I do not tolerate racism or prejudice of any kind, but I do think that it can be fun to laugh at ourselves. I believe that the differences between races are more cultural than genetic, and I don’t see why we can’t examine our own culture and those of others for similarities and differences.

As a second generation immigrant living in the UK, I often feel like someone who doesn’t fit. I’m not Jamaican, but I’m also not like my white friends whose families may have lived here for generations. I am proud of who I am and my heritage, and also glad to be living in one of the most culturally diverse places in the world.

Growing up as an ethnic minority can have an effect on one’s self-concept, and I admit that there were times during my childhood when I would wish for the long mane and pale skin of a white girl. I also remember being called a “bounty” or a “coconut” (i.e. black on the outside, white on the inside) for being studious and not very “ghetto”.

Why is is thought of as “black” to fail in school, to take drugs and to commit crime? “Black-on-black crime” is a major issue in certain parts of London, and it seems that young black kids in certain areas only aspire to becoming drug dealers and only feel safe if they join a gang. It’s also true that the number of black people in prison and within the mental health system in the UK is disproportionate to the percentage of black people in the general population. Something is clearly wrong here.

Less seriously though, the other day I noticed this new (clearly satirical) blog called Stuff White People Like and read most of the entries. I definitely feel like some of those statements could apply to me. Here’s the current list, and my thoughts on them. I’ll bold the ones that apply to me. (more…)