I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, which is very close to the Canadian Border and the "U.S. Peace Bridge." I grew up speaking English, and it is the only language I speak.
My religion is not typical of most African-Americans, who tend to be Baptist, Methodist, or Lutheran. I was raised as a Catholic and still practice that religion today. I'm not the only African-American I know who is Catholic, but it's not common in my subculture.
Like my interviewee, I think the media is generally doing a good job of representing African-Americans in the media. However, I still see instances when African-Americans seem to be portrayed as being ruthless and slovenly, which in my opinion makes all African-Americans appear to be the same way (association assimilation).
I believe that all cultures have something that makes them unique from other cultures. African-Americans believe in the sanctity of the family, with helping and keeping the unity of the family as one. The family is very important, but so is the extended family and the community.
Black history is becoming more prevalent in schools today and is being incorporated into the cultural study curriculum.
I have encountered prejudice, but sometimes it is subtle and not really noticeable until you stop to think about it. When I first moved here to Richmond, Virginia, I thought that prejudice would be very prevalent, but that is not the case. Folk here have been very warm and have made me welcomed in both my place of assumptions about cultural "norms" impact my behavior on a day-to-day basis, but because of my religion I have always had experience in cross-cultural situations. There are challenges to belonging to a minority but for the most part most people have not been discriminatory toward me. If I encounter something that might be discriminatory, I try to give the other person the benefit of the doubt because it seems to me that most people are trying to get along. As I work within the larger culture I find a fair number of people interested in my culture in a positive way. It is good to see non-African-Americans who see our culture in a positive light. I think the greatest strength my culture gives me is a safety net of love, support and encouragement. Our extended family is very close, and friends from the community become nearly a part of extended family. It can make a person feel very secure.
