This shit just happened around 1:00 pm today. I wanted to know what y'all think.
I was eating lunch at this Chinese restaurant and reading "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. The book is about the phenomenon of globalization and the economics associated with it.
Anyway this Asian cat walks up to my table and says "That's a good book." I'm 3/4 of the way through it, so I respond "So far you're right." He says "Who told you to read that?" "What?" My face is mad grim, supa screwface. "Who told you to read that?" he repeats. "What do you mean who told me to read this? I'm reading it 'cuz I wanna read it!" He tries to laugh it off after he sees he offended me. "You must be a CEO, that's how you know to read that." And he walks away.
Now this cat has a HEAVY accent, like he's 3 days off the fuckin' boat. And he has the nerve to question why I'm reading the fuckin' book I'm reading. I was highly pissed. That muthafucka ruined my appetite.
What I'd like to know is, am I overreacting?
I was eating lunch at this Chinese restaurant and reading "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. The book is about the phenomenon of globalization and the economics associated with it.
Anyway this Asian cat walks up to my table and says "That's a good book." I'm 3/4 of the way through it, so I respond "So far you're right." He says "Who told you to read that?" "What?" My face is mad grim, supa screwface. "Who told you to read that?" he repeats. "What do you mean who told me to read this? I'm reading it 'cuz I wanna read it!" He tries to laugh it off after he sees he offended me. "You must be a CEO, that's how you know to read that." And he walks away.
Now this cat has a HEAVY accent, like he's 3 days off the fuckin' boat. And he has the nerve to question why I'm reading the fuckin' book I'm reading. I was highly pissed. That muthafucka ruined my appetite.
What I'd like to know is, am I overreacting?
KZ
33 comments:
Yes, Zeddy, you are overreacting. I think the guy was trying to give you a compliment (I think) when he said that about the CEO part. Like he was saying that only CEO's know to read that particular book; and all other peons read Dr. Seuss.
I wish you had not let him spoil your lunch. He might not have meant any harm... Maybe he wanted you to invite him to sit down and have a discussion about the book?
I need a better description of the man ("three days off the boat" says absolutely nothing significant about him) because then I could better understand the context of his comment. Was he White, Black, Orange, Hispanic, Oriental?
It woulda pissed me off too. People don't always realize how much the things they say imply certain things. I would equate that statement to saying, "You couldn't be smart enough to know to read that book on your own...so nigga who's makin' you read it?"
@Insanity
He was an Asian dude. It just bugged me.
I think he added the CEO part 'cuz he saw I was heated.
KZ
Okay, clearly I overlooked the fact that you said earlier that he was Asian. Please forgive my oversight...
But still, I don't think the guy meant any harm.
Yeah you should be offended. I would have been. If it were a white guy or an Asian brethren he wouldn't have asked him that.
Me and my boy were in the book store and he had a bunch of history and political theory books in tow. He loves anything related to politics and history. So this lady in back of us in line was like "Oh you must be in school". He's like NO. She's like "well why do you have all those books?". And he felt the need to explain to her that it was just for leisure, and she really looked confused. She made me so mad with that.
I think you were offended because you are Black and he was Asian. Had you been Asian or had he been Black would it have still up set you?
@Insanity
I'm trying to believe that. I really am.
@Liquor and TV
I'd like to say something like "I'm all stocked up on soul food cookbooks, so I'm trying something new."
@Dee Dee
Imagine that same scenario and a Black man coming up to me saying the same thing...
Yeah, I would've been offended.
"African, why somebody gotta be telling me to read something?"
That would've been a house African move. Only a brother that knows me could have said something like that to me. Because I would be assured that they were joking.
KZ
Maybe he was trying to say "how did you hear about the book" but because his english was bad he used the only words he knew...LOL!!
I don't think you overracted though...the fact that he thought it was ok to question your reading would of been enough for me. Say "good book" and keep it moving you got dayum "love me long time!"
Ok I've been meaning to ask this, but could someone PLEASE fill me in on the *African* thing? Is this something that happened recently in the news? on a blog? Fill me in on the inside blog vocab.
