Why are Africans so much more friendly than Afro-Americans?

Question

Every African person I've ever met has been a fun-loving, friendly, awesome person. It's possible I've just met some really great people by coincidence...it's also possible that immigrants in general are usually happy to be here. But, I think it's mostly due to a cultural difference.

Many Afro-Americans, as a friend of mine put it, "have attitude", and as a result, I find it hard to relate to them.

I'm posing a serious question. It's a generalization because generalizations are easiest to deal with in a question that can be no longer than 2 lines.

Besides, "all generalizations are false" ;)

p.s. No racist comments, please. You certainly won't win "best answer" with that.

I'd like to add that if some of you had actually read my question carefully, you would have seen that I used words like "many" and also posed potential answers for my personal experiences.

Read the question, not the words.

I'll say this one more time: I did NOT say that ALL Africans are nicer than Afro-Americans. READ MORE CAREFULLY.

In response to "sunshineview": How can I learn if I don't ask questions? I add these details because I'm trying to get the most accurate answers to my question that I can. If my question is being misunderstood, it needs clarifying.

As for your "blatant racist" remark, that doesn't even make any sense. 1. There is only one race, the human one...but let's go with the popular usage of that word "race", 2. I'm comparing the same "race", am I not? AH, but that's why I say I'm not comparing "races". I'm comparing 2 distinct ethnicities. 3. I'm an ignorant white girl from suburbia. HELP ME LEARN IF YOU CAN...but you won't make anything better by throwing remarks like that at me.

By calling me a racist, you only make me less likely to correct my thinking, because I will be too afraid to ask the necessary questions for fear of harming my reputation.

Answer 1

I think a lot of it would have to do with the fact that black in the US grew up under serious oppression for hundreds of years and continue to face these problems today. Thus they had to create a tough face for everyone in order to present themselves as strong in a country where they are treated as a weak and unwanted minority. Unfortunately this sometimes comes off as an attitude which most white people do not understand.

Whereas the Africans grew up being equal to each other and had no need for the tough-guy facade.

I am willing to bet that if you talked to South Africans who grew up with apartheid as part of their lives, they would probably also have these so-called "attitudes."

Answer 2

I, too, recently met a most beautiful African lady while in Dallas. Her personality was awesome. I agree with you or feel the same this particular individual is happy to be here in the land of opportunity. Though she spoke of returning to her country to visit her parents and said she only wishes she were able to visit more often. Which I believe is all immigrants desire. Regardless if they are from third world countries all immigrants want to be home at some point.

As you say most Afro-Americans, as you put it "have attitude" which I feel is partly because of their heritage and because they feel a need to be compensated for slavery. Will use the race card in any opportune given moment. Which sometimes makes them hard to like or accept. What they "Afro-American" forget is that all races have a sad history of some form.....Indians stripped of the Texas land. The Jews and the Holocaust. These are just examples and I am sure others can contribute to histories of such. It happened move on make a better life, don't harbor ill feelings and be thankful there is a generous GOD that will not allow these horrible things to reoccur because people have learned from these experiences and know what to do to prevent this from ever happening again.

Answer 3

Africans consider black Americans as 2nd class citizens? hundreds of years ago, The chiefs of the villages over there traded the ones in his group that he didn't want anymore for alcohol and gold to the Spanish. Africans are more racist towards black Americans then Americans are. I don't think they were tricked into giving their people up? Chiefs are kinda like politicians.. they will tell their people what they are doing is best for the whole group, but he knows it will only benefit him. That is why i get mad when i hear African American people say things like " white people brought us here and made us slaves".... well that isn't true, Spain did, and the people were bought like a material items. Allot of us had nothing to do with what happened over 200 years ago. Plus living in America is way better than living in Africa; i mean come on?? my ancestors are from Hungary and Poland?? there is no way in hell i would want to live there.

