Talking differently to black people

[Phoenix1010]

That's funny. I grew up in the ghetto and live in a predominantly white area now. When I hang out with people of color, particularly when I play basketball, it's amazing how much my idiom and diction changes. I don't know which is "normal," I feel comfortable speaking both ways. I think it's really funny how I subconciously begin talking like a completely different person depending on who I'm speaking to.

[Jack of Arcades]

see here

[The Goober]

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Mimicing happens all the time subconciously.

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The worst is when talking to british people. Sometimes I catch myself starting to mimic the different pronounciation and cadence, and it makes me want to punch myself in the head (I can't stand it when people fake english accents).

[Klepton]

sippinsoma calls me "nig"

does this count?

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
That's funny. I grew up in the ghetto and live in a predominantly white area now. When I hang out with people of color, particularly when I play basketball, it's amazing how much my idiom and diction changes. I don't know which is "normal," I feel comfortable speaking both ways. I think it's really funny how I subconciously begin talking like a completely different person depending on who I'm speaking to.

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People tend to swear alot more freely around me. A good buddy of mine noticed that long ago. My roomies g/f brought that up just the other night.

Sigh....It's a gift.

b

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
That's funny. I grew up in the ghetto and live in a predominantly white area now. When I hang out with people of color, particularly when I play basketball, it's amazing how much my idiom and diction changes. I don't know which is "normal," I feel comfortable speaking both ways. I think it's really funny how I subconciously begin talking like a completely different person depending on who I'm speaking to.

[/ QUOTE ]

word, I know what chu sayin

[Blackjack]

Aight dog.. I just be stealin da' blizzy blizzinds in da party shiznit freeroll yo

[ripdog]

[ QUOTE ]
Mimicing happens all the time subconciously.

b

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A couple of stories along this line:

I worked with a guy who called everybody 'Buckwheat'. We worked with a very slow witted black man who he also referred to as Buckwheat. I mentioned that I was surprised that he never said anything about being referred to as BW. THe offender was horrified. He freaked out and said he never thought about it. He stopped.

My wife is chinese, I am white. When we started going out I was over at her house and her mom was cooking dinner. For some reason that I cannot remember now, I was jokingly telling her to hurry up. The phrasing I used was 'Chop-chop'. I immediately cringed. Nobody seemed to have heard me.

[miajag81]

My girlfriend is Jewish and I always yell "Schnell, schnell!" when I want her to hurry up. She doesn't like it.

[jedi]

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At work today I had to call the Philadelphia Pension Office to get some information for a client. I found myself talking to a woman who, from the sound of her voice, was almost certainly African-American. I was repeating back the address she gave me, made a mistake, she corrected me, and instead of saying "oh, my mistake" I said "aw, my bad." I NEVER say this. I have a feeling I subconsciously was trying to sound "hip" or something, I have no idea why. Does anyone else ever find themselves unconsciously making stupid little changes to their language or behavior when talking to someone of a different race/culture?

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I change depending on who I'm talking to because I'm trying to mimic their culture. That works IF you know the culture they're from. Nothing wrong with that, just trying to identify with someone. I certainly don't talk the same way to older people than young teenagers.

Now, if you're just looking at someone and ASSUMING that they're of a certain culture just because of their skin color, that's a different story.