Southerner's especially blacks this way. . . .?

Question

I'm from the north and moved south and I don't eat pork and many of my friends and family up north do not eat pork either. I was just wondering why it is the southerner's I meet are shocked or insulted when they find out I don't eat pork. A lot of the blacks I meet down here (I too am black) say that "I wasn't raised", because I don't eat pork. My mom eats I just don't and neither does my dad. I get insulted when people attack my families parenting skills over something that is simply a dietary choice. But I don't really understand the upheaval about it and was wondering if there were any southerner's particularly black southerner's who might be able to shed some light on the subject.

Thanks a mil Tyler S!

Sure I was raised on grits with cheese and have had many if not all southern dishes introduced to me. I just don't like pork, so I don't eat it.

Answer 1

To them, this is not just a 'dietary choice', but a cultural norm. You may have the same skin color, but your backgrounds are significantly different than the people you are referring to. I, also, have been raised with a broader background and education than many, and I experience a lot of judgements by people who are much more narrow in their backgrounds, who are pretty 'ethnocentric'. Ethnocentric means that the person takes for granted that the way his/her group does things is THE way to do things, and that other ways are 'out' and inferior.

Meat from pork, chitterlings, ears, feet, salt pork, pork rinds are standard fare for some southerners, and there is a kind of bonding and identification with each other that is around this. Your accent is probably different too, and your speech (since, from this sample, you appear to have a higher education).

What I find helps me to find common ground to bond around, is to show that I admit that I am a bit unique, and that that's okay. Show that I care and respect these people, instead of being insulted by their lack of ability to relate to you. People sometimes laugh or show contempt for things they don't understand. Stand tall, but not too proud. Maybe cook up some dishes that you do like, and share them, what is standard for you may be novel to them.

With some time most will accept you and your differences, as you accept them. The few who don't won't matter.

Are you having grits for breakfast now, and trying other soul food dishes that don't have pork in them?

Answer 2

the place in NYC are you placed? i'm sorry which you have a adverse adventure with some ignorant human beings, yet to make one sweeping assertion a pair of few persons which you have interacted with isn't inevitably precise. once you say "black," are you relating African human beings, Caribbean human beings, Latino human beings or Africans. i'm conscious of 3 sub cultures that evaluate organic Euro American as "the devil," yet not everybody of African descent are inevitably prejudice. pork against Asians? do you be conscious of how many chinese language eating places and Korean splendor shops are in "the 'hood?" Do you think of they might exist there if the citizens had a "heavy pork with Asians?" you may shuttle with regard to the city a dash greater... . i'm beneficial this might substitute your attitude. You popularity in the South is in all threat for the reason which you're "different." I actually have a chum who's Puerto Rican and gets the royal treatment from "blacks" and "whites." (BTW - isn't there a caste equipment on your way of existence wherein "Blacks" are the backside of the low? there'll continually be "undesirable apples" in each race, yet do not enable that characterize the completed race.)

Answer 3

They just said that to mean you haven't had the full experience. That's all that means. My mother and I were never heavy pork eaters either---maybe once a month if even.

But that's not attacking parenting skills at all. No harm is meant by saying that.

Answer 4

Well, i'm not black, and i'm not a southerner, but i think i can still help.


they are probably just giving you a hard time, so don't take them too seriosly, and IF it does come down to insulting each other's mothers, heres a great resouce:

http://www.thejokeyard.com/your_momma_jokes/index.html