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[Black-Wind]

lol and Africans do hate on African Americans cause they see them as having all the opportunity in the world but always looking for excuses not to act on them. That also comes from the hardship they face back home and seeing all the opportunities and ways to make a living in the states

Then I guess African's are no better than many white Americans in trying to understand the ramifications of the United State's past with Slavery and systemic racism.

So it seems that at the end of the day, no matter the color of your skin ... you can't automatically "get" someone else just cause they share your color if you don't have the same background as they do.

 

[HeatBoost]

The dynamics are, in terms of discussing the rationale at least, irrelevant. People are shitty and wanna act like they're better than other people. You can find every single permutation of this imaginable.

You might think that sounds like making excuses, but if anything, stuff like institutional and organized racism even worse as a result because it starts to disrupt the natural balance that comes from everyone hating everyone else

 

[Veelk]

I can't offer too much, but if you have people giving you shit, here's this epic response from Dear White People:

 

[v1oz]

Then I guess African's are no better than many white Americans in trying to understand the ramifications of the United State's past with Slavery and systemic racism.

So it seems that at the end of the day, no matter the color of your skin ... you can't automatically "get" someone else just cause they share your color if you don't have the same background as they do.

Africans went through colonialism. Research Apartheid in South Africa. Segregation was a thing even in Africa.

 

[shadow_shogun]

I've never been to Africa myself but from what people who have been told me, it's all good in Africa and the people show love.

However, I've heard plenty of stories of African immigrants looking down on African Americans, even had the children of African Immigrants tell me how their parents dislike African Americans and how we don't work hard enough and wouldn't want their children to date/marry an African American.

Brother, that's the thing, it's all stories . When growing up in Nigeria all we heard was that AA looked down on us Africans, or that they didn't like us and I believed that until I came to the U.S. I have yet to come across a single AA who hasn't treated me with with respect or looked down on me, every AA I've met, be it fellow students , or colleagues at work have been awesome. What ever strife AA experiences, I'm right along side them experiencing with them so I sure as shit won't treat them like I'm better than them. When my kids grow up, I'd have no qualms with them marrying someone from the AA community.

 

[royalan]

I'm not a authority on this, I'm just describing the tension between the two groups as I've experienced it.

Africans tend to not like African Americans because some have bought into the white supremacist view that we're lazy and ungrateful. I've gotten into this argument more times than I can count.

African Americans tend to be resentful of Africans because we've also bought into the white supremacist view that blackness is uncivilized, and there's nothing more "Black" than people from the Mother Land -- hence the disgusting shit like, "African booty-scratcher". I've gotten into this argument more times than I can count.

There's also latent resentment due to Africans having a direct connection to the culture that was largely robbed from African Americans when we were brought over as slaves. "Longing" is the only word I can think to describe it.

The relatioship is very complex.

 

[Socivol]

I have found that this works in reverse too. I have met so many Africans and literal African Americans that look down on regular "black" people. It's a weird thing to me because everyone else just sees us all as black people. This shouldn't be surprising though because all demographics have this.

 

[Black-Wind]

Africans went through colonialism. Research Apartheid in South Africa. Segregation was a thing even in Africa.

Never said anything about what they did or did not go through.

Doesn't mean [insert African Groups] understand the fall out of American slavery or how it effects African Americans today. Making blanket statements about how so and so group should be able to do w/e without factoring a whole pot of shit soup is kinda non-sense IMO.

One culture going through bad shit doesn't mean that they understand a completely different culture and the bad shit they went through. If it did then I'm sure we'd all be nicer to each other.

 

[Gnome]

Hurt people, hurt people.

 

[jmizzal]

I'm not a authority on this, I'm just describing the tension between the two groups as I've experienced it.

Africans tend to not like African Americans because some have bought into the white supremacist view that we're lazy and ungrateful. I've gotten into this argument more times than I can count.

African Americans tend to be resentful of Africans because we've also bought into the white supremacist view that blackness is uncivilized, and there's nothing more "Black" than people from the Mother Land -- hence the disgusting shit like, "African booty-scratcher". I've gotten into this argument more times than I can count.

There's also latent resentment due to Africans having a direct connection to the culture that was largely robbed from African Americans when we were brought over as slaves. "Longing" is the only word I can think to describe it.

The relatioship is very complex.

There are lighter skinned Africans that dont like darker Africans, my GF is from Ethiopia and they are lighter, and she tells me about some of her family dont like dark Africans.

