Remember the 'Hey Mon' episode on "In Living Color" that poked fun at the hardest working Jamaican family, where most of the family members had at least "three job"? Sometimes, stereotypes like this are funny because of the pieces of truth in them that we can identify with.
Saturday night, I had dinner with some friends visiting from out of town. One of the gentlemen is originally from Nigeria. He came with a friend, also from Nigeria, and her husband--who happens to be from St. Vincent in the Caribbean.
This collection of individuals gave me an opportunity to ask a question that I would like to get your thoughts on:
Generally speaking, do non-American-born Blacks possess a different view of education and work than American-born Blacks? And if so, why?
Relying totally on mere observation, it appears to me that Black individuals that come to the US from either Africa or the Caribbean often take the academic and professional opportunities available in this country much more seriously than the African-Americans born here.
What do you think?
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5 comments:
Wow this is one of them really deep issues, but here is my take on it. It is a similar issue to 50/60 years ago just about every black family was in the same position, working 2/3 jobs and valuing the importants of education and the importants of work to safe a dollar!
The black family’s in them days had more structure and definition… now because we have had a degree of expectance by the powers to be WE the Blacks that are born here have really stop the all out effort to do our thang.
So yes the non-American-born blacks do possess a different view… but they do need to understand that they can do there thing because “WE” the American-born made it possible.
Smith
man, you left us hanging. what did your dinner companions have to say about the issue??
American born Blacks are less agressive than "other" blacks. There are lots of societal issues that contribute to that. We have a lot as Americans and we tend not to appreciate it. As Black people we have not done a good job of teaching our children and helping them to remember what it was like, lest we forget. I believe we are on the path to forgetting the hard work ethic, and history of the past. That applies to all Americans, not just Blacks.
I feel that non-American blacks have a more serious outlook on work and education. They come from areas where only the elite get to obtain education. When you slack off with your studies, you're placed in a meaningless job forever. They have learned that you must work for what you want. I think their culture creates this attitude, that you fight for your dignity. The American dream is envied by all, but only few will make the sacrifice to obtain it.
Darlin
From St. Vincent? That's where my in-laws are from...did you find out where in St. Vincent?
you may have been meeting up with someone in my extended family!!!
Anyway, I've realized, just by meeting and speaking with my in-laws that they do have this work ethic that I hardly see in the American family. Everyone of my husband's uncles own at least one home in the US and land back home in St. Vincent. They all have jobs and have had them for several years...its truly amazing to me, because they do what they love and they are financially stable to boot...
and I don't think they did it the old American way, with savings accounts and emergency fund accounts and 401K's and all that, I think they did it with the hard work (most WITHOUT degrees) that is missing from our lives...everyone is hoping to be the next athletic superstar, not the next great investment banker or Donald Trump...
and its not just African Americans, I think...Americans as a whole seem to have the opinion that everything should move at 56K or faster and hard work is a waste of time...we switch jobs every two years (hopefully rolling over 401Ks) and don't want to work a job that doesn't pay well enough to get the stuff we want...
i think no matter what country they are in, these people would've been just as successful as they are now...if not more...
I try my hardest to replicate their passion for what they are doing (even if its as service-related as being a nanny or housekeeper)...
It does appear that a greater number of people that come from other cultures with economic challanges are more motivated to work than those of us born here. Maybe it is just the simple principle of teaching responsibilty and earning what you make as opposed to what we've gotten accustomed to...people owe us something. When you come from lands where you work all day in the heat and still don't make enough to make ends meet, being able to come to a land and work in air conditioning, whether its 2 or 3 jobs,and have enough for your family as well as the ability to send money home to your homeland feels better. So I guess in essence its about what drives you.
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