@CG
Exactly! The fuckin' book is on the NY Times bestseller list! Why the fuck couldn't I have seen it there and it piqued my interest. Isn't that what "ordinary" people do? (That's actually what happened)
But a Black person has to be told to do it or be "extraordinary". That's some ol' bullshit and that's how I took it.
KZ
@RD
See, plain and simple. Say "Good book" and you get recognized as a person who has already read it. Which is all he wanted me to know anyway.
@Liquor and TV
I can admit it, I'm an addict. An addict of the "N" word. That "N" word is nookie. And also nigga. Nigga is the other "N" word
Anyways, a nigga like me loves the word nigga. I say it too much. I'm better than that. My vocabulary should be better than that. But, I'm an addict. Look at some of my blogs pre-December 2005. One blog was just "nigga" written 847 times.
I call men, women, children, breastfeeding mothers, Aunt Elsie, everybody NIGGA. If I ever meet or talk to you on the phone the first words out of my mouth will be "Ayyyyy, nigga!"
That being said, read this and it'll explain it all.
I just didn't want to write it so much. That's not the legacy I want to leave.
I want to leave a legacy of blowjobs and casual sex.
rofl
yall *africans is crazy! Glad I'm in the loop with the rest of yall *africans.
i have a question for you KZ...do you think African's get offended when we call non Africans Africans.
I've never met an AFrican who wasn't excited to be called an African. I mean from the light, white looking North Africans, to the Dutch Afrikaners.
I think I am more likely to call men Niggaz than anyone else, especially the ones I deal with on a personal level..but I'm quick to cut a dude off like cable if he call me a bitch...so maybe I should return the respect.
I totally over posted...sorry!
@Miss Ahmad
I don't know...
My interaction with actual Africans has been pretty bad, so I'd guess they don't like it.
I don't know how old you are, but back in the day when African medallions were in style, I got in a crazy confrontation.
This white lookin' cat was wearing one and I charged the dude. That cat was born and raised in Morocco. He was like "I'm more African than you!"
Yeah, I was an idiot.
KZ
lol "he was morrocan"
My favorite north african is such an African he has diamonds in his teeth, rocks fat gold chains, (African gold not that swap meet mess), clean sneakers and Arabic tattoos!
he's the gulliest, with a razor blade cut across his face which he won't discuss.
We're all Africans I suppose!
i don't think you overreacted. i used to get that all the time when i worked at a bookstore for many years.
i would recommend books to "others" and they would be blown away i had actually read it.
drama king...
Having been all over the world and seeing how we as black people are portrayed throughout the world-
he probably thought you were the dumb asses that we look like on BET. We are looked at as theives and thugs
losers, pimps and hoes... unless you are an entertainer,
athelete or as he said a CEO.
I think he was surprised to see a black man reading at all... much less a book of such heavy nature.
Don't take it personal Zeddie- you schooled his ass :)
I would have been mildly annoyed.Its like he was implying. You're an African. You don't read anything unless its Vibe or the Source.
I blame that shit on the media and the images they project about African Americans. An individual new to this country could easily believe that all we is drop it like its hooot!!! WHY?? because of the images depicted on television.
We are badly in need of a make over
umm there should have been a do after the word we..lol
Maybe he was likening you to a CEO, since according to his words, "Only CEOs know to read that particular book!!!! And since you're reading the book, Zed, YOU MUST BE A CEO!!!!
Forget about the part where he asked who told you to read that... that may have been just a misspeak. He prolly didn't mean to say that. But I think he might have been saying, too, that maybe you are aspiring to be a CEO because you ARE reading the book.
The average dumb ass nigga aint gone pick the book up and read it. Obviously you aint the average dumb ass nigga, Zed...
Maybe he too one day aspires to be a CEO and that way he can have connections to you, a like-minded individ'l, who's also a CEO and then ya'll could spread the word of Brotherhood thru-out the world by working together in harmony as business partners, etc... you understand where I'm going with this, LOL!
Don't be too mad at him, okay?
I see where you're coming from. To be sure you should have asked him because he may not have meant anything racial by it. This reminds me of another ignorant comment this white boy said to my very dark-skinned friend.