All communities have this stuff, its dumb as I grew up, I found it so stupid when people make fun of Africans i'm like we all are from Africa

 

[jmood88]

This is bullshit and to be honest I'm sick of this sentiment. The coli is filled topics like about how Africans look down on them, and I'm sad to see it make its way to GAF. Saying too many Africans feel this way is not true, have you been to Nigeria or any other country in Africa to come to this conclusion? I'm Nigerian and never in my life have I thought or talked shit about my brethern here in the US and most family and friends feel the same way. Sure there are some asshole that would think this but every race and nationality has their own fair share of asshole doesn't mean it should have to define us all. Sorry for this being confrontational but bro, the Majority of us don't look down on AA.

You can be mad about it all you want but it doesn't change what I've seen and experienced living all over the US and what's present online.

 

[wandering]

This seems like a strange topic ...

Like.
1- It's not a "black" thing. Random white Americans make fun of Brits and push things like the "Coward France" stuff. Pretty sure whites have a history of giving gingers a hard time. Calling a reg Today German a "fucking Nazi" seems right up the white American list of insults regardless of how much possible German they may or may not have in their family. Same thing with Asians and Latins (First time hearing "Fucking Mexicans/ beaners, butchering our language" was in college. Asians seem to hate other groups of Asians more than anyone. Heard a Japanese American cam girl randomly say "Fuck Koreans, pieces of shit".)

2- Just cause you share the same made up human social construct called "race" doesn't mean you have to LIKE each other or be in agreement or show solidarity. If there's a difference, people will likely point it out.

3- This seems more like nationalism to me than anything.

Was the person saying the language line a Spaniard or something?

 

[GTP_Daverytimes]

lol at least you didn't have the accent, I was born and raised in Nigeria but came to the states at the age of 12, naturalized this year. 29 now but back in high school I really didnt think much of it. hell, I joined in with the fun, if someone made the clicking noise, I made it back to them and everyone just laughed. or the running with lions joke i got a lot when i joined the football team. looking back now, I still dont take it as anything but kids being kids...maybe I just have a thick skin and stuff like that just doesn't effect me knowing where I came from. i think Africans born here will be more affected by what you described op unlike ones that know what life is like back home and know what to look forward to. my son is 3 (African american mom) and I'm teaching him my native language igbo. because hes american doesn't mean he should know his roots, also has an igbo name even tho he goes by his middle name to everyone else but family members

lol and Africans do hate on African Americans cause they see them as having all the opportunity in the world but always looking for excuses not to act on them. That also comes from the hardship they face back home and seeing all the opportunities and ways to make a living in the states

I was also born and raised in Nigeria, came here when i was 13. One thing that stood out in school was the amount of Ignorance African Americans Displayed compared to others. AA's were the first to make fun of me, my accent, my name and everything else about me. Am much grown since then and I have nothing against African Americans but those experiences would always be with me. Most if not all African immigrants have gone through something similar or worse and some of them would not be quick to forgive leading to them passing their dislike or mistrust of AA's onto their children. Thus we might be stuck in the loop for decades I think. Ofcourse beyond the way African Immigrants are treated by African Americans in the US, Africans and especially Nigerians are some of the highest achievers educationally in the US. Many of those Africans look at themselves and use that to further degrade African Americans, their reasoning being that they are also black and they have succeeded so why shouldn't African Americans.I used to think the same way, I mean I used to step over bodies to go to school, bodies bloating or those cut up by the bakassi boys. Even during the Aguleri v Umuleri battles I still went to school, it was something that was instilled in us and we took it seriously. So when I saw African Americans not doing well in school I often resorted to looking down on them for having these vast opportunities but squandering them. I've grown out of such thinking but it is not hard to see why some start thinking that. The way Africans are treated in the Black Community is disgusting but it is a two-way street these days, don't see it ending anytime soon.

OFF TOPIC: Being Igbo i do my best to teach my niece's and nephews Igbo, all of them hear, but only one speaks it. Still, i think that's an achievement, often times we Igbos do a poor job of passing on our culture to our kids, I applaud you for making the effort to teach him Igbo and i hope you succeed.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Up until now I am always wondering why people accept the term "African Americans." It's like saying "Asian Americans" or "Italian Americans" or "European Americans" or..., well, you get the idea. Why the necessity of using "African" and why is it accepted widely? Why not just "Americans"?

Eh...humm, this is off-topic I suppose, sorry.

 

[LotusHD]

My take on this phenomena is that it is one part resentment towards African immigrants freely deciding to immigrate to the US just like any other immigrant and living the perceived "American Dream".

