Ethnic minorities who don't learn about their culture are a disgrace?

I'm Nigerian and know quite a lot of other Nigerians who don't fully speak their language, including myself. My parents just didn't teach me and I'm rarely going to use it here, so I'll probably forget it anyway :tongue:

. Most of my relatives who live in Nigeria speak fluent English so I guess that's why they didn't teach me. However, I would say that many Nigerians, including myself, appreciate the culture through different mediums eg, food, afrobeats, dancing, traditional clothing, Nollywood movies etc but I'm also proud of being British too. I have been told by family members that I'm more English than Nigerian though just because I don't live by the traditional Nigerian culture the same way I do with the English. I do also like to learn about other cultures not linked to my own.

I don't understand why it sickens you OP. Its a personal choice. I do think it is refreshing for ethnic minorities to learn/appreciate the culture but it doesn't bother me if they don't.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 21

Vestal Priestess

OP

Original post by TurboCretin

Culture can't be betrayed, and neither can DNA. I don't understand your perspective at all.

It certainly feels like a betrayal. Like you left the homeland and now you're doing away with the clothes, the language... It's slow process of stripping yourself away in order to make room for the new culture that you're so eager to embrace.

Reply 22

username1602603

1

Well you're not an ethnic minority so I don't expect you can appreciate what it's like to be one, what's important to them etc. What you're saying makes little sense and sounds vaguely racist/thoroughly ignorant.

Reply 23

al_94

14

It is up to the parents to teach their culture to their children you can't blame them for not learning their culture as they are more likely to lean towards the dominant culture of the country they were raised in.

Reply 24

userna-me*

17

Original post by Vestal Priestess

It just sickens me tbh. When I see a chinese person that can't read or write chinese. Or a south asian person that has no clue how to speak whatever language their own parents/ancestors speak.

Learning about cultures is incredibly interesting. When the UK one is so bland I wonder why many of you love to pander to the british one instead of your own.

I'm British Vietnamese and can't speak/read/write Vietnamese. Does that sicken you?

My parents came to England in the 1970s and could not speak English at all. Yet, they had their own business and were making a lot of money at the time. Unfortunately, they had to work long hours and nearly every night they come back home at 4am; this was whilst I was at primary school being looked after by my grandfather who, also, couldn't speak English. It took me many years to figure out why my parents were never there for me, why I never saw them as much and why they never walked me to school when I was a child. It was because they were only doing it for me and my brother: to give us a life that they never had.

I know my history, I share our traditional values and love the food. Personally, I can't see myself going out with an English girl because virtually all the girls that I have encountered at university just want to get drunk and have sex every week. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that but, as you can see, our values clash so I am aware.

It saddens me to hear that there are people out there such as yourself who think that ethnic minorities who can't speak their own language are a disgrace.

Reply 25

TurboCretin

20

Original post by Vestal Priestess

It certainly feels like a betrayal. Like you left the homeland and now you're doing away with the clothes, the language... It's slow process of stripping yourself away in order to make room for the new culture that you're so eager to embrace.

But what's so wrong with that? It just seems like this is based more on emotion than any rational basis.

Reply 26

Vestal Priestess

OP

I think calling my views racist is a pathetic attempt at silencing me. I didn't call you a disgrace, see the question mark in the title. This thread is an open discussion. Using the R word to stifle discussion is despicable.

Reply 27

xleoanimusx

13

Original post by Vestal Priestess

It just sickens me tbh. When I see a chinese person that can't read or write chinese. Or a south asian person that has no clue how to speak whatever language their own parents/ancestors speak.

Learning about cultures is incredibly interesting. When the UK one is so bland I wonder why many of you love to pander to the british one instead of your own.

You're a moron. British culture is anything but bland. Our history is exciting and full of conquest and cultural change.

Reply 28

username360639

14

Original post by Vestal Priestess

It just sickens me tbh. When I see a chinese person that can't read or write chinese. Or a south asian person that has no clue how to speak whatever language their own parents/ancestors speak.

Learning about cultures is incredibly interesting. When the UK one is so bland I wonder why many of you love to pander to the british one instead of your own.

I'm Asian, and I can barely speak the language my parents speak but I can understand it perfectly fine. Are you going to judge me for that?

Reply 29

username1177050

20

No I don't think so the more secular and British the better. I hate going to some places and hearing only foreign tongues

Reply 30

TorpidPhil

19

Culture is an infantile notion anyway I think. It just serves to divide people and stray them from rational, optimal behaviour. So most definitely not, in fact they'de be a superior person so long as they didn't brainlessly adopt the majority culture.

