Why do white people pretend they don't understand when a black or brown person talks to them?

Question

Even if such person also has English (or German or Norwegian) as their first language?

I notice it's the same in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany and Norway: if you're black or brown and you talk to whites, most pretend they don't understand what you're saying. Strange, no?

Answer 1

This will undoubtedly come off as a classic white dude answer, but I will try to explain my own difficulties, and maybe this will help explain your dillemna.
I live in south Central Georgia. There are two distinct ethnic dialogs here, white cracker and ebonic.
I would choose not to engage in the differences of the two, but will have to to illuminate my difficulties.
I cant understand either one of them.
But the more I focus on one, the less likely I am able to understand the other.
Here is the big problem I have with both.
Neither is standard english. Neither will take the time to learn standard english. Both forms are a lazy attempt to communicate.
This is fine in circles of like people.
But if you approach me with a 'how you is'
you put me at a cultural disadvantage.I do not travel in your circles. I do not understand the nuances of your speak.
I dont mean this pointed at you, I mean those who will slip into cultural dialog that I have not been taught.
The best of us, when comfortable with the others we speak to, will slip up and slip in a nuance, a token of our speech that tells the other person(s) a lot about who we are, but leaves a gap when there could be a response.
I hear this daily. I investigate house fires.
These unfortunate incidents happen to all folks.
And when these folks are excited- well.
It doesnt happen just to brown, black. It happens to all of us. I learn to listen a great deal before speaking. I ask a lot of questions.
The art of communicating requires common ground. Unfortunately, some people determine non commonality before they even hear a word, and they do so by dress, by body and by color.
These folks miss a lot in this life.
No, not strange. Every day stuff here in paradise.

Answer 2

When and if I can't understand someone, it has nothing to do with their skin color. Could be that they are not speaking loud enough for me to hear. Or they are speaking in a tone that I have problems hearing (too much loud music when I was younger).

Did you ever consider that maybe you are being overly sensitive to something and making more of it than you should be?

Something else comes to mind. If a person is talking with alot of slang - matters not what color their skin is - if I am not familiar with it, I am not going to understand what the other is saying.

Answer 3

I have trouble understanding accents...even if they are speaking English. I am from the south and have trouble understanding others. So excuse me and no, thanks on the phone to these callers. I believe everyone in the USA that is a citizen or staying here acting as (living here)(not a tourist) must speak English. Not some half baked form of it.

Answer 4

I have never come across this issue in 20 years of living in a cultural diverse city in the US. Also, I'm pretty sure that 'brown' is not a politically correct term in any English-speaking country.

Answer 5

Well if you're speaking clear, concise, intelligible English than I
have no problem understanding, but if you're talking Ebonics or
what ever it is I've heard some guys talk than I have a problem
understanding.

Answer 6

I've never noticed that. I have occassionaly noticed people whom I know speak english pretend not to, in order to avoid a conversation with an annoying english-speaker, though.

Answer 7

Heres a better question, why is it ok for black and brown people to proclaim black power or brown power and it's not racist, but if a white person does the same thing it's racist?

Answer 8

I am hearing impaired. That is to say, I can't hear very well. I often pretend I understood what was said. I get very tired of asking people to repeat themselves and look directly at me when speaking. They tend to patronize or ignore the request. About the color of someone's skin, I dunno. Maybe they truly didn't understand. You'd be amazed at the number of people who mumble when they speak. I read lips and mispronounciation and mumbling don't help.

Answer 9

I'm white and I've never had that problem talking to other people. the Germans love the blacks. so i don't know why you would say that about the Germans.

Answer 10

Unless they are speaking a different language, I've never heard of such a thing.