Americans resent that because their ancestors did not chose to immigrate and bulit up a culture.

IMO, there needs to be empathy on both sides and just get along.

Damn I've never heard this sentiment while growing up

 

[shadow_shogun]

You can be mad about it all you want but it doesn't change what I've seen and experienced living all over the US and what's present online.

Sorry about what you experienced, but I doubt the majority of us in the continent of Africa share this mind set.

 

[DocSeuss]

Probably seen more recent racism against African-Americans as an ethnic group by other Black ethnic groups than the other way around recently. Lot of Somalians, Nigerians, Kenyans, Ghanaians, and people from the Carribbean always talk down to or about African-Americans. Also, I mean is it really racist if they're the same race or ignorant stereotyping? You make it seem like the 'black community' is some homogenous thing. Groups always look down at other groups. How many white people in western Europe look down at other white people in Eastern Europe or the US? White New Yorkers versus white Kentuckyians. I have a friend from the West Indies who is black but never considers herself as part of the black community or African diaspora even, carib sure but she always says she'd never date an AA guy from tbe states etc.

I mean, you may be in a black community, but you just witnessed first hand that you are an outsider to that community. And you'll now realize the tribal nature of humanity. It is how there are genocides with the same skin color on the basis of religion or language etc.

The dictionary definition of racism says it's prejudice based on race or ethnicity, so... it would seem like, yeah, it is racism if it's about different ethnicities?

 

[Barzul]

Honestly I'm Nigerian born and raised and I live in the US now and if anything I've experienced a fair amount of the opposite. i.e Naija folks looking down on African Americans, hell I did it too a bit when I first got here. I didn't understand or couldn't see a lot of the privilege I myself had.

Think it's just one of those things that happen when different cultures come in contact. I've had my accent made fun of by American black folks and been asked some ignorant questions, but I mean it's never been from a place of maliciousness. My thoughts and opinions have always been respected by all my African American friends. Ultimately I've assimilated into the culture pretty well.

 

[royalan]

Damn I've never heard this sentiment while growing up

It's not a sentiment I heard so much as felt.

When black people were brought over as slaves, we were separated from our native cultures and were forbidden from maintaining them and passing them on. Some of our cultural memory has survived, yes, but in bits and pieces. It doesn't change the fact that African Americans are largely a people lacking a historical culture other than what we've created for ourselves in the last hundred or so years.

So there is a sense of jealousy in Africans who come here with their cultural identities completely intact. You see that jealousy manifested in how fiercely we guard the aspects of our collective African culture that we've managed to maintain.

 

[jmizzal]

Up until now I am always wondering why people accept the term "African Americans." It's like saying "Asian Americans" or "Italian Americans" or "European Americans" or..., well, you get the idea. Why the necessity of using "African" and why is it accepted widely? Why not just "Americans"?

Eh...humm, this is off-topic I suppose, sorry.

I'm with you I dont like being called African American, I never been there and my ancestors that are from there prob go 400 years back. Now dating an African girl who is born there, makes me dont want to be called it even more, you can call me black or American

 

[Fuchsdh]

Then I guess African's are no better than many white Americans in trying to understand the ramifications of the United State's past with Slavery and systemic racism.

So it seems that at the end of the day, no matter the color of your skin ... you can't automatically "get" someone else just cause they share your color if you don't have the same background as they do.

I mean, to be fair to Africans, it's not really their history, any more than being black in the US automatically makes you understand the impact of the slave trade on the Africans that remained or the aftershocks of colonialism. We've all got our blind spots because not all world knowledge is as important to us in a local sense. If you're white and in America though you have far less excuse than someone from halfway across the world.

And yeah, skin color or any way of grouping people is not a great way of actually grouping people. Everyone has their own experience.

I've never met any Africans who have espoused racist opinions towards African-Americans, but I've talked to a lot of Egyptians who find all the people running around with ankhs and the trappings of Egypt either funny or borderline offensive in the cultural appropriation.

 

[Hyun Sai]

No community is immune from looking down on other groups. Where a difference exists people will look down on it.

And we're done here.

 

[double jump]

I need clarification .Is the op talking about kids specifically ?
If we're talking kids then you just sol. They are cruel as fuck without a conscious. You either find a way to join in or stay getting the dozens/bullied.


As far as grown people, I don't see too many Black American's talking/treating African immigrants negatively. In my experience the reverse has actually been true a few times. Some Africans be on that "the white man" is my savior and the AA's should just work harder and get bootstraps rhetoric, until they get hit with that wake up call. But those people have been one or two out of a handful of mostly positive experiences.

