Is this offensive?

[Frankie M]

Hello,

I have a question about cultural differences.

I own a holiday rental house in France and received an email enquiry that included the sentence "We are a white South African family".

I found this very offensive, the implication to me being, "don't worry, we are not black!"

Am I right to read it in this way, or is it normal in South Africa for people to describe themselves as 'white South African' or 'black South African'?

Thanks for any input you can give me.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Frankie M

Hello,

I have a question about cultural differences.

I own a holiday rental house in France and received an email enquiry that included the sentence "We are a white South African family".

I found this very offensive, the implication to me being, "don't worry, we are not black!"

Am I right to read it in this way, or is it normal in South Africa for people to describe themselves as 'white South African' or 'black South African'?

Thanks for any input you can give me.

Isn't it just like someone describing themselves as an African American or native american.

Personally these things generally tend to go over my head as I have no racist feelings at all but I suppose the enquirer feels the need to make you aware of this because there are many people of course who are racist.

Did you ask him why?

[synthia]

Apartheid only ended about fifteen years ago, so race is going to be much more on the minds of people there than it might be otherwise. Or maybe they read about the riots in the Paris suburbs...

[Frankie M]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

Isn't it just like someone describing themselves as an African American or native american.

If I had an enquiry saying "We are an African American family" I would think it really odd, but not so offensive, I suppose because black people in the US have historically been the oppressed ones. If it said "We are a white American family" I would take it as racist. Wouldn't you?

Did you ask him why?

I did ask why they thought it was necessary to tell me they were white, but no reply yet.

[Stravinsky]

Originally Posted by Frankie M

If I had an enquiry saying "We are an African American family" I would think it really odd, but not so offensive, I suppose because black people in the US have historically been the oppressed ones. If it said "We are a white American family" I would take it as racist. Wouldn't you?


I did ask why they thought it was necessary to tell me they were white, but no reply yet.

As i said, I have no feelings of racism to anyone, but ...... why is someone saying they are a black american not racist, and someone saying they are a white South African racist?
Surely it works both ways. I'm an American, or I'm South African should suffice .................................................. in an ideal world

[ricardo blue]

Originally Posted by Frankie M

Hello,

I have a question about cultural differences.

I own a holiday rental house in France and received an email enquiry that included the sentence "We are a white South African family".

I found this very offensive, the implication to me being, "don't worry, we are not black!"

Am I right to read it in this way, or is it normal in South Africa for people to describe themselves as 'white South African' or 'black South African'?

Thanks for any input you can give me.

Frankie,

I personally think it was useful information they gave you. Some time ago my great uncle Jack and his friend escaped from being eaten alive by a tribe from Meseru. As they sat amongsts the onions and local herbs, beneath a fire of charcoal, my Uncle Jack whipped out his glass eye and held it up to the stars.
Well this made the tribe pannick as they had never seen a glass eye before. The chief was so taken in by it all that he actually made my Uncle Jack their Shamen.

Unfortunately for his friend....they ate him! But I suppose thats just in their nature?

Hope this helps..

Ricardo

[Frankie M]

Originally Posted by Stravinsky

why is someone saying they are a black american not racist, and someone saying they are a white South African racist?

My question was to do with how people talk about themselves in South Africa - is it normal to say you are white South African instead of just South African. Because if it is no more normal to do that than in say the UK, there is a clear implication: "don't worry, we are not black!"

If it is normal for a South African to describe themselves in this way, then the enquiry was completely innocent of any racist undertone.

Someone saying they are a black American may or may not have its origin in racist intent, but it would alarm me less, as stated above, because it comes from the oppressed, not the oppressor.

[ricardo blue]

Originally Posted by Frankie M

My question was to do with how people talk about themselves in South Africa - is it normal to say you are white South African instead of just South African. Because if it is no more normal to do that than in say the UK, there is a clear implication: "don't worry, we are not black!"

If it is normal for a South African to describe themselves in this way, then the enquiry was completely innocent of any racist undertone.

Someone saying they are a black American may or may not have its origin in racist intent, but it would alarm me less, as stated above, because it comes from the oppressed, not the oppressor.

Frankie..

In all seriousness.. I believe you will never be happy until you yourself becomes the oppressed one!
If you become neurotic over someone saying they are white, I'd hate to think how you would have felt if he had said he was white, working class and from Liverpool.
I reckon you would have moved to Bridgenorth, Swansea

[ricardo blue]

Originally Posted by ricardo blue

Frankie..

In all seriousness.. I believe you will never be happy until you yourself becomes the oppressed one!
If you become neurotic over someone saying they are white, I'd hate to think how you would have felt if he had said he was white, working class and from Liverpool.
I reckon you would have moved to Bridgenorth, Swansea

with regards to my mentioning of Bridgenorth, Swansea

If there are any would be suiciders out there.....don't do it!
Go and find someone you can talk to,......what appears terrible today will in 3 months time have become just a distant memory.
I do understand how living in Bridgenorth could make you want to kill yourself, I too would struggle with the over-whelming desire to do away with myself if unfortunately faced with living live there, but at the end of the day it's just not cricket!

[cozwemust]

lofl. yeah exactly. ive just been sa and yeah id have probably said that too