Whooa there.....painting everything with the same brush!
cobraboy said:
The difference between Dominican culture (including dark Dominicans and Haitians), and American Urban Black culture are immense, IMO. Heck, the difference between American Rural Black culture and AUB culture are immense.
AUB's in the DR, through my eyes, stick out like the proverbial sore thumbs. Beyond skin color, I don't see much commonality. I don't find darker Dominicans with chips on their shoulder toward me, the white guy. I'm just a friendly American to them, prolly more firendly that the AUB's they come across.
To say that people are offended or feel threatened by Black American culture is rubbish. Differences exist, yes. But because I don't "embrace" it, does NOT mean I see it as the enemy. Nor should AUB's feel I'm THEIR enemy because they don't embrace my Northern European ancestry.
One usually finds what one seeks. if one searches for things that offend them, they will find them. When your only tool is a hammer, everything prety much looks like a nail.
In your posting, you only prove my point.
You automatically assume that all blacks Americans have a chip on thier shoulder against white Americans. This would be the same as me saying that all Americans whites are racists. This is generalizing.
You know that none of this is true.
No, you don't have to embrace black American culture, but surely it doesn't need to be shunned or hated because you don't embrace it and vice versa. We can learn to accept each other's differences.
Americans blacks may stick out like a "sore thumb" in your opinion, but thats all it is, just an opinion. To try to distance American blacks from Dominicans is just a devisive tool. I never said that we're the same and I'll say it again.
I have noticed that many people hate American blacks but will freely associate with Dominicans that look exactly the same way(i.e. skin and hair texture). I find this phenomenon amazing. Also, it's a fact that many(not all) urban Dominican American youth take more to black Urban culture than others. This is an undeniable fact.........
It seems to bother you that I link American blacks and Dominicans in any way. Before all of the naysayers start flaming away. I know too many black American/Dominican couples that are doing greattogether w/kids and all.
Also, in the DR......I blend in baby. It's cool to go somewhere and be part of the majority population. Most people don't know I'm not Dominican until after they talk to me for a few minutes. I've had German and Canadian tourist women try to pick up on me because they think I'm a Dominican chulo.
But at the same time, I know that I'm not Dominican nor will I ever be. I know that I'll always speak Spanish with an accent because I'm not from there. I'll still be looked at as being wealthy simply because I'm from the USA, just like any other gringo.
It is true that many black tourist in the DR do stick out though due to thier cadence or form of dress, but as they say there :tudo no es igual....
They don't know I'm USA until I talk, unless I'm in a VERY touristy place like Sosua..
Some other ethnic guys such as AZB etc. look like they blend into the local population pretty well also(note that AZB isn't even black, but it only shows the diversity of the Dominican population).
Anyway, I like the DR for thier friendliness towards all people no matter thier race.
happy travels!
hehe