We were at Martha's Vineyard chilling at this restaurant eating outside. So, this white boy is walking down the street with his girl and my boy says, "Hey, didn't you go to Colgate?" The dude said, "Yeah". My friend said, "Me too. I thought you looked familiar. I was on the hockey team." The white boy says, "Were you there on an athletic scholarship?" WTF! True my boy was able to go there because of an athletic scholarship, but that helped him afford it not get him in. So, what! You're telling me that the only way a black man could have possibly went to a school like Colgate is if he was on a scholarship?! Fuck You! That pissed me off and of course my boy didn't see the disrespect. (((rolling my eyes))) Whatever...
Same thing happened to me once. I was reading The Bondwoman's Narrative in the hair salon. This heffa asked me what it was and when I told her that it was an actual autobiographical novel by a female slave and edited by Henry Louis Gates, she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Why are you reading that?" I told her, "WTH? Here's a newsflash ... all black women don't just read trashy, romance novels." I was pissed and I don't blame you for being pissed too.
Wait a minute. Whats wrong with reading a trashy romance novel? At least i am reading. harummph!
He ran up on a cat with dreds and figured you for an inscent burning, poet spitting bohemian who wouldn't read a book like that. Are you wrong for overracting. Not really. I hate when people try to put me in a catagory, especially when they are wrong. Asians can be very rude and truth be told , they look down on blacks. (my sister in law is asian and her family disowned her when she married into our family) But don't let moments like that define your day. Just brush your shoulders off.
There are stupid Mofo's all around the world. I don't think you're overeacting but a lot of people stereotype so much it becomes offensive.
i woulda been offended to.. maybe not to ruin my lunch.. but i definitely wouldn't have been back.. it's like he was trying to assume that black men arent smart enough to read intellectual books...
No, I would be offended, like "You feel sorry for my mother...You feel sorry for who.." O Dogg, "Menace II Society".
What he tryna say, "bootleg Africans" ain't supposed to read...?
Basically he was trying to say, "You're not supposed to be reading these secrets...if you want to hide anything from a "bootleg African" hide it in a book".
You're weren't supposed to be privy to that unless you were an "Upperclass BootLeg African".
I would've been pissed too...
It would have offended me also. We're African....When placed in a situation like that, it's always racial...unfortunately.
After reading everybody's responses, I'm coming to the realization that I cared too much. I gave that muthafucka too much power over my emotions.
Y'all are right, I should have been offended, but I shouldn't have given him the power to upset me the way he did. I should have ignored his ass when he asked me who told me to read it. I should have looked at him like he was an idiot and kept reading.
KZ
okay I'm a bit late, but whatever. Zed I would have been pissed, but I wouldn't have let that dude know. Next time come back with something like "What would you suggest I read?" I try not to ever let the Saltines or any other nationality for that matter get under my skin. I just know that we - us Africans always have to be on point.
I think if my white, intellectual-looking husband had been reading the same book, he would not have been asked that question. However, there is no way of knowing for sure. Maybe the Asian man didn't know how to communicate correctly. If the Asian man did ask that question to my husband, he wouldn't have been offended, he would have just thought the guy was kind of weird and just written him off. I understand why you felt sensitive about why he asked and if it was tied to your being African-Americans, however, like you said, it doesn't get you anywhere. Just know that you didn't need anyone to tell you to read the book, you are an intellectual, and this guy was kind of strange for coming up and asking such a dumb question. You know, reading lots of blogs written by African-Americans has been enlightening to me about where black Americans are coming from. So many of them are so brilliant, creative, intelligent, and informative. I really agree that African-Americans are being portrayed badly in the media. All of the slang and "nigga" talk doesn't help other people's perceptions, either. At the same time, I don't think you should have to put on a show for white people. When I watched the movie, "Crash", I thought it was unrealistic because who is really that racist anymore. After reading some of the blogs associated with this blog, I have come to realize that there is still a big chasm. I feel hopeful that the chasm is going to get smaller and smaller in our lifetime until the only racist people left are really, really elderly people who can't learn new tricks.
i know im late but u should have said the same person who told u to pass off cat rat as chicken and beef... (can you tell im alive, and loving it?)
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