 

[LotusHD]

It's not a sentiment I heard so much as felt.

When black people were brought over as slaves, we were separated from our native cultures and were forbidden from maintaining them and passing them on. Some of our cultural memory has survived, yes, but in bits and pieces. It doesn't change the fact that African Americans are largely a people lacking a historical culture other than what we've created for ourselves in the last hundred or so years.

So there is a sense of jealousy in Africans who come here with their cultural identities completely intact. You see that jealousy manifested in how fiercely we guard the aspects of our collective African culture that we've managed to maintain.

Yea, that makes sense.

 

[Megawarrior]

This is bullshit and to be honest I'm sick of this sentiment. The coli is filled topics like about how Africans look down on them, and I'm sad to see it make its way to GAF. Saying too many Africans feel this way is not true, have you been to Nigeria or any other country in Africa to come to this conclusion? I'm Nigerian and never in my life have I thought or talked shit about my brethern here in the US and most family and friends feel the same way. Sure there are some asshole that would think this but every race and nationality has their own fair share of asshole doesn't mean it should have to define us all. Sorry for this being confrontational but bro, the Majority of us don't look down on AA.

I've experienced it first hand mutliple times in the medical field.

 

[Blackpanther25]

While growing up with Nigerian parents, I was never taught to look down on my fellow African Americans. Maybe that's because when my parents got here they were treated unfairly by other races at that time.

My father always told me that there was no difference from me and an African american. Heck, my best friend was Jamaican. I did go through a lot of rascisim from African Americans and Caucasians. Never really felt like I fitted in because of my name. Felt a lot jealously from my black community even though I always argued that at the end of the day we are not treated differently.

I've travelled to Africa, they think I am African American and I get treated like a King. They do not know I'm Nigerian unless I tell them.

 

[shadow_shogun]

I've experienced it first hand mutliple times in the medical field.

I don't doubt for a sec, and I'm sorry you did but like I said the majority of us don't share this mind set. That's like me saying the majority of white people in the U.S or Europe are racist because I've experienced racism from a number of white individuals.

 

[LionPride]

This is bullshit and to be honest I'm sick of this sentiment. The coli is filled topics like about how Africans look down on them, and I'm sad to see it make its way to GAF. Saying too many Africans feel this way is not true, have you been to Nigeria or any other country in Africa to come to this conclusion? I'm Nigerian and never in my life have I thought or talked shit about my brethern here in the US and most family and friends feel the same way. Sure there are some asshole that would think this but every race and nationality has their own fair share of asshole doesn't mean it should have to define us all. Sorry for this being confrontational but bro, the Majority of us don't look down on AA.

Nigga why


Anyways, who are you to tell someone that their personal experience is not true?

 

[Denzel]

Sounds like you grew up in nyc (Queens maybe?), if not then that truly sucks to here that you were bullied/ harassed growing up because of your ethnicity. I'm currently in the chicago suburbs now where african americans and (the handful of) africans who live here all get along together, although I don't doubt it's not like this in other parts of America.

 

[shadow_shogun]

Nigga why


Anyways, who are you to tell someone that their personal experience is not true?

When did I say his experience isn't true? Like I said in my other reply to him and others have experienced this, I'll say it again, its not the majority of us that share this damn mind set just like it's not the majority of AA that share this as well.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Well, for one, it's not racism because both groups are black, but it is discrimination. I actually think it's something that happens with all minorities, not just black people and it definitely goes both ways (Africans shitting on AA too).

I think the reason is because, it's essentially just making fun of people for their "otherness", but because you're from the same racial group, it isn't construed as blatantly racist as if, say, a white person made the same comment. This isn't to say that doesn't happen still. It's like Asian Americans who call Asians fobs, or Asians who call Asian Americans "whitewashed". Or how there are some American Hispanics who say extra fucked up things about illegal immigrants

 

[Wanda/Wander]

There's a lotta stuff I used to chalk up to being generational things but that shit lingers and can always reverse direction.

True

 

[Aaronology]

Nigga why


Anyways, who are you to tell someone that their personal experience is not true?

Especially after multiple people have spoken up about experiencing the exact same thing.

 

[KaoteK]

Happens in England too. The Caribbeans hated the Africans (too stuck up apparently) and the Africans hated the Caribbeans (they're rude/ all gangsters)

This was in the 90s mind, so things may have changed, but it always struck me as kind of odd and totally counter productive.