Reply 31

fluffyowl

7

Original post by Vestal Priestess

They should learn about it because it's where their parents/ancestors come from. It's their history they should take pride in it. You'd be amazed how many asian people (this includes orientals) that don't learn about their own culture and instead throw themselves into the "British culture" - whatever that is anyway - turning their back on their heritage.

Parents who don't teach their kids the value of knowing where you came from are bad parents and in my own opinions disgraceful as they betrayed their own DNA.

There may be really valid reasons why parents don't teach their kids about where they came from. I am not ethnic minority (white British), but my grandmother was German. She met my British grandfather and came to the UK shortly after WW2. She was ashamed to be German and tried to hide it as much as she could, so when they had children she didn't teach them German. The only connection they had with their German culture was through visiting my German great-grandmother during school holidays. As a consequence, my dad knows very little German and he doesn't know any of his German family now. I actually know more German than he does because I picked it up during university.

It is appalling that you are judging people for something that should be completely their choice. Many people who are ethnic minorities are 3rd + generation, so have no family at all in their ancestors country. I don't see why they should feel like they need to visit there! I have visited Germany many times, but that is because I like the country, not because I have a German heritage.

Reply 32

flamingoking

5

You forget that the British culture is made up of a combination of many cultures that have to the British isles over the past several thousand years. So if you think ethnic minorities should learn about their heritage then you should also learn about the numerous cultures that combined to produce the British culture (Normans, Vikings, Romans etc).

Reply 33

username1602603

1

Original post by Vestal Priestess

I think calling my views racist is a pathetic attempt at silencing me. I didn't call you a disgrace, see the question mark in the title. This thread is an open discussion. Using the R word to stifle discussion is despicable.

Seriously don't try that whole indirect bull****. If you want to address people then do so with an actual argument. No one's trying to silence you - if anything you're trying to silence people's opinions of you. It's an open discussion so be prepared for your views to be called into question and stop acting like a child.

You did in fact call them a disgrace:

"They should learn about it because it's where their parents/ancestors come from. It's their history they should take pride in it. You'd be amazed how many asian people (this includes orientals) that don't learn about their own culture and instead throw themselves into the "British culture" - whatever that is anyway - turning their back on their heritage.

Parents who don't teach their kids the value of knowing where you came from are bad parents and in my own opinions disgraceful as they betrayed their own DNA."

So yeah, back to the point....

Ignorance because > ethnic minorities often 'come from' English speaking countries.

Racism because > your argument seems to be focusing on non-white minorities and you appear to think DNA makes people who they are. It doesn't.

I know you're not actually racist, just an uneducated white girl who doesn't know anything about the topic she's decided to have a strong view about. You masquerade as someone who wants to debate but it's quite obvious you just want to judge people (see your above quote). None of what you say has any thought or intellectual perspective to it.

Are you going to come at me with a proper reasoned response or are you going to name call like a little bitch? (irony is intentional)

Reply 34

doobucks

16

Original post by Wilfred Little

I can't really afford to go to the Caribbean. Burn me at the stake for I have sinned.

Strong reference.

Also I don't think you need to learn the language but I think learning the heritage and history(or whatever you can of it) is very intriguing to say the least.

In all honesty UK history is a little boring but US history is very interesting because of the mix of cultures all together.

Reply 35

xleoanimusx

13

Original post by jam277

Strong reference.

Also I don't think you need to learn the language but I think learning the heritage and history(or whatever you can of it) is very intriguing to say the least.

In all honesty UK history is a little boring but US history is very interesting because of the mix of cultures all together.

Couldn't disagree more! The history of Britain is fascinating :biggrin:

Reply 36

felamaslen

15

No, cultures are ideas. Some cultures have more to offer us than others. Some cultures should be abandoned completely since they are barbaric and inferior.

Associating ethnicity with culture is racism at its base level.

Reply 37

jamespaine

2

Culture isn't in DNA

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 38

Tom78

18

Original post by Vestal Priestess

They should learn about it because it's where their parents/ancestors come from. It's their history they should take pride in it. You'd be amazed how many asian people (this includes orientals) that don't learn about their own culture and instead throw themselves into the "British culture" - whatever that is anyway - turning their back on their heritage.

Parents who don't teach their kids the value of knowing where you came from are bad parents and in my own opinions disgraceful as they betrayed their own DNA.