Answer 4

because the true Africans of the last few decades weren't raised in an environment of division. they are raised and taught to seek opportunities to make a better life. when they get those opportunities, they appreciate it more. when i was in retail i used to love hiring Africans, especially the guys from Ghana. they work hard and were always in a great mood. blacks who are raised in the U.S. tend to believe that whites still owe them something. their history is not the same as a true African who is only about 20-30 years old.

i know i am making generalizations, but it is sometimes appropriate when dealing with a global issue regarding a large group of people. of course not all blacks have an attitude, but in rural or ghetto-type areas, this "attitude" mentioned in your question is undeniably present. today, blacks are as much to blame for the continued racial divide as whites.


followup: anyone who states that Africans are the same as Afro-Americans needs to wake up and smell the truth. the majority of Africans who are in this country were born and raised IN Africa. the majority (almost all) of the Afro-Americans are black people who were born and raised in the United States. the majority of black people pretend to know about their African heritage. i have many black friends and we have openly spoken about this stuff. most black folk have no idea what country their ancestors were from, let alone the actual source of their "blood" or DNA, and they don't really care. there's nothing wrong with that at all. but don't come in here and pretend otherwise. an objective person would realize that this question is not racist and be openminded enough to approach an answer without being defensive.

Answer 5

As an African American, I can totally relate to your question! Africans are much more friendly, more family oriented, more polite and more respectful to themselves. The answer to your question lies in the differences in the two countries. In Africa, respect is EVERYTHING! In America, money and stress govern. America also enslaved African Americans, robbed them of there culture by bringing them to a vast land, separating them from their families, changing their names and subjecting them to the will of the white man. America also didn't give them the right to vote until the 1960's, flaunts white beauty, white cuisine, white role models, and white supremacy in African American's face on a daily, yet indirect basis. Also, many African Americans feel they have been perpetrated against by America for the past 200+ years therefore are very defensive in the presence of whites and as you see it, "rude". My husband is white and when we first met, he was the first white person I didn't have a difficult time relating to. The point I'm trying to make is the barrier between whites and blacks is still very much in place. Please try to have an open mind and drop all your stereotypes about African Americans when dealing with them. I struggle to do this everyday not only with white people, but with my own people as well.

Answer 6

Slavery, partially. Slaves were not given ANY kind of education, from table manners, to speaking properly, to philosophy. It's hard to waterdown such behavior even 8 generations later, since one generation is raised by the previous.
To be Black American is to be rebelling against everything...including wearing clothes properly. Our commercial culture has been embracing the Black American arrogance for over twenty years...I am still at a loss why embracing a culture that idolizes inner-city violence and drug dealing is something we as a Nation want to promote....Oh yeah!!... Viva la Corporate Socialist! that runs this Country...they are making $$$ off the arrogance!

Answer 7

Usually, but not always, black people from Africa have not suffered the indignities thrown upon a whole group of people as blacks in American have gone through for hundreds of years. They perceive themselves to be different (but not better) than African-Americans. That does not mean they do not make black friends when they come here for school or for some other reason; they do make black friends. But I have found them to be more open to making non-black friends as well. Still, I have often wondered if they fully grasp what it is like to be black in America or what MLK, Jr. Day and marches really mean to African-Americans. I truly don't think they know what any of that means. They can't fully grasp it.

Answer 8

Most African have a friendly disposition at heart, and I agree, that their cultures highly support and encourage this friendly disposition towards others. For example, African believe and have a saying that a 'stranger' is like flowing water in a river, he/she will be with you for a short time and them move on, so treat strangers kindly. There are many other do's that help to shape this culture of friendship and sharing good things.

There maybe few cases of 'not-so-good' experiences, but these are very isolated, and do not represent Africanness.

Thanks.

Answer 9

Africans are the son's of sun god they are so frendly because thay have the common sense that thay should give hospitality to all since they r black they feel guilty on them selves where as afro-americans r already treated rudely by white's (american's)
they used all the africans as slaves before but now they r almost equalto get a seperate leader ship the afro-americans r little rude then africans............

Answer 10

I am of black descent from the Caribbean. African-Americans are some real idiots, let me tell you that right now. I believe it's because the slaves were left to fend for themselves in the South after the Civil War, leading to a cultural disaster of epic proportions. Here you have a bunch of people freed from slavery, left to fend for themselves without having learned how to function in society or run one. Thus, many lack the values and knowledge of how to do anything the right way. The adults couldn't be looked upon for guidance, thus leading to a childish, disastrous cycle that continues today.