Thursday, December 18, 2008

Whiteness

At first I couldn't come up with anything for a time where I really noticed my gender/race and then Mr. Kunkle told his story about being in a McDonald's and he was the only white guy. This reminded me of when I went to Africa.

When I went on my trip even though it was mainly just me and my two aunts that were white in my aunts village I never really felt out of place, but now that I look back on it there are somethings that I now remember that stick out about me being white.

The main thing that I remember is that whenever we went to some market place to buy/bargain with people they all set the prices really high. A lot of them thought that just because we were white that we had a ton of money. They assumed this with out even thinking about it. It was just something that they see and automatically relate it to. White people equal money in their world and that's that.
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5 comments:

Alyssa O said...

I can definitely see how that would be true, but I have to disagree with the whole way high prices thing...i definitely recall you telling me the elephant statue you gave me cost less than a penny lol

December 18, 2008 at 12:15 PM
chelsea said...

I think it is really cool that you got to go to africa. I bet it was amazing seein how different there culture is compared to ours. Also i dont think you can blame them for their asumtion, becuse technicoly we are rich compared to them.

December 18, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Ky-Ky Bebeh said...

I definitely can see that happening on your trip to Africa.

Honestly, it really bugs me how there are so many stereotypes about Americans. I'm sure many people in other countries just see us as rich, fat, ignorant white people. It's rather sad...

Especially when, I myself try hard to steer away from stereotyping people. Makes me feel like my efforts are just being wasted..

December 18, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Winnie K said...

Coming from Africa, I can definitely add some insight to this. When I lived back in Kenya, we were taught that Americans were better than Africans. That black people were the losers in the white deck of cards.
If I had seen you in a market place, I probably would have assumed that you were rich.
This is just a mentality that African people have in their head. You cant blame them though,its what they were taught to believe

December 22, 2008 at 1:39 PM
Abby said...

Wow, I didn't know you went to Africa! It's weird that they would automatically assume you have more money. Maybe it was because you were a tourist and not just because you were white?

-caritc

January 8, 2009 at 8:30 AM

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