"You don't act your race/age/etc etc."

Originally Posted by Lady Miyomi

I ALWAYS get the "omg, you don't look your age at all!". It's beginning to get annoying because people are still asking me when I'm graduating from high school. I usually say something along the lines of "nine years ago"...

Also, how does a smart person act? There's lots of brilliant serial killers running around here. So, should you be acting like them?

That's quite a difference.

I think my classmates in high school were mainly referring to the fact that I never enjoyed reading or "getting to know" the teachers, like some of the other top students did.

Another one that comes to mind is that people always assumed I was naturally gifted at math simply because of being Asian.

People really shouldn't make assumptions like that. Being black, I'm expected to dress like I walked out of a rap video and I don't. I think it confuses some people, which I really don't care.

I'm filipino, but I'm far from it in everyday life.
I don't speak tagalog at all, and I've never hung out with any of the filipinos at my old high school.
I look pretty young for my age, and people don't think I'm in university (still 17 for a while, but it's a one year difference only!)
People always think that I like Science because I was one of the smart ones, but I actually hate Science and love Music. I get very surprised reactions when I say I'm in Commerce, because apparently I'm "not that kind of person."

Originally Posted by Rydia

Another one that comes to mind is that people always assumed I was naturally gifted at math simply because of being Asian.

Well that's because they're ignorant. Asians are obviously gifted at martial arts, not math. <.<

I look young for my age. It's because I've inhereted a lot of my mom's genes. She told me a story that when I was about 4 years old, she'd take me grocery shopping etc, and the one time the clerk said that it was nice for her to take her younger brother out shopping with her. She replied "I'm his mother!" (wish I would've been old enough to remember it happen hahah).

But yea, I'm 22 and get carded for R rated movies & M rated videogames.

When I was small, I was said to be acting older than I was and because of that I started to act as childish as I could <_<

But a classmate of mine who goes on holiday to the USA every year always tells me that ALL(!) african americans talked ghetto language .
He once even told me that you had to say "I'd like a cap of caffee" instead "I'd like a cup of coffee" in a restaurant if the waiter/waitress was black because they otherwise wouldn't understand it <_<
Besides, he always speaks of his "inner nigger" and that he had the wrong skin colour and should be living in the US (while listening to some hip hop of course)
If I'd show him the posts of some people here who say they're black and don't talk ghetto language he'd say I'd faked the posts myself *cough*

Originally Posted by FallDragon

Well that's because they're ignorant. Asians are obviously gifted at martial arts, not math. <.<

I look young for my age. It's because I've inhereted a lot of my mom's genes. She told me a story that when I was about 4 years old, she'd take me grocery shopping etc, and the one time the clerk said that it was nice for her to take her younger brother out shopping with her. She replied "I'm his mother!" (wish I would've been old enough to remember it happen hahah).

But yea, I'm 22 and get carded for R rated movies & M rated videogames.

I get carded constantly whenever purchasing a game or even seeing an R-rated movie. It's amusing because when I was 17, they never carded me. Years later, it seems that people always want to check my ID.

Originally Posted by dat_kasu

When I was small, I was said to be acting older than I was and because of that I started to act as childish as I could <_<

But a classmate of mine who goes on holiday to the USA every year always tells me that ALL(!) african americans talked ghetto language .
He once even told me that you had to say "I'd like a cap of caffee" instead "I'd like a cup of coffee" in a restaurant if the waiter/waitress was black because they otherwise wouldn't understand it <_<
Besides, he always speaks of his "inner nigger" and that he had the wrong skin colour and should be living in the US (while listening to some hip hop of course)
If I'd show him the posts of some people here who say they're black and don't talk ghetto language he'd say I'd faked the posts myself *cough*

Well, tell him to talk to me. I think that's stupid to believe all black people only understand garbage. Hell, I'm black and I can't even understand half of that garbage! It annoys me to no end to know there's people out here that are too lazy to learn how to sound out words and phrases correctly. It doesn't help that rap videos play on this garbage as well.

Like I said, if he wants to talk to someone that is black and speaks properly, tell him to IM me. My AIM's in my profile.

Originally Posted by FallDragon

But yea, I'm 22 and get carded for R rated movies & M rated videogames.

The only time in my life I got carded for a movie was when I was 24 and I was trying to see an Eddie Griffin movie. To make matters worse, I couldn't find my driver's license for five minutes and the surrounding kids were laughing at me...

I get told all the time I look like I'm between the ages of 18 and 22. I once had some weirdo tell me I was 16... I suppose looking young is a good thing. That means people like us will age gracefully!

Women don't age. I came to that conclusion when I had the hots for this woman who looked like she was in her early 20s and come to find out she was 50.

I act my age sometimes when I want to be serious. My parents used to spit that line to me often, especially my mom. And I look older than my age.

