as painful as you can get without being completely smashed [the sport I am referring to is Bull Riding, also known as the "8 seconds of pain" another sport I thoroughly enjoy]. If you watch this sport you know what I'm talking about; every ten minutes there's a crash which narrows down the field ever so slightly until one car remains.
Let us first begin with African-Americans; the most prevalent of all misconceptions of African-Americans is that all of them know how to commit crime. The reason why this is the most prevalent of all stereotypes is because due to the visual interpretation of blacks in movies as the "crime-ridden hustler" due to shows the exposure of shows likes Cops and America's Most Wanted. It has become more relevant than the actuality which shows that for every black male in jail; there are educated black males.
It should be noted that nearly 4 out of 10 African-American men lack health insurance; while higher than that of whites it is lower than that of Hispanics, American Indians and Hawaiians combine. These young African-American men die at a rate of at least 1.5 times the rate of young white and Hispanic men and almost three times the rate of young Asian men.
The homicide death rate for young African-American men is three times the rate of Hispanic; which would be the next highest homicide rate. Homicide death rates among men ages 25-44 are still 3 times higher than that of Hispanics and American Indians of that group along with the higher HIV death rate of men 25-44.
Next on the list of cultural myths I want to dispel is that all Caucasians are into NASCAR
[National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing]. If you watch this sport, then you'd know that most of the drivers are roughly white, around the age of 30 and have weird names [Jimmy Bob or something like that], I can attest to this rumor being completely false; I just so happen to be an African-American female who enjoys any sport that involves pain and NASCAR is about as painful as you can get without being completely smashed [the sport I am referring to is Bull Riding, also known as the "8 seconds of pain" another sport I thoroughly enjoy]. If you watch this sport you know what I'm talking about; every ten minutes there's a crash which narrows down the field ever so slightly until one car remains.
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