 

[akira28]

divide and remain conquered

 

[shadow_shogun]

divide and remain conquered

Indeed.

 

[Sarek]

I blame white supremacy.

What better way to divide an oppressed group by having them fight among each other? In my experience, the infighting doesn't amount to anything. It's just toxic mudslinging so one side feels better about themselves.

Sorry, but that is just dumb. What the OP is describing is true of every ethnicity including white people. It is also happens for million other reasons not related to race. It just basic human nature to look for reasons to feel better about yourself, and often that is done by claiming that someone else is inferior to you for whatever reason.

 

[royalan]

Sorry, but that is just dumb. What the OP is describing is true of every ethnicity including white people. It is also happens for million other reasons not related to race. It just basic human nature to look for reasons to feel better about yourself, and often that is done by claiming that someone else is inferior to you for whatever reason.

I'm sorry, but this is dumb.

Black people, African American AND native African, have a specific history of enslavement and subjugation in the US. To say that the complexities surrounding how we navigate our histories and interact with each other is the same as any other group is pure ignorance.

 

[Megalosaro]

Maybe it's like the Eldar from Lord of the Rings. Because they went to Valinor and saw the light of the two trees, they felt superior to the Elves that remained in Middle Earth?

 

[G.ZZZ]

This is bullshit and to be honest I'm sick of this sentiment. The coli is filled topics like about how Africans look down on them, and I'm sad to see it make its way to GAF. Saying too many Africans feel this way is not true, have you been to Nigeria or any other country in Africa to come to this conclusion? I'm Nigerian and never in my life have I thought or talked shit about my brethern here in the US and most family and friends feel the same way. Sure there are some asshole that would think this but every race and nationality has their own fair share of asshole doesn't mean it should have to define us all. Sorry for this being confrontational but bro, the Majority of us don't look down on AA.

#notallafricans

Strong sense of belonging to a culture always bring the "other" element to it. Identity is just a way to create a self by defining the "others". Nationalists are just the concept taken to the extreme

 

[Pandy]

I'm sorry, but this is dumb.

Black people, African American AND native African, have a specific history of enslavement and subjugation in the US. To say that the complexities surrounding how we navigate our histories and interact with each other is the same as any other group is pure ignorance.

The detail isn't the same. The underlying cause of shitty human nature is the same the world over.

 

[Sarek]

The detail isn't the same. The underlying cause of shitty human nature is the same the world over.

Exactly.

 

[Azzanadra]

The whole "African Americans are lazy" thing is not just exclusive to African immigrants, but seemingly all immigrants. Speaking from experience, some Indian/Pakistani immigrants think African Americans are lazy and ungrateful as they are perceived of being of a lower SES than the majority (white) population. In the mind of these immigrants (who themselves have worked hard to immigrate and establish themselves), these people have a lower SES because they believe they didn't work hard enough.

 

[John Caboose]

I'm a firm believer that anyone can be racist against any race/ethnic group. Including their own. Similarly someone can be sexist against any gender, including their own. Shitty beliefs are shitty no matter the ethnic and genderly makeup of those involved.

 

[Conciliator]

Always a way to divide to people into categories. however granular or broad you would like. Plenty of thems for your us.

divide and remain conquered

That too

 

[Principate]

I blame white supremacy.

What better way to divide an oppressed group by having them fight among each other? In my experience, the infighting doesn't amount to anything. It's just toxic mudslinging so one side feels better about themselves.

Eh I doubt it has much to do with white supremacy. Theses sorts of issues exist everywhere and I can talk a laundry list of issues tribal in nature that existed before Nigerians since that's my culture ever even came into contact with the white man. This is a human problem not a culture problem.

 

[jwk94]

I can't offer too much, but if you have people giving you shit, here's this epic response from Dear White People:

God damn. Wtf.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Yep. Not a true Latino because my skin is White af and it needs a certain Brown to count. Keep in mind the majority of Latinos only town were Mexican while I am Cuban.

Latinos come in all shades, the whole point is that it's a term to describe people of shades and regions.

 

[Raonak]

Only fools think minorities can't be racist towards other minorities.

 

[Strangelove77]

From my personal experiences it's the same with Hispanics and/or Mexicans. The lighter skinned and the more well educated look down and ridicule the darker skinned and uneducated.
The class divide will always exist no matter what. All people need someone to look down on.

EDIT: you can also be TOO light skinned and educated to some people. Some make fun of others for that too. Shit's crazy.