This was always a weird issue for me growing up, especially racially speaking. I'm mixed race (Half Scottish, half Iranian) so it was always a bit strange. Like people were saying, there are so many stereotypes and opinions on how a certain race "should act".

The difference with me was, I don't fit into any of the categories. And at first that may seem like a good thing, because it allows to me to have some choice without being scrutinized for it, it wasn't always a good thing.

See, people get uncomfortable when they cant pigeon-hole you, so it was like no matter what I did, someone wasn't going to be happy with it. I act pretty much like any other western person does - but whenever I did something that was "different" people would make fun of me for it.

And then at home on the other hand, my father's side of the family would act like by being your typical western kid (not speaking their language, not eating their food etc) I was denying my Iranian heritage.

So it was always like no matter what you do, you're going to upset someone. It's not so much a problem any more, I dont know what happened but as I got older it became less apparent that I had foreign roots (infact it was only really my name that gives it away) so I dont get any hassel from "white" people anymore. However my dad's side of the family are very culture-heavy so I still get hassel from them!

Originally Posted by Rydia

It's amusing because when I was 17, they never carded me. Years later, it seems that people always want to check my ID.

That's pretty funny. When I was about 15, I went to a party with my oldest sister and all the workers there said, "it's so nice to meet your husband." And now at school, the students who don't know me think I'm a sophmore when I'm actually a senior.

Originally Posted by Vida Eterna

(infact it was only really my name that gives it away)

So, what's your name? Is it the last name or first name that gives it away?

'Harold and Kumar go the White Castle' had some amusing quips about not 'acting your race'. Plus, it's a funny movie outside of that as well. Certainly immature, but quite entertaining.

Originally Posted by Rydia

I get carded constantly whenever purchasing a game or even seeing an R-rated movie. It's amusing because when I was 17, they never carded me. Years later, it seems that people always want to check my ID.

Yea, I never used to get carded either. I guess it really is a sign that companies are enforcing ratings a lot more then they used to. At this point I'm actually more surprised when I don't get carded.

Uh... I'm black, but white people say that I'm white. I don't quite understand this myself, but hey... whatever. Also, someone assumed that I was still a teenager the other day. they assumed I was 15. grrr...

Sometimes people will think my fifteen-year-old brother looks older than me. That usually depends on my hair situation (if I got a haircut, or if I have it going crazy... also if I shaved/how I shaved, like letting my goatee grow out). I'm 21. I'm short for my age (5 foot, yo).

Strangely enough, though, I usually don't get carded for movies or anything (probably also since I whoop out my college ID for the student discount anyway). I usually don't get carded either when ordering drinks at a restaurant. I only get asked for ID typically when I should, like when making a beer run or something.

I guess it all depends with who I hang out with. I look older when I'm with the college heads, and just as young if with the teen crowd.

Originally Posted by Lady Miyomi

People really shouldn't make assumptions like that. Being black, I'm expected to dress like I walked out of a rap video and I don't. I think it confuses some people, which I really don't care.

Yeah, I hear you.

Being black, a lot is expected of me in a stereotypical way. This bothers me. I am happy with who I am, but other people aren't, which sometimes makes me wish that I were white. Not because I sincerely wish for it, but rather for the sake of acceptance.

Honestly, I've been ridiculed for listening to jazz. And black people made jazz. ??????

Originally Posted by Eleo

Yeah, I hear you.

Being black, a lot is expected of me in a stereotypical way. This bothers me. I am happy with who I am, but other people aren't, which sometimes makes me wish that I were white. Not because I sincerely wish for it, but rather for the sake of acceptance.

Honestly, I've been ridiculed for listening to jazz. And black people made jazz. ??????

That's weird that you get ridiculed for listening to jazz. I'm told that's the thing with black folks (not I). I'm used to listening to the polar opposite of all the music I'm "supposed" to be listening. I used to care about fitting in somewhere, but then I realized I couldn't and stopped caring. I figured if I'm going to be different, I should just go ahead and be different all the way.

Because I don't follow trends, I'm ridiculed, but I pay it no attention. And with my music, if people start critizing it, on goes the headphones and I can't hear anymore BS. You should try it, it works.

I used to get this a lot when I was younger. Growing up a military brat and having two college educated parents I've always been told by "black" kids that I sounded and acted white. It also didn't help that I have a love of Asian culture, listened to more than just rap music, and could out argue anyone in my class.

It used to bother me that being able to speak eloquently, write correctly (maybe not the best grammar ever but at least I can construct a paragraph with easily understood points), and being intelligent were "white" traits.

I remember middle school, my first non-DoD public school experience, being hell for that reason alone. Eventually, after growing more secure in my personailty, I started to let it roll off my back and appreciate who I was.

And I haven't been bothered again. I'm proud to be more than just another "ghetto" African-American.

Oh wow! It's great to see that I'm not the only black person going through crap like this alone! Wow!