A Question For The White Queens About The Black Kings:

He does not think so. I think it is your responsibility as a parent to provide for your kids and equip them to have a better life, but to teach them cultures and language that they do not use, nah......

I had quite few friends who are born in the states to immigrant families, and do not speak their parents tongue, and they're ok with it and doing fine. In fact they're happy and successful.

 

I agree with my boy on this one. I'm the first one in my family born in the states and I gotta say I don't know as much as about my culture as I should but it's not a big deal. I'm educated employed and a good man. That's pretty much all that matters. I don't think I'd be a better person if I knew more about Jamaican culture. It might be fun trivia to know but that's about it.

 

That's a sad thing to hear. He must have lived in a country with an unstable government. That might be his way of forgetting the tragic ordeal. "Out of sight, out of mind" I guess.

 

I dissagee completely...
I think you have to know your culture and where you come from. Its a vital part of who you are. I didnt speak about languages per se, I was talking about background and culture.
and a parents responsibility is to stay as neutral as possible when it comes to culture an dreligion and let your kid develop their own mind and not be colored by yours.

Do I function just fine even though I dont know my fathers tounge, absolutely!.. that has nothing to do with being sucessful or whatever, I never said you couldnt. I still wish that I did and regret I dont. Its a part of me that Im lacking...

When it comes to not being allowed to learn about your background, I know...I have none as I said before - I know nothing of my background, and it SUCKS!

Acctually, his kids may very well one day resent him for not teaching them that...

I used to resent my dad for that very reason.

edit: as aesop said, it acctually has been proven that kids that are raised bi-lingual have great advantages later on in regards to learning.

 

This is just my own personal stance on it, but I'm second generation American and I'm proud of my cultures. I think it gives you a sense of pride and background of oneself.

 

+1 and butter biscuit.

especially when the person is ashamed of where he/she is from or what have you, no need to teach the kids.
If you are from a spanish speaking family, learn how to speak it, coz it will be very handy. In fact you will even get many job offering based on that skill. If you're from Francophone family then learn french, coz it might be handy if you live in some parts Louisiana and def in Montreal (Canada). Other than that....if you want to be americanized & assimilate well, you better of learning and mastering the local lang & culture......


Dont get me wrong, I am all for learning other cultures and languages, as I know many myself, but if the parent is ashamed of his/her background no need to hold him/her responsible to pass it to next gen.

 

I am proud of who I am as an individual and what I've achieved as a human being against all odds. I can appreciate the sweetness of my mediocre success due to some of my failures. So I am proud of that! I came to this world on my own and I believe I am going to leave on my own, unless of course a lady friend wants to hold on to my organ and be buried with it. LOL

So just coz someone does not like his/her culture does not mean he/she is not proud of their individuality, achievements, and failures, etc....

 

Its not really the same: but I'm half scottish and half english. Though many people assume these countries are the same there are vast differences. Scotland has a separate history to england, music, language, literature, cuisine,dancing,clothes etc..

My parents have brought me up with references to both cultures. Though there are similarities I would still say they are separate countries and I'm defiantely British not english.

I think it is important to learn about your roots and how your background has formed the person you are today. It also helps understanding in relationships if you are more aware of different cultures.

 

This is really iffy to me. I don't see culture as being a vital part of who you are. Instead, I think that individual and personal values matter a whole lot more. You have no choice to be born in the culture you were born into, and your personal values might not agree with the values your culture wants for you. Sure, it is good to know about your (traditional) culture and where you come from, but I am much more interested in where you want to go.

 

Excellent point. Rep given!

 

Since I can't give you Rep, then I will give you PseudoRep (PRep). So enjoy your PRep (yeah, I know that's corny as hell).

 

Well, I dont have it at all.. I have nothing - its a completely blank slate and I think it sucks.
Am I completely fullfilled and sucessfull - absolutely - it does not make me a lesser person.

But I still feel robbed and Ill be damned if I repeated that misstake if I ever had a kid. They should know everything - even if it is trivia.

being proud of your heritage is very important to me whoever you are and some of us take all of that for granted. I think that is sad.
Stories, cultures needds to be brough forward and not forgotten.

 

I don't think you can't be proud of your individuality and whatever you've attained etc., but I guess it's how you view things. Some people aren't into their culture/backgrounds and could care less where their parents or ancestors came from. I think culture is very important, but like I stated, this is MY stance on it.

 

:smt056 I tend to agree with you FG, and I'm sorry you have no background on your family. I have a lot on my mother's side of the family and I really do like knowing where I come from. It's not important to some people, but I think at least keeping family records is nice for the kids to look at later, even if you don't want to pass it on. That way at some point if they want to know more, that's available to them.

 

geek, that is your choice! You want to learn about your dad's culture & background that is your perogative. But does not mean all others should be proud and investigate their background. If you ask me I find it very corny for ppl who are spending large amount of money to do DNA testing just to find out how much of this or that gene they have. Ok you're a descendent of Nubian queen or Viking aristocrat family, big fucken deal, it is not like u made an extraordinary accomplisments thru your sheer hard work.

 

I agree that stories and culture should not be forgotten. The fact that we haven't forgotten about Kemet, Rome, and Timbuktu is very good. And I hope that you find what you are looking for.

 

I'm not responding positively or negatively to this post. I'm quoting it because it brought something to my mind. The child could favor one parent over the other which could influence child's decision of who's culture they will adopt.

 

I think that's what it boils down to. It's whether or not you want to know about your past and if you care. My father is like that. I never knew shit about his background cause neither did he. I mean he's taught me some stuff that he knows, but other than that, there isn't much. I found some of his family members cause I was interested in knowing my background on his side. I had to tell him his maternal grandfathers name, he didn't know it.

 

Im just staing my opinion, that is all.. you seem to talke it so personally I feel that way. I wasnt trying to doom people feeling differently.
You have a right to your and I hav a righ to mine.

the problem is that I cant learn anything about neither my mothers, nor my dads background... its not there, it is lost. and that is probably why Ifeel that way.

 

Geek, I am not taking it personally, you know me, it just my usual blunt lingo. If it is important to you, I hope you find it and them. There are tons of agency (even internationally) who can facilitate these kinds of things. It takes lots of work